Grammys Preview: Will Justin Bieber Crash the Ceremony in His Yellow Lambo?

Josh Duboff

Each winter, right in the midst of the staid movie awards season-like a brash 18-year-old who has just discovered wine coolers-come the Grammy Awards. They're loud and weird and hard-to-predict and generally pretty fun. This is a show that actually felt the need to release a memo last year asking its female attendees to be sure certain body parts would be "adequately covered."

This year's ceremony promises to be even stranger than usual, if for nothing else, due to the fresher-than-usual crop of acts nominated for major awards. (Expect e-mails from your mother come Sunday night asking "what is this maklemor" and "I like ROYAL by Lord!!!! Can u get it for me on my computer???")

Let's take a look at some of the major questions that will be answered Sunday night:

How many times will we hear Macklemore's name called?
Yes, believe it or not, the Seattle-based rapper (and the Hutch to his Starsky, producer Ryan Lewis) has been deemed a favorite in the album of the year (The Heist), song of the year ("Same Love") and best new artist categories. Macklemore's main competitors are the new BFFs known as Lorde and Taylor. Lorde's "Royals" is seen as the other frontrunner in the song of the year category, and Swift's Red could come out on top for album of the year.

Will Taylor Swift make history?
If Taylor does, in fact, pull off the album of the year win, she will become the only female solo artist in history to have won two album of the year awards (she took home the prize in 2010 for her second album, Fearless). One can only imagine the next-level Taylor Swift Surprise Face that would accompany such an event; it's possible she'll just straight up break her jaw.

What will Beyoncé perform?
While it has not been officially confirmed by the Grammy Awards, Billboard reported earlier this week that Bey would be taking the stage on Sunday night (her performance also was touted in a CBS ad that aired over the weekend). Additionally, Jay Z (who earned more nominations than any other artist, at nine, though none in the major four categories) is apparently going to be performing with her. This has most outlets assuming the couple will take on standout Beyoncé track "Drunk In Love," since it's the one that features Jay. It's a little tough to imagine how this intensely sensual song would play out on stage (in the music video, Jay and Bey frolic on the beach in a joyous, seemingly inebriated state), and it would be awesome to see her go all-out with a grand-scale production of "XO" or "***Flawless," but, no matter which jam she chooses, expect this performance to be among the most shared by your Facebook friends come Monday morning.

Will Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber make an appearance?
If blog headlines determined Grammy nominations, these two would have the most nominations by a landslide. Alas, neither artist received a single nod, and neither has been announced as either a presenter or performer. Given Justin's highly-publicized legal troubles today, it seems unlikely he will show up at the ceremony as anything other than a punch line in banter between presenters. We're hoping that Miley shows up as some sort of surprise performer, though. While Lorde, Katy Perry, Daft Punk, and the other announced performers will surely bring their A-games, we basically know the shape those acts will take; say what you will about Bangerz-era Miley, her live performances have consistently been dynamic and surprising.

Who will wear something insane?
While not quite as "anything goes" as the MTV Video Music Awards, the Grammys still usually provide at least a few "What were they thinking?" fashion moments. Scanning the list of confirmed performers and presenters, we're not sure who is going to decide to wear, like, a dress made of tree leaves or a giant balloon on her head. Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna-none of these stars have been confirmed to attend, sadly. Katy Perry-who occasionally has attempted some outré looks-has lately been keeping it more conservative. And Taylor Swift and Lorde generally play it pretty safe when it comes to fashion, as well. So this means there is likely to be a vacuum in the sartorial wackiness lane; Ariana Grande, now is the time to go find a sash made of orange peels.

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