(AllHipHop News) The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 26 at the Staples Center in LA just hours after the world found out about the unexpected death of Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. Producers of the ceremony quickly incorporated a tribute to the basketball legend into the show.
Grammy host Alicia Keys and R&B group Boyz II Men performed a surprise rendition of “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” in honor of the 5-time NBA champion and 2-time Olympic gold medalist. Boyz II Men’s classic 1991 remake saw a significant increase in Spotify plays following the musical memorial to Kobe.
According to reports, streams of “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” by Boyz II Men soared more than 1275% on Spotify in comparison to the previous day. The original version of the song was recorded by Motown artist G.C. Cameron for the 1975 comedy-drama film Cooley High.
The 2020 Grammy Awards also helped boost the Spotify streams of other acts. A star-studded tribute to late emcee/entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle led to more than a 740% jump of DJ Khaled’s song “Higher” which features Nipsey and John Legend. “Higher” won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Performance.
Tyler, The Creator took home his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album (Igor) on Sunday. He also hit the stage for a performance of “Earfquake” and “New Magic Wand” with Boyz II Men and Charlie Wilson. The Spotify streams for “New Magic Wand” surged over 500% following the telecast.