2023 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

The 2023 Grammy Award nominations have been announced and women dominate all the major categories with SZA and her sophomore alt-soul release, "SOS" received the most nominations with nine including Album of the Year. Indie rocker, Phoebe Bridgers (which includes her work with boygenius) and r&b vocalist, Victoria Monét each follow with a total of seven nods while Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Miley Cyrus, all received six.

Jon Batiste is the only male artist to be recognized for Album of the Year (who won the prize two years ago for "We Are") for his concept record, "World Music Radio". The debut studio album of boygenius, "The Record", an indie-rock supergroup which consists of Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus; Janelle Monáe's latest Afrobeat inspired collection, "The Age of Pleasure"; and Lana Del Rey's psychedelic-pop record, "Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" fill out the Album of the Year category along with Swift's "Midnights", Cyrus' "Endless Summer Vacation" and Rodrigo's follow-up album, "Guts".

This is a record year for Swift, with an overall total of twelve wins and a career year-to-date of forty-six nominations, who now holds a Grammy record with her nomination for Song of the Year with "Anti-Hero", making this her seventh in the category, the most held by any songwriter. And the Recording Academy has added three new categories this year: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.

The 66th annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 4, 2024 and can be viewed on CBS and Paramount+. Here is a partial list of the nominations of the 2023 Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year:

"The Record" - boygenius
"The Age of Pleasure" - Janelle Monáe
"World Music Radio" - Jon Batiste
"Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" - Lana Del Rey
"Endless Summer Vacation" - Miley Cyrus
"Guts" - Olivia Rodrigo
"SOS" - SZA
"Midnights" - Taylor Swift

Record of the Year:

"Worship" - Jon Batiste
"Not Strong Enough" - boygenius
"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus
“What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
"On My Mama" - Victoria Monét
"Vampire" - Olivia Rodrigo
"Anti-Hero" - Taylor Swift

Song of the Year:

"A&W"— Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
"Anti-Hero" — Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
"Butterfly" — Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
"Dance the Night" (From the Motion Picture, "Barbie") — Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
"Flowers" — Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Miley Cyrus)
"Kill Bill" — Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters (SZA)
"Vampire” — Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Oliva Rodrigo)
"What Was I Made For?" (From the Motion Picture "Barbie") — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Best New Artist:

Coco Jones
Gracie Abrams
Fred Again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War and Treaty

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Chemistry" - Kelly Clarkson
"Endless Summer Vacation" - Miley Cyrus
"Guts"- Olivia Rodrigo
"- (Subtract)" - Ed Sheeran
"Midnights" - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus
"Paint the Town Red" - Doja Cat
"What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
"Vampire" - Olivia Rodrigo
"Anti-Hero" - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Thousand Miles" Miley Cyrus featuring Brandi Carlile
"Candy Necklace" - Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste
"Never Felt So Alone" - Labrinth featuring Billie Eilish
"Karma" -Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice
"Ghost in the Machine" - SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"To Steve with Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim" - Liz Callaway
"Pieces Of Treasure" - Rickie Lee Jones
"Bewitched" - Laufey
"Holidays Around the World" - Pentatonix
"Only The Strong Survive" - Bruce Springsteen
"Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3" - Various Artists

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album:

"Playing Robots into Heaven" - James Blake
"For That Beautiful Feeling" - The Chemical Brothers
"Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022)" - Fred Again..
"Kx5" - Kx5
"Quest For Fire" - Skrillex

Best Pop Dance Recording:

"Baby Don’t Hurt Me" - David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray
"Miracle" - Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
"Padam Padam" Kylie Minogue
"One in a Million" - Bebe Rexha & David Guetta
"Rush" - Troye Sivan

Best Dance/Electronic Recording:

"Blackbox Life Recorder 21F" - Aphex Twin
"Loading" - James Blake
"Higher Than Ever Before" - Disclosure
"Strong" - Romy & Fred Again..
"Rumble" - Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan

Best R&B Album:

"Girls Night Out" - Babyface
"What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe)" - Coco Jones
"Special Occasion" - Emily King
"Jaguar II" - Victoria Monét
"Clear 2: Soft Life EP" - Summer Walker

Best R&B Performance:

"Summer Too Hot" - Chris Brown
"Back To Love" - Robert Glasper Featuring SiR & Alex Isley
"ICU" - Coco Jones
"How Does It Make You Feel" - Victoria Monét
"Kill Bill" - SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance:

"Simple" - Babyface Featuring Coco Jones
"Lucky" - Kenyon Dixon
"Hollywood" - Victoria Monét Featuring Earth, Wind & Fire & Hazel Monét
"Good Morning" - PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol
"Love Language" - SZA

Best Rap Album:

"Her Loss" - Drake & 21 Savage
"Michael" - Killer Mike
"Heroes & Villains" - Metro Boomin
"King's Disease III" - Nas
"Utopia" - Travis Scott

Best Rap Performance:

"The Hillbillies" - Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
"Love Letter" - Black Thought
"Rich Flex" - Drake & 21 Savage
"Scientists & Engineers" - "Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane
"Players" - Coi Leray

Best Melodic Rap Performance:

"Sittin' On Top of the World" - Burna Boy Featuring 21 Savage
"Attention" - Doja Cat
"Spin Bout U" - Drake & 21 Savage
"All My Life" - Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole
"Low" - SZA

Best Country Album:

"Rolling Up the Welcome Mat" - Kelsea Ballerini
"Brothers Osborne" - Brothers Osborne
"Zach Bryan" - Zach Bryan
"Rustin' In the Rain" - Tyler Childers
"Bell Bottom Country" - Lainey Wilson

Best Country Solo Performance:

"In Your Love" - Tyler Childers
"Buried" - Brandy Clark
"Fast Car" - Luke Combs
"The Last Thing on My Mind" - Dolly Parton
"White Horse" - Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:

"High Note" - Dierks Bentley Featuring Billy Strings
"Nobody's Nobody" - Brothers Osborne
"I Remember Everything" - Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves
"Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)" - Vince Gill & Paul Franklin
"Save Me" - Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson
"We Don't Fight Anymore" - Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton

Best Americana Album:

"Brandy Clark" - Brandy Clark
"The Chicago Sessions" - Rodney Crowell
"You're The One" - Rhiannon Giddens
"Weathervanes" - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
"The Returner" - Allison Russell

Best Rock Album:

"But Here We Are" - Foo Fighters
"Starcatcher" - Greta Van Fleet
"72 Seasons" - Metallica
"This Is Why" - Paramore
"In Times New Roman..." - Queens of The Stone Age

Best Rock Performance:

"Sculptures Of Anything Goes" - Arctic Monkeys
"More Than A Love Song" - Black Pumas
"Not Strong Enough" - Boygenius
"Rescued" - Foo Fighters
"Lux Æterna" - Metallica

Best Alternative Music Album:

"The Car" - Arctic Monkeys
"The Record" - boygenius
"Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" - Lana Del Rey
"Cracker Island" - Gorillaz
"I Inside The Old Year Dying" - PJ Harvey

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"For Ella 2" - Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
"Alive At The Village Vanguard" - Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding
"Lean In" - Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke
"Mélusine" - Cécile McLorin Salvant
"How Love Begins" - Nicole Zuraitis

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:

"The Source" - Kenny Barron
"Phoenix" - Lakecia Benjamin
"Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn" - Adam Blackstone
"The Winds of Change" - Billy Childs
"Dream Box" - Pat Metheny

Best Latin Pop Album:

"La Cuarta Hoja" - Pablo Alborán
"Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1" - AleMor
"A Ciegas" - Paula Arenas
"La Neta" - Pedro Capó
"Don Juan" - Maluma
"X Mí (Vol. 1)" - Gaby Moreno

Best Contemporary Blues Album:

"Death Wish Blues" - Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton
"Healing Time" - Ruthie Foster
"Live In London" - Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
"Blood Harmony" - Larkin Poe
"LaVette!" - Bettye LaVette

Best Gospel Album:

"I Love You" - Erica Campbell
"Hymns (Live)" - Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"The Maverick Way" - Maverick City Music
"My Truth" - Jonathan McReynolds
"All Things New: Live in Orlando" - Tye Tribbett

Best Global Music Album:

"Epifanías" - Susana Baca
"History" - Bokanté
"I Told Them..." - Burna Boy
"Timeless" - Davido
"This Moment" - Shakti

Best Reggae Album:

"Born For Greatness" - Buju Banton
"Simma" - Beenie Man
"Cali Roots Riddim 2023" - Collie Buddz
"No Destroyer" - Burning Spear
"Colors Of Royal" - Julian Marley & Antaeus

Best Comedy Album:

"I Wish You Would" - Trevor Noah
"I'm An Entertainer" - Wanda Sykes
"Selective Outrage" - Chris Rock
"Someone You Love" - Sarah Silverman
"What's In a Name?" - Dave Chappelle

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording:

"Big Tree" - Meryl Streep
"Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder" - William Shatner
"The Creative Act: A Way of Being" - Rick Rubin
"It's Ok to Be Angry About Capitalism" - Senator Bernie Sanders
"The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times" - Michelle Obama

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (includes Film and Television):

"Barbie" - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, composers
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" - Ludwig Göransson, composer
"The Fabelmans" - John Williams, composer
"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" - John Williams, composer
"Oppenheimer" - Ludwig Göransson, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media:

"Barbie World" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. and Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua)
"Dance the Night" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
"I’m Just Ken" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Ryan Gosling)
"Lift Me Up" (from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Music from and Inspired By") - Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Robyn Fenty and Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Rihanna)
"What Was I Made For?" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical):

Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Shane McAnally
Theron Thomas
Justin Tranter

Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):

Jack Antonoff
Dernst "D’Mile" Emile II
Hit Boy
Metro Boomin
Daniel Nigro

NEW SOUNDS

Since the very beginning of her career, Janelle Monae has been proudly queer, long before she even came out publicly as pansexual and non-binary. And with her fourth studio album, "The Age of Pleasure", the singer now feels liberated to express her music even more openly. This collection delivers feel-good vibes with songs threaded with reggae and Afro-beats that focus on the sensual pleasures of the mind and flesh. Even Monae's image has loosened up. Gone are the little, black & white suits and in their place is the singer in skimpy clothing, revealing much more of her beautiful satin skin than we had ever seen before from the artist. This includes the music video for the single, "Lipstick Lover" which shows a lot of female skin and has even been age-restricted on Youtube.

The lawsuit involving pop star, Kesha against her former producer, Dr. Luke, which had begun in 2014, has been quietly settled just a few days ago. Her fifth studio album, "Gag Order" had been released last month with the title making a not-so veiled reference to her on-going legal battle which left her unable to comment publicly. Much like her previous album, "High Road", this record touches on the depression and emotional trauma she has been going through these past few years due to this case. And the songs reflect her overcoming these difficulties with the return of a lighter musical mood, with experimental art-pop and bouncy, electronic beats she was known for in her early days. Kesha plans to hit the road in October to promote the album which I'm sure she will be able to approach from a clearer state-of-mind.





Here are some recent new sounds from Doja Cat, Gwen Stefani, Lana Del Rey, Carly Rae Jepsen and Jaz Elise:

After years of releasing singles, EPs, making numerous featured artist appearances and a studio album that was scrapped then leaked, Kim Petras has finally released her official debut album. With "Feed The Beast", the Grammy Award winner has dropped a mixed-bag of a collection that exhibits the varied styles of dance-pop music she has been creating since 2017. The album features some previously heard tracks like the disco-pop ditty, "Coconuts"; "Unholy", the worldwide smash hit with Sam Smith that won them a Grammy this year; "Brrr" and "Alone" that samples "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay and has Nicki Minaj providing her trademark sassy rap. But the rest of "Feed The Beast" feels surprisingly safe and generic, even with her long-time producer, the problematic Dr. Luke having a heavy hand on the project, lacking the powerful magic that made so many of her previous songs so fascinating and fun.

NEW SOUNDS

JANELLE MONAE

After spending some time working in front of the camera, appearing as an actor in several movies including "Glass Onion", the recent hit sequel to "Knives Out", Janelle Monáe has returned to what first brought her attention: music. A new song, "Float" is the first studio venture from the queer, Afrofuturistic artist since her third album, "Dirty Computer" in 2018. Using Muhammed Ali's amusing riff, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" as a starting point, this uplifting song takes on rising above challenges and not allowing anybody to get you down. And if the track sounds a bit familiar, that's because a snippet of "Float" (which features horns by Nigerian musician, Seun Kuti and Egypt 80) had been used for NBA promos on ESPN. This seems like just the beginning with more music on the horizon from Monáe.

KELELA

It has been almost seven years since the alt-r&b chanteuse, Kelela released her debut album, "Take Me Apart", a progressive collection that combined electronic beats and classic soul to create a shimmering futuristic sound. Now the follow-up to that critically acclaimed album has arrived. The Ethiopian-American performer, born Kelela Mizanekristos, had dabbled in jazz and heavy metal before settling into neo-soul and with "Raven", she has continued on her innovative journey into beat-driven funky jams and pulsating, sensual ballads yet this adventurously stylish record also dives further into intimate reflections. The openly queer artist had been vocal about her concerns regarding Black women in entertainment, particularly feeling isolated working in dance music, with the songs focused more on personal relationships and identity than on the previous album.

TURNTABLES

This year, musician, Janelle Monae will be flexing her acting muscles with a starring role in the psychological horror thriller, "Antebellum" (which is due out Friday on VOD) and makes an appearance as feminist/activist, Dorothy Pitman Hughes in the bio-pic of Gloria Steinem in "The Glorias" with plans of a theatrical release on September 30th. 

But thankfully, Monae has not abandoned her music although her latest song is for an upcoming movie. "Turntables" is for the soundtrack of the Amazon Prime documentary, "All In: The Fight for Democracy" which examines the insidious development of voter suppression happening in this country right now. This song, which she raps over a pulsating hip-hop beat, stresses the importance of "turning the tables" by getting out and voting in this election, done in a way that only Ms Monae can deliver.

2018 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

After being delayed a few days due to the funeral of former President, George H. W. Bush, the 2018 Grammy Award nominations have finally been unveiled and it appears that the Recording Academy seems to have caught up to the 21st century. The organization for years has tended to nominate critically-acclaimed, veteran artists who were long past their prime while pretty much ignoring exciting, contemporary musicians for top honors.

Kendrick Lamar, one of the most innovative and accomplished artists creating music today, leads with eight Grammy nominations for his curated soundtrack of what became the top-grossing movie of the year, "Black Panther". Drake, who has been very vocal about feeling that the Grammys have been long out-of-touch, follows with seven noms for his smash album, "Scorpion". And after female artists were barely recognized last year with Lorde as the only woman to receive an Album of The Year nomination, there are five in this category this time with hip-hop breakout, Cardi B (receiving five noms), alt-rocker, Brandi Carlile (with six nominations), country artist, Kacey Musgraves, r&b newcomer, H.E.R (who got five total nominations). and psychedelic soul performer, Janelle Monáe. Rapper, Post Malone and his popular album, "Beerbongs & Bentleys" rounds out the category.

Now if it seems like there are a lot more nominees this time, you are correct. In a call for diversity, the Academy decided to expand the four general fields of Album, Record, Song and Best New Artist of The Year from five to eight. I really don't understand the logic behind this move as there is still only going to be one winner and I think you can be diverse without crowding these categories. Besides, someone deserving is always going to be left out for recognition.

The 61st annual Grammy Awards will be presented on February 10th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Here is a partial list of the 2018 Grammy Award nominations. Please click below to see the complete list of the nominations:

Grammy.com

Album of the Year:

"Invasion Of Privacy" - Cardi B
"By the Way, I Forgive You" - Brandi Carlile
"Scorpion" - Drake
"H.E.R." - H.E.R.
"Beerbongs & Bentleys" - Post Malone
"Dirty Computer" - Janelle Monáe
"Golden Hour" - Kacey Musgraves
"Black Panther: The Album, Music From and Inspired By" - Various Artists

Record of the Year:

"I Like It" - Cardi B
"The Joke" - Brandi Carlile
"This Is America" - Childish Gambino
"God's Plan" - Drake
"Shallow" - Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
"All the Stars" - Kendrick Lamar & SZA
"Rockstar" - Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
"The Middle" - Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey

Song of the Year:

"All the Stars" - Kendrick Duckworth, Solana Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters - (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
"Boo'd Up" - Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters - (Ella Mai)
"God's Plan" - Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters - (Drake)
"In My Blood" - Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters - (Shawn Mendes)
"The Joke" - Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters - (Brandi Carlile)
"The Middle" - Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha & Anton Zaslavski, songwriters - (Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey)
"Shallow" -Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters - (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
"This is America" -Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters - (Childish Gambino)

Best New Artist:

Chloe x Hale
Luke Combs
Greta van Fleet
H.E.R.
Dua Lipa
Margo Price
Bebe Rexha
Jorja Smith

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"Love Is Here To Stay" - Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
"My Way" - Willie Nelson
"Nat "King" Cole & Me" - Gregory Porter
"Standards" - Seal
"The Music...The Mem'ries...The Magic!" - Barbra Streisand

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Camila" - Camila Cabello
"Meaning Of Life" - Kelly Clarkson
"Sweetner" - Ariana Grande
"Shawn Mendes" - Shawn Mendes
"Beautiful Trauma" - Pink
"Reputation" - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Colors" - Beck
"Havana (Live)" - Camila Cabello
"God Is A Woman" - Ariana Grande
"Joanne (Where Do You Think You're Goin'?)" - Lady Gaga
"Better Now" - Post Malone

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Fall in Line" - Christina Aguilera Featuring Demi Lovato
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Backstreet Boys
"'S Wonderful" - Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
"Shallow" - Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
"Girls Like You" - Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B
"Say Something" - Justin Timberlake Featuring Chris Stapleton
"The Middle" - Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey

Best Rock Album:

"Rainer Fog" - Alice In Chains
"Mania" Fall Out Boy
"Prequelle" - Ghost
"From the Fires" - Greta Van Fleet
"Pacific Daydream" - Weezer

Best Alternative Music Album:

"Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino" - Arctic Monkeys
"Colors" - Beck
"Utopia" - Bjork
"American Utopia" - David Byrne
"Masseduction" - St. Vincent

Best Urban Contemporary Album:

"Everything Is Love" - The Carters
"The Kids Are Alright" - Chloe x Halle
"Chris Dave And The Drumhedz" - Chris Dave And The Drumhedz
"War & Leisure" - Miguel
"Ventriloquism" - Meshell Ndegeocello

Best R&B Album:

"Sex & Cigarettes" - Toni Braxton
"Good Thing" - Leon Bridges
"Honestly" - Lalah Hathaway
"H.E.R." - H.E.R.
"Gumbo Unplugged (Live)" - PJ Morton

Best Rap Album:

"Invasion of Privacy" - Cardi B
"Swimming" - Mac Miller
"Victory Lap" - Nipsey Hussle
"Daytona" - Pusha T
"Astroworld" - Travis Scott

Best Country Album:

"Unapologetically" - Kelsea Ballerini
"Port Saint Joe" - Brothers Osborne
"Girl Going Nowhere" - Ashley McBryde
"Golden Hour" - Kacey Musgraves
"From A Room: Volume 2" - Chris Stapleton

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

"Singularity" -Jon Hopkins
"Woman Worldwide" - Justice
"Treehouse" - Sofi Tukker
"Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides" - Sophie
"Lune Rouge" - TOKiMONSTA

Best Comedy Album:

"Annihilation" - Patton Oswalt
"Equanimity & The Bird Revelation" - Dave Chappelle
"Noble Ape" - Jim Gaffigan
"Standup For Drummers" - Fred Armisen
"Tamborine" - Chris Rock

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:

"Call Me By Your Name"
"Deadpool 2"
"The Greatest Showman"
"Lady Bird"
"Stranger Things"

Producer of the Year - (Non-Classical):

Boi-1da
Larry Klein
Linda Perry
Kanye West
Pharrell Williams

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Sugababes have had six number one singles, eighteen top-ten hits and have sold over seven million records. I'm sure many of you that are American might be asking, "Who are Sugababes?" Well, they were a very popular British female pop act formed in 1998 who not only had this incredible success in their native country but also throughout much of the rest of the world with the notable exception of the U.S. where they never charted. There have been singers that have come and gone in this trio but the most popular line-up included Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range. With all of the founding members gone by 2011, Sugababes eventually faded away and ended. For American ears, enjoy a brief sample of the best of Sugababes:







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









If this new song by Céline Dion called "Ashes" makes you think of her classic love ballad from the movie, "Titanic", well, it's actually intentional. David Leitch, the director of the upcoming sequel to the smash, comedic super-hero movie, "Deadpool", explains that they wanted a highly melodramatic song for the film and approached the singer to perform the track. And she delivers some remarkably beautiful vocals, taking this ballad to incredible heights. It will be interesting to see how this will be used in the movie but I'm sure it will be both moving and hilarious. Leitch also directed the music video which features an interpretive dancing Deadpool. Be sure to check out the very funny ending of this clip:

Finally, one band from the past I've been thinking about recently are Fine Young Cannibals, a British group, lead by the distinctive vocals of Roland Gift, who had worldwide success throughout much of the '80's and had such hits as "She Drives Me Crazy" and "Good Thing" which both reached the top of the U.S. pop chart. Taking their name from a little-seen 1960 Natalie Wood movie, bassist, David Steele and guitarist, Andy Cox had left the ska band, The Beat (The English Beat in the U.S.) and came together with Gift who had departed his ska outfit, Akrlykz in 1984.  The trio released their self-titled debut the following year and found international success with the singles, "Johnny Come Home" and a cover of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" . The glaring exception was in America where the group only achieved a cult following. But that all changed with their next album. "The Raw and Cooked" that brought Fine Young Cannibals to everyone's attention in 1989 and the album went on to sell over three million copies worldwide. But by 1992, the group had disbanded and each moved on to other less high-profile musical directions. Let's take a look back to the sounds of Fine Young Cannibals:

DIRTY COMPUTER

When Janelle Monáe first came on the scene, not long in to the 21st century, she was clearly a unique presence with her music and image. Her offbeat sound was a blend of funk, glam rock and sci-fi electronica while her look of wearing a baby tuxedo and pompadour blurred the gender lines. She was literally and figuratively out-of-this-world which made her a very welcome visionary in the somber world of pop music. While some admired and appreciated Monáe's bold musical statement, she never received the proper attention by a mass audience that she truly deserved.

After deciding to expand herself creatively by turning to acting, Monáe found herself in two of the biggest films of 2016; she had a co-starring role in "Hidden Figures", a film about the African-American women that worked for NASA and helped get the first American in space, that became one of the major box-office hits of the year and had a supporting part in "Moonlight" which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

All of this film work had put her music career on hold but now the singer is finally back with some new material. Monáe has her third album, "Dirty Computer" due out in April and has dropped a preview of two new songs. "Make Me Feel", co-written by Monáe with pop hit-makers, Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter, has a funky beat that is decidedly Prince inspired and it is rumored that the late Purple One was involved with some of the production on this album. I really love this track and I think this will be the long overdue pop hit for Monáe. The music video for the song features a blonde and unexpectedly sexy Monáe (along with a cameo by actress, Tessa Thompson who is currently seen in "Black Panther") and plays with her rumored sexual identity which neither confirms nor denies her attraction to both genders.



The other song, "Django Jane" has a completely different vibe with Monáe rapping about her previous success, female empowerment and letting the world know that she has arrived. This is powerful and clever track and I can't wait to hear more. I hope you'all are ready to be dominated by Janelle Monáe this year because I know I am.

THE 60TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

For the first time being held in New York City in fifteen years, the Grammys made a grand point by having U2 perform their latest single, "Get Out of Your Own Way" outside in the frigid temperature in front of the Statue of Liberty, giving the moment a dramatic effect. And to celebrate sixty years of honoring the best in music, the 2018 Grammys surprisingly didn't do much of anything. With the exception of Recording Academy President, Neil Portnow briefly mentioning the milestone in his annual speech on the program (before unintentionally offending many female performers by telling them to "step up"), there was not a single moment throughout the evening of looking back at highlights of the Grammy Awards' rich yet admittedly flawed history.

James Cordon returned as host of the show and continues to be an enthusiastic ringmaster and cheerleader. One of his highlights was a funny bit involving bringing his popular "Carpool Karaoke" to the New York City subway along with Sting and Shaggy (where did they find him ?) for the ride but the passengers were hilariously not having it. But the biggest laugh of the night was about how non-musicians can win a Grammy and imagines a variety of different people reading an audio book of the recent "Fire and Fury", which examines the current White House administration, including a former female Presidential candidate.

Bruno Mars was the unexpected but deserving big winner of the night with his modern take of retro-soul, "24K" taking three of the top awards, Song of The Year, Record of The Year and Album of The Year, and winning a total of six Grammys. Kendrick Lamar didn't do so bad himself winning a total of five for his highly acclaimed, "DAMN." including Best Rap Album. Lamar even kicked off the show with an explosive performance that featured appearances by U2 and Dave Chappelle. Jay-Z did not fare as well, having not performed on the program and went home empty handed. But at least he did have his beautiful family by his side for support.

The evening was clearly not only about awards but about celebrating all genres of music. Some of my favorite performances included SZA making an impression with her brand of alt-soul with "Broken Clocks", a rare tribute to the musical theater on the show with dramatic performances from Ben Platt of "Dear Evan Hansen" and the legendary Patti LuPone, DJ Khaled and Rihanna doing a extravagant production of one of my favorite tunes of 2017, "Wild Thoughts" and Bruno Mars brought Cardi B on stage with him to do my current favorite song of this year, "Finesse" .  A tribute to the Las Vegas shooting victims that featured country artists, Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris and Eric Church didn't have the impact they were hoping for and their choice of song (Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven") wasn't exactly right and while the pairing of Miley Cyrus (who looked absolutely beautiful) with Elton John on his classic, "Tiny Dancer" may have been to promote an upcoming Grammy tribute special for the singer, it only came across as a lackluster stunt.

Politics, unsurprisingly, found it's way on to the Grammy stage and that was reflected in some of the evening's highlights. Logic had Best New Artist nominee, Khalid and the eventual winner of that award, Alessia Cara join him to perform a moving version of "1-800-273-8255", his nominated song that brings awareness about suicide prevention. At the conclusion, he spoke out against hatred, bigotry, sexual harassment and even the President's anti-immigrant stance.

Janelle Monáe made a passionate speech that honored the working women in all areas of the music industry and reiterated that "time's up" for the abuse of power against women before she introduced Kesha. Supported by the powerful voices of Cyndi Lauper, Camilla Cabello, Julia Michaels, Andra Day and Bebe Rexha, the singer delivered a fiery version of "Praying" which deals with her experiences with sexual and emotional abuse. After the performance, Cabello, a Cuban immigrant, offered words of support to "the Dreamers" and their complicated struggle to stay in the only country that many of them have ever known.

While this year's awards stressed the support of women, with many people wearing white roses in a show of solidarity, the Grammys doesn't seem to be exactly following through on this message. First, Lorde was the only female nominated for Album of The Year yet she was not given a solo set on the show (unlike most of the other male nominees) and was only offered to be a part of a tribute to the the late Tom Petty to be performed with other artists which she respectfully declined. And Alessia Cara was the only female to take an award during the entire televised ceremony.

Back in 2011 when the Grammys decided to end segregating the categories by gender, I was concerned that men would dominate the nominations and ultimately, the winners. That didn't happen immediately but as we have come to 2018 with only nine percent of the total Grammy Awards going to women over the last six years. it seems my fears have sadly become reality. But as I have seen a conscious shift in gender politics over the previous year, I am optimistic that change is possible and most certainly will come.

Here is a partial list of winners of the 2018 Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "24K Magic" - Bruno Mars

Record of the Year: "24K Magic" - Bruno Mars

Song of the Year: "That's What I Like" - Bruno Mars - Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip (songwriters)

Best New Artist: Alessia Cara

Pop Vocal Album: "÷" - Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Solo Performance: "Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Feel It Still," Portugal. The Man

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Tony Bennett Celebrates 90" - Tony Bennett and various artists

Best Rap Album: "DAMN." - Kendrick Lamar

Best Rap Song: "HUMBLE." - Kendrick Lamar

Best Rap Performance: "HUMBLE." - Kendrick Lamar

Best Rap/Sung Performance: "Loyalty" - Kendrick Lamar featuring Rihanna

Best R&B Album: "24K Magic" - Bruno Mars

Best R&B song: "That's What I Like" - Bruno Mars

Best R&B Performance: "That's What I Like" - Bruno Mars

Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Redbone" - Childish Gambino

Best Urban Contemporary Album: "Starboy" - The Weeknd

Best Country Album: "From a Room, Vol. 1" - Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song: "Broken Halos" Chris Stapleton

Best Country Solo Performance: "Either Way" - Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "Better Man" Little Big Town

Best Dance/Electronic Album: "3-D The Catalogue" - Kraftwerk

Best Dance Recording: "Tonite" - LCD Soundsystem

Best Rock Album: "A Deeper Understanding" - The War on Drugs

Best Rock Song: "Run" - Foo Fighters

Best Rock Performance: "You Want It Darker" - Leonard Cohen

Best Metal Performance: "Sultan's Curse" - Mastodon

Best Alternative Music Album: "Sleep Well Beast" - The National

Best American Roots Song: "If We Were Vampires" - Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit

Best American Roots Performance: "Killer Diller Blues" - Alabama Shakes

Best Contemporary Christian Album: "Chain Breaker" - Zach Williams

Best Gospel album: "Let Them Fall in Love" - CeCe Winans

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: "Rebirth" - Billy Childs

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: "Prototype" - Jeff Lorber Fusion

Best Latin Pop Album: "El Dorado" - Shakira

Best New Age Album: "Dancing on Water" - Peter Kater

Best Comedy Album: "The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas" - Dave Chappelle

Best Spoken Word Album: "The Princess Diarist" - Carrie Fisher

Best Music Video: "HUMBLE." - Kendrick Lamar

Best Song Written for Visual Media: "How Far I'll Go" from "Moana" - Lin-Manuel Miranda (songwriter)

Best Score/Soundtrack for Visual Media: "La La Land"

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: "La La Land"

Best Musical Theater Album: "Dear Evan Hansen"

Best Music Film: "The Defiant Ones" - Various artists

NEW SOUNDS

VALERIE JUNE

The fact is that the number of African-Americans who have professionally performed country music can be easily counted on one hand. Although Valerie June may not necessarily be considered a country artist but there is a certain amount of twang to her sound.

The music that first inspired this Tennessee native was gospel and soul music as a child. She moved to Memphis as a teenager where she was exposed to bluegrass and folk. During this time, Valerie June learned to play many instruments including the banjo and ukulele. She began performing with her husband, Michael Joyner as Bella Sun and they recorded an album, "No Crystal Stair" in 2004.

After later separating from Joyner, Valerie June began to work as a solo artist where she first stared to combine country and the blues to her music. The artist recorded three self-released albums that brought her plenty of buzz and the attention of Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The musician co-wrote and produced her first album on a major label, "Pushin' Against A Stone". Valerie June is an amazing, unique artist who offers music that defies categories.  Have a listen to one of my favorite songs:

"Wanna Be On Your Mind" - Valerie June

FEFE DOBSON

Fefe Dobson has never wanted to follow any preconceived ideas of what type of music she should perform simply because of her race. This artist's style is more rock and punk and she's determined to follow what inspired her.

Born Felicia Dobson outside of Toronto in 1985, she began actively pursuing a professional music career at the age of eleven. At thirteen, Dobson learned piano and wrote songs which lead to serious interest from record labels. However, the labels only wanted to mold her in to a pop or r&b artist and Dobson wanted to rock. She rejected the offers and sought out the help of Chris Smith, the manager of fellow Canadian musician, Nelly Furtado. He managed to get her signed to a recording contract on her terms. The self-titled debut was released in 2003 and was a modest success with the single, "Everything" receiving the most attention.

Dobson has recently dropped a new single, "Legacy" that should be a part of her fourth album due sometime next year. Here is a great video that has been made for the tune:



JANELLE MONAE

Much like her musical idol, Prince, Janelle Monáe adds elements of rock and eccentricity to her funky sound. Originally from Kansas City, Monáe knew what she wanted to do since she was a child. She attended performing arts schools in New York and Philadelphia before heading out to Atlanta. While there, Monáe meet Big Boi of the hip-hop outfit, Outkast and formed the Wonderland Arts Society which was a safe haven for unconventional artists. She self-released an EP, "The Audition" in 2003 and although it didn't sell much, it did properly announce a fresh new voice in music. With her towering pompadour, skinny suits and ties, Janelle Monáe offers a unique look that is the polar opposite of the more common scantily clad female performers these days as well as delivering a refreshing prospective to r&b and pop.

Big Boi brought Monáe to the attention of Sean ("Puffy", "P. Diddy", whatever) Combs and quickly signed her to his label, Bad Boy Records. The album, "Metropolis" was the first part or "suite" of a series of seven concept records. The second suite, "The ArchAndroid" was released in 2010 and now the third and fourth, "The Electric Lady" is now out. This project is the most ambitious to date as it incorporates assistance from a wide range of fellow iconoclastic musicians such as Miguel, Solange, Esperanza Spalding, Erykah Badu and making a rare appearance, "the Purple One", Prince.

Here is a sample with the title track:

"The Electric Lady" - Janelle Monáe featuring Solange

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

"HEARTTHROB" - TEGAN & SARA

After over ten years of making music, Canadian alt-rock outfit, Tegan & Sara have decided they want to be pop stars. With their seventh studio album, the identical twin lesbian sisters approached producers Greg Kurstin (Pink, Kelly Clarkson) and Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple) to help guide them to a wider audience. It has seemed to have paid off as their album, "Heartthrob" debuted on the Billboard Album Chart at number three with a remix of the first single, "Closer" reaching number one of the dance chart.

To be perfectly honest, the Quin sisters haven't really altered their sound too radically as the only major difference is that the music has a smoother quality. Regardless, no one is ever going to confuse them with Britney Spears as these ladies certainly continue to rock.

"I'm Not Your Hero" - Tegan & Sara (2013)

"WOMAN" - RHYE

Rhye is the side project of two musicians who each had long careers working with their own bands. Mike Milosh is from Canada and has performed with his electronic outfit, Milosh while Robin Hannibal is a Danish musician who is part of the duo, Quadron.  These two artists came together as both just happened to share the same record label and after each had just moved to Los Angeles.

After collaborating for a week, Rhye was formed which lead to their debut, "Woman". Together they crafted a collection that is sensual and soulful which has prompted comparisons to Sade and Spandau Ballet but bring their own special touch with Milosh providing androgynous vocals. The duo also share a low-key approach to their music with little fan-fare as Rhye has done relatively very few live performances to date.

"Open" - Rhye (2013)

"SING TO THE MOON" - LAURA MVULA

British songstress, Laura Mvula has already taken much of the world by storm but she hasn't gotten nearly enough attention here in America. This twenty-five year old Birmingham native was working as a receptionist before sending her demos out and getting quickly signed to RCA Records. Her debut, "Sing To The Moon" features beautifully rendered songs written by the artist and producer, Steve Brown which combines elements of soul, jazz and African rhythms. I really dig her sultry sound and predict a very big future for this very talented young woman.

"Green Garden" - Laura Mvula (2013)

Here is the beautiful video for Laura Mvula's very first release, "She":



"EXTENDED PLAY" - FLEETWOOD MAC

The reunited Fleetwood Mac is about ready to embark on a new world tour and have just released an EP with new material appropriately entitled, "Extended Play".  The four songs featured are "Sad Angel", "It Takes Time" and "Miss Fantasy", written and produced by Lindsey Buckingham and a re-recorded version of "Without You", a recently discovered demo written by Stevie Nicks back during her days in Buckingham/Nicks. These are the first new recordings by the band in ten years with bassist, John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood ready to perform these tracks (along with their well-known hits) live across the globe.

"Sad Angel" - Fleetwood Mac (2013)

"DELTA MACHINE" - DEPECHE MODE

Depeche Mode, considered one of the most popular EDM bands in the world, has just released their thirteenth full-length recording, "Delta Machine". The British band, currently a trio with Andy Fletcher on keyboards, Martin L. Gore providing guitar, keyboards, vocals and lead songwriter along with Dave Gahan on lead vocals, has gone from a lighter synth-pop sound from their early days in the eighties to the much darker and moody techno-beats that they currently perform today. There are no real surprises on their latest effort but it's still quite engaging. Look for Depeche Mode in your city soon as they have begun the Delta Machine Tour in Europe and will hit North America in August.

"Secret To The End" - Depeche Mode (2013)

The music video for the title track from David Bowie's latest album is considered quite controversial and has even upset the Catholic League. This surreal clip of "The Next Day" displays religious imagery along with priests consorting with scantily-clad women in a club where Bowie, as a Christ-like figure, performs. Like his last video, this is directed by Floria Sigismondi and star-studded, featuring actors, Gary Oldman and Oscar-winner, Marion Cotillard.



Janelle Monáe is finally back and she's delivered a very tasty bit of funk. This dynamic performer has just released "Q.U.E.E.N.", the first single off of her forthcoming record, "The Electric Lady". The music video features her high-style, quirky visuals and slick moves as well as an appearance by the equally fabulous eccentric, Erykah Badu who adds her voice to the track.



Finally, here is the video by Lana Del Rey of her haunting song, "Young & Beautiful" for the film, "The Great Gatsby":