NEAR TRUTHS: HARDWARE STORE

The annual speculation about who’ll be per­forming on Grammy night is ramping up on schedule. It’s already been announced that Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo will hit the stage, reflecting the female-heavy slate of top nominees (which mirrors the majority-distaff lineup of 2024’s Coachella headliners). What other superstars who could seriously rock the ratings might join them? Will Taylor Swift show up if she’s not assured of getting a trophy, notably the one she wants most—Song of the Year? What is Team Grammy willing to do to vouchsafe her presence on the stage during Music’s Biggest Night, given her pop-cultural dominance over the year, especially after the football season, with bf Travis Kelce in the playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl the following week?

Meanwhile, what about Beyoncé, SZA and Miley? Just as Billie and Dua’s association with the massive cultural force that is Barbie could well boost ratings, Beyoncé’s big movie look will also likely figure in the calculations as the Academy and CBS teams strategize. Rumor has it Bey will turn in a fiery tribute to the late, great Tina Turner. How will another departed giant, Jimmy Buffett, be celebrated? As for SZA, could her amazing year in the marketplace have at last positioned her to make a mark on the upper-demo TV audience? Also, will the lounge-style tables by the stage return, preserving the fizzy celeb­rity interplay that helped bump up the ratings over the last two years? Stay tuned...