MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IN MUSIC IN 2018

I think 2018 was a great year in music that offered something for everyone. While hip-hop and rap continued to dominate the music industry, I'm particularly thrilled that good old-fashioned soul music found it's way back on the airwaves and the charts. We had young, new artists like Ella Mai, H.E.R., Daniel Caesar and Jorja Smith who are reviving the r&b tradition and the return of classic performers like Toni Braxton, Tank, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi and Tamia whose new music was actually getting played on radio. This is one trend I hope continues in to 2019. And to close out 2018, here are a few songs that I loved last year that I didn't get a chance to share:

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Steve Perry was the dynamic voice behind the popular 70's rock group, Journey who had such memorable hits like "Open Arms", "Who's Cryin' Now", "Any Way You Want It" and one of their most famous, "Don't Stop Believin'". But by 1998, Perry, who had suffered a hip injury and burned out by the pressures of fame,  decided to walk away from the band and music. Now after almost twenty-five years, Perry will be releasing his third solo album, "Traces" which is due out in October. He actually began work on this project back in 2015 and has co-written all of the songs. With two singles released, "No Erasin'" and "No More Cryin'", the sixty-nine year old singer's voice may no longer have the power of his younger days but the passion and deep emotion is still there.



And here is a bonus of two of my favorite songs that features the incredible voice of Steve Perry:





Here are a couple of recent songs I'm digging right now:






Two more great performers from the past have released new material. Janet Jackson dropped a surprise song, "Made For Now" that has a lively Afrocentric beat. It was inspired by her desire to put out a much needed dance tune about love and positivity and features reggaeton performer, Daddy Yankee to deliver a Latin flavor.



British blue-eyed soul singer, Lisa Stansfield is also back with new music. Her eighth studio album, "Deeper" was already released in Europe earlier this year and the fifty-two year old vocalist went on a successful tour to support the record. I'm excited to learn that Stansfield plans on hitting the road for a North American leg of her tour which should begin next month. The second single, "Never Ever" is a shimmering slice of disco heaven that is highlighted by Stansfield's sensuous voice.



And we finally have a proper tribute to Aretha Franklin which was performed during the recent BET Black Girls Rock telecast. Ledisi, Jazmine Sullivan, Cynthia Ervio, Stephanie Mills, Yolanda Adams and Fantasia are the powerhouse talent that showed respect to the Queen:

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

I have said that I've never been a huge country music fan but I can say that I have become a big fan of Kacey Musgraves. The twenty-nine year old singer from Mineola, TX. hardly does what would be considered "traditional" country as she embraces classic pop, alt-rock, electronica and even a little disco which has been slyly blended in to her sound. Since the beginning of her career, Musgraves has never played it safe as she has fearlessly tackled subjects like drug-use, one-night stands and same-sex love in her songs which is hardly standard country music fare.

I had heard a lot of good buzz about her fourth studio album, "Golden Hour" that was released back in March but only recently took the time to actually listen to it. And I'm so upset I didn't get to enjoy this incredible record sooner. Musgraves met her future husband, Rustin Kelly while writing the album and the budding romance is reflected in "Golden Hour". The track, "Butterflies" was written with Kelly in mind and the rest of the album is filled with more love songs than usual for the singer. Here are the music videos for a couple of Musgraves' singles:





Here are a few new songs I'm digging right now:











And we close with the latest single from Ariana Grande. While I think "God Is a Woman"(which will be on her upcoming third album, "Sweetener") is okay, it's the music video for the song that I find absolutely breathtaking. The clip is directed by music video veteran, Dave Meyers and incorporates vibrant visual imagery of the cosmos and mythology with Grande interacting with it. And if that female voice sounds familiar during the spoken monologue, it should. It is none other than the Queen of Pop, Madonna who recites a slightly revised part of the bible verse that was spoken by Jules in "Pulp Fiction":

MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IN MUSIC IN 2017

2017 has come to a close and it was another year of some great music. I've always shared the tunes that I've loved and enjoyed throughout the year but time didn't permit me to get to everything. So to end 2017 properly, here's a round-up of a few of my favorite songs and videos from the previous year I didn't get a chance to share:



"HUMBLE" - Kendrick Lamar (2017) mp3

"High" - Ledisi (2017) mp3

"Stay" - Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (2017) mp3

"Feel It Still" - Portugal. The Man (2017) mp3



"Shining" - DJ Khaled featuring Beyoncé and Jay Z (2017) mp3

"Sorry Not Sorry" - Demi Lovato (2017) mp3











"Now or Never" - Halsey (2017) mp3

2017 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

On the sixtieth year of honoring the best in all genres of music, the Grammy Awards seems to have finally presented a list of nominations that comes closest to representing the music that many people are actually listening to. Hip-hop, rap and alt-r&b, which has been the driving force in popular music for at least the last ten years, has actually made a significant and long overdue dent in the major categories. Jay Z leads with the most nominations with eight for "4:44". the rap artist's response to his wife,  Beyoncé's album of pain, betrayal and infidelity, "Lemonade", including Album of The Year. Kendrick Lamar's critically acclaimed, "DAMN." follows with seven while Bruno Mars received six nominations for his tasty slice of classic soul, "24K Magic" with both also vying for the best album of 2017. Lorde's long-awaited follow-up album, "Melodrama" and Childish Gambino, otherwise known as actor, Donald Glover, and his collection of psychedelic funk, "Awaken, My Love" (which received five nominations) round out the Album of The Year category. Two young performers, Khalid and SZA, who both represent thrilling new directions for r&b music, each received five nominations and competing against each other for Best New Artist along with Alessia Cara, Julia Michaels and Lil Uzi Vert.

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will be televised live on January 28, 2018 at New York City's Madison Square Garden. This is the first time the ceremony has been held in the Big Apple in fifteen years and James Corden will once again serve as host.

Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 60th annual Grammy Awards. For the complete list of nominees, please click below:

Grammy.com

Album of the Year:

“Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino
"4:44" — Jay-Z
"DAMN." — Kendrick Lamar
"Melodrama" — Lorde
"24K Magic" — Bruno Mars

Record of the Year:

"Redbone" — Childish Gambino
"Despacito" — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
"The Story Of O.J." — Jay-Z
"HUMBLE." — Kendrick Lamar
"24K Magic" — Bruno Mars

Song of the Year:

"Despacito"— Ramón Ayala, Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Erika Ender, Luis Fonsi & Marty James Garton, songwriters (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber)
"4:44" — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)
"Issues" — Benny Blanco, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Julia Michaels & Justin Drew Tranter, songwriters (Julia Michaels)
"1-800-273-8255" — Alessia Caracciolo, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Arjun Ivatury & Khalid Robinson, songwriters (Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid)
"That’s What I Like" — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Best New Artist:

Alessia Cara
Khalid
Lil Uzi Vert
Julia Michaels
SZA

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Love So Soft" — Kelly Clarkson
"Praying" — Kesha
"Million Reasons" — Lady Gaga
"What About Us" — P!nk
"Shape Of You" — Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Something Just Like This" — The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
"Despacito" — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
"Thunder" — Imagine Dragons
"Feel It Still" — Portugal. The Man
"Stay" — Zedd & Alessia Cara

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"Nobody But Me" (Deluxe Version) — Michael Bublé
"Triplicate" — Bob Dylan
"In Full Swing" — Seth MacFarlane
"Wonderland" — Sarah McLachlan
"Tony Bennett Celebrates 90" —  Various Artists

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Kaleidoscope" EP — Coldplay
"Lust For Life" — Lana Del Rey
"Evolve" — Imagine Dragons
"Rainbow" — Kesha
"Joanne" — Lady Gaga

Best Dance Recording:

"Bambro Koyo Ganda" — Bonobo Featuring Innov Gnawa
"Cola" — Camelphat & Elderbrook
"Andromeda"— Gorillaz Featuring DRAM
"Tonite" — LCD Soundsystem
"Line Of Sight" — Odesza Featuring WYNNE & Mansionair

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

"Migration" — Bonobo
"3-D The Catalogue" — Kraftwerk
"Mura Masa" — Mura Masa
"A Moment Apart" — Odesza
"What Now" — Sylvan Esso

Best Rock Performance:

"You Want It Darker" — Leonard Cohen
"The Promise" — Chris Cornell
"Run" — Foo Fighters
"No Good" — Kaleo
"Go To War" — Nothing More

Best Rock Song:

"Atlas, Rise!" — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica)
"Blood In The Cut" — JT Daly & Kristine Flaherty, songwriters (K.Flay)
“Go To War” — Ben Anderson, Jonny Hawkins, Will Hoffman, Daniel Oliver, David Pramik & Mark Vollelunga, songwriters (Nothing More)
"Run" — Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
"The Stage" — Zachary Baker, Brian Haner, Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward & Brooks Wackerman, songwriters (Avenged Sevenfold)

Best Rock Album:

"Emperor Of Sand" — Mastodon
"Hardwired…To Self-Destruct" — Metallica
"The Stories We Tell Ourselves" — Nothing More
"Villains" — Queens Of The Stone Age
"A Deeper Understanding" — The War On Drugs

Best Alternative Music Album:

"Everything Now" — Arcade Fire
"Humanz" — Gorillaz
"American Dream" — LCD Soundsystem
"Pure Comedy" — Father John Misty
"Sleep Well Beast" — The National

Best R&B Performance:

"Get You" — Daniel Caesar Featuring Kali Uchis
"Distraction" — Kehlani
"High" — Ledisi
"That’s What I Like" — Bruno Mars
"The Weekend" — SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance:

"Laugh And Move On" — The Baylor Project
"Redbone" — Childish Gambino
"What I’m Feelin'" — Anthony Hamilton Featuring The Hamiltones|
"All The Way" — Ledisi
"Still" — Mali Music

Best R&B Song:

"First Began" — PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)
"Location" — Alfredo Gonzalez, Olatunji Ige, Samuel David Jiminez, Christopher McClenney, Khalid Robinson & Joshua Scruggs, songwriters (Khalid)
"Redbone" — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
"Supermodel" — Tyran Donaldson, Terrence Henderson, Greg Landfair Jr., Solana Rowe & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (SZA)
"That’s What I Like" — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Best Urban Contemporary Album:

"Free 6LACK" — 6LACK
"Awaken, My Love!" — Childish Gambino
"American Teen" — Khalid
"Ctrl" — SZA
"Starboy" — The Weeknd

Best R&B Album:

"Freudian" — Daniel Caesar
"Let Love Rule" — Ledisi
"24K Magic" — Bruno Mars
"Gumbo" — PJ Morton
"Feel The Real" –Musiq Soulchild

Best Rap Performance:

"Bounce Back" — Big Sean
"Bodak Yellow" — Cardi B
"4:44" — Jay-Z
"HUMBLE." — Kendrick Lamar
"Bad And Boujee" — Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert

Best Rap/Sung Performance:

"PRBLMS" — 6LACK
"Crew" — Goldlink Featuring Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy
"Family Feud" — Jay-Z Featuring Beyoncé
"LOYALTY." — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Rihanna
"Love Galore" — SZA Featuring Travis Scott

Best Rap Song:

"Bodak Yellow" — Dieuson Octave, Klenord Raphael, Shaftizm, Jordan Thorpe, Washpoppin & J White, songwriters (Cardi B)
"Chase Me" — Judah Bauer, Brian Burton, Hector Delgado, Jaime Meline, Antwan Patton, Michael Render, Russell Simins & Jon Spencer, songwriters (Danger Mouse Featuring Run The Jewels & Big Boi)
"HUMBLE." — Duckworth, Asheton Hogan & M. Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
"Sassy" — Gabouer & M. Evans, songwriters (Rapsody)
"The Story Of O.J." — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)

Best Rap Album:

"4:44" — Jay-Z
"DAMN." — Kendrick Lamar
"Culture" — Migos
"Laila’s Wisdom" — Rapsody
"Flower Boy" — Tyler, The Creator

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Body Like A Back Road" — Sam Hunt
"Losing You" –Alison Krauss
"Tin Man" — Miranda Lambert
"I Could Use A Love Song" — Maren Morris
"Either Way" — Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:

"It Ain’t My Fault" — Brothers Osborne
"My Old Man" — Zac Brown Band
"You Look Good" — Lady Antebellum
"Better Man" — Little Big Town
"Drinkin’ Problem" — Midland

Best Country Song:

"Better Man" — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Little Big Town)
"Body Like A Back Road" — Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Sam Hunt)
"Broken Halos" — Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
"Drinkin’ Problem" — Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne & Mark Wystrach, songwriters (Midland)
"Tin Man" — Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

Best Country Album:

"Cosmic Hallelujah" — Kenny Chesney
"Heart Break" — Lady Antebellum
"The Breaker" — Little Big Town
"Life Changes" — Thomas Rhett
"From A Room: Volume 1" — Chris Stapleton

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:

"Baby Driver" — (Various Artists)
"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2" — (Various Artists)
"Hidden Figures: The Album" — (Various Artists)
"La La Land" — (Various Artists)
"Moana: The Songs" — (Various Artists)

Best Song Written For Visual Media:

"City Of Stars" — Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone)
"How Far I’ll Go" — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Auli’i Cravalho)
"I Don’t Wanna Live Forever ("Fifty Shades Darker")" — Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Zayn & Taylor Swift)
"Never Give Up" — Sia Furler & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Sia)
"Stand Up For Something" — Common & Diane Warren, songwriters (Andra Day Featuring Common)

Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical):

Calvin Harris
Greg Kurstin
Blake Mills
No I.D.
The Stereotypes

Best Music Video:

"Up All Night" — Beck
"Makeba" — Jain
"The Story Of O.J." — Jay-Z
"HUMBLE." — Kendrick Lamar
"1-800-273-8255" — Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid