It’ll be a very pop girl Grammys with Charli xcx, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan performing

Six of the eight albums nominated for Album of the Year at this year’s Grammys are by female pop stars, so it stands to reason that this year’s ceremony would bring some of that talent to the stage. The Grammy organization announced this morning that AOTY nominees Charli xcx, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan will all take the stage. Several other rising stars will also perform at the ceremony, including Best New Artist nominees Benson Boone, Raye, Doechii, and Teddy Swims. Shakira will also be there, presumably because everyone loves Shakira. 

It’s unclear at this time whether these are just the first round of performers or whether this is all we’re going to get. Presumably, the ceremony would jump at the chance to have either Beyoncé or Taylor Swift, both also nominated for AOTY, perform, but their willingness to do that is questionable. Swift of course won the prize with her last effort Midnights, but only took the stage to accept trophies. Beyoncé meanwhile has spent the last decade being passed over for the prize in favor of Beck, Adele, and Harry Styles. She performed during those first two ceremonies, but only took the stage in 2023 to accept the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album. Last year, her husband Jay Z took the stage to basically shame the Grammy voters for not ever giving her AOTY despite her status as the most decorated musician in the history of the Grammys. Guess we’ll see how that works out next week! 

Charli xcx, meanwhile, has the opportunity to do something very funny this year, given that her song “Spring Breakers” from 2024’s Brat largely lists hypothetical acts of violence she fantasizes about enacting on a crowd at the Staples Center at an unnamed February event. We’ll see if that one makes the setlist when the Grammys air on CBS on Sunday, February 2 at 8 pm ET.