She needed one more try! Adele said she was “devastated” that she botched her George Michael tribute and had to start over during the 2017 Grammys at L.A.’s Staples Center on Sunday, February 12. Watch her performance in the video above.
The powerhouse vocalist, 28, abruptly stopped her rendition of the late superstar’s hit “Fastlove, Part 1,” cursed and asked for a do-over, saying, “I know it’s live TV … I’m sorry for swearing, and I’m sorry for starting again. I can’t mess this up for him.” She went on to flawlessly belt out the 1996 tune, and got a well-deserved standing ovation from the audience.
The “Hello” songstress was still upset over the flub while speaking to Us Weekly and other reporters in the Grammys pressroom after the show. “I was devastated by that,” she said of the performance. “My rehearsals were great. I had a bit of a shaky rehearsal today, but I’ve been working really hard on this for a month.”
Adele recalled first hearing Michael’s music at age 10 and being impressed by the vulnerability in his songs. “My earliest memory of me being a lone fan [in my family] was ‘Fastlove,’” she said. “It was when the video came out for that and I was blown away by how f–king hot he was. It’s actually quite exceptional how good-looking he was.”
She added that he was “one of the truest icons,” and he “always remained true to Britain.” The former Wham! singer died in his sleep on December 25 at age 53.
The 15-time Grammy winner also addressed the mistake during the ceremony while giving her acceptance speech for Song of the Year. “I really do apologize for swearing,” she said. “George Michael, I love him. He means a lot to me, so I’m really sorry if I offended anyone anywhere.”
Adele swept the major categories this year, taking home Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year, along with Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album.