Remember at last year's Grammy Awards, when Lady Gaga paid tribute to David Bowie? Do you recall how his son made a thinly veiled dig at the singer's Bowie extravaganza?
Let me refresh your memory. Duncan Jones called the performance "'overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused.' Damn it! What IS that word!?" (Hint: It's "gaga.")
The Prince tribute at the 2017 Grammys was off to a great start. The Time was grooving — they even had Beyoncé dancing. But then, Bruno Mars appeared. And don't get me wrong — he was amazing. (Just look at the Twitter reactions.) Who even knew Bruno Mars could shred guitar like that? And yet, there was a major problem with his tribute: He was dressed like Prince.
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No matter how fantastic Mars was after that — and really, he was — I couldn't help but feel like I'd been punched in the gut. That suit? The purple? The glitter? THAT HAIR?
Prince died almost 10 months ago. We've had some time to mourn the unexpected and sudden death of a legend. We've had time to process — or so I thought. Seeing Bruno Mars up there, channeling Prince, seemed like overkill. Can't we appreciate a singer's legacy without turning them into a Westworld host — a dummy to be trotted out for emotional impact?
Perhaps this tweet sums it up best:
it seems ... wrong to see Bruno Mars LARPing Prince
— Flavorwire (@flavorwire) February 13, 2017
No offense, Bruno — you do look great in eyeliner.