Disturbed frontman David Draiman has praised Sam Smith for taking his performance at the 2023 Grammys to the “next level”.
Smith took the stage with Kim Petras at the 65th Annual Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., last Sunday (February 5) to perform the pair’s collaborative single “Unholy” live.
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Introducing Smith and Petras, Madonna asked the audience if they were “ready for a little controversy.” The duo then put on a fiery performance, complete with red lights, pyrotechnics and dancers in metal cages. Smith, for her part, donned a hat with red devil horns.
Their joint appearance quickly caught the attention of conspiracy theorists, who believed Smith was “gone by the demons” at the Grammys.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, for his part, is among many right-wing figures who have spoken out on the subject. Cruz retweeted several quotes calling the performance satanic: “This is…evil,” he wrote in his retweet of a post from conservative commentator Liz Wheeler.
During a recent interview with Baltimore radio station 98 Rock (via Blabbermouth), Draiman said of the upload and the backlash that followed, “Today, pop stars need to be rock stars.
“I said it on Twitter after seeing the performance [de Smith y Petras]. No one can complain anymore that rock is too avant-garde or that it goes too far for mass broadcasts. It cannot be done. Sorry”.
Draiman continued, “They’ve definitely taken it to the next level; Sam Smith and everyone have taken it to the next level.”
The singer-songwriter then praised the Grammy-winning performance of ‘Unholy’, saying it was “exactly the thing to do” as a live musician to elicit a reaction: “That’s about it. everyone talking,” he added.
“Smith]went overboard. [Hicieron esto [extender el dedo corazón] on camera for everyone, and they knew exactly how to press the button on everyone to recognize it and piss off people who [ellos] they wanted to piss off and make people happy [ellos] they wanted, happy. It was the perfect double-edged sword. I applaud you.”
The Church of Satan recently responded to criticism from conspiracy theorists over the publication of “Unholy” by Smith and Petras.
On the other hand, Elon Musk said the performance had “end of day vibes” but added, “If it’s satan, we have nothing to fear.”
During her speech before Smith and Petras took the stage, Madonna said: “That’s what I’ve learned after four decades in music. If they call you shocking, outrageous, problematic, provocative or dangerous, you’ve got something on your hands.”
“I’m here to say thank you to all the rebels who are charting a new course and bearing the consequences. All of you troublemakers need to know that your bravery does not go unnoticed. You are seen, heard, and above all, heard. appreciate you.”
Sam Smith and Kim Petras won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Unholy” at the ceremony last weekend. The latter artist, who is the first transgender woman to win this award, paid tribute to the late SOPHIE during her acceptance speech.