Once finally inside the auditorium, where Adele and Beyonce would do battle for album of the year, the former was already taking center stage, literally. She stood atop a circular platform built into the floor of the Staples Center and waited alone in the dark as producers counted down to the live broadcast. For those who remembered her technical difficulties at last year's show, much seemed to be at stake. But the charming Brit belted out "Hello" without error, and her performance was so powerful that our seat-neighbor immediately burst into tears and thrust her arm at us to compare goose bumps. When host James Corden appeared, those in our section-about 30 rows behind the center stage-didn't take their eyes off Adele, waving at her-"Hello!" Hello!"-as she was led out by security. One thing about the Grammy audience in the cell-phone era: it is impossible for them to hide their feelings about

what is happening onstage. For the best performances of the evening-Lady Gaga and Metallica, Adele and __Beyonce, __-cell phones were thrust on outstretched arms for Snaps and Instagrams. During the less interesting performances, the Staples Center floor was suddenly awash with lit smartphone screens displaying e-mail inboxes and text-message exchanges. One of the most exciting segments of the evening-in the room at least-was Corden's carpool karaoke gag, during which the host invited Jennifer Lopez, Neil Diamond, Faith Hill, and others to join him in a rendition of "Sweet Caroline." When Blue Ivy Carter, outfitted in her pink Prince get-up, bum-rushed the group, there was a collective gasp. The entire stadium was full of content creators and producers, thank you very much, and they knew the inherent stakes of the moment: Could someone alert Corden so he knows to look over and include Beyonce's heiress in the bit? they thought. See pic below