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Why People Think J. Lo Shouldn't Have Been Onstage for That Grammys Motown Tribute

When the Grammys announced that tonight's show would include a tribute to the music of Motown, it was fitting. After all, it's Motown's 60th anniversary. But when the show announced that Jennifer Lopez would be included in the performance, people weren't quite sure what was going to go down. Tonight we all found out together. Lopez came out to perform some of the biggest hits, including "Dancing in the Street," "Mr. Postman," "The Best Things in Life Are Free," and "Do You Love Me?" there was a little bit of Ne-Yo thrown in for good measure, and everyone's fears seemed to be confirmed. The internet felt vindicated in its criticism, because while it was full of energy and pyrotechnics, the whole thing just seemed off.

Twitter users called Lopez out for putting on a mediocre performance. Sure, she's known for high-octane moves, but tonight's set didn't seem up to snuff.

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Others called out the obvious: why not get someone more closely associated with Motown to perform? The room was literally full of Black artists that could have participated.

One person did stand up for the decision: Smokey Robinson. He came out to perform alongside Lopez and before the show, he addressed the controversy. In addition to Robinson and Ne-Yo, Lopez got a little help from her friend Alicia Keys during the tribute, too.

“I don’t think anyone who is intelligent is upset,” he told Variety. “I think anyone is upset is stupid. Motown was music for everybody. Everybody."

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Even Lopez's own fans thought she should have reconsidered. Many saw it as an opportunity for Lopez to step aside and give someone else a chance to have the spotlight.