Tyler, the Creator’s Grammys performance literally set the stage on fire. The artist, who also won Best Rap Album for his IGOR record, made his Grammy debut at the Los Angeles Staples Center on Sunday night (Jan. 26).
Rocking his signature blonde wig and a two-toned pink suit, Tyler enlisted the legendary Charlie Wilson and supergroup Boyz II Men to perform “EARFQUAKE.”
“You know I had to bring some shine to the #GRAMMYs y’all!” Wilson had tweeted before their performance.
Wilson led the IGOR hit, while Boyz II Men provided a complimenting harmony. Tyler, on the other hand, lended the song’s shrieking vocals, as he screamed into the microphone and danced vigorously on stage.
In a fiery twist, Tyler shifted the performance to sing his IGOR cut, “NEW MAGIC WAND.” Suddenly, dozens of Tyler doppelgängers rushed the stage, as the scene built behind the rapper bursted into flames. Tyler concluded his performance by falling backwards into the burning set.
Tyler released his fifth studio album IGOR back in May. The record included features from Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Solange, Kanye West, Jerrod Carmichael, Santigold, Jessy Wilson, La Roux, CeeLo Green, Slowthai, Pharrell and more.
Taking home the Best Rap Album award, Tyler beat out Meek Mill’s Championships, Dreamville’s Revenge of the Dreamers III, 21 Savage’s I Am > I Was and YBN Cordae’s The Lost Boy.
“To my mother, you did a great job raising this guy… to my mangers, you guys took a seed and watered it and I thank you for trusting my ideas,” he said during his award acceptance speech. “To my friends and family, thank you for trusting my ideas and putting up with my hyperactive energy and always being there.”
“I never fully felt accepted in rap and stuff, so for y’all to stand by me, I appreciate that,” he continued.
Besides winning big at the 2020 Grammys, IGOR also earned Tyler his first No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, with “EARFQUAKE” becoming his highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 13.
See Twitter reactions to Tyler’s Grammy performance below.