“I must warn you, this show is live, anything can happen,” teased host Trevor Noah about Sunday’s Grammys Awards. “It’s like flying on a Boeing airplane. One minute there is a door. The next minute we are outside.”
The former host of The Daily Show returned for a fourth time as master of ceremonies for the 66th annual fete. Opening the show in his signature white jacket and tie, Noah talked about how the Grammys was the “only concert that actually starts on time” and how it even hands out a prize for best audio book.
“It’s hard to twerk to, but it’s still great,” he joked.
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Noah went on to riff about AI, Taylor Swift, and all those female nominees. But first, he had to help escort Meryl Streep to her chair.
Just as he was pointing out that record producer Mark Ronson was sitting at a table that his mother-in-law was about to occupy, Streep rushed in behind Noah and took her chair.
“This moment means the Grammys are gonna win an Oscar,” said Noah.
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As he roamed the table area right below the Grammy stage, Noah shared how he had mixed feelings about the injection of AI in the music world. On the one hand, such technology made it possible for the Beatles to release a new song. “On the other hand, I heard an AI rendition of Andrea Bocelli [about] my neck, my back. It was beautiful but it was wrong.”
Just when Noah started talking about Swift, the pop star strolled into the area to take her seat. “When I say their name, they pop out,” he quipped. “As Taylor moves through the room, the local economy around those tables improves. Lionel Ritchie, now Lionel Wealthy. “
He then talked about how it was “so unfair how NFL fans have been complaining about the cameras cutting to Taylor Swift, right, like she’s controlling the cameras at the games. Let her live.” So he decided to turn the tables, every time someone mentions Swift during the show, he’ll cut to someone who plays football.
That’s when the camera landed on former NFL player turned actor Terry Crews.
“Do you work for the CIA, Terry?” Noah asked.
He then wrapped up his monologue by reminding everyone how the Grammys has “everyone” Sunday — unlike TikTok, which just lost music that’s performed by Universal artists. “Right now, the CEO of TikTok is eating ice cream, seeing all of his exes in one room. Shame on you ripping off all of these artists! How dare you! That’s Spotify’s job.”
Watch the complete monologue in the video above.
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