Lizzo Honors Kobe Bryant With Grammys Performance: ‘Tonight Is for Kobe’

By J. Kim Murphy

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – After earning a leading eight nominations, Lizzo opened the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards with a lively performance at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday.

“Tonight is for Kobe ,” the singer said as she took the stage in a black gown. The sports icon died earlier on Sunday in a helicopter crash.

performed “Cuz I Love You,” the title song off of her third studio album. Then, with a slow transition complete with ballerinas and an outfit change, she capped the performance with “Truth Hurts.” Accompanied by an orchestra, a dance crew and a fellow flautist, the set was both intimate and animated, and capped off Lizzo’s dominating year in music.

It’s a big night for Lizzo. Making her Grammy debut, she garnered the most nods of any artist this year — many of which are in the top categories. Though it was originally released in 2017, “Truth Hurts” became a sleeper hit last year, going viral on the social media platform TikTok before eventually climbing to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite being several years old, the song was released as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of “Cuz I Love You,” allowing it to qualify for the Grammys this year.

“Truth Hurts” landed nominations for record of the year, song of the year and pop solo performance. Lizzo was nominated for best new artist, while the deluxe edition of “Cuz I Love You” competed for album of the year.