Joni Mitchell’s Grammys performance is taking people back to ‘Love Actually’

Joni Mitchell gave her first performance at the Grammys at the age of 80.

Mitchell, seated in an ornate arm chair, started singing “Both Sides Now” with her back to the audience at the Crypto.com Arena during the Feb. 4 event.

Then, the chair turned around to reveal Mitchell, wearing an embroidered black shirt and clutching a cane. She was joined by other seated instrumentalists, including Brandi Carlile on the guitar.

“Both Sides Now” had people emotional. In the audience, Meryl Streep sat watching with interest, Beyoncé swayed and Taylor Swift clapped.

Online, fans opened up about their reactions to the performance.

People were also reminded of that scene in “Love Actually,” when Emma Thompson’s character has a moment listening to “Both Sides Now” and reckoning with her husband’s infidelity.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Thompson said her breakup from actor Kenneth Branagh inspired that scene.

“That scene where my character is standing by the bed crying is so well known because it’s something everyone’s been through,” the actor said. “I had my heart very badly broken by Ken. So I knew what it was like to find the necklace that wasn’t meant for me. Well it wasn’t exactly that, but we’ve all been through it.”

No matter which “side” you look at it from, Mitchell is a legend, and we are “actually” emotional.

The singer-songwriter has won 10 Grammys, including one this year for best folk album. In 2002, she won a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy.

Joni Mitchell performs at the Community Center in Berkeley, California on March 1, 1974. (Larry Hulst / Getty Images)

After taking a two-decade break from live performances, she returned to the stage in 2022, where she performed at the Newport Folk Festival with Carlile.

Carlile introduced Mitchell to the Grammys stage with a speech that honored her career and acknowledged her recent health issues. Mitchell had a brain aneurysm in 2015 and has also spoken about her experience with Morgellons disease, which the Mayo Clinic describes as an “unexplained skin condition.”

“She’s learned to walk three times,” Carlile said. “Joni just turned 80, my friends, but we all know she’s timeless. We’re so lucky that history remembers any of us. One thing I know for sure is that we lived in the time of Joni Mitchell.”

Mitchell’s performance, paired with Tracy Chapman’s earlier surprise appearance, solidified the 2024 Grammys as an evening celebrating singer-songwriting legends. Billy Joel also performed his first song in 17 years.

Hosted by comedian and former “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah for a fourth year in a row, the 2024 Grammys are broadcast live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. They are available to watch on CBS and various streaming platforms.

SZA leads the list of nominees with nine nominations, with stars like Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo, Victoria Monet and more also up for awards. Performers include Dua Lipa, Luke Combs and Joni Mitchell, among others.

Follow TODAY.com for complete Grammys coverage, including this year’s winners, unexpected moments, and can’t-miss performances from the biggest names in music.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com