First, didn't watch so qualify my comments on that. Saw the ads on TV for the Grammy telecast and my first thought was that there's no one that I really feel strongly about watching to see them perform. So, I read for a while and went to bed at my normal time without going near the TV. ...and "not going near the TV" is getting more and more commonplace for me these days.
As for the two video clips you posted:
- the first one jumped out at me as being something that had NOTHING to do with the awards or music. The young lady did a great job of making an emotional appeal for change. But if I'm being honest, hearing performers make statements about their favorite cause or the issues of the day are not why most people tune in to watch shows like this.
- The second one (and this is where I risk channeling my parents), didn't move me at all. I can see where it had potential, but I'm not familiar with Mr Lamar's work and unfortunately could only understand every third or fourth word he uttered. Don't know if it was the sound engineering or his use of the microphone I don't know, but I got very little out of the performance.
As for how many watched: uh oh. Looks like the overnights aren't flattering.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/2018-grammy-ratings-sink-yea...