THE RETURN OF DANCE MUSIC

There is no doubt that 2020 was a very challenging year. But thankfully we had music to help soothe us throughout these turbulent last twelve months. One of the highlights was the resurgence of dance music which has always brought joy and comfort during difficult times. This music was certainly important during the AIDS crisis and it's not surprising that dance is the direction that people gravitated towards this year, even though you couldn't get anywhere near a dance floor.

There were several great albums released; Lady Gaga's "Chromatica", Jessie Ware's "What's Your Pleasure", Dua Lipa's "Future Nostalgia", Charli XCX's quarantine-created album, "how i’m feeling now" and Kylie Minogue's aptly titled, "Disco" to name just a few that unabashedly made dance a central part of their sound. 

Vulture has assembled twenty-one of the best dance songs from 2020 that looked back on classic disco for inspiration and delivered fresh, reflective sounds that briefly assisted in helping us forget about all of the troubles happening in the world.

Click below to read the article:

The Best Dance and Disco Songs of 2020

50 BEST CHRISTMAS SONGS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS

Whether you like them or not, 'tis the season for Christmas songs to be played on an endless, relentless loop. You will hear the same songs involving 'ole Saint Nick, a deformed reindeer, a jolly, talking snowman and chestnuts roasting over an open fire many times over from a wide variety of musicians covering these tunes. Some of these versions are certainly better than others but it's really the songs themselves that take us back to memories of the childhood excitement on Christmas morning and the family coming together to celebrate the holiday.

The Christmas Songbook, which are now cherished classics, where largely written throughout the 1940's, '50's and '60's. There are more recent songs that have become Christmas standards like "Wonderful Christmastime" from Paul McCartney, Wham!'s "Last Christmas", The Carpenters', "Merry Christmas, Darling" and of course, Mariah Carey's '90's holiday earworm, "All I Want For Christmas". The Los Angeles Times has complied a list of what they consider to be the best songs of Christmas over the last fifty years. It is a diverse collection made up of songs, old and new, covering various genres of music. Some of these songs I am very familiar with while others I had never heard before but they are all great songs to help celebrate the holiday.

Click below to read the article:

50 Best Christmas Songs of the Last 50 Years

And here are a few of my favorites from this list with some that might be far lesser known:

39. Pet Shop Boys - "It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas" (1997)



28. Tracey Thorn - "Maybe This Christmas" (2012)



23. The Jackson 5 - "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (1970)



13. The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping" (1981)



5. Joni Mitchell - "River" (1971)

CHARLEY PRIDE (1934 - 2020)

Charley Pride, one of the very few African-American artists to find great success in country music, passed away on December 12th. The eighty-six year old singer died from complications of COVID-19 and he had recently made his last appearance performing during this year's Country Music Awards on November 11th where he was finally honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pride was born in Sledge, Mississippi, one of eleven children to poor sharecroppers. When he was fourteen, Pride was given his first guitar by his mother and self-taught himself how to play. And while he loved music, baseball was his first passion. Following his older brother, Mack, Pride played in the Negro American League as a pitcher. After being drafted in to the US Army in 1956, he tried to return to baseball but an injury that occurred while he served prevented him from pitching at his best.

Pride soon turned to music, performing country music around the Memphis area when his demos got in the hands of musician, Chet Atkins. He helped get Pride signed to RCA Records in 1966. His first few singles failed to chart but he finally hit with the song, "Just Between You and Me", which reached the top-ten on the Billboard Hot Country chart in 1967. His race certainly created some initial resistance by some audience members at the time but eventually his talent won them over.

Pride would become the second African-American singer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, following founding member, DeFord Bailey who last appeared in 1941. During his career, Pride went on to have fifty-two Billboard top-ten country hits with thirty reaching the top spot. Some of his hits include "I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me", "I'd Rather Love You", "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone", "Wonder Could I Live There Anymore", "I'm Just Me", and "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" with this number one song in 1971 has since become his signature tune.

Pride is survived by his wife, Rozene who he married in 1956. They had two sons, Kraig and Dion, and a daughter, Angela.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After spending time making holiday music, mentoring aspiring singers on "The Voice" and dabbling in country-pop with her fiancé, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani is returning to her musical roots with the sounds of her band, No Doubt. The singer has just dropped a new song called, "Let Me Reintroduce Myself". This self-referential track, set to a ska beat, announces that this is not a comeback for Stefani but simply about reminding people she's still around. And while it's a clever idea, I don't think the song is strong enough to get Stefani comfortably back on the charts. But perhaps it still might introduce her to a new generation of fans. Check it out and judge for yourself:

Aluna Francis is one half of the British electronic duo, AlunaGeorge with George Reid who burst on to the scene in the US with a remix by DJ Snake of the single, "You Know You Like It" in 2014. After working with Reid for over ten years, Francis decided to take a break and create music on her own. Aluna has released her debut solo album, "Renaissance" and this collection dives deeper in to the roots of dance music, reaching back to African rhythms, funk, early 80's house and garage music. Aluna explores the history and contributions of Black artists in the genre and how dance is much more than EDM. It's an interesting album, filled with unexpected beats and sounds working very well together.





Here are a few new Christmas videos for your holiday enjoyment:







And finally in the category of "If It ain't broke, remake it", Todrick Hall has reworked his hit COVID-inspired tune and video, "Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs" in to a holiday-themed new version entitled, "Bells, Bows, Gifts, Trees". Sure, it's a little lazy but still quite fun and clever. And the video will put you in a good mood and deliver a some much needed Christmas spirit.

AMERICA'S MOST BELOVED DIVAS

In the latest issue of New York Times' magazine, T, they celebrate three of the most iconic women in music; Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton and Patti LaBelle. They started their journey in to the business around the same time but each would find fame and success at different points of their careers.

Streisand would first be noticed on the theatrical stage before conquering pop music and film. Parton began under the guidance of musician, Porter Wagoner before striking out on her own and becoming a major player in country music. And LaBelle was part of a girl-group, finding brief success before venturing off as a solo artist and reaching incredible heights as one of the greatest voices in r&b.

Each of these gifted and talented performers have remained greatly admired musicians, with the magazine offering profiles on these women that examines their lives, careers and continued influence on audiences.

Click below to read the articles:

NYT magazine: Celebrating Three of America’s Most Beloved Divas

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM . . .

DOLLY PARTON 

It's been over thirty years since country music legend, Dolly Parton has released a Christmas album and her latest collection features the cute title,  "A Very Dolly Christmas". The singer had actually began working on the project back in 2009 when she released the single, "Comin' Home for Christmas" but I guess it took some time before the busy Parton was able to complete the album. "A Very Dolly Christmas" features mostly original songs by Parton and there are several guests on board which includes Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus, Michael Bublé, Willie Nelson and "Tonight Show" host, Jimmy Fallon on a cover of Mariah Carey's now-holiday classic, "All I Want For Christmas". Enjoy a couple of fun songs from the album:





LIL NAS X 

Lil Nas X  seems to be in the holiday spirit and has dropped a new song in celebration. The twenty-one year old hip-hop performer born Montero Hill has released "Holiday" but it's really more about his incredible, rapid success with his country-rap hybrid, "Old Town Road" and his fame  than about Santa Claus. I find it unlikely that the song itself will become a holiday classic but it's really the music video for the track which implies a Christmas theme. This clip is a visual wonder (directed by Gibson Hazard and Nas X) and features Lil Nas X in a futuristic setting taking over as ole Saint Nick.

CARLY RAE JEPSEN 

The Canadian pop singer, Carly Rae Jepsen has taken a different approach to the holidays with her recently released single, "It's Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries". Jepsen, who co-wrote the song with Benjamin Romans, CJ Baran and James Flannigan, examines the rarely discussed difficulties with family dysfunction during Christmas that can almost ruin the festivities. Despite the dark subject matter, this ditty is cute and playful, humorously showing another side of the celebration that most people try to forget about.

2020 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

When the Grammy Awards made the decision to make all categories gender-neutral in 2011, I was very concerned about the idea. With our society long being male-dominated, I was afraid that would be reflected in the nominations for music's highest honor. Initially, the nominations were fairly equal (much to my surprise) yet as time went on there began a shift with men gradually receiving far more recognition. This culminated in 2018 with women being barely acknowledged and receiving only seventeen awards out of eighty-six categories. And when this was called out, the then-President of the Recording Academy essentially told women that if they wanted to be a part of the industry they needed to "step up".

But with the recent announcement of the Grammy Award nominations for 2020, there was a notable shift in who received recognition. Women dominated this year in all categories and made historical firsts in the nominations. Beyoncé leads the pack with nine nominations which includes the single that celebrated Black culture and activism, "Black Parade" while Dua Lipa (for her dance-pop collection, "Future Nostalgia") and Taylor Swift (for the indie-rock album, "Folklore" created during quarantine) both followed with six each. In addition to Swift and Lipa, Jhené Aiko, with her alt-soul collection, "Chilombo" and the sister trio, Haim for their pop-rock album, "Women in Music Pt. III" also received nominations for Album of the Year. Other women who did well include alt-rocker, Brittany Howard with five for her debut solo album, "Jamie" along with Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Eilish and one of the hottest artists of the year, hip-hop performer, Megan Thee Stallion who all received four. And in the Best New Artist category, six of the eight performers nominated are women and in a major first, there are only females recognized for Best Rock Performance and the Best Country Album category has only female-led acts. 

Men weren't ignored entirely with Post Malone for his album, "Hollywood's Bleeding", alt-rockers, Coldplay's "Everyday Life", psychedelic soul act, Black Pumas and their self-titled debut album and (a bit of a head-scratcher), Jacob Collier, the twenty-six year old, British multi-instrumentalist and his jazz-pop collection, "Djesse Vol. 3" round out the Album of The Year category. Roddy Ricch, with his breakout hip-hop track, "The Box", received six nominations while Justin Bieber and DaBaby follow with four each. 

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards will be held on January 31, 2021  March 14, 2021 under COVID-19 restrictions. The comedian, Trevor Noah will serve as host for the first time. 
 

Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards: 

Album of the Year:

"Chilombo" - Jhene Aiko
"Black Pumas (Deluxe)" - Black Pumas
"Everyday Life" - Coldplay
"Djesse Vol. 3" - Jacob Collier
"Women in Music Pt. III" - Haim
"Future Nostalgia" - Dua Lipa
"Hollywood’s Bleeding" - Post Malone
"Folklore" - Taylor Swift

Record of the Year:

"Black Parade" - Beyoncé
"Colors" - Black Pumas
"Rockstar" - DaBaby and Roddy Ricch
"Say So" -Doja Cat
"Everything I Wanted" - Billie Eilish
"Don’t Start Now" - Dua Lipa
"Circles" - Post Malone
"Savage" - Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé

Song of the Year:

"Black Parade" - Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice (Beyoncé)
"The Box" - Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore (Roddy Ricch)
"Cardigan" - Aaron Dessner & Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift)
"Circles" - Louis Bell, Adam Feeney, Kaan Gunesberk, Austin Post & Billy Walsh (Post Malone)
"Don’t Start Now" - Caroline Ailin, Ian Kirkpatrick, Dua Lipa & Emily Warren (Dua Lipa)
"Everything I Wanted" - Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell (Billie Eilish)
"I Can’t Breathe" - Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas (H.E.R.)
"If the World Was Ending" - Julia Michaels & JP Saxe (JP Saxe & Julia Michaels)

Best New Artist:

Ingrid Andress
Phoebe Bridgers
Chika
Noah Cyrus
D Smoke
Doja Cat
Kaytranada
Megan Thee Stallion

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Yummy" - Justin Bieber
"Say So" - Doja Cat
"Everything I Wanted" - Billie Eilish
"Don’t Start Now" - Dua Lipa
"Watermelon Sugar" - Harry Styles
"Cardigan" - Taylor Swift

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Un Día (One Day)" - J. Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy
"Intentions,” Justin Bieber and Quavo
"Dynamite" - BTS
"Rain On Me" Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
"Exile" -Taylor Swift and Bon Iver

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Changes" - Justin Bieber
"Chromatica" - Lady Gaga
"Future Nostalgia" - Dua Lipa
"Fine Line" - Harry Styles
"Folklore" - Taylor Swift

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"Blue Umbrella" - Burt Bacharach and Daniel Tashain
"True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter" - Harry Connick Jr.
"American Standard" - James Taylor
"Unfollow the Rules" - Rufus Wainwright
"Judy" - Renee Zellweger

Best Rock Performance:

"Shameika" - Fiona Apple
"Not" - Big Thief
"Kyoto" - Phoebe Bridgers
"The Steps" - Haim
"Stay High" - Brittany Howard
"Daylight" - Grace Potter

Best Rock Song:

"Kyoto" - Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler and Mashall Vore (Phoebe Bridgers)
"Lost In Yesterday" - Kevin Parker (Tame Impala)
"Not" - Adrianne Lenker (Big Thief)
"Shameika" - Fiona Apple (Fiona Apple)
"Stay High" - Brittany Howard (Brittany Howard)

Best Rock Album:

"A Hero’s Death" - Fontaines D.C.
"Kiwanuka" - Michael Kiwanuka
"Daylight" - Grace Potter
"Sound & Fury" - Sturgill Simpson
"The New Abnormal" - The Strokes

Best Alternative Album:

"Hyperspace" - Beck
"Fetch the Bolt Cutters" - Fiona Apple
"Punisher" - Phoebe Bridgers
"Jaime" - Brittany Howard
"The Slow Rush" - Tame Impala

Best Dance Recording:

"On My Mind,” Diplo & Sidepiece
"My High" - Disclosure Featuring Aminé & Slowthai
"The Difference" - Flume featuring Toro y Moi
"Both Of Us" - Jayda D
"10%" - Kaytranada featuring Kali Uchis

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

"Kick I" - Arca
"Planet’s Mad" - Baauer
"Energy" - Disclosure
"Bubb" - Kaytranada
"Good Faith" - Madeon

Best R&B Performance:

"Lightning and Thunder,” Jhené Aiko Featuring John Legend
"Black Parade" - Beyoncé
"All I Need" - Jacob Collier Featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign
"Goat Head" - Brittany Howard
"See Me" - Emily King

Best Traditional R&B Performance:

"Sit On Down" - The Baylor Project Featuring Jean Baylor & Marcus Baylor
"Wonder What She Thinks of Me" - Chloe X Halle
"Let Me Go" - Mykal Kilgore
"Anything For You" - Ledisi
"Distance" - Yebba

Best R&B Song:

"Better Than I Imagine" - Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson (Robert Glasper Featuring H.E.R and Meshell Ndegeocello)
"Black Parade" - Denisia Andrews, Beyoncé, Stephen Bray, Shawn Carter, Brittany Coney, Derek James Dixie, Akil King, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk & Rickie “Caso” Tice (Beyoncé)
"Collide" - Sam Barsh, Stacey Barthe, Sonyae Elise, Olu Fann, Akil King, Josh Lopez, Kaveh Rastegar & Benedetto Rotondi (Tiana & EARTHGANG)
"Do It" - Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Anton Kuhl, Victoria Monét, Scott Storch & Vincent Van Den Ende (Chloe X Halle)
"Slow Down" - Nasri Atweh, Badriia Bourelly, Skip Marley, Ryan Williamson & Gabriella Wilson (Skip Marley & H.E.R.)

Best Progressive R&B Album:

"Chilombo" - Jhene Aiko
"Ungodly Hour" - Chloe X Halle
"Free Nationals" - Free Nationals
"F*** Yo Feelings" - Robert Glasper
"It Is What It Is" - Thundercat

Best R&B Album:

"Happy 2 Be Here" - Any Clemons
"Take Time" - Giveon
"To Feel Loved" - Luke James
"Bigger Love" - John Legend
"All Rise" - Gregory Porter

Best Rap Performance:

"Deep Reverence" - Big Sean featuring Nipsey Hustle
"Bop" - Da Baby
"What’s Poppin" - Jack Harlow
"The Bigger Picture" - Lil Baby
"Savage" - Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
"Dior" - Pop Smoke

Best Melodic Rap Performance:

"Rockstar" - Da Baby feat. Roddy Ricch
"Laugh Now, Cry Later" _ Drake feat. Lil Durk
"Lockdown" - Anderson.Paak
"The Box" - Roddy Ricch
"HIGHEST IN THE ROOM" - Travis Scott

Best Rap Album:

"Black Habits" - D Smoke
"Alfredo" - Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
"A Written Testimony" - Jay Electronica
"King’s Disease" - Nas
"The Allegory" - Royce Da 5’9”

Best Rap Song:

"The Bigger Picture" - Dominique Jones, Noah Pettigrew & Rai’shaun Williams (Lil Baby)
"The Box" - Samuel Gloade & Rodrick Moore (Roddy Ricch)
"Laugh Now, Cry Later" - Durk Banks, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Ron LaTour & Ryan Martinez (Drake featuring Lil Durk)
"Rockstar" - Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Ross Joseph Portaro IV & Rodrick Moore (Da Baby featuring Roddy Ricch)
"Savage" - Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Session Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White (Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé)

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Stick That In Your Country Song" - Eric Church
"Who You Thought I Was" - Brandy Clark
"When My Amy Prays" - Vince Gill
"Black Like Me" - Mickey Guyton
"Bluebird" - Miranda Lambert

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:

"All Night" - Brothers Osbourne
"10,000 Hours" - Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
"Ocean" - Lady A
"Sugar Coat" - Little Big Town
"Some People Do" - Old Dominion

Best Country Song:

"Bluebird" - Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby & Miranda Lambert (Miranda Lambert)
"The Bones" - Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz (Maren Morris)
"Crowded Table" - Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna (The Highwomen)
"More Hearts Than Mine" - Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis & Derrick Southerland (Ingrid Andress)
"Some People Do" - Jesse Frasure, Shane McAnally, Matthew Ramsey & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Old Dominion)

Best Country Album:

"Lady Like" - Ingrid Andress
"Your Life is a Record" - Brandy Clark
"Wildcard" - Miranda Lambert
"Nightfall" - Little Big Town
"Never Will" - Ashley McBryde

Best Americana Album:

"Old Flowers" - Courtney Marie Andrews
"Terms Of Surrender" - Hiss Golden Messenger
"World On The Ground" - Sarah Jarosz
"El Dorado" - Marcus King
"Good Souls Better Angels" - Lucinda Williams

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"Ona" - Thana Alexa
"Secrets Are The Best Stories" - Kurt Elling Featuring Danilo Pérez
"Modern Ancestors" - Carmen Lundy
"Holy Room: Live at Alte Oper" - Somi With Frankfurt Radio Big Band
"What’s The Hurry" - Kenny Washington

Best Latin Jazz Album:

"Tradiciones" - Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra
"Four Questions" - Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
"City of Dreams" - Chico Pinheiro
"Viento y Tiempo: Live at Blue Note Tokyo" - Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola
"Trane’s Delight" - Poncho Sanchez

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:

"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" - Various Artists
"Bill & Ted Face the Music" - Various Artists
"Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" - Various Artists
"Frozen 2" - Various Artists
"JoJo Rabbit" - Various Artists

Best Music Video:

"Brown Skin Girl" - Beyoncé
"Life Is Good" - Future Featuring Drake
"Lockdown" - Anderson.Paak
"Adore You" - Harry Styles
"Goliath" - Woodkid

Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):

Jack Antonoff
Dan Auerbach
Dave Cobb
Flying Lotus
Andrew Watt