Take a seat, precious Beyoncé
The GRAMMYs were an admittedly snoozy affair this year, but that didn’t stop a bit of controversy from occurring. When word came that John Legend and Common would be performing their powerful “Glory” as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March and a celebration of the critically acclaimed film Selma, people applauded the decision. However, when it was announced that Beyoncé would be performing “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and not Ledisi -- who played Mahalia Jackson in the film and sang the song on the soundtrack -- side eyes fluttered. Why was Bey, who has put the over in overexposed in the past two years, taking some much deserved shine away from one of the best voices in music when the last thing she needed was yet another televised appearance.
When the big night came and Bey, dressed like a 2015 Glinda the Good Witch and flanked by a choir of a few good (looking) Black men, performed the song with very little of the gospel veritas that it needed (seriously, stretching out your hand and shaking it like you’re having a seizure does not equal emotion), it only cemented the fact that Ledisi should’ve been getting that spotlight. Don’t get us wrong, we like Beyoncé as much as the next man (OK, maybe not as much as the BeyHive), but we can only take solace in the fact that after her performance, Bey was eventually ushered exactly where she needed to go: to her seat. -- D-Money
