The take-home talking points from this year’s award show to bring up should you get cornered by the water cooler.

The biggest night in music was celebrated in Los Angeles last night. Chance the Rapper took home some statues; Beyoncé stole the show; Adele sung a tribute to Mr George Michael, stopped when her mic went out, swore, and started again. Busta Rhymes yelled at the president. So did a Tribe Called Quest, in so many words. But while it was more political than your average music awards show – Ms Jennifer Lopez also quoted Ms Toni Morrison; Ms Paris Jackson called out to the Dakota Pipeline protests – those looking for an anti-establishment firestorm of songs and speeches were probably a little bit disappointed. The awards were still electric, though. Here are the five highlights that your friends, coworkers, and Twitter won’t stop talking about.

Midway through the evening, Queen Bey – pregnant with twins and wearing a costume befitting a sun goddess – brought the house down, sitting down. She started off standing on a dark stage while video screens showed holographic images of children, rippling fabrics and a retinue of women in slips and gold chokers. Eventually she sat with these women, and then with real ones, at a long, last-supper style table, on a chair which slowly teetered backwards, suspending her off its edge. All the while singing “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles” from her album Lemonade. These songs came amidst bouts of spoken verse where the artist asked questions like, “Do you remember being born?” Introduced by her own mother, Ms Tina Knowles, Beyoncé’s performance was not just a well-imagined showstopper (and, judging by all the gold and halos, a quasi-religious experience), but a positive, idiosyncratic affirmation of motherhood and womanhood in an industry that doesn’t tend to have much truck with either. Plus, did we mention the chair thing?

She opened the show with “Hello”, won Song of the Year for the same, as well as Record of the Year and Album of the Year, and played a touching tribute to popstar Mr George Michael, who died last year at age 53. It’s these last two that Adele will be remembered for (on this night). An error with her microphone caused the singer to pause more than a few bars into her rendition of “Fastlove”. She cursed, and then apologised to the audience: “I’m sorry, I can’t mess this up for him,” she explained. The audience more than understood. Later, when she was awarded the top honors for her album, 25, she dedicated the majority of her speech to Beyoncé, effectively Kanye-ing herself, before reportedly breaking her award in two to share the singer. “My artist of my life is Beyoncé,” she said. “The Lemonade album was just so monumental… You are our light.”

Chance the Rapper, who debuted his album Coloring Book by streaming-only, won awards for Best New Artist, Rap Album and Rap Performance. But equally impressive was the outfit he chose to collect them – a custom Thom Browne Harrington jacket, with matching high-waisted trousers, and one of his Chance 3 New Era baseball caps – which made him perhaps the most stylishly dressed male attendee. Chance attended with his mother and friends from his hometown of Chicago. But when it came time to come to the podium and give thanks, it wasn’t his family or Mr Kanye West (whose 2016 album Life Of Pablo he not only guested on, but bested in the best Rap Album category) or their shared hometown that got thanks, but independent artists, and God (repeatedly).

While Ms Katy Perry shouted “no hate” at the end of her song (and wore a glittery, “persist” armband), the diversity-emphasising commercials from Johnnie Walker and Nike offered more political commentary than most of the artists at the awards. But, after being introduced by Ms Solange Knowles, the surviving members of A Tribe Called Quest, with some help from Busta Rhymes, Anderson .Paak and a recording of the recently departed Phife Dawg, offered the night’s most outward rebuke of President Trump. Amidst a medley of hits, including “Can I Kick It?” and “Award Tour”, Rhymes called out “President Agent Orange” for perpetuating “evil”.  When the group launched into “We The People”, the lyrics of which focus on discrimination against Mexicans, Muslims, and others, a parade of people from these groups made their way on the stage. It was a powerful message, underscored by Q-Tip, who ended the song by repeating, “resist” into the microphone.

Rihanna’s bejeweled flask, which the cameras caught her drinking from and passing around, was both a down-low star of the evening, and a symbol for the RnB star. She may have gone home empty handed (all that werk!), but danced like she meant it when Ms Katy Perry performed, laughed it up when she lost, and FaceTimed from her phone during the Prince tribute performance. It’s hard to imagine we won’t be seeing flask fashion statements for years to come. Adele might be the champion, and Beyoncé the queen, but only Riri could make your grandad’s favourite accessory cool again.