2022 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

As many had predicted, another rematch has been set-up after the 2022 Grammy Award nominations were announced on November 15th between the pop music superstars, Beyoncé and Adele. Their previous showdown was back in 2017 when Beyoncé's critically acclaimed alt-soul collection, "Lemonade" and Adele's massive hit release, "25" were both vying for the top prize of Album of the Year with the British artist's album taking home the award. Now their latest albums; "Renaissance" which the r&b diva celebrates Black dance music and the fourth studio album by Adele, "30", will both be in competition for several Grammys including once again for Album of the Year. Beyoncé leads the pack with the most nominations this year with nine which also has made her become the most honored artist in Grammy history, tying her with husband, Jay-Z, with a career total to date of eighty-eight. Adele did not do so badly herself this year, receiving a total of seven nominations.

But there are plenty of other musicians up for the top prize. The reunited Swedish pop supergroup, ABBA's first album of new music in forty years, "Voyage" is up for Album of the Year (the first time ever for this band) and the single, "Don't Shut Me Down" receiving Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group recognition, made more surprising since this collection didn't receive much airplay here. Brandi Carlile's "In These Silent Days", Lizzo's "Special'; the commercial comeback for soul vocalist, Mary J. Blige, "Good Morning Gorgeous"; Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres" and the latest from Pulitzer-Prize winning rapper, Kendrick Lamar, "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" (with a total of eight nominations) are all up for Album of the Year. Bad Bunny with "Un Verano Sim Ti" became the first Spanish-language record ever to receive an Album of the Year nomination. And the artist who might have the best chance to create an upset between the ladies would be Harry Styles and his smash hit album, "Harry's House" which helped him receive a total of six nominations. And "Unholy", the current hit song from Sam Smith and Kim Petras, snuck in to receive a nod for Best Pop Duo/Group, making them become the first openly non-binary and transgender performers up for a Grammy.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 5th, 2023 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, airing live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2022 Grammys:

Album Of The Year:

"Voyage" - ABBA
"30" - Adele
"Un Verano Sin Ti" — Bad Bunny
"Renaissance" — Beyoncé
"Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)" — Mary J. Blige
"In These Silent Days" — Brandi Carlile
"Music Of The Spheres" — Coldplay
"Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" — Kendrick Lamar
"Special" — Lizzo
"Harry’s House" — Harry Styles

Record Of The Year:

"Don’t Shut Me Down" - ABBA
"Easy On Me" - Adele
"Break My Soul" - Beyoncé
"Good Morning Gorgeous" - Mary J. Blige
"You And Me On The Rock" - Brandi Carlile featuring Lucius
"Woman" - Doja Cat
"Bad Habit" - Steve Lacy
"The Heart Part 5" - Kendrick Lamar
"About Damn Time" - Lizzo
"As It Was" - Harry Styles

Song Of The Year:

"abcdefu" — Sara Davis, Gayle & Dave Pittenger, songwriters (Gayle)
"About Damn Time" — Melissa Jefferson, Eric Frederic, Blake Slatkin & Theron Makiel Thomas, songwriters (Lizzo)
"All Too Well" (10 Minute Version) — Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
"As It Was" — Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon & Harry Styles, songwriters (Harry Styles)
"Bad Habit" — Matthew Castellanos, Brittany Fousheé, Diana Gordon, John Carroll Kirby & Steve Lacy, songwriters (Steve Lacy)
"Break My Soul" — Beyoncé, S. Carter, Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant & Christopher A. Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
"Easy On Me" — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)
"God Did" — Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts & Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy)
"The Heart Part 5" — Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar & Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
"Just Like That" — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)

Best New Artist:

Anitta
Omar Apollo
DOMi & JD Beck
Muni Long
Samara Joy
Latto
Måneskin
Tobe Nwigwe
Molly Tuttle
Wet Leg

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Easy On Me" - Adele
"Moscow Mule" - Bad Bunny
"Woman" -Doja Cat
"Bad Habit" - Steve Lacy
"About Damn Time"- Lizzo
"As It Was" - Harry Styles

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Don’t Shut Me Down" - ABBA
"Bam Bam" - Camila Cabello Featuring Ed Sheeran
"My Universe" - Coldplay & BTS
"I Like You (A Happier Song)" - Post Malone & Doja Cat
"Unholy" - Sam Smith & Kim Petras

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Voyage" — ABBA
"30" — Adele
"Music Of The Spheres" — Coldplay
"Special" — Lizzo
"Harry’s House" — Harry Styles

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"Higher" — Michael Bublé
"When Christmas Comes Around..." — Kelly Clarkson
"I Dream Of Christmas (Extended)" — Norah Jones
"Evergreen" — Pentatonix
"Thank You" — Diana Ross

Best Dance/Electronic Recording:

"Break My Soul" — Beyoncé 

"Rosewood" — Bonobo
"Don’t Forget My Love" — Diplo & Miguel
"I’m Good (Blue)" — David Guetta & Bebe Rexha
"Intimidated" —  Kaytranada Featuring H.E.R.
"On My Knees" — RÜFÜS DU SOL

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album:

"Renaissance" — Beyoncé
"Fragments” — Bonobo
"Diplo” — Diplo
"The Last Goodbye” — ODESZA
"Surrender” — RÜFÜS DU SOL

Best Rock Performance:

"So Happy It Hurts" — Bryan Adams
"Old Man" — Beck
"Wild Child" — The Black Keys
"Broken Horses" — Brandi Carlile
"Crawl!" — Idles
"Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck
"Holiday" — Turnstile

Best Rock Album:

"Dropout Boogie" — The Black Keys
"The Boy Named If" — Elvis Costello & The Imposters
"Crawler" — Idles
"Mainstream Sellout" — Machine Gun Kelly
"Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne
"Lucifer On The Sofa" — Spoon

Best Alternative Music Performance:

"There’d Better Be A Mirrorball" — Arctic Monkeys
"Certainty" — Big Thief
"King" — Florence + The Machine
"Chaise Longue" — Wet Leg
"Spitting Off The Edge Of The World" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs featuring Perfume Genius

Best Alternative Music Album:

"WE" — Arcade Fire
"Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You" — Big Thief
"Fossora" — Björk
"Wet Leg" — Wet Leg
"Cool It Down" — Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Best R&B Performance:

"Virgo's Groove" — Beyoncé
"Here With Me" — Mary J. Blige Featuring Anderson .Paak
"Hrs & Hrs" — Muni Long
"Over" — Lucky Daye
"Hurt Me So Good" — Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Album:

"Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)" — Mary J. Blige 

"Breezy (Deluxe)" — Chris Brown
"Black Radio III" — Robert Glasper
"Candydrip” — Lucky Daye
"Watch The Sun" — PJ Morton

Best Progressive R&B Album:

"Operation Funk" — Cory Henry
"Gemini Rights" — Steve Lacy
"Drones" — Terrace Martin
"Starfruit" — Moonchild
"Red Balloon" — Tank And The Bangas

Best Rap Performance:

"God Did" — DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy 

"Vegas" — Doja Cat
"pushin P" — Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug
"F.N.F. (Let’s Go)" — Hitkidd & GloRilla
"The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar

Best Rap Album:

"God Did" — DJ Khaled
"I Never Liked You” — Future
"Come Home The Kids Miss You” — Jack Harlow
"Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” — Kendrick Lamar
"It’s Almost Dry" — Pusha T

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Heartfirst" — Kelsea Ballerini
"Something In The Orange" — Zach Bryan
"In His Arms" — Miranda Lambert
"Circles Around This Town" — Maren Morris
"Live Forever" — Willie Nelson

Best Country Album:

"Growin’ Up" — Luke Combs
"Palomino" — Miranda Lambert
"Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville" — Ashley McBryde
"Humble Quest" — Maren Morris
"A Beautiful Time" — Willie Nelson

Best Americana Album:

"In These Silent Days" — Brandi Carlile
"Things Happen That Way" — Dr. John
"Good To Be..." — Keb’ Mo’
"Raise The Roof" — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"Just Like That..." — Bonnie Raitt

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"The Evening : Live At APPARATUS" — The Baylor Project 

"Linger Awhile" — Samara Joy 

"Fade To Black" — Carmen Lundy 

"Fifty" — The Manhattan Transfer With The WDR Funkhausorchester 

"Ghost Song" — Cécile McLorin Salvant

Best Latin Pop Album:

"Aguilera" — Christina Aguilera 

"Pasieros" — Rubén Blades & Boca Livre 

"De Adentro Pa Afuera" — Camilo 

"VIAJANTE" — Fonseca 

"Dharma +" — Sebastián Yatra

Best Música Urbana Album:

"Trap Cake, Vol. 2" — Rauw Alejandro
"Un Verano Sin Ti" — Bad Bunny
"Legendaddy" — Daddy Yankee
"La 167" — Farruko
"The Love & Sex Tape” — Maluma

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording:

"Act Like You Got Some Sense" — Jamie Foxx
"All About Me!: My Remarkable Life In Show Business by Mel Brooks" — Mel Brooks
"Aristotle And Dante Dive Into The Waters Of The World" — Lin-Manuel Miranda
"Finding Me" — Viola Davis
"Music Is History" — Questlove

Best Comedy Album:

"The Closer" — Dave Chappelle
"Comedy Monster" — Jim Gaffigan
"A Little Brains, A Little Talent" — Randy Rainbow
"Sorry" — Louis CK
"We All Scream" — Patton Oswalt

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:

"Elvis" — (Various Artists)
"Encanto" — (Various Artists)
"Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 (Vol 2)" — (Various Artists)
"Top Gun: Maverick" — Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe
"West Side Story" — (Various Artists)

Best Music Video:

"Easy On Me" — Adele
"Yet To Come" — BTS
"Woman" - Doja Cat
"The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar
"As It Was" — Harry Styles
"All Too Well: The Short Film" — Taylor Swift

Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical):

Amy Allen
Nija Charles
Tobias Jesso Jr.
The-Dream
Laura Veltz

Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):

Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Boi-1da
Dahi
Dernst "D’mile" Emile II 

ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE

For his twenty-first studio album, Bruce Springsteen has decided to let loose and have some fun, making his second covers album with "Only The Strong Survive" that looks back to feature some of his favorite classic soul and r&b songs. The songs selected are not surprisingly Motown heavy with Springsteen's renditions of songs originally performed by The Four Tops ("When She was My Girl", "7 Rooms of Gloom"), The Temptations ("I Wish It Would Rain"), Commodores ("Nightshift") and Jimmy Ruffin ("What Becomes of The Brokenhearted").

Also not unexpected, there are songs here that work far better for the seventy-three year old's raspy voice than others. There is passion and power when Springsteen teams up with Sam Moore for "Soul Days" and the William Bell classic from 1968, "I Forgot to be Your Lover". The title track, first performed by Jerry Butler and Tyrone Davis' "Turn Back The Hands of Time" really works well in capturing the spirit of the originals while The Boss leaves his own indelible imprint. But his versions of Ben E. King's "Don't Play That Song" (although the Queen of Soul took ownership of the song with her own 1970 cover) and Diana Ross & the Supremes' "Someday We'll Be Together" don't fare as well, not seeming well suited for the rocker and failing to rise above a feeling of karaoke. 

Yet overall, Springsteen has delivered a solid record. The concept is far from fresh with many artists in their twilight years reflecting on their lives with a nostalgic record filled with musical memories of songs that they have loved and were of great inspiration to them. But with "Only The Strong Survive", you can feel the warm adoration and deep respect that Springsteen gives to each track on the album, creating a wonderful heartfelt experience.   

2022 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

The rocker, Pat Benatar; soul balladeer, Lionel Ritchie; '80's new-wave bands, Duran Duran and Eurythmics; rap artist, Eminem; singer/songwriter, Carly Simon; and the country music superstar, Dolly Parton are this year's inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In order for a performer to be considered for this honor, at least twenty-five years must have passed since the musician’s first recordings were released, ensuring that their contribution to music has stood the test of time.

Judas Priest, the British heavy-metal band and the production team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis will receive the Musical Excellence Award, decided by a select committee which is given to "musicians whose originality and influence creating music has had a dramatic impact on music".

The induction ceremony will be held this year on November 5th at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. An edited version of the event will air on SiriusXM satellite radio and will be broadcast on HBO and HBO Max on November 19th.

PAT BENATAR

It's really shocking that Pat Benatar is only now being inducted into the Hall after years of delivering chart-topping, hard-driving, great rock & roll. But this long overdue honor is still well deserved. Born Patricia Andrzejewski in New York City, she married her high school sweetheart, Dennis Benatar who was serving in the US army and the couple moved to Richmond, VA. After attending a Liza Minnelli concert, she decided to resume a pursuit of a music career, performing in local clubs. The end of her husband's military service brought them back to New York, offering more potential opportunities for Benatar. Her first big break came when she entered amateur night at Catch-a-Rising-Star, leading to become a regular performer at the comedy club. One night, representatives for Chrysalis Records caught her act, signing Benatar to the label in 1978. Her marriage may have ended not long after but decided to keep his surname as her professional name.

Benatar's debut album, "In The Heat of the Night" began with the single, "Heartbreaker" getting her noticed but "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" becoming her breakout hit, reaching the top-ten on the pop charts, selling over a million copies and winning Benatar the first of four Grammy Awards for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. She would go to have fifteen top forty US singles and selling over thirty-five million albums worldwide. And her career would also lead Benatar to meet Neil Giraldo, the lead guitarist for her band who would not only become her creative partner, helping to co-write and produce some of her music, but life partner, marrying him in 1982 and having two children together.



DURAN DURAN

With their band name inspired by a character in the 1968 Jane Fonda sci-fi camp classic, "Barbarella", Duran Duran first emerged during the New Romantic scene in Britain in the late 1970's. This band was formed in Birmingham by keyboardist, Nick Rhodes and bassist, John Taylor. After numerous personnel changes, drummer, Roger Taylor, guitarist, Andy Taylor and lead singer, Simon LeBon were added (none of these "Taylors" are related) and became the final line-up by the time of their self-titled debut released in 1981. "Planet Earth" and "Girls On Film" became huge hits in their home country in part to the sexy music videos, which showcased these five good-looking young men, enhancing their popularity. But it would be their follow-up album, "Rio" that would make them become worldwide sensations thanks to the title track and "Hungry Like the Wolf" and MTV with the newly arrived music video channel playing the cinematic videos for these songs in heavy rotation.

More hits followed; "The Reflex", "Union of the Snake", "A View to a Kill", "The Wild Boys", "Notorious" with Duran Duran going on to become one of the world's best-selling musical artists with well over one hundred million records sold. Over the years, members have left (Roger and Andy Taylor in 1986; John Taylor in 1997) and come back (the original line-up reunited in 2001 with an album and a tour before Andy Taylor left again in 2006) but Duran Duran are still making music together with their fifteenth studio album, "Future Past" released in 2021.



EMINEM

Eminem managed to find incredible worldwide success and fame in the predominantly African-American genre of rap with his complex rhyme technique and humorous yet somewhat violent wordplay, making him one of the greatest rappers of all time. Born Marshall Mathers III, he had an unstable family life with his parents separating and shuttling back and forth between Detroit and various areas in Missouri throughout his childhood.

Inspired by the emerging rap music scene happening in Detroit, he honed his skills by entering open mic contests and despite being White, managed to impress the largely Black audience. First going by "m&m" before the spelling changed to "Eminem", his first break came when he was signed to a local indie label, Web Entertainment and released his debut album, "Infinite" in 1996. The record was a commercial disappointment yet lead to him creating an alter-ego, "Slim Shady", a sadistically perverted character, releasing an EP under that name a year later. His next big break came when he headed to LA to enter the national rap battle competition. Landing in second, a scout from Interscope Records got "The Slim Shady EP" into the hands of the label head, Jimmy Iovine who then gave it to Dr. Dre, the founding member of N.W.A.

Both were very impressed and Dre went to work recording with Eminem, releasing "The Slim Shady LP" in 1999 with the album selling over three million copies. That was followed by "The Marshall Mathers LP" the next year, debuting at number one and selling a global total of twenty-five million copies. In 2002, Eminem went on to acting with "8 Mile". He played a fictionalized version of himself and his early life with, "Lose Yourself" from the soundtrack going on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song. This gifted, best selling artist has released eleven studio albums to date with his last release, "Music To Be Murdered By" in 2020.



EURYTHMICS

After spending a few years working together in the pop-rock band, The Tourists, Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart went on to form their own band, Eurythmics in 1981, changing their sound to new wave. While the British duo's first album, "In The Garden" failed generate much interest, their next project, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" certainly did. The synth-pop title track became a worldwide number one smash hit in 1983 with the striking music video, featuring Lennox in a gender-bending image, certainly bringing them even more attention. The hits continued; "Here Comes The Rain Again", "There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart)", "Would I Lie To You?", "Missionary Man" and teaming with Aretha Franklin on "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" with the band altering their sound and image continuously along the way.

By 1990, after a grinding schedule of recording and touring (and selling seventy-five million records in the process), Lennox and Stewart decided to go their separate ways due to their now strained relationship. Stewart went on to writing film soundtracks and recording several solo albums. Lennox released the first of her six solo album, "Diva" in 1992 which featured five hit singles and selling four million records. Lennox and Stewart reunited as Eurythmics for their last album to date, "Peace" in 1999. While not officially a band, the duo have continued to occasionally perform together over the years, usually for benefit concerts.



DOLLY PARTON

While she had asked for her name to be withdrawn from consideration, feeling that there were probably other artists more deserving than herself, Dolly Parton, the country music superstar has found herself inducted into the rock hall and she has graciously accepted the honor. Born in the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, Dolly was one of twelve children living in a one room cabin on a tobacco farm. The family didn't have much but music played an important part in their lives. Dolly began writing and singing music as a young child and would perform on local television and radio programs. By thirteen, she recorded her first single, "Puppy Love" in 1959. While this song wasn't much of a hit, it still gave her confidence to try a move to Nashville. After catching the attention of country superstar, Porter Wagoner, Parton would be asked to join his band and eventually be his co-host on his weekly television show. Wagoner and Parton became a popular duo and recorded twelve highly successful albums. They remained a professional team until 1974 when she decided to concentrate on her own solo career.

Parton enjoyed major country music success throughout the 1970's but soon decided she wanted her music to appeal to a mainstream crowd. "Here You Come Again" was released in 1977 and the title track became her first crossover pop hit. She took on acting, starring in the popular feminist workplace comedy, "9 to 5" in 1980 with the theme song she wrote going on to top both the pop and country charts as well as earn her an Academy Award nomination. As probably one of the most recognized country music artists in the world, Parton is also one of the most accomplished and highly honored artists in all genres of music.



LIONEL RITCHIE

Lionel Ritchie began his music career as a member of Commodores in 1968. This funky soul band were signed to Motown and found success almost immediately on the r&b chart with "Machine Gun", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" and "Brick House" but it was the ballads, written and performed by Ritchie, like "Just to Be Close to You", "Sail On", "Still" and "Three Times a Lady" that took Commodores to the next level, crossing over to the top of the pop charts.

Ritchie went solo and released his self-titled debut solo album in 1982. This began his wildly successful career with the songs, "You Are", "All Night Long (All Night)", "Hello", "Stuck on You", "Say You, Say Me", and co-writing the all-star charity single, "We Are The World" helping him become one of the biggest pop acts throughout the early '80's. After planning to take just a little time off after a grueling touring schedule in 1986, Ritchie was away from the business for ten years. But he came back to music, releasing seven additional studio albums with his last to date being, "Tuskegee", Ritchie's 2012 venture into country music . Ritchie has received many awards and honors and he's currently serving as a judge on the singing competition show, "American Idol".



CARLY SIMON

One of the biggest of the popular singer/songwriters that found success in the 1970's was Carly Simon. She had a long string of poetic, introspective songs that found spots high on the pop charts throughout that decade and the 1980's. One of four children born to Richard L. Simon, the co-founder of the publishing company, Simon & Schuster and Andrea Heinemann, a singer, Simon began her professional music career with her sister, Lucy as a folk music act, the Simon Sisters in 1963. The duo recorded several albums, touring and making appearances performing on television but by 1970, Simon decided to strike out on her own. Signed to Elektra Records, Simon released her self-titled debut in 1971 with the single, "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be", an emotionally complex song Simon co-wrote involving unhappy married lives, becoming her first top-ten single. She would go on to win the Grammy that year for Best New Artist.

"Anticipation", "Legend In Your Own Time", "Nobody Does It Better" (the James Bond theme for "The Spy Who Love Me"), "Jesse", "Why" and "Coming Around Again", her comeback hit song from 1986 are just a few of the memorable tunes made popular by Simon. And of course, "You're So Vain", Simon's most famous song that had some added intrigue due to her refusal all these years to name who the song is actually about (and no, it's not Mick Jagger who only provided background vocals on the track). In 1972, Simon married another rising singer/songwriter at the time, James Taylor with the two becoming the golden couple of rock. Like many relationships, they had their challenges but fame and Taylor's struggles with drug addiction added additional complications. After ten years of marriage and two children (Sally and Ben Taylor who are both now musicians), the musical couple ended their union in 1983.

NEW SOUNDS

SZA

After teasing the track way back in late 2020 and Spotify apparently released the song prematurely a few weeks ago before pulling it back, SZA has officially dropped her latest single, "Shirt". With production and co-writing with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and "Freaky" Rob Gueringer, SZA delivers a smooth ballad about missing her former love and willing to fight his new woman, leaving a trace of her blood on her shirt. The music video is a mini-movie with veteran video director, Dave Meyers behind the camera and actor, LaKeith Stanfield making an appearance. With offbeat, artful visuals, this violent clip is about lovers on a crime spree, leaving several bloody bodies in their wake. And at the end during the credits, SZA teases a brief sample of another song which she revealed is called "Blind". It would seem like a new album should be on the horizon but it's been over five years since her debut was released so it's clear that SZA will only deliver the record when she feels it's ready.



RIHANNA

People have been losing their minds waiting for new music from Rihanna and after almost seven years, the wait is finally over. However, it is not the first single off a forthcoming new album but a song for the soundtrack to "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", the long-awaited sequel to one of the biggest superhero movies of all time. "Lift Me Up", one of two songs she contributed to the album, is a haunting, mournful ballad that will express a feeling that appears to be part of the plot for the film. The actor, Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, passed away in 2020 from cancer and he was not recast, leaving his absence to be explained in the movie. Since it's been announced that Rihanna will be the performer for this year's Super Bowl half -time show, I have a feeling that an actual new album from the Barbadian pop superstar will appear sooner rather than later.

And to add to the holiday theme of Halloween, Rina Sawayama has released a video for her song, "Frankenstein" from her second album, "Hold The Girl". The British artist reveals how she wants a lover to rebuild her to a better version of herself, no longer wanting to be a monster. The video is set at a wild party and features some dance moves that have a vibe straight out of Michael Jackson's now classic creepy clip, "Thriller".

TOM JONES: SURROUNDED BY TIME TOUR

I had not actually planned on seeing Tom Jones on his LA stop on his tour to support his latest album, "Surrounded by Time" but it was a surprise by my husband and I'm so glad I was able to catch this show. I can't say I was ever a huge fan of the crooning Welshman but I have enjoyed many of his hits including his breakout smash from 1964, "It's Not Unusual" which is one of my all-time favorite songs. I have to say that Jones put on one incredibly thrilling show despite being forced to sit throughout the entire concert due to him still recovering from a recent hip replacement surgery. What makes this even more impressive is that the now eighty-two year old's rich baritone is still quite vibrant and supple, putting the live performances of many of today's singers who are half his age to shame.

Jones began as a blue-eyed soul shouter who enjoyed success almost immediately, covering pretty much all genres of popular music. But once he hit the bright lights of Las Vegas in 1967, Jones turned into a lounge lizard who amped-up his sexy image with half-unbuttoned shirts and tight pants causing women to become so excited that they threw their panties on stage. This glitzy persona also helped Jones lose some credibility as a serious musician. But by the late '80's when Jones' son, Mark took over as his manager, the singer was encouraged to return to basics, guiding him back to his musical roots, leading to a brand new audience discovering Jones.

He opened the show with "I'm Growing Old" and a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Not Dark Yet", two haunting, meditative songs of looking back on a life lived from his latest album, "Surrounded By Sound", the forty-first in his storied career that impressively debuted at number one on the UK album chart, making Jones the oldest artist there to earn a number one record. While there was a certain sense of melancholy that lingered over the evening, Jones remained gregarious and upbeat, moving as much as he could in his chair.

The aim of the concert was to promote the new album, a collection of songs the singer loved or admired from other artists. We heard his versions of "The Windmills of Your Mind", a song Dusty Springfield first made into a hit in 1969; "Pop Star" which Jones shared an amusing story behind Cat Stevens' writing of this song; another Dylan composition from 1976, "One More Cup of Coffee" and the timely, "Talking Reality Television Blues" from alt-country performer, Todd Snider.

But Jones did not forget the songs that made him famous. Not surprisingly, he started with the song that kicked off his career, briefly sharing the story of his background that lead to "It's Not Unusual" becoming his breakout in 1964. There were rousing versions of "What's New, Pussycat?", "Green, Green Grass of Home", "Delilah" and his cover of Prince's, "Kiss" which launched his comeback to the pop charts in 1988.

And Jones ended the evening with what would have been his encore but since he couldn't go back and forth from the stage with any ease, he just continued on with two songs from musicians from the early days of rock & roll that he greatly admired: Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" which we got a story of how he and Elvis went to see the legendary rocker together while they both were working in Vegas and "Great Balls of Fire" by "the Killer", Jerry Lee Lewis, the recently departed rock & roll wild man. Despite his somewhat limited physical abilities, the still quite charming Jones managed to put on an absolutely captivating show.

LORETTA LYNN (1932 - 2022)

Loretta Lynn, the legendary country music singer and songwriter has passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 4th at the age of ninety. She had still been recording, releasing her fiftieth studio album, "Still Woman Enough" just last year and performing although she was forced to slow down after having a stroke in 2017.

Lynn may have taken on the traditional aesthetic expected of a female country singer, elephantine hair and flowing, frilly dresses, yet her music was far from conventional. Her songs, many of them self-penned and based on lived experiences, boldly took on common themes in a way that was confrontational and challenging while reflecting on subjects in song that were not usually discussed publicly at the time, especially by a female artist. 

As detailed in her popular 1970 hit song, "Coal Miner's Daughter", Lynn was one of eight children born to Clara and Ted Webb who was a farmer and later, coal miner in Butcher Hollow, KY. The family struggled financially and the fifteen year old Loretta fell in love and married Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn who was seven years her senior. One reason she was happy to leave home was so she didn't have to take care of her younger siblings yet she became a mother of four by the time she was eighteen.

The family moved to Washington state in search of work. After overhearing Loretta singing along with the radio, "Doo" bought his young wife a guitar. She taught herself how to play and began writing her own songs. Lynn began performing at honky-tonks and talent contests before her life changed when businessman, Norm Burley heard her sing on a local television show. He got her to Los Angeles to meet producer, Don Grashey, signed her to his indie label, Zero Records and had her record the song that Burley heard Lynn perform that she wrote: "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl". The song became a hit in 1960, reaching number fourteen on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, largely due to the Lynns traveling across the states to country music stations to get them to play the record.

She later met the Wilburn Brothers, a country music duo who had a publishing company, and they helped Lynn get signed to a major label, Decca Records. Beginning with the single, "Success" in 1962, Lynn had a long string of top ten country singles, going on well into the 1970's. Some of her early hits were "Blue Kentucky Girl", "Wine, Women, and Song", "Before I'm Over You", "What Kind of a Girl (Do You Think I Am)" and "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)", the 1967 number one song that became the first Gold record written by a female Country artist.

Yet some of her most popular songs (which she had written) were also the most controversial. This included "Dear Uncle Sam" which dealt with the human cost of the Vietnam War; "Fist City", "Your Squaw Is on the Warpath", and "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)" were all about cheating and the aggressive lengths she will go to stop a woman from trying to steal her man; "Rated "X" talked about the stigma around divorced women and "The Pill" from 1975 which Lynn boldly proclaimed the benefits of birth-control pills. In 1971, Lynn began a musical partnership with Conway Twitty and the duo enjoyed five consecutive number one hits through 1975.

A film based on the 1976 autobiography Lynn co-wrote with George Vecsey was made in 1980 with Sissy Spacek starring as the country singer and Tommy Lee Jones appearing as her husband. "Coal Miner's Daughter" went on to become a box-office hit, receiving seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and winning Spacek the Oscar for Best Actress.

After many years of great popularity and success, by the 1990's, with country music shifting more towards a slick, pop-oriented sound, Lynn's style of music fell out of favor. But Lynn had a career resurgence in 2004 by teaming up with an unlikely source: Jack White of the alt-rock band, the White Stripes. He produced "Van Lear Rose", which Lynn wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks, and this collection, merging classic country with thrashing rock, became a critical and commercial success, crossing over to the pop charts and winning the Grammy Award for Best Country Album of that year. 

Lynn was one of the most honored and successful artists in country music having seventy-eight songs chart on the Billboard Hot Country Song chart with fifty-three reaching the top-ten, had ten number one albums, won three Grammy Awards, thirteen Academy of Country Music Awards including ACM Artist of the Decade (1970's), a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honors in 2003 and she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

Lynn was married to Oliver Lynn for almost fifty turbulent yet loving years until he died at age sixty-nine in 1996. The singer is survived by three sisters including Crystal Gayle who became a popular country singer in the mid '70's, four of her six children and seventeen grandchildren.

Here is just a tiny fraction of the enduring music by the incredibly gifted Loretta Lynn and these are a few of my favorites:

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

"Unholy" is a new release that features the inspired pairing of Sam Smith and Kim Petras. First teased on TikTok back in August, this hyper-pop dance track (which was co-written by the non-binary performers) is about a family man leaving his comfortable life behind for a brief moment so he can sneak off to secretly get his freak on. "Unholy" just came out a little over a week ago and has already reached number one in four countries including the UK. This is the first single from Smith's upcoming fourth studio album but no release date has been revealed yet. 

The New York-based, indie band, Yeah Yeah Yeahs first emerged during the turn of the 21st century, at a time when alt-rock was still a major presence in the pop music scene. The single, "Maps" from their 2003 debut, "Fever To Tell" brought worldwide attention to the band, receiving rapturous praise and award recognition. It has been almost ten years since their last album, "Mosquito" and the trio that makes up the band: Nick Zimmer on guitar, Brian Chase on drums and lead vocalist, Karen O, had not planned on taking such a long break but the starting of families, other artistic pursuits and the pandemic created an unexpected delay in coming back together.

But the wait is over and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back with "Cool It Down". While the band has certainly matured (with the members all now in their 40's), they have lost none of their edge. This bold yet brief collection (running a little over thirty minutes) is filled with offbeat, punky electro-pop, taking on themes involving the global climate crisis and concern for future generations. The singles, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" (featuring art-pop performer, Perfume Genius) and "Burning" are both accompanied by stunningly vivid music videos.





Here are some new songs that are enhanced by visually exciting music videos:

And I am sad to report the passing of Coolio, the rapper who was one of the early winners of the Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance for his 1995 single, "Gangsta's Paradise", on September 28th at the age of fifty-nine. Born Artis Leon Ivey Jr. and raised in Compton, CA, he began making music after working a variety of odd jobs. Making connections in the local rap scene in Los Angeles, Coolio recorded a few singles and later became part of the group, WC and the Maad Circle in 1991. He was signed as a solo artist to Tommy Boy Records and released his debut album, "It Takes a Thief" in 1994. The single, "Fantastic Voyage" became Coolio's first hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Sampling Stevie Wonder's 1976 song, "Pastime Paradise", "Gangsta's Paradise" was part of the soundtrack for the Michelle Pfeiffer-lead, 1995 movie, "Dangerous Minds" and became an incredible worldwide success, reaching number one in nineteen countries and selling over six million copies. Coolio's follow-up album, also called "Gangsta's Paradise", featured two other hits, "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot".