From Dua Lipa’s custom Versace and Chrome Hearts looks, to Tate McRae and Raye in jet-black sequin gowns, it seemed like everyone got the memo to wear black at the Brits.
The soapbox was put to good use
Five minutes into the show, sub-postmaster Jo Hamilton appeared on stage to help present an award – and to call out the government for failing to pay victims of the Horizon post office scandal fast enough. When she won her Songwriter of the Year award, Raye took the opportunity to call for songwriters to get master royalty points. When it was their turn to present, Bimini Bon-Boulash gave a shout out to all the trans and non-binary people watching, stating that trans rights are human rights. While it could have been a moment for someone to speak about the multiple genocides happening right now, those three offered a reminder that, sadly, life isn’t all glitz and glamour. So use your platform to do some good!
There were some clunky references
Was it the crowd, or was it the jokes? Many people noticed that the energy in the room felt a bit low. When Jack Saunders asked people to cheer if they’d had a beer tonight, Yinka Bokinni quipped that it was the loudest they’d been all night. Hosts Maya Jama, Clara Amfo and Ross Kemp did try, with a lot of pre-planned bits. There was the kiss cam, where no one they panned to really kissed. A shoutout to The Traitors, with queen Diane and her son Ross joining the trio in their green cloaks as they wrote predictions for who would perform next on chalkboards. Kemp took a shot with Kylie out of her shoe, then later another shot from a bottle labelled “Harry Styles’s bathwater”, calling it the “Saltburn”… All presented without comment.
Rema is still performing “Calm Down”
It’s so good to see Rema on the Brits stage. And this song was an immediate classic that deserved all the nominations and awards… when it came out two years ago. Why is there always such a delay for Afrobeats artists to get their due? In any case, Rema killed his performance, with an Edenic set-up jam-packed with dancers, and the initially stifled arena went absolutely wild for it. Before he left, he made sure to remind us: Africa in the house! We want more, please.
Tate McRae’s hairography saved her
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James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
