THE SONGS AND SINGERS THAT GOT US THROUGH A YEAR OF ISOLATION

I know I don't need to remind anyone about the challenges we faced as a society last year but thankfully we had plenty of distractions to help get us through that incredibly difficult time. One preoccupation was with music. In the New York Times Magazine's annual Music Issue, they have selected nineteen songs that made a big impact on listeners in 2020. What is explored is not only how the pandemic has affected our relationship to music but how these songs stimulated us, helping to actually bring us closer together while separated.

Click below to read the article:

19 Songs That Matter Right Now

THE 63RD ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

As the latest award show that has attempted to present their regularly scheduled program during the age of the pandemic, The 63rd annual Grammy Awards has come closest to date on delivering an entertaining celebration. It seems clear that the Recording Academy had been paying attention to what other awards had done (following with deeply declining ratings) and decided to step it up. Instead of being inside of their usual location at Downtown LA's, Staples Center, the awards were given out outside across the street from the venue. There were socially-distant tables set up were nominees sat, awaiting to hear the winner of each category. Trevor Noah was serving as host for the first time and while many of his jokes fluttered away in the open air, he was highly enthusiastic, bringing a good energy to the proceedings.

The show was done with a mix of live and pre-recorded performances with several special stages built in a circle for the in-person acts, allowing for a minimal crew and less risk of close contact. And with eighteen performances (and an "In Memoriam" presentation) over three hours, there was plenty of music. To be expected, the pre-recorded spots tended to be wildly over-the-top yet the live show's relatively low-key approach to simply having the performers just coming out and sing was surprisingly refreshing.

I'm going to mention just a few of my favorites of the night; I loved the opening of the show where we moved from Harry Styles, the sister trio, Haim, another family act, Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas and the psychedelic soul of Black Pumas, each performing solid versions of their nominated songs. I have to say I was surprisingly impressed by Styles, as I never gave the former boy-band member much thought, delivering a nice, laid-back version of "Watermelon Sugar" dressed like a classic rock god of the '70's, managing to pull off being shirtless under a leather jacket with a feathered boa wrapped around his neck. The '70's were also on the minds of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, together as Silk Sonic, as they gave us soul group chic with matching suits and slick choreography while performing their throwback slowjam "Leave the Door Open". The duo also came back to pay tribute to Little Richard doing respectable rock versions of "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly Miss Molly". Also during the tribute to some of the musicians we lost last year, Brittany Howard (accompanied by Coldplay's, Chris Martin who oddly only played piano) delivered an electrifyingly soulful version of the show-tune standard, "You'll Never Walk Alone" in honor of Gerard Marsden, the leader of the '60's rock band, Gerry and the Pacemakers. Lil Baby (with activist, Tamika Mallory and Killer Mike) appeared in a powerful and moving clip for his song, "The Bigger Picture" which showcased the ongoing issue of police brutality against African-Americans.

And there was Beyoncé, making an unexpected appearance while looking incredible in a black leather dress with whimsical gold fingernails on her gloves, as she was recognized as the artist with the most Grammy wins of any gender in history with twenty-eight trophies after receiving Best Music Video for "Brown Skin Girl" and Best Rap Performance for "Savage" with Megan Thee Stallion. And speaking of Megan, the winner of this year's Best New Artist was involved in probably the most mind-blowing performance of the night where she and Cardi B did their scandalous smash hit of last year, "WAP". Trust me, I'm no prude but the idea of doing this song on national television just wasn't appropriate. Since I'm sure many of you know what "WAP" is about, the song had to be heavily censored to the point that it didn't really make much sense, with the ladies spending most of the time on stage dancing than rapping. 

The 2021 Grammys were already mired in controversy long before a single award had been given out. Much like similar charges leveled at the Golden Globes, this was due to many musicians, particularly Black artists, criticizing the process of who receives nominations which are decided upon by secret committees. There have also been questions regarding gender and racial diversity in the award selections as well.

While I don't really believe the Recording Academy is inherently racist or sexist, I do think the voting bloc has remained woefully out of touch with what is considered excellence in contemporary music. I certainly wouldn't consider myself a big fan of The Weeknd but his music (which was highly successful last year) should have been recognized to some degree with at least a nomination or two. With ratings for this year's show slipping to an all-time low, I'm hoping that the Grammys will begin to address these issues, becoming far more transparent and make more of an effort of outreach to younger and diverse artists to become a part of the Academy.

Here is a partial list of winners from the 63rd annual Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "Folklore" - Taylor Swift
Record of the Year: "Everything I Wanted" - Billie Eilish
Song of the Year: "I Can’t Breathe" - Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.)
Best New Artist: Megan Thee Stallion
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Future Nostalgia" - Dua Lipa
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Watermelon Sugar" - Harry Styles
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Rain on Me" - Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande
Best R&B Album: "Bigger Love" - John Legend
Best Progressive R&B Album: "It Is What It Is" - Thundercat
Best R&B Performance: "Black Parade" - Beyoncé
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Anything for You" - Ledisi
Best R&B Song: "Better Than I Imagine" - Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello and Gabriella Wilson, songwriters (Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello)
Best Rap Album: "King’s Disease" - Nas
Best Rap Performance: "Savage" - Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
Best Rap Song: "Savage" - Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe and Anthony White, songwriters (Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé)
Best Country Album: "Wildcard" - Miranda Lambert
Best Country Solo Performance: "When My Amy Prays" - Vince Gill
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "10,000 Hours" - Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber
Best Country Song: "Crowded Table" - Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna, songwriters (The Highwomen)
Best Rock Album: "The New Abnormal" - The Strokes
Best Rock Performance: "Shameika" - Fiona Apple
Best Rock Song: "Stay High" - Brittany Howard, songwriter (Brittany Howard)
Best Alternative Music Album: "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" -Fiona Apple
Best American Roots Performance: "I Remember Everything" - John Prine
Best American Roots Song: "I Remember Everything" - Pat McLaughlin and John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
Best Metal Performance: "Bum-Rush" - Body Count
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album: "YHLQMDLG" - Bad Bunny
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album: "La Conquista del Espacio" - Fito Paez
Best Song Written for Visual Media: "No Time to Die" from "No Time to Die" - Billie Eilish O'Connell and Finneas Baird O'Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: "Jo Jo Rabbit"
Best Musical Theater Album: "Jagged Little Pill" - Kathryn Gallagher, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten and Elizabeth Stanley, principal soloists; Neal Avron, Pete Ganbarg, Tom Kitt, Michael Parker, Craig Rosen and Vivek J. Tiwary, producers (Glen Ballard and Alanis Morissette, lyricists) (Original Broadway Cast)
Best Spoken Word Album: "Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth" - Rachel Maddow
Best Comedy Album: "Black Mitzvah" - Tiffany Haddish
Producer of the Year (non-classical): Andrew Watt

PAY YOUR WAY IN PAIN

One artist I have always found endlessly fascinating is St. Vincent. The musician, born Annie Clark, embodies an adventurous musical spirit, experimenting with classic pop music sounds by twisting and distorting them to create her own unique vibe.

With "Pay Your Way in Pain", the first single off her upcoming seventh studio album, "Daddy's Home", St. Vincent surprises again by delivering her version of 1970's funk-rock. Teaming up with Jack Antonoff to produce the record, this collection was partly inspired by the recent release of her father from prison for a white collar crime and her complicated feelings about the situation. 

In the music video for the song, St. Vincent takes on a new persona with a blonde bob and wearing a business casual suit, delivering a Mick Jagger/David Bowie swagger while her vocal gives off a bit of Prince at times on the track. Be on the lookout for "Daddy's Home" in May:

DAFT PUNK (1993 - 2021)

Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo, who together are known to the world as the disguised EDM duo, Daft Punk, have officially announced the end of their musical partnership on February 22nd. This innovative band lead the movement that successfully brought dance music to the pop charts. Although it had been since 2013 that the French musicians had released their worldwide breakthrough fourth album, "Random Access Memories" which went on to receive five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, the news is still unexpected and quite surprising.

The two became friends while attending the Lycée Carnot school in Paris. They recorded demos and later formed a rock band with Bangalter playing bass and de Homen-Christo on guitar. After abandoning the band, the duo moved towards experimenting with synthesisers and drum machines. This lead them to create an instrumental, acid house track called, "Da Funk" in 1995, receiving attention from Virgin Records who signed them to the label with Daft Punk being born.

At first, the duo made live appearances without costumes while touring for their debut album, "Homework". But the men were not interested in fame or being photographed. They started to wear face masks while performing and doing publicity. With their success, Daft Punk eventually moved to more elaborate costumes, with them wearing robotic suits and helmets.

With their follow-up album, "Discovery" in 2001, Daft Punk's music moved towards a slicker electro-pop sound, utilizing autotune and vocoded vocals on their songs. And the album was an incredible success on the dance charts across the globe with the singles, "One More Time", "Digital Love", "Face to Face" and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (which would later be sampled by Kanye West for his 2007 hit song "Stronger").

The announcement of their end came inventively with an eight minute video clip. In the film directed by Warren Fu, the pair appear wearing their robot personas walking in the desert. One stops moving suddenly, then the other returns to flip a timer-switch on him that causes his destruction.



And to pay tribute to Daft Punk and their influential sound, here is a highlight of some of my favorite tracks from the band:

TAPESTRY: THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY

It was fifty years ago this month that "Tapestry", the groundbreaking album by Carole King, was released. This record, filled with intimate stories involving love, friendship and acceptance, became an instant success, staying on the top spot of the Billboard 200 Album chart for fifteen consecutive weeks and remaining on this chart for almost five years. "Tapestry" swept the major categories of the Grammy Awards that year winning Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Record of The Year, Song of The Year and Album of The Year. And this enduring album has sold an incredible twenty-five million copies worldwide.

After ending her marriage to Gerry Goffin, who was also her long-time songwriting partner, a team responsible for such pop classics as "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "The Loco-Motion", "One Fine Day" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", King decided to leave New York with their two young daughters and headed West. She had arrived in 1968, settling in the Laurel Canyon area, at the time when many rock musicians had gathered in LA to live and create. 

King was encouraged to begin performing her own songs and released her debut album, "Writer" in 1970. With a cover of her hit, "Up on the Roof" (originally recorded by the Drifters in 1962) featured on the collection, the record received critical acclaim but not much commercial attention. Around this time, King met James Taylor and they would inspire each other musically.

With Lou Adler, the man behind the records of The Mamas & the Papas and The Grass Roots, on board as producer, King went to work on her follow-up album. "Tapestry" features the now classic number one songs, "I Feel The Earth Move", which expresses sexual tension over the excitement of being around her lover and "It's Too Late" that looks at dealing with the end of a relationship in a civil manner. King would find chart success with "You've Got a Friend" but so did James Taylor, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that year. They had both recorded their versions at the same time, using the same musicians including Joni Mitchell on backing vocals. "Where You Lead" would later be recorded by Barbra Streisand and reached the top-forty on the pop chart that year. King reworked a couple of her popular tunes she had written with Goffin; "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", the number one 1960 hit by the Shirelles and "A Natural Woman" which Aretha Franklin had made famous in 1967 and would become the Queen of Soul's signature song. My favorite from the album is "So Far Away" (which features Taylor playing guitar), a melancholy ballad about longing to see a loved one that is out of reach. And "Beautiful", a powerful statement on optimism and self-esteem, would be used for the title of the 2014 Broadway musical based on her life. 

"Tapestry" would help usher in the singer/songwriter movement in pop, changing the way how albums were created and how ideas were expressed musically. And even though the now-seventy-eight year old artist has recorded seventeen studio albums to date, "Tapestry" has remained her defining moment with the recording still finding it's way on numerous Best Album of All-Time charts. Here are some highlights from "Tapestry" including a live version of "So Far Away" with James Taylor on guitar:

MARY WILSON (1944 - 2021)

Mary Wilson, an original member of The Supremes, the Motown act that became one of the most successful female singing groups of all time, passed away unexpectedly on February 8th. The singer, who remained with the group until 1977 yet would continue as a promoter of their legacy, died in her sleep at the age of seventy-six from unknown causes.

Wilson co-founded the singing group as a teenager with friends from the Brewster-Douglass housing project in Detroit, Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown. They called themselves The Primettes and relentlessly urged Motown founder, Berry Gordy to sign them to his record label. He finally agreed in 1961 and their name was changed to "The Supremes". McGlown would leave the group the following year, becoming a trio, and struggled for a few years to achieve a successful single before their breakthrough, "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" in 1963, peaking at number 23 on the pop chart.

But it would be the following year when The Supremes would have their first number one hit, "Where Did Our Love Go" which began a string of chart-topping successes which includes "Baby Love", "Stop! In The Name of Love", "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On". The Supremes (who would go on to have twelve number one US singles), became international sensations who brought glamour and style to pop music. But Gordy's focus on Ross as lead singer, with the other two made essentially her back-up singers, created some serious tension within the group with Ballard eventually leaving the now-named, Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1967 (replaced by Cindy Birdsong) and Ross moving on for a solo career three years later.

Wilson maintained her place in the group (with Jean Terrell replacing Ross) and The Supremes would have a few more hits with "Up the Ladder to the Roof", "Stoned Love" and "Nathan Jones" but their glory days were behind them. 

After The Supremes ended, Wilson briefly stayed with Motown, recording one self-titled solo album in 1979 before being dropped from the label. She would go on to appear in stage musicals, was a contestant on "Dancing With The Stars" in 2019 and made regular appearances performing in Las Vegas casinos. Wilson wrote about her experiences as a member of one of the most successful pop music acts of all-time with two best selling memoirs; "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" in 1986 and "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together" four years later.

Here are a few highlights from the legendary career of Mary Wilson including her singing lead with The Supremes on a 1965 cover of "Our Day Will Come":

CARDI B: UP

After teaming up with Megan Thee Stallion on "WAP", one of the biggest (and raunchiest) hits of last year, Cardi B has returned with more new music. "Up" finds the Bronx rapper returning back to the streets with a more gritty yet slick sound. 

It's been almost three years since Cardi released her debut album, "Invasion of Privacy" and has only made a few guest appearances on other musician's tracks since then. While this might be a preview of her follow-up album, she has made it clear that she's not rushing to release a new record until she's ready.

The video for "Up" (directed by Tanu Muino) is filled with the colorful, sexy looks, innovative dance moves and outrageous imagery that Cardi B loves.