Watch Boyz II Men and Alicia Keys Perform "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" in Honor of Kobe Bryant at The 2020 Grammys

Source: CBS

"We are literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built."

The 2020 Grammys began on a somber note this evening as artists carried heavy hearts to and through the opening of the annual ceremony, all reeling from the news of the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.

Lizzo, nominated for seven awards this evening, commenced her performance with the dedication "Tonight is for Kobe." And as (returning) host, Alicia Keys, was forced to address an unthinkable tragedy in her opening statement. Greeting the crowd, Keys attempted to rally spirits. 'Here we are together, on music’s biggest night, celebrating the artists that do it best. But to be honest with you, we’re all feeling crazy sadness right now. Because earlier today, Los Angeles, America, and the whole wide world, lost a hero. And we’re literally standing here, heartbroken, in the house that Kobe Bryant built," Keys said in tribute to the late Laker guard.

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She goes on, "Right now, Kobe and his daughter Gianna and all of those that have been tragically lost today are in our spirit, in our heats, in our prayers, in this building. And I'd like to ask everybody to take a moment and just hold them inside of you and share our strength and our support with their families. We never imagined in a million years we'd have to start the show like this. So we wanted to do something that could describe a tiny bit how we feel right now."

As she finished her opener, Keys was joined by Boyz II Men to sing their smash a capella version of "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday."

You can watch both below.