Strong performances steal spotlight back from Grammy skin scandal

Celebrity skin was all the talk pre-Grammys, but once the show got its sea legs, some of the performances ended up commanding the most attention.

Taylor Swift kicked off the 55th annual Grammy Awards with an “Alice in Wonderland” themed performance of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” It seemed she dissed ex-boyfriend Harry Styles, of One Direction, by speaking in a British accent at one point during the song.

Later in the night, Justin Timberlake took the stage. The “Suit & Tie” singer got the entire Staples Center on their feet as he performed two songs from his upcoming album.

Alicia Keys showed her skills on the drums, performing “Girl on Fire” with Maroon 5. Rihanna also took the Grammy stage for a soulful performance.

But before the singers started doing what they do best, and even during the telecast's first few minutes, everyone was buzzing about CBS’s call for the celebs to keep their clothes on.

Ahead of the Grammys, CBS had asked that the stars dress appropriately with behinds, breasts and other sensitive areas covered adequately. After last week’s Super Bowl blackout, it was clear the last thing the network needed was a wardrobe malfunction.

As the first celebs began arriving on the red carpet, some were clearly minding the network's rules. But others decided to push the limits. Singer D'manti wore a barely-there lace dress that just covered all the areas instructed. Similarly, Jennifer Lopez showed off her legs in a one shoulder black dress with a super-high slit.

As Lopez took the stage, she joked about her risque dress choice.

"As you can see I read the memo," she said, with the network posting a photo her in her famous looooow cut Versace gown beside her in split screen.

Her co-presenter Pitbull quickly replied: "You inspired the memo."

Others took the network's message more seriously.

"I think it's just, you know, we should always stay classy and dress according to the event that's being held," Ashanti said on the red carpet. "So I don't think people should be limited so much and told what you can and cannot do. But, you know, you do have to have a certain class and prestige about yourself."

At the start of the night, fans were also keeping an eye on Chris Brown and Frank Ocean, as tensions were running high between the two following a recent fight outside of a recording studio. The altercation, reportedly over a parking space, was investigated by police but eventually fizzled out. Both singers were nominated in the category for the Best Urban Contemporary Album, which Ocean won.

During the Grammys pre-telecast awards show, Rihanna, Beyonce and Taylor Swift all collected early awards. Mumford & Sons also took their first Grammy, winning along with Old Crow Medicine Show and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros for their long form video documentary "Big Easy Express."

Fun.'s night got real fun when the pop-rock trio won the Grammy for song of the year for "We Are Young." It was the band's first Grammy. The group also took home the award for Best New Artist.

Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" earned one of the night's top trophies, taking home the award for Record of the Year.

Mumford & Sons took home the coveted award for Album of the Year for "Babel."

Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Adele also took home Grammys, adding the prize to their already loaded trophy cases. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.