Beyoncé Is Pregnant — and Confusing — on the Grammys Stage

Wendy Geller
·Writer, Yahoo Entertainment

Probably the most anticipated moment — in a show billed with a massive slate of anticipated moments — at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards was the promised appearance from Beyoncé. The superstar announced a little over a week ago via Instagram that she was expecting twins, essentially breaking the Internet and fueling baby bump fever for her turn on the Grammys stage.

Bey’s performance, then, clearly could not help but be all about motherhood — a theme that kicked in right away when her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, announced her daughter’s appearance “with a mother’s pride.”

Indeed, the performance did begin on a glorious maternal note, with Beyoncé showing off her burgeoning figure, dressed in a goddess-like gold outfit and headpiece. However, from there, things spiraled into an over-the-top swirl of woman-power action without much clear direction.

The singer executed a royally haughty rendition of the spoken-word excerpts from her album Lemonade, then rolled into “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles” surrounded by a confusing, multiplying troupe of female dancers and heaps of flowers. Adding to the craziness, images of herself spinning around with her first child, Blue Ivy Carter — whose image multiplied into many Blue Ivy Carters — preceded the live action.

Predictably, the Beyhive was of mixed reaction to this visual cacophony:

Beyoncé herself showed no mixed opinion regarding her performance, ending with a knowing look out at the crowd and a gravely pronounced: “If we’re going to heal, let it be glorious.”

The above-mentioned Blue Ivy, however, nearly stopped the show at the Grammys, when, dressed in a magenta Prince-inspired pantsuit, she joined host James Corden, Neil Diamond, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Jason Derulo, and Ryan Tedder for an adorable all-star “Carpool Karaoke” skit.

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards were aired live from Los Angeles on Feb. 12. Beyoncé was the night’s top nominee, up for a total of nine awards. She is also the most nominated woman in the history of the Grammys, with a total of 62 nominations.