The 2017 Grammy Awards were Adele’s night, with so many unforgettable moments attributed to her, it’s hard to know where to start.
Her tribute to the late George Michael stood out in particular, though, because of how she flubbed it – then recovered in amazing fashion.
About a minute into her performance honoring the music icon, who died on Christmas 2016, Adele put a stop to it and asked for a re-do.
She briefly cursed and asked the band to restart her rendition of "Fastlove, pt. 1," saying she didn’t want to mess this one up for Michael.
Referring to the show’s producer Ken Ehrlich, and the technical issues that plagued her performance last year, she said, "I’m sorry Ken."
"I know it’s live TV; I’m sorry I can’t do it again, like last year. I’m sorry for swearing. I’m sorry for starting again. Can we please start it again?"
"I’m sorry … I cant mess this up for him. I’m sorry."
"I’m sorry for swearing! I’m really sorry. Sorry.”
It was worth it. Adele went on to turn in a beautiful, stunning tribute, in which scenes from Michael’s iconic career played on screen.
You can watch it in its entirety below.
She received a standing ovation – perhaps even bigger than the one that followed the show-opening Adele "Hello" Grammy performance.
It was an unorthodox, but moving take on the track.
“Adele chose to sing ‘Fastlove, pt. 1’ herself,” reveals an Adele source. “That was her pick. She really wanted to perform that song.”
The song is normally mid-to-up-tempo, but given his recent passing at the age of 53, Adele’s slower, orchestral version was perfect.
Michael would have likely been touched by it.
"He would smile and be so proud that this artist is performing this song," James Corden, the host of the event, said of Adele’s performance.
Just as Bruno Mars honored Prince at the Grammy Awards, Michael received a fitting send-off after his life ended far too soon last year.
Michael sold over 100 million records during his career, first as a teen idol and later as an introspective, boundary-pushing solo artist.
The openly gay, two-time Grammy winner was an innovator in the studio and on stage, and a dedicated philanthropist in his personal life.
It’s no surprise that his legacy has touched so many brilliant performers across generations and around the world, this one among them.
As for Adele, she won Album of the Year last night, though if you take her word for it, it was Beyonce who truly deserved to win the honor.
“I’m very humbled and I’m very grateful and gracious, but my artist of my life is Beyoncé," the 28-year-old singer told the audience.
Clearly wanting to stay on the Beyhive’s good side, she added:
"This album to me, the Lemonade album, was just so monumental. It was so monumental and thought-out and so beautiful and soul-baring."
"We all got to see another side to you that you don’t always let us see and we appreciate that," Adele told a beaming Beyonce Sunday.
"All us artists here adore you. You are our light!”
Fans also apparently learned, over the course of that same speech, that the notoriously private Adele is married to Simon Konecki.
Quite a night! Watch her tribute to Michael:
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