Social justice statement, or choreographic coincidence?
Halfway through the performance of Pharrell Williams’s hit song “Happy,” the pop star’s backup dancers — all donning dark hoodies — and members of the on-stage orchestra slowly raised their hands in a gesture some are saying is pointedly similar to the “hands up, don’t shoot” meme generated by last year’s Ferguson protests. The possible homage to Michael Brown came during an ivory-tickling interlude from classical pianist Lang Lang.
The relevant segment begins at 1:52.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=uahLJilXKXM
At another point in the evening, singer Prince, presenting the award for the year’s best album, remarked: “Albums . . . remember those? Albums still matter. Like books and black lives, albums still matter.”