Host Trevor Noah said it best from the outset: “This whole thing is going to be different.” We’ve never seen the Grammys like this, and we’ve perhaps never seen the Grammys this, just, refreshingly good. Or at least in recent years.

Unlike other pandemic-era award shows (sorry, Golden Globes), this one rolled on smoothly and kept surprising and entertaining us, while reflecting the heartbreak and divisive moments of the last year. Of course, they didn’t get everything right. But they put on a great show in a time where we need a good show. Here are some takeaways from “Music’s Biggest Night.”

63rd Grammy awards: Live updates from The Gazette on ‘Music’s Biggest Night’

1. Putting on a pandemic show

How were they going to pull this off? And what was going to feel different about a Grammys night with masks and social distancing, and without a live audience? It was kind of fun to sit back and watch how those questions were answered. The Grammys has an awards area, with artists sitting at spaced-out tables of two or three, and a performance area, with several stages. Since it played out pretty seamlessly, it became fun to spot little nuances of the set-up. Like, how can award losers communicate their gracious loser faces just using their eyes? And how do celebrity fashionistas personalize their masks? Taylor Swift’s ornate flower mask matched her whimsical dress, and Beyoncé’s mask seemed to float on her face. As for the performances, we missed some of the energy that comes with a crowded room of famous people watching along. But there were sweet moments of seeing artists perform for each other.

2. Trevor Noah as host

“The Daily Show” host hit all the right notes during a challenging job. He delicately joked about the pandemic, took on the role of hype man and playfully poked fun at Harry Styles not wearing a shirt. “This is not a Zoom background,” he said at the beginning of the show as he stood in front of the Staples Center. You could also sense his giddiness after Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B performed “WAP,” as well as when Beyonce was on her way to break a record for most Grammys ever. “This is history!” he said over and over again.

3. ‘All of the beautiful Black queens’

The Grammys have long been criticized for their lack of Black representation. They seemed to be trying to make a step forward. There was the special moment of seeing Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé together accepting the award for Best Rap Song. There was H.E.R.’s win for “I Can’t Breathe,” inspired by the death of the George Floyd at the hands of police. There was Lil Baby’s chilling performance of his protest song, “The Bigger Picture,” and country artist Mickey Guyton singing “Black Like Me.” To top it off, Beyoncé officially broke the record for most Grammy wins ever for “Black Parade.” “It’s been such a difficult time, so I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world,” she said on stage. “This is so overwhelming. I’ve been working my whole life — since 9 years old — and I can’t believe this happened.”

4. Hearing from the artists

Post Malone started singing by playing Guitar Hero. DaBaby started out not being able to afford a haircut. Megan Thee Stallion’s mom has always asked her, “What would Beyoncé do?” And then Megan was standing on stage next to Beyoncé, accepting an award for the song they wrote together. In speeches and recorded interviews, we got to hear a lot from today’s biggest artists and how they got there. These little moments when we got to hear from artists tied the show together. There were also moments that reflected the strangeness of making music during the pandemic. As Taylor Swift made history by becoming the first woman to win Album of the Year three times, she thanked her absent Bon Iver “folklore” collaborator, saying, “Justin Vernon, I’m so excited to meet you someday!” And, you never know what someone’s going to say on stage. When Billie Eilish heard her name as winner of the Record of the Year, she was visibly shocked. And she immediately wanted to hand over the award to Megan Thee Stallion. “This is really embarrassing for me,” the teenage pop star said. “You deserve this. You are a queen. I want to cry thinking about how much I love you. Genuinely, this goes to her.”

5. All the music we’ve missed

Have we just forgotten what it’s like to see some version of live music? This show was packed with songs and medleys by more than two dozen performers, and my eyes didn’t get tired of it once. It seems like each artist got to do their own thing. There were tender moments, like a tribute to Kenny Rogers by Lionel Richie during a sobering and, sadly, expansive In Memoriam segment. And there were performances with a wow factor. From Billie Eilish whisper-singing on top of a car to Taylor Swift’s mossy cabin wonderland to that gigantic bed serving as a dance stage for Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B, each performance offered something different to be stunned about.