The 2026 Grammys had no shortage of standout moments, from Lola Young taking home Best Pop Solo Performance to Bad Bunny winning Album of the Year Debí Tirar Más Pictures. But nothing rocked the room like the In Memoriam tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack.
Bad Bunny hits ICE during Grammys speech
The segment was supported by Ms. Lauryn Hill, who led a powerful group of R&B and soul heavyweights, including Lucky Daye, Raphael Saadiq, Leon Thomas, John Legend, Chaka Khan, Jon Batiste, and former Fugees member Wyclef Jean, in a carefully selected set celebrating the lives and legacies of these two artists.
The tribute quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the night on social media, and was heard far beyond the event itself. All things considered, it was a great kick off for Black History Month.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
The first part of the tribute is dedicated to D’Angelo, who died on October 14 of last year. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern R&B, D’Angelo helped define the neo-soul movement of the late ’90s and early 2000s, with a sound and visual style that reshaped the way intimacy, vulnerability, and Black masculinity were portrayed in popular music. His albums became cultural touchstones, earning both critical acclaim and a devoted fan base that transcended genre boundaries.
Ms. Lauryn Hill led the segment with renditions of several of her favorites, including “Brown Sugar,” “Lady,” “Devil’s Pie,” and “Nothing Even Matters,” while Bilal delivered a soaring rendition of “Untitled (How does It Feel),” one of D’Angelo’s most popular and enduring hits.
Mashable Trend Report
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
Although many viewers praised the song, others were disappointed that Angie Stone was not given the spotlight in the In Memoriam section. Stone, who died in March, was a key figure in shaping the sound of hip-hop soul and neo-soul, genres that later gained mainstream popularity thanks to artists like Ms. Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo. For some fans, his inaction felt admirable given how profound his influence was on the music celebrated on stage.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
The second half of the tribute honored Roberta Flack, whose work has reshaped pop and soul music. Flack’s song went through a tightly curated set of his most enduring hits: “First Time I Saw Your Face,” “Compared to You,” “The Closer I Get to You,” and “Where’s the Love.” Hill then covered “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” before reuniting with Wyclef Jean for “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” switching to a Fugees version to close the segment.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. Either it is loading or it has already been downloaded.
