Jennifer Lopeztook the stage with hostAlicia Keys,Ne-YoandSmokey Robinsonat the 2019Grammy Awardsto honor Motown Records. She performed hits like “Dancing in the Street,” “Do You Love Me,” “The Best Things in Life Are Free” and more, while wearing numerous sparkling numbers, including a one-piece with a deep v cut.
During theGrammys preshow, Lopez toldE!she planned to dedicate the performance to her mom Lupe.
“Mommy, this is for you because we used to dance around to this music,” theSecond Actstar, 49, said. “I grew up with this music and me and my sisters, the three of us, we were, like, the backups. We were The Temptations and we just sing with her and I feel it’s a dream come true.”
CBS
“J. Lobetter not salsa her way to the cookout because she is uninvited for that terrible performance,” preacher Jared Sawyer Jr.tweetedon Sunday. “How do you do a Motown tribute without an ALL BLACK cast of artists?! And it’s Black History Month too.”
Sawyer, 21,suggestedthat Knight, Stevie Wonder, Patti Labelle, Jennifer Hudson, Tina Tuner or “practically anyone else” take Lopez’s place.
RELATED VIDEO:Jennifer LopezCelebrates ‘Two Years of Laughter,’ ‘Fun’ and ‘Adventures’ with Alex Rodriguez
Be sure to check out PEOPLE’s fullGrammy Awardscoverage to get the latest news on music’s biggest night.
“The irony of the very sexy J.Lo Motown revue is that Berry Gordy had the women of Motown tame their sexy so as to not fall into the Jezebel, highly sexed trope which White America places black women in!” shewroteon Twitter. “So they could have NEVER given a performance like that, ladies at all times!”
Other tweeters echoed that sentiment.
“We like her well enough but not for this,” @FrankiBwrote. “There are literally 1000s of black musicians that would have performed. This is why #Motown was formed because black artist couldn’t get a chance.”
Added@spanishfly_69, “When I think about Motown that gracefully put the spotlight on black music & artists and the CULTURE during black history month… Ummm NO #JLo is not who comes to mind.”
“I like J.Lo and all but…. How you gonna do Motown like that in black history month????”@3xcalib3rwrote.
Gordy, 89, watched the tribute in the audience.
Gordy in the Grammys crowd.CBS
Smokey Robinson.Rob Kim/Getty
But Robinson, 78, had no problem with Lopez honoring Motown, defending the choice toVarietyat Saturday’s Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala.
“I don’t think anyone who is intelligent is upset,” he said. “I think anyone who is upset is stupid.”
The “Being With You” singer said Motown music was “for everybody.”
“Who’s stupid enough to protestJennifer Lopezdoing anything for Motown?” Smokey asked.
The 61st AnnualGrammy Awardsare broadcasting live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on CBS.
source: people.com
