Flanked by Lady Gaga and J. Lo, Michelle Obama receives standing ovation at the Grammys

The 61st annual Grammy Awards started with a bang, as former first lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance alongside Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and host Alicia Keys.

Each woman spoke about the power of music, and as soon as Obama had the microphone, the crowd went wild, cheering and giving her a standing ovation. "From the Motown records I wore out on the Southside to the 'Who Run the World' songs that fueled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story," she said.

Whether we listen to country or rap or rock, "music helps us share ourselves, our dignity and sorrows, our hopes, our joys," she said. "It allows us to hear one another, to invite each other in. Music shows us that all of it matters, every story within every voice, every note within every song." Catherine Garcia

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

YouTube

Watch On