Amid some of music’s biggest stars at the 2019 Grammys was a surprise guest.
Michelle Obama made an unexpected appearance to talk about the influence of music—and was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd at the awards ceremony.
“We’ve got a show to do,” the former First Lady said in reaction, before sharing how music has touched her life.
“From the Motown records I wore out on the South Side to the ‘Who Run the World’ songs that fueled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story,” Obama said as she stood on stage alongside Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Jada Pinkett Smith and Grammys host Alicia Keys.
“Music helps us share our selves—our dignity and sorrows, our hopes and joys,” she continued. “It allows us to hear one another. To invite each other in. Music shows us that all of it matters. Every story within every voice. Every note within every song.”
Obama tweeted that she dropped in at the Grammys to support Keys.