This Star Goes Topless at the 2026 Grammys – One Detail Has People Talking

The "Bad Romance" singer turned heads on the red carpet with her daring outfit, which looked stunning on her.

The singer, who took home the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2025, turned heads on the 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet in a sheer maroon gown adorned with nipple rings. While her bold look left many in awe, one specific detail quickly became the center of a heated fan debate.

For her second-ever red carpet appearance at the Grammys, the singer chose a look designed to be unforgettable. She arrived in a custom sheer Mugler gown with an invisible bodice, from which the maroon fabric hung.

The dress featured faux nipples and nipple rings, draping down elegantly before flowing into a train that revealed her black panties underneath.

During red carpet interviews, she added a matching maroon cape for a more modest presentation and styled her long red hair to fall over her chest, creating a subtler angle.

The singer who made her 2026 appearance even more striking than her 2025 debut was Chappell Roan. Her look drew inspiration from Manfred Thierry Mugler's spring/summer 1998 "Jeu de Paume" couture collection, reimagined for the spring/summer 2026 line by Miguel Castro Freitas.

Fans were quick to react online, sparking discussions over whether she had gone topless or was wearing a bodysuit or mesh.

One fan loved the bold look, saying, "That's the wildest Grammy outfit I've seen in some time. I don't know who this is, but I'm a fan now lol." Another person praised the star's fashion-forward style, "Piercing curtains, more like piercing the fashion scene! 😎"

Some fans were quick to explain the outfit, "Y'all do realize she's wearing mesh, right??? That's not actually piercing her nips, it's an illusion. The choker is to hide where the mesh ends." Another person added their take on the illusion, "Imagine all these people not realizing it's a body suit and the piercings aren't in her body lmao."

Some fans took a cheeky approach when reacting to the outfit, with one joking, "👀What dress anybody see a dress." Another netizen poked fun at the look, "Ummmmm..they forgot to put her shirt on." A third person chimed in with humor, "Well she certainly ordered a large helping of attention 😂."

Roan's look proved that she may be new to the Hollywood scene, but she already knows how to capture everyone’s attention.

Unlike last year, when Roan took the stage as a performer, she was not scheduled to perform this time but appeared at the ceremony as a presenter for the Best New Artist award.

Still, the 27-year-old earned two Grammy nominations this year for Best Pop Solo Performance and Record of the Year, both for her song "The Subway." She did not win either.

However, last year after her Grammys win, she used her acceptance speech to call out record labels. After thanking her friends, family, and team, the singer made it clear that she wanted to use the moment to challenge industry leaders.

Roan urged labels that profit millions from artists to provide livable wages and health care — particularly for developing musicians. "I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor. When I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had … quite a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and [could not] afford insurance," she narrated.

Roan went on to explain that being unable to afford health care was devastating, especially while being deeply committed to her craft. She shared that the experience left her feeling betrayed by the system and stripped of her humanity.

"If my label had prioritized it, I could have been provided care for a company I was giving everything to. Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection," she noted.

Roan wrapped up her acceptance speech by asking, "Labels, we got you, but do you got us?" The singer began her music career as a teenager, sharing her songs on YouTube under the name Kayleigh Rose.

She was signed to Atlantic Records in 2015, but the label later dropped her in 2020. In 2023, she found new momentum after signing with Dan Nigro's independent imprint, Amusement Records. Roan went on to release her debut album "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" in partnership with Island Records.

Now, Roan appears to be on a steady ascent. In the week leading up to the Grammys, she was honored by music industry nonprofit "We Are Moving the Needle" at its 2026 Resonator Awards, held on Tuesday, January 27.

During the ceremony, Heart's Nancy Wilson presented Roan with the Harmonizer Award, recognizing her use of music as a platform for social change.

"I kind of think that it's just an artist's — and anybody who has money — it's kind of your duty to give it away. I don't really know what else there is to harmony other than giving. So, thank you for recognizing me," said Roan.

Roan has found a way to advocate for social change while still prioritizing her music, a balance that continues to draw and keep the attention of her fans.