February 11, 2013
The 55th Grammy Awards -- the Day After
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 3 MIN.
While the 55th Grammy Awards was one of the tightest and most entertaining shows in years, Chris Brown managed to sour it up a bit and reminded America why everyone wants him to go away.
In late January it was reported that Frank Ocean, an R&B superstar who gained fame after announcing he was once in love with a man weeks before his debut album "channel ORANGE" dropped, and Brown got into a rumble in a parking lot in West Hollywood. Ocean claims Brown punched him and that someone from the "Kiss Kiss" singer's group called him a "faggot," Pitchfork reported. Nevertheless, Ocean decided not to press charges, but that didn't stop Brown from dissing Ocean.
Tensions may have been high as both Ocean and Brown were nominated for the Best Urban Contemporary Album award. After it was announced that Ocean won, the audience stood up and applauded the "Pyramids" singer - except for Brown. Footage shows Ocean walking passed Brown, who remained seated, to the stage to accept his Grammy. According to the Hollywood Reporter, when Brown's name was called as a nominee, no one applauded and CBS was forced to add on a cheer track.
By the end of the night, Ocean, who was nominated for six Grammy's, took home two awards for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "No Church in the Wild" with Jay-Z and Kanye West. Brown went home empty-handed.
Ocean also performed at the show, where 39.9 million viewers tuned in, making it the largest TV audience for the event since 1984, and sang his latest single "Forrest Gump."
But not everything was so drama-ridden at the Grammy's. The award show left us with some amazing photos that have spread across the Internet like wildfire. One picture shows Ellen DeGeneres freaking out over Katy Perry's generous bosom, while another shows Lena Dunham, the creator of the hit HBO series "Girls," embracing Taylor Swift - the two have formed a friendship over Twitter, despite disapproval from Dunham's (hipster) fans.
Speaking of Swift, Gawker posted a number of GIFs of the "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" singer having the time of her life at the award show. Conversely, the site also posted GIFs of Jay-Z not having the time of his life at the award show.