Janelle Monae and Kesha deliver the Grammys' most powerful moment

An unforgettable performance.
 By 
Kellen Beck
 on 
Janelle Monae and Kesha deliver the Grammys' most powerful moment
Kesha, Bebe Rexha, Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Andra Day, Julia Michaels, and chorus members perform "Praying" at the Grammys. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NARAS

Janelle Monae and Kesha took to the stage at the Grammys and brought the Time's Up movement to the front of everyone's minds with an impassioned speech and an unforgettable, emotional performance.

Monae introduced Kesha with a poignant speech about women in the music industry and the inequality, discrimination, and harassment they face.

"To those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time's up," Monae said. "We say time's up for pay inequality, discrimination, or harassment of any kind, and the abuse of power."

Monae set the stage for a tear-jerking performance of "Praying" by Kesha, who herself alleged abuse against her mentor and producer Dr. Luke, causing a years-long hiatus of her career.

Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Julia Michaels, Andra Day, BB Rexha, and the Resistance Revival Chorus joined Kesha on stage for a powerful performance of the artist's autobiographical song about her years of struggling to re-enter the music industry on her own terms.

By the end of the song, tears were streaming down cheeks, including Kesha's.

Topics Music

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Kellen Beck

Kellen is a science reporter at Mashable, covering space, environmentalism, sustainability, and future tech. Previously, Kellen has covered entertainment, gaming, esports, and consumer tech at Mashable. Follow him on Twitter @Kellenbeck

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