Music
Britney Spears, Doechii & More Of The Best Grammy Debuts Of All Time
Ah, the memories.
You never forget your first time... performing at the Grammys, that is. It’s Grammy weekend once again, and a new crop of pop protégés are set to perform at the Feb. 1 ceremony for the very first time, including Olivia Dean, Addison Rae, Sombr, KATSEYE, and The Marías. To get in the spirit, we’re taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of the best Grammy debuts of all time.
Of course, in order to do this, we had to bend the definition of best a little bit. Many of the great Grammy performances of yesteryear are either unavailable online or have been lost to time entirely — good luck finding any trace of Doja Cat’s set from the 2021 ceremony — leaving us with only so many performances to choose from. We’re not archivalists by any means, yet we spent hours digging through the proverbial crates of YouTube in order to scrounge together a list worthy of your reading pleasure, Internet Archive be damned. In the end, we successfully sourced nine of the most memorable, impactful, and legendary Grammy debuts on record, all of which you can find below. And who knows? Maybe this year’s newbies will earn a spot on this list in 2027 (not that they need the added pressure).
Janet Jackson in 1987
As you scroll through this list, you’ll quickly discover that most of the best Grammy debuts are medleys. Janet Jackson’s 1987 performance is no exception; following the release of her mega-hit album Control, the youngest Jackson daughter brought “What Have You Done For Me Lately” and “Nasty” to life on the Grammys stage.
TLC in 1996
Despite T-Boz and Chilli’s lack of microphones, you can’t deny the confidence, competence, and unmitigated swagger oozing from this performance. The choreography and the mismatching scuba suits make the performance anything but boring, and Left Eye rapping over the grimy hip-hop beat feels true to TLC’s unexpected, left-of-center sensibilities.
Britney Spears in 2000
In the great-Britney-Spears-performances canon, this one doesn’t exactly measure up against, say, her 2001 VMAs set, but as far as Grammy debuts go, this is about as good as it gets. Spears kicks off the medley with plenty of melodrama, courtesy of her yellow-and-purple ballgown, the giant moving sun fans, and the park-and-bark ballad “From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart.” Then, just as the performance starts to feel a little sleepy, she pulls out the track that everyone tuned in to hear: “...Baby One More Time.” A little costume change and a lot of choreography can go a long way on the Grammys stage, even if your dancers are dressed as aliens.
Lady Gaga in 2010
When your Grammys debut also doubles as an Elton John duet, that’s when you know you’ve made it. Here, the emcee searches for the “real Gaga” amongst a sea of fakes at the Fame Factory, reminding everyone she has five No. 1 singles in the process (iconic). The rebel emerges from her cage to perform “Poker Face” before being sent to the incinerator, only to reappear behind a double-sided piano with Sir Elton John. Together, the duo sing a mash-up of Gaga’s “Speechless” and John’s “Your Song.” That’s how you do a debut.
Olivia Rodrigo in 2022
Olivia Rodrigo could’ve easily done a medley of Guts hits for her Grammys debut, but instead she chose to spotlight the song that got her to where she is today: “drivers license.” The performance is exactly what you’d expect from a former theater kid — dramatic, angsty, reserved yet emotional — while also acknowledging her position as pop’s most promising newcomer.
Doechii in 2025
It was the performance heard ‘round the world (and the one that earned her an imaginary trophy for Best Televised Performance at the 2025 NYLON Nights Awards): Doechii’s 2025 Grammys debut was nothing short of a masterpiece from start to finish. The YouTube video linked above clocks in at just three minutes and 25 seconds long, yet she managed to do so much with so little time: two songs, four set chages, and more sculptural poses than you can count. By the end, she had acts like JAY-Z and Billie Eilish jumping to their feet in awe, because it was just that good.
Charli xcx in 2025
This has to be the first Grammys performance to feature Gabriette, Alex Consani, and Julia Fox, right? Even without the It-girl cameos, this set would still earn a spot on our list, if not for Charli’s black-car entrance, the garage rave, and The Dare making out with a girl on stage.
Chappell Roan in 2025
For a Grammys ceremony dedicated to LA in the wake of the 2025 wildfires, Chappell Roan’s performance of “Pink Pony Club” perfectly met the moment. Roan pulled off quite the balancing act here, infusing her signature brand of quirk and personality with just the right amount of reverence and heart to give the city the cathartic release it deserves. But judging by the way the audience scream-sings the final pre-chorus, she totally nailed it.
Sabrina Carpenter in 2025
2025 was a banner year for unforgettable Grammy debuts, with Sabrina Carpenter chief among them. This medley tells you everything you need to know about Carpenter within the first 10 seconds: she’s funny, she’s clever, she’s got a classic sensibility about her, and most importantly, she’s a showgirl. The visual gags and tap-dancing breakdowns harken back to a screwball style of yesteryear, while her cheeky lyrics and raunchy sense of humor help keep the performance feeling fresh and exciting. Plus, you can never go wrong with “Please, Please, Please” or “Espresso.”
