Additional Coverage:
Lady Gaga Electrifies Grammy Stage with “Abracadabra” Reinvention Amidst Multi-Nomination Night
Los Angeles, CA – The 68th Grammy Awards audience at Crypto.com Arena was treated to a dazzling and intense performance by music icon Lady Gaga on Sunday, as she unleashed a rock-infused rendition of her hit “Abracadabra.” The stage was bathed in blinding white lights, offering fleeting glimpses of the superstar as she commanded attention with robotic precision and an overpowering vocal presence.
A veteran of the Grammy stage with more than half a dozen previous performances, Gaga was a leading contender for this year’s accolades, securing eight nominations, including the coveted Album of the Year for “Mayhem.” Her performance saw her clad in a striking red and black fur long-sleeved top that cascaded into a sweeping black skirt, her head uniquely encased in a cage-like dome.
Throughout the performance, Gaga’s gaze remained unyielding, her wide eyes often fixed directly into the camera. This intense eye contact was mirrored by her musicians, to whom the camera periodically panned, revealing their equally wide-eyed stares. Adding to the theatricality, Gaga utilized a long black cane, leaning on it while singing, and at one dramatic moment, raising it to point at the audience like a weapon.
Even before taking the stage, Gaga had already claimed two Grammys, for Dance Pop Recording and Remixed Recording. Her success continued moments after her performance, as she was awarded Pop Vocal Album for “Mayhem.”
Gaga’s eight nominations placed her just behind Kendrick Lamar, who led the night with nine. Both megastars were poised for head-to-head competition in some of the most prestigious categories.
“Abracadabra,” a flagship track from her latest album, garnered nominations for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Dance Pop Performance. Additionally, “Disease,” another track from “Mayhem,” was recognized in the Pop Solo Performance category.
While her 2024 album, “Harlequin,” was nominated for Traditional Pop Vocal Album, it ultimately lost to Laufey’s “A Matter of Time.”
“Mayhem,” Gaga’s seventh solo studio album, dropped in March of last year, just ahead of her headlining performance at Coachella. Her electrifying Grammy appearance comes amidst her nearly year-long “Mayhem Ball” tour, set to conclude in April.
With a remarkable 14 Grammy wins under her belt, including last year’s Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Die With a Smile” with Bruno Mars, Gaga continues her pursuit of Album and Song of the Year, categories in which she has been nominated four times each prior to Sunday.
Her history of memorable Grammy moments includes a poignant tribute to Los Angeles following devastating wildfires in 2023, performing “California Dreamin'” with Bruno Mars. She also paid tribute to Tony Bennett in 2022, performed her Grammy-winning “Shallow” in 2019, and graced the stage in 2018 with “Joanne” and “Million Reasons.” Her inaugural Grammy performance in 2010 featured a duet with Elton John and a medley from her debut album, “The Fame.”
Gaga’s 2026 began with tour dates in Japan, where in late January, she delivered a powerful and emotional speech condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the U.S. and the aggressive immigration enforcement policies of the Trump administration. “My heart is aching thinking about the people, the children, the families all over America who are being mercilessly targeted by ICE,” Gaga stated, according to video footage from the event, expressing her concern for their pain and the destruction of their lives.