Well, it’s another year in the music world and another year the Grammy nominations fail to make much sense.
Up until this year, the voting members of the Grammy nominations were said to consist of 79% men – and only 28% people of color. Now, Tina Tchen – a former chief of staff for Michelle Obama – started up the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion at the Recording Academy to rectify this – and I suppose this year does feature more more women!
Following the controversy of last year’s Record of the Year and Album of the Year categories, which famously featured absolutely no female artist with the exception of Lorde’s Melodrama under Album of the Year. This year, not only have the top categories expanded from 5 nominees to 8 nominees, but more women – even a few women of color! – have been included. The nominees for Record of the Year and Album of the Year are below:
Record of the Year:
- I LIKE IT – Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin – Invincible, JWhiteDidIt, Craig Kallman & Tainy, producers; Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer.
- THE JOKE – Brandi Carlile – Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Tom Elmhirst & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer.
- THIS IS AMERICA – Childish Gambino – Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, producers; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali & Riley Mackin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer.
- GOD’S PLAN – Drake – Boi-1Da, Cardo & Young Exclusive, producers; Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer.
- SHALLOW – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – Lady Gaga & Benjamin Rice, producers; Tom Elmhirst, engineer/mixer; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer.
- ALL THE STARS – Kendrick Lamar & SZA – Al Shux & Sounwave, producers; Sam Ricci & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer.
- ROCKSTAR – Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage – Louis Bell & Tank God, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer.
- THE MIDDLE – Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey – Grey, Monsters & Strangerz & Zedd, producers; Grey, Tom Morris, Ryan Shanahan & Zedd, engineers/mixers; Mike Marsh, mastering engineer.
Album of the Year:
- INVASION OF PRIVACY – Cardi B – Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Belcalis Almanzar & Jorden Thorpe, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer.
- BY THE WAY, I FORGIVE YOU – Brandi Carlile – Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Dave Cobb & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer.
- SCORPION – Drake – Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters; Chris Athens, mastering engineer.
- H.E.R. – H.E.R. – Darhyl “Hey DJ” Camper Jr, H.E.R. & Jeff Robinson, producers; Miki Tsutsumi, engineer/mixer; Darhyl Camper Jr & H.E.R., songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer.
- BEERBONGS & BENTLEYS – Post Malone – Louis Bell & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell & Austin Post, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer.
- DIRTY COMPUTER – Janelle Monáe – Chuck Lightning & Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, producers; Mick Guzauski, Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, engineers/mixers; Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Taylor Parks & Janelle Monáe Robinson, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer.
- GOLDEN HOUR – Kacey Musgraves – Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, producers; Craig Alvin & Shawn Everett, engineers/mixers; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers.
- BLACK PANTHER: THE ALBUM, MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY – (Various Artists) – Kendrick Lamar, featured artist; Kendrick Duckworth & Sounwave, producers; Matt Schaeffer, engineer/mixer; Kendrick Duckworth & Mark Spears, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer.
After getting shut out last year for his record DAMN., Kendrick Lamar’s work on the Black Panther soundtrack is giving him a second chance at glory. Even just glancing for at it for a minute, it seems obvious that Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” should nab all the major categories, including Best Music Video. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s heart-wrenching take on “Shallow” from A Star Is Born might see more Oscar love than Grammy love, but it’s a worthy opponent against Cardi B’s sample-heavy “I Like It” and Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke.”
One of the more baffling groups of nominees is everything surrounding the Rock and Alternative categories. Despite being nominated for Best Rock Performance for their outstanding track “Four Out of Five,” Arctic Monkeys were closed out of Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album; instead they were given solace with a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. In that category, their competition is Beck’s Colors, Bjork’s Utopia, David Byrne’s American Utopia, and St. Vincent’s Masseduction.
While both Beck and St. Vincent have had strong records in the past, neither of these albums are their best work. Not including Father John Misty’s God’s Favorite Customer seems like a massive oversight, as well as MGMT’s triumphant return to form with Little Dark Age. Nominating Weezer’s Pacific Daydream for Best Rock Album also feels misguided when it’s their weakest compilation of the last two they’ve released since 2014, but that whole category feels pretty moot when it’s clear Greta Van Fleet will most likely take home all awards.
In terms of other acts who’ve been notably excluded from choice categories, there’s already hoopla online about the lack of love for Taylor Swift. The pop star only received one nomination for Reputation in the Best Pop Vocal Album category; despite the negative feedback, I think this is the right call considering Reputation is by far the weakest record she’s released in about eight years.
Jay Z and Beyonce, who’ve had pretty vocal defenses in the past – namely, Jay’s “Tell the Grammy’s f*ck that 0 for 8 sh*t” on “Ape****” – yet both were shut out the more mainstream categories for nominations. Instead, The Carters were dropped in a video category and Best Urban Contemporary Album. It certainly is a far fall from grace for Jay, who at least was in the running for Best Album last year.
More than anything, despite increasing nominees in certain categories and making a conscious effort to include more women and people of color, I’m skeptical that much progressivism will come through in the winners, or the most deserving work of art will win. More importantly, even if the most deserving piece of art doesn’t win, very little will change in the industry. Taylor Swift will be just fine having not been nominated for a ton of awards. Arctic Monkeys will continue to tour with Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino and play sold out arenas around the world and in the U.S. The Grammys are almost entirely irrelevant, but that doesn’t mean we can’t complain about them, right?
