Bus riders in New York City got a fantastic surprise on Wednesday as Macklemore and Ryan Lewis got on the bus and began performing the hit song “Can’t Hold Us”. Street performers are typical in New York City, so the bus patrons looked on with mild interest at first. Then Macklemore took off his hood and the unexpecting audience was stunned. Commuters soon began singing, clapping, dancing, and cheering on the beloved artists. The performance was part of a promotion called “Music Unleashes Us” geared towards pumping up the enthusiasm for the upcoming Grammys.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have been nominated for the Best New Artist award at the Grammys. The excitement that the performers generate was obvious in the video, and the performance was crisp and entertaining in spite of the limitations of the bus. Throughout the last year, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have skyrocketed in popularity with hits like “Thrift Shop” and “Same Love”. The style of the performers is refreshing as the pair take on the underdog role and encourage such themes as acceptance, tolerance, frugality, and societal healing.
Music Unleashes Us
New York residents can look forward to some fun from the promo over the next week as other performers gear up for the Grammy’s on Saturday 26. Pink, Eminem, Katy Perry, and Nate Ruess from Fun are all expected to participate in “Music Unleashes Us” in some form. The reasoning behind the impromptu and very personal style performances is to close the gap between performers and fans, bringing the music straight to the fans. Can’t wait to see what’s next!