Kendrick Lamar to Open Grammys with U2 & Dave Chappelle
The 60th Annual Grammy Awards are kicking off with a bang. Armed with seven nominations, Kendrick Lamar is set to open this year’s show with a special performance featuring U2 and Dave Chappelle, according to E! Online.
K-Dot and U2, previously announced as separate performers, collaborated on a series of tracks in the past year, including XXX. off Lamar’s Grammy-nominated DAMN. and “Get Out of Your Own Way” and “American Soul” from the band’s Songs of Experience album.
This will be Kung Fu Kenny’s third Grammy performance, following his “Radioactive” set with Imagine Dragons in 2014 and his rousing medley of “Alright” and “The Blacker the Berry” in 2016.
Additional performers for this year’s show include Bruno Mars, Cardi B, SZA, Alessia Cara, Khalid, Logic, Lady Gaga, Childish Gambino, Sam Smith, Elton John, and Miley Cyrus.
Kendrick, a seven-time winner, is up for seven gramophones this year, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Best Music Video. U2 is not nominated this year, but they have previously won 22 Grammys.
This year, Chappelle is nominated for his first-ever Grammy thanks to The Age of Spin & Deep In the Heart of Texas, which is up for Best Comedy Album.
The James Corden-hosted Grammy Awards will air live from Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m. on CBS.