25 most scandalous/controversial looks from Grammys past

Although not obviously scandalous at first, Ciara’s 58th Annual Grammys dress was just loose enough on top and had a side slit just high enough that then-boyfriend/now-husband Russell Wilson was likely tasked with making sure a wardrobe malfunction didn’t occur. The Alexandre Vauthier haute couture dress held up without incident, but it still earned Ciara People’s “Most Naked Award” for the 2016 event.

As if asking Kendrick Lamar to play the racially charged song “The Blacker the Berry” at the 2016 Grammys wasn't controversial enough, Lamar emerged at the beginning of the song as part of a chain gang with four other black men, all of whom were clad in prison clothing. An obvious commentary on racism and the mass incarceration of African Americans, Lamar’s look, performance and prison setting immediately sent waves across the country and social media.

It’s as if, prior to the 2016 Grammys, Joy Villa asked herself, “How can I show as much skin as last year’s Grammy outfit but also look like I’m trying to audition for a role in the 'Alien' remake?” Well, mission accomplished.

You know why people don’t wear robes out in public? Because they could fly open without notice at any time. Apparently nobody told that to Kim Kardashian, who showed up to the 57th Annual Grammys in a gold and silver Jean Paul Gaultier gown that looked like something Donald Trump keeps in his bathroom. And she didn’t even fold one side over the other before tying it off. Also, robes have notoriously bad pockets (I mean, how much do you really need to hold when getting out of the shower?), and Kim’s were so inferior that they actually fell off before she even hit the red carpet.

The most surprising part of Madonna’s Givenchy burlesque corset and tiny pelmet skirt at the 2015 Grammys was how much it covered. Don’t get us wrong, the lace and leather outfit was still revealing, but not Madonna revealing. That is, until the 57-year-old material girl caught the attention of cameras and eyes around the world when she flipped up her skirt and flashed quite a bit of fishnet-covered posterior.

Joy Villa used recycled materials for her 2015 Grammys dress, and it was pretty obvious. The singer/songwriter’s attire was designed by a friend, and it basically amounted to orange plastic snow fencing — the kind you might find around a construction site — and a pair of panties. Based on the lack of body coverage and its precarious placement, we’ll assume the design is still under construction. Villas said, “I hope I end up on the best and worst dressed lists,” and we can safely report she was at least half right.

The outfit worn by Pharrell during his 2015 Grammy performance wasn’t inherently controversial, but it sure turned out that way. After the singer performed “Happy” while dressed as an old-school hotel bellhop, actor Zach Braff jokingly tweeted that Pharrell’s outfit resembled that of Finley, the flying monkey character Braff voiced in " Oz the Great and Powerful." While it’s true the two outfits were almost identical, Braff immediately received backlash on social media for the unfortunate racial implications of comparing Pharrell to a monkey.

Nicki Minaj turned a lot of heads at the 54th Annual Grammys, and not just because she was debuting her new song “Roman Holiday” or because she was the first solo female rapper to ever perform at the award show. While Minaj herself arrived on the red carpet dressed in a bright red Versace hood/cape-type dress, her date looked and was dressed as the Pope. The American Catholic League later slammed Minaj for both her sacrilegious appearance and her risque performance later in the evening.

Musician Sasha Gradiva created a slew of controversy when she wore a pink prom dress with guns on it to the 2012 Grammy Awards. And no, we’re not talking about pictures of guns, but three prop guns that she attached to her right shoulder and right arm. Many people asked about the meaning of the look, and Gradiva said it was a call to all countries to submit their weapons for fashion and artistic expression. As for us, we’re just wondering how she made it past security.

When you attend the Grammys as the date of the ultra-successful and uber-attractive Adam Levine, chances are not too many people are going to look at you. But when you’re Russian model Anne Vyalitsyna and you’re wearing a black Anthony Vaccarello dress with a slit on the side that’s so high it seems to make undergarments impossible, you’re bound to turn some heads.

Lady Gaga immediately got the attention of everyone at the 2011 Grammys when she arrived “incubating” inside of a giant egg-like structure that was carried down the red carpet by a fleet of assistants. People were understandably puzzled, but given the fact that Gaga was performing “Born This Way” later that night, the Hussein Chalayan-designed vessel actually made a bit of sense. However, since the song was proudly pro-gay, it also created a bit of controversy.

It was all tier and sheer for Rihanna’s 2011 Grammys dress. The white Jean Paul Gaultier mermaid gown had more tiers than a wedding cake — almost 30 to be more precise — with sheer fabric in between. For as much skin as Rihanna exposed, the dress’s design somehow appeared less revealing than it actually was.

Nadeea is known for her controversial displays and statements on social issues, but the only thing the artist and musician was promoting at the 52nd Annual Grammys was barely there clothing. Nadeea chose to wear a black bustier minidress with an exposed back and a neckline cut so low that it offered more of a peep show than "The Peter Griffin Sideboob Hour." The length of the bottom portion followed the top’s lead, as it also barely covered what it was supposed to.

When Pink came out to perform “Glitter in the Air” at the 2010 Grammys, she was initially wearing a white silk robe with a deep neckline that made it appear as if all she had underneath were a few white straps and a whole lot of rhinestones. Two minutes into the song she removed the robe and confirmed these suspicions. We’re guessing there was some sort of sheer fabric involved here, but then again, her tattoos were still quite visible, so we’ll have to assume some sort of sorcery was at work instead. After all, she did spend the remainder of her performance twirling around in the air.

M.I.A. shocked Grammy viewers with her look at the 2009 Awards, but not necessarily because of her clothes. Sure, the rapper was wearing a dress that was mostly see-through, but people were more concerned with the fact that M.I.A. was pregnant. Very pregnant. And in addition to appearing at the show, she also put on a performance of “Paper Planes,” leading some to question whether it was in the best interest of her or her unborn baby’s health. Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch, and her son, Ikhyd Edgar Arular Bronfman, was born just three days later.

When musicians Nas and Kelis showed up on the red carpet at the 50th Annual Grammys, they both wore the name of Nas’ upcoming album emblazoned in large letters across their shirts. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, except Nas’ 2008 release was called "N---er," and that expectedly caused quite a stir at the show. In fact, the subsequent backlash was so large that Nas ended up leaving the album untitled.

Christina Aguilera’s 2004 Grammy dress looked a bit like Marilyn Monroe’s iconic white number, except the length of Christina’s was a bit shorter and the neckline plunged a whole lot deeper. So deep that most onlookers figured it was only a matter of time before the singer suffered a wardrobe malfunction. Aguilera fared OK in the end, but she was so concerned that she even started her acceptance speech by saying she wanted to avoid the same fate that befell Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl only a week prior.

Despite the controversy that surrounded Lil’ Kim’s infamous purple pasty outfit at the MTV VMAs, she actually showed even more skin at the 2004 Grammys. This time Kim opted for a blue mullet dress that bared ample cleavage and tummy, with cutouts on both hips. How she kept everything contained, we’ll never know, but that’s the Notorious K.I.M. for you!

Margaret Cho got a lot of attention at the 46th Annual Grammys, and not just because her outfit was uncharacteristically elegant for the comedienne. Cho chose a sheer Derek of Narcisse gown that featured a plethora of peacock feathers but not neary enough according to numerous fashion critics. In fact, E!, "Entertainment Tonight," Joan Rivers and Steven Cojocaru all named it the Worst Dress of 2004.

Foxy Brown’s 2003 Grammys outfit exposed her bra so much that it legitimately looks like she put it on incorrectly or backward or something. However, the rapper’s minidress (paired with a Dior belt and Fred Leighton jewels) was backless, so that wouldn’t make sense either. Then again, showing extra bra was all the rage in 2016, so maybe Foxy was just ahead of her time.

Pink’s 2003 Grammys dress looked like someone threw Hot Topic in a shredder, which expectedly ended up revealing quite a bit of the singer’s skin. In fact, the sheer top doesn’t even appear to be covering what it was supposed to cover. (Whoops!) On the plus side, if you ever wanted a closer and cleared view of the Chinese dragon tattoo on Pink’s upper thigh, this was the perfect opportunity.

Remember Lil’ Kim’s breast-baring dress at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards? It’s almost as if actress/model Traci Bingham saw that and thought the only problem was it needed slightly larger pasties... and more sequins! The pink pants were modest enough, but the top was all cup and no strap, and it covered less than her "Baywatch" bathing suit.

Known for her risque award show outfits, singer Toni Braxton did not disappoint fans expecting to see some skin at the 43rd Annual Grammys. Braxton arrived in a white Richard Tyler satin gown that was basically two panels of silk jersey attached at the thigh with a single strap of fabric. We’re guessing it took a whole lot of double-stick tape to keep the top in place, and as for the bottom, the only thing keeping her rear from being exposed was the lack of a breeze.

It may seem tame by today’s standards, but back in 2000, Jennifer Lopez’s green plunging Versace silk chiffon dress was positively scandalous. Between her exposed navel, ample cleavage and sheer bottom half with a thigh-high slit, the dress quickly became iconic, and images of J-Lo wearing it were downloaded from the Grammys website over 500,000 times in just 24 hours, in addition to being plastered all over every magazine, newspaper and news show. "South Park" creator Trey Parker even famously wore a replica of the dress to the Oscars later that year.

The words “Celine Dion” and “thong” aren’t often used together, but after the 1993 Grammys, that’s all anyone could talk about, as the singer opted to don a sheer, loose-fitting black frock that allowed an unobscured view — front and back — of her skimpy undergarments. The wardrobe choice was especially curious considering the fact that Dion was mostly there for her work on the soundtrack for Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast."