The 5 best performances at the 2025 Grammys — and 3 that fell flat

Sabrina Carpenter was nominated for each of the "Big Four" awards for her masterful pop album "Short n' Sweet," plus best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance for "Espresso," both of which she won.

Thankfully, the Grammys gave Carpenter enough time onstage to honor her breakthrough into pop royalty after years of cutting her teeth at Disney Channel, training for Broadway, and perfecting her goofy-yet-sexy onstage persona.

Carpenter showcased the full range of her skillset with a Lucille Ball-esque performance, complete with comedic bits and costumes, a jazzy blend of "Espresso" and "Please Please Please," and even a tap-dance break.

Chappell Roan made headlines throughout 2024 for drawing massive crowds at festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza. As she proved once again on the Grammy stage, Roan is a born entertainer with the creative vision, showmanship, and soaring falsetto to match.

Rather than sticking with the obvious choice and singing her breakout hit "Good Luck, Babe!" — nominated for both record and song of the year — Roan smartly opted to perform her gay-awakening anthem "Pink Pony Club" to honor her love of Los Angeles.

Shortly after, Roan returned to the stage to accept the award for best new artist, where she boldly took the music industry to task; Roan dedicated her speech to demanding higher wages and better worker protections for herself and her peers. You just can't teach stage presence like hers.

Delivering eccentric choreography in head-to-toe Thom Browne, Doechii had the Grammy crowd buzzing with her medley of "Catfish" and "Denial Is a River," both standout tracks from her latest mixtape "Alligator Bites Never Heal."

The self-described "Swamp Princess" also became the third woman in Grammy history to win best rap album, following Lauryn Hill and Cardi B.

Raye, who was nominated for best new artist and songwriter of the year, non-classical, executed a show-stopping rendition of her single "Oscar-Winning Tears" — hitting high notes and nailing vocal runs with a poise that brought to mind early Adele.

Charli XCX was one of the most-nominated artists at the Grammys this year and one of the evening's final performers. Thankfully, the old cliché of "saving the best for last" applies here.

Charli kickstarted her "Brat" medley with "Von Dutch," strutting around the arena's parking garage while flanked by a crowd of partygoers and hot girls, including supermodel Alex Consani and internet "It Girl" Gabbriette Bechtel.

By the time Charli and her entourage arrived onstage, it felt like the whole crowd was on their feet. Even Taylor Swift, the apparent source of envy that Charli sings about in "Sympathy Is a Knife," was jumping around with a champagne bottle in her hand.

Charli capped the performance with "Guess," her hit collaboration with Billie Eilish, while panties and undergarments rained from the ceiling. It was hard not to feel jealous of the cool kids on that stage — which was, of course, exactly what Charli was going for.

Ever since Billie Eilish's landmark year in 2020, when she swept all four general-field categories, she has been a reliable highlight at the Grammys. But on Sunday, her static rendition of "Birds of a Feather" was surprisingly forgettable.

In contrast with her previous Grammy performances of "When the Party's Over" and "Happier Than Ever," Eilish supplied muddled vocals and subdued energy levels that failed to do the fan-favorite song justice.

How many times do we need to watch Benson Boone follow this exact blueprint?

"Beautiful Things" may have been his breakout hit, but it's a cookie-cutter pop song that doesn't need yet another televised performance — especially not if Boone insists on recycling every detail for every one, from the all-too-faithful instrumentation to the onstage backflip and the sparkly jumpsuits stolen directly from Harry Styles' playbook.

Teddy Swims had one of the biggest hits of 2024 with "Lose Control," a soulful ballad that spent months climbing the charts. Based on his live performances over the past year, it might be fair to assume that Swims doesn't know any other songs.

Swims delivered exactly what was expected of him and nothing more, a strategy that felt especially dull immediately following Doechii's dynamic performance.

To paraphrase the Recording Academy's former president, maybe the male nominees need to step up their game next year.