Sam Smith’s Grammys performance with Kim Petras branded ‘evil’ by Ted Cruz
Conspiracy theorists and conservatives have expressed fears that Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s performance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (5 February) was a part of a “satanic ritual”.
During Smith’s performance, the 30-year-old singer performed a live rendition of their single “Unholy”.
The stage was lit up with red lighting, pyrotechnics, and dancers performing in metal cages, while Smith was seen wearing a hat with horns.
Madonna introduced Smith before their performance, saying: “Are you ready for a little controversy?
“Here’s what I’ve learned after four decades in music. If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative or dangerous, you are definitely onto something.”
After the award ceremony, many conspiracy theorists and conservatives started calling Smith’s performance “evil” on social media.
Republican senator Ted Cruz retweeted quote tweets branding Smith’s performance as “satanic.”
“This is… evil,” he commented on his retweet of a post by conservative commentator Liz Wheeler, in which she wrote: “Don’t fight the culture wars, they say. Meanwhile demons are teaching your kids to worship Satan. I could throw up.”
Right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh said: “It’s not surprising to see a satanic ritual at the Grammys.
“Satanism is the worship of the self. Much of modern pop music is satanic in this sense. Leftism is satanism. The only change is that now they’re being more explicit about it.”
Host Trevor Noah preempted the uproar Smith and Petras’s performance might cause during the ceremony, where he presented to take a call from his mum after the show.
“No mum, it wasn’t the actual devil... Yeah, you did warn me about Hollywood,” he said while sitting next to Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.
Smith and Petras won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Unholy”, with Petras becoming the first ever trans woman to receive the award.
After the Grammys, Smith’s fans called out a reporter for repeatedly misgendering the singer while covering the ceremony on the red carpet.
“He’s still singing those ballads, but he’s definitely diving fully in, into pop music, and we can see that, not only in his music, but also in his looks as well.”
One person reacted: “Everyone using the wrong pronouns for Sam Smith is bothering me.”
Another said: “Someone tell the reporters to use the right pronouns for Sam Smith !!!!”
