Gaga was in a black lace top and leggings with a full skirt and train, white rose in place and her hair swept into a fishtail braid with black pins. Rita Ora also wowed in black, She, too, had a white rose pinned on.
There were lots of black, perhaps spillover from the anti-sexual misconduct message of the recent Golden Globes, but there was also plenty of color.
Multiple-nominee Sza was accompanied by her grandmother and donned embellished white, her hair loose and natural. Cardi B made a big statement in white with a short tiered dress and train.
Sam Smith was in a green suit, yes he wore the rose and a red scoop-neck shirt underneath,
Rapper K. Flay, in a black tuxedo jacket, chose a Time’s Up button instead of the flower but noted all such symbols are important expressions of solidarity for women. Songwriter Diane Warren, a 15-time Grammy nominee, wore black and white and went her own way on symbols. She wore white gloves with “Girl” on one hand and “Power” on the other, explaining: “I didn’t want to wear the rose. I’m a rebel.”
Nominees The Secret Sisters won for largest white roses, noting it’s time for the music industry to step up and better acknowledge sexual misconduct.
Country star Reba McEntire, the latest pitch person as Col. Sanders for KFC, was among them in a Jovani sleeveless studded gown in black with silver embellishment, white rose in place as a reminder to everybody to “treat each other like we want to be treated. It’s the golden rule.”
Clarkson’s black gown was embellished in silver and gold. Her white rose was long stemmed and she carried it as opposed to pinning it on. Miley Cyrus also opted for the long-stem rose option to go with her black, skinny-legged trouser look.
Joy Villa, ever provocative on the red carpet, made a statement last year in a pro-President Donald Trump dress. This year, she wore a white gown with a rainbow uterus with a fetus on one side and carried a “Choose Life” handbag. Oh, and a huge crown topped her head.