Everything We Loved About Music’s Biggest Week of 2026

This story is in partnership with Lexus and the all-electric Lexus RZ, arriving during music’s biggest week, when energy fills every room and the most electric artists are celebrated for work you can hear and feel. In that same spirit, the RZ approaches electrification as more than a piece of technology, but also artistry and emotion. Because a car that doesn’t make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing.

For the first time, Hypebeast was on the ground at music’s most monumental week of the year. Leading up to Grammy Sunday and the Crypto.com Arena ceremony is an entire seven days of celebration – credential acquisition and car rides – around Los Angeles, centered on the community and connection only music can provide.

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The week elicited a special edition of our weekly music column, courtesy of Lexus: Everything We Loved About Music’s Biggest Week. From the performances and the parties to the unwavering spotlight on promising new faces of the music scene, it was a week of honoring the highest masters of their craft. Find all of the highlights below.

The nominees for Best Rap Album were solid, but once again, Kendrick Lamar takes home the Grammy. After sweeping the 2025 awards with “Not Like Us,” this year, Lamar’s GNX beat out Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out and Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA for the Best Rap Album award. Clocking in at his 17th Grammy Award and fourth Best Rap Album win, talk about the textbook definition of “greatness.”

This was the first thing I did upon arriving in Los Angeles. A party that has become an annual tradition for Spotify is centered around the pivotal Best New Artist award, which is one that has been won by the likes of Adele, Christina Aguilera, Bon Iver, Amy Winehouse, and Chappell Roan. This year’s nominee lineup was stacked, and each one of the nominees took the stage at the Spotify event. I had it narrowed down to four I was rooting for: The Marías, Leon Thomas, Addison Rae, and Olivia Dean. The María Zardoya-led unit and Victorious star-turned new-era R&B frontrunner have both been deserving of the award for a minute now, while Rae reminded us of what a good, old-fashioned pop star looks like. But when it comes to a “breakout year,” Olivia Dean found her footing on her sophomore album, The Art of Loving, and walked away well-deservedly with the 2026 Best New Artist Award. I have an inkling we’ll hear more from her as the year progresses…

The P in Skateboard P stands for polymath. “I’ve never stopped loving this job. I’ve never stopped being a student,” he said in his well-penned speech. “Never stop grinding. Never stop working. Stop doing anything else but working. Work, man. Because… I’m 52, and I get to do this every day. I love what I do, and if you do what you love every day, you’ll get paid for free.”

After four months away from the spotlight, Lola Young made a radiant return to the public eye during Grammy Week. First, the English musician took the stage at Spotify’s Best New Artist party alongside the rest of her fellow nominees, before performing at Sunday’s awards as part of the Best New Artists back-to-back set. A piano rendition of the now Grammy-winning track “Messy” served as the British artist’s official return to public live performances. She hit the media room after her set and kept it real on how nervous she was. “That’s why it’s called ‘Messy,’” she laughed.

Speaking of… Justin Bieber took the stage on Sunday night for his first live performance in four years. Donning custom SKYLRK boxers and a purple electric guitar – presumably a homage to his My World purple-hued era – Biebs delivered a striking, no frills performance of SWAG favorite “Yukon,” stationed behind his mixer and synth set-up for the entire acapella performance.

Pre-Grammys night, I was rooting heavily for Kendrick and SZA’s “luther” to win Record of the Year. Post-Grammys night, I left with an all-new appreciation for the track.

On the Friday night before the awards, the Hollywood Palladium was the place to be. For the third consecutive year, United Masters has hosted its Celebration of Independence, paying tribute to the independent artists that shape the modern music zeitgeist. In a move true to its mission, United Masters opened the event to the public as a ticketed show, with BigXthaPlug, Armanii, and Clipse as its headlining acts.

I’ll never forget the way the entire media room cheered when Bad Bunny’s Album of the Year win was announced. We nearly cried with him. Some of us did. Not only DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS’ win make history as the first time in Grammys history that a Spanish-language album has nabbed the coveted award, but it reminds us that music transcends miles and language barriers to breed human connection and bridge the gap between global communities.

The stars were out at the Sunset Tower Hotel’s Terrace Room on Friday night, aka Tyla’s birthday. The songstress turned 24, and rang in her next year around the sun with an A-list crowd, including co-host Zara Larsson, as well as Eddie Benjamin, Ty Dolla $ign and Usher. Everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Tyla as a giant cake and bottle parade rolled in.

As much as the Grammy Awards are a celebration of music, the tentpole high culture also brings out some of the finest fashion moments – from some of Hypebeast’s favorite faces. Duckwrth stunted in a Romeo and Juliet-inspired look crafted by independent designers, while J. Balvin and Ryan Castro pulled up in matching watches.

On the heels of the final award came the influx of post-show parties. One of the most notable was hosted by Larry Jackson and his gamma. label, who shut down Beverly Hills Polo Lounge for the first-ever music event at the storied venue. Attendees included Justin Bieber, Jhené Aiko, G Herbo, and Ms. Lauryn Hill, who even hopped behind the DJ booth for a live performance.

Even though he didn’t take home the Best New Artist award, Leon Thomas walked away with an award that felt more true to himself, in my opinion. An IYKYK force in shaping the modern R&B soundscape for years now, the musician unveiled his magnum opus MUTT in September of 2024, and on the Grammy circuit this year, the LP got the official respect it deserved.