The Nigerian musician became the first afrobeats star to take the Grammys stage on Sunday night
Brenton Blanchet is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. He has been working at PEOPLE since 2022.
Brenton's work has previously appeared in Billboard, Pigeons & Planes and Complex.
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and Nicole Acosta Published on February 4, 2024 11:29PM EST
Nigerian singer Burna Boy performs on stage during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024.
Burna Boy. PHOTO: VALERIE MACON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Burna Boy has made Recording Academy history!
The Nigerian musician, 32, was joined by both Brandy and 21 Savage during the 2024 Grammy Awards on Sunday, where he became the first-ever Afrobeats artist to perform at the annual ceremony.
During the show, the trio joined forces for a performance of "Sittin' on Top of the World," Burna Boy's 2023 track featuring 21 Savage, 31. The song notably samples Brandy's 1998 hit "Top of the World," which featured Mase.
Burna Boy kicked off his performance wearing a red jacket with silver jewels paired with matching light blue jeans as he sang his song “On Form" alongside dancers dressed in what appeared to be traditional Nigerian clothing. He performed his smash hit "City Boys" next, as the stage lit up with colors and he danced enthusiastically.
Brandy then appeared, coming out from the top of a set of stairs, wearing an all-black outfit with red knee-high boots singing part of her hit of "Top of the World." 21 Savage also graced the stage wearing an all-red leather jacket and pants as he performed his verse on Burna Boy's "Sittin' on Top of the World."
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Brandy, Burna Boy, a perform onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Brandy, Burna Boy and 21 Savage. AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES
Grammys executive producer Raj Kapoor previously announced news of the trio's performance on Rolling Stone Music Now earlier this week.
The performance wasn't just a big deal for Burna Boy either. It also marked 21's first time rapping on the Grammys stage. It was also Brandy's first time performing at the Grammys in several years.
In 2019, Post Malone performed "Rockstar" without 21 Savage, who was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement prior to the ceremony. (The rapper's mother was given Grammy tickets in his place and attended the event.) Savage has since become a "lawful permanent resident" of the U.S., his lawyer told PEOPLE in 2023, following the “targeted operation” over his visa.
As for Brandy, she previously made her mark on the Grammys stage in 1997 for a performance of "Sittin' Up In My Room."
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Burna Boy and 21 were up for best melodic rap performance on Sunday night, but lost to Lil Durk and J. Cole's "All My Life." Burna Boy also earned a nod for "City Boys" in the best African music performance category.
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21 Savage also earned a few nominations at this year's ceremony. His 2023 collaborative effort with Drake, Her Loss, helped secure him another nod in the best melodic rap performance category for "Spin Bout U." His other nominations include best rap performance for "Rich Flex," best rap song for "Rich Flex" and best rap album for "Her Loss."
Brandy went into the performance on Sunday as a Grammy-winner. She won best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals in 1999 for "The Boy Is Mine" with Monica.
See PEOPLE's full coverage of the 66th annual Grammy Awards as they're broadcasting live on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
