Steve Lacy moved the crowd and millions of viewers at home with an electrifying performance of his hit single “Bad Habit” at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Before introducing himself, Lacy, sporting a black leather outfit, flickered his guitar before giving some shine to Thundercat, who joined him onstage.
“Bad Habit” was the runaway hit from his 2022 sophomore album Gemini Rights, which won Best Progressive R&B Album. The summer anthem went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent three weeks atop.
Gemini Rights, released through RCA Records, is the follow-up to 2019’s Apollo XXI.
About the album, Lacy told Grammy.com, “Gemini Rights is essentially me coming into myself after a breakup.”
“It’s a story that is very fluid [and] very fun. To me, the subject matter could be sad if you look at it that way, but I feel like it is way more hopeful — and that’s the story: finding happiness. I’m finding myself after a heartbreak and I am excited for people to hear this record.”
Gemini Rights launched at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, giving Lacy his first top-ten debut on the main albums chart.
The genre-hopping effort topped the following Billboard charts: Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums.
Gemini Rights was featured on Rated R&B’s 30 Best R&B Albums of 2022 list.
Writer Edward Dave said of the album, “People who discover Gemini Rights will be satisfied to know that the future of R&B still lies in feel-good music.”
Lacy was nominated for Record of the Year (“Bad Habit”), Song of the Year (“Bad Habit”) and Best Pop Solo Performance (“Bad Habit”).
.@Beyonce dances to “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy at the #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/hBEb7BBaFd
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) February 6, 2023