James Corden discovered not everyone is a “Carpool Karaoke” fan when he hosted the 60th Annual Grammy Awards last night (January 28).
In a segment played midway during the ceremony, he swapped L.A.’s carpool lanes for the New York subway to host a karaoke session with Shaggy and Sting.
The pairing wasn’t as random as it might have first appeared, as the two artists have just announced they’ve recorded a reggae album together. And sure enough, lead single “Don’t Make Me Wait” was the third song the trio attempted to sing, after more well-known classics like “Every Breath You Take” and “It Wasn’t Me.”
Hit song or new release, their fellow subway commuters weren’t having any of it.
Meanwhile the night’s big winners were Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar, whose opening performance set the tone for a politically charged Grammys.
Many of those attending walked the red carpet with white roses to honor the victims of sexual abuse, an echo of the “Time’s Up” pins celebrities wore to the Golden Globe awards earlier this month.
The night also saw performances from Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, Kesha, and soon-to-be retiree Elton John, who sang classic track “Tiny Dancer” with Miley Cyrus.
Among award winners were The Weeknd, LCD Soundsystem, Foo Fighters, The National and Ed Sheeran, who won Best Pop Album and Best Pop vocal despite not being at the ceremony, while Alessia Cara won Best New Artist.
Even the late Carrie Fisher won an award, her first Grammy ever, awarded posthumously for her work on the audiobook version of her 2016 memoir The Princess Diarist.
But it was James who held the whole thing together, handing out free puppies to losers and introducing the audience to his mom and dad — even if he did tell Ryan Seacrest he was just some “guy from High Wycombe.”
The BBC has the full list of winners.
Did you enjoy James’s NYC karaoke special?