Introduction: Why Grammys?
Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, hide Adele. It’s Grammy season!
To be clear, I think Adele is great. But this year we’re hiding her so other artists can get some Damn. shine. And if you're wondering, yes I’m still mad about 2017’s Melodrama.
2017 was the year white supremacy emerged from the underbelly of America, like “Hey girl! Who’s coming to brunch?! 💅🏻” In 2017, we also witnessed the near total sidelining of arguably the most critically acclaimed album of the year, recorded by a black woman at the height of her craft. #JusticeForLemonade #StayMad #StaySalty
White supremacy entering 2017 like
The Grammy Awards is the recording industry’s biggest night. Artists, fans, and Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (she gets her own category) will gather on January 28th, 2018 to celebrate music’s past, present, and future.
As a music lover, I love the Grammys because we get to see artists cavorting with friends, avoiding nemeses, and throwing shade. There are big performances, some of which become iconic like Michael Jackson's 1988 performance of "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Man In the Mirror" or Kendrick Lamar’s unapologetically black 2016 performance of "The Blacker the Berry" and "Alright."
Pharrell looking at T-Swift trying to figure out what's possessing the poor soul.
Michael Jackson at the 1988 Grammys. MJ, a man with royalty, loyalty inside his DNA.
Performance Link: here
Kendrick Lamar at the 2016 Grammys. The black man in the mirror.
Performance Link: here
The Grammys are when artists shine bright like 24K Magic diamonds. And we plebes feel for a hot second that we are all in it together. Rihanna’s success is my success and Taylor Swift's failure is, well, also my success. Truthfully, Rihanna and Taylor Swift could care less about us plebes at home. They’re out here living their best lives, swimming in millions of Instagram likes, eating diamond flaked avocado toasts or whatever rich millennial artists do (#LinkInBio). Aided by the engineered faux-closeness that social media engenders, during the Grammys fandoms gather to cheer their captains and watch their favs slay.
In short, the Grammys are the Super Bowl of music and pop culture. Every performance, every announcement, every camera pan to artists in the audience is a half time show. A treasure trove of gifs, memes, and new pop culture moments are birthed during the Grammys. And if you're an artist like Cardi B, all you have to do is breathe on stage for Twitter to explode with #YASSSSSSSSSS #Queen #F*ckItUp.
Don’t believe me? Just watch. *Uptown Funk Beat*
Grammys, Do Better, Be Better
Despite loving the Grammys, the award is deeply flawed. Anyone who is good friends with me knows that I am still salty over Beyoncé losing Album of the Year (AOTY) in 2015 to Beck(y). And I damn near rupture an artery whenever I remember "Lemonade" lost Album of the Year to Adele’s "25", which while good, was a refurbished "21" and updated "19."
May we all cry as beautifully and graciously as Beyoncé if ever we find our life's work taking an "L" as big as B's did. Beyonce won just 2 of the 9 nominations she received.
Watching Adele accept that award and call Beyoncé the “artist of her life” was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. In an interview with industry reporters, Adele would later go on to ask, “what the fuck does Beyoncé have to do to win Album of the Year?”
This is where the heartbreak comes in. Beyoncé’s loss not only reflects how the Recording Academy treats and celebrates music from black musicians, but also more generally highlights America's historical devaluing of black enterprises. Work twice as hard, to graciously accept defeat. It’s the African-American story.
And the story of the Grammys as well, which has a long history of snubbing culturally defining contributions from black artists.
Songs from the rap, hip-hop, and RnB genres rarely win the major awards. Several people have written about this phenomenon, and if you’re interested see the articles below:
Adele bests Beyoncé and the Grammys reach peak irrelevance
‘More Artists Are Going to Boycott’: The Grammys Face Fallout After Fraught Awards
The Grammys, having five years in a row snubbed forward thinking, culturally poignant albums from black artists, realized that they faced sliding into Stacy Dash and Iggy Azalea levels of cultural irrelevance.
Frankly, the process had already begun. In 2017, Justin Bieber didn’t bother to attend the show despite his album “Purpose” being nominated for Album of the Year. Both Kanye West and Frank Ocean boycotted the 2017 ceremony citing cultural bias against black musicians.This year, Drake didn’t submit his latest album “More Life” for consideration. He'd rather continue being ChampagnePapi on the Gram, releasing singles, living his best #BlemLife.
This is how you Champagne Papi. Drinking out of a Grammy cornily and sexily. It's the Drake way.
“Awaken, My Love!” said the music gods to the Grammys. And awaken, they did. The Grammys switched to online voting this year meaning that the younger, more tech-savvy, more diverse members of the 13,000 strong Recording Academy could more easily vote. Not surprisingly, this led to the 2018 nominations better reflecting music of the zeitgeist. And for the first time in Grammy history, no white men were nominated for Album of the Year.
So while red states are erecting more barriers to vote, it's refreshing to see the Grammys ease the voting process for more inclusivity. The 15th amendment is alive and well....
Let’s be real though, if the Grammys didn’t change with the times Beyonce’s creole ancestors were gonna rise from their Louisiana graves and bewitch the recording industry for as long as Rumi and Sir live. And while we’re on this topic, Blue Ivy and The Twins are winning Grammys. All the Grammys. You heard it here first. If Beyonce is your mom, Jay-Z your dad, Solange your aunt, and Mama Tina your grandmother? You grow up thinking Grammys are just weirdly shaped Legos. Collectively, the family has 45 Grammys from 135 nominations with more to come, I'm sure. Issa American Music Dynasty.
Beyoncé after performing "Love on Top" at the 2011 VMAs with Blue Ivy incubating.
Beyoncé at the 2017 Grammys serving Queen Regent, Slayer of Favs, Snatcher of Coins. This time it wasn't enough to flawlessly perform pregnant with just one baby. In 2017, she did it again this time with twins.
The best part about watching the Grammys is predicting the winners. A - because it takes some music and pop culture acumen to smartly predict. And B - because these awards shows are longer than a Mariah Carey struggle note. One can only take acceptance speeches thanking God, creative teams, and fans for so long. Unless, you’re Kanye West, and your acceptance speeches are 4m 44s long and end with announcing a run for president in 2020. Who knows? Maybe West will be the one to save America from its Ugly Dark Twisted Fantasy aka the Trump Presidency.
Caption this? Gladly.
I love the blacks. No one treats the blacks better than me. No one. Look at my African American friend, Dr. Ben Carson.
For this post I polled 8 friends who are all music and pop-culture lovers to vote on their picks for the major awards. They then provided rationales for their votes which ranged from true, rude, and everything in between.
And now without further ado, here are the Wahala Jr. backed predictions for the 60th Grammy Awards. Enjoy!!
The Big Four Awards
Best New Artist
This award acknowledges rising fresh talent in the music scene. Previous winners have included Lauryn Hill (1999), Maroon Five (2005), and most recently SociallyConciousChicagoBae, Chance the Rapper (2017).
After polling my friends, the results for Best New Artist are:
My pick for “Best New Artist” goes to SZA. Her album CTRL was not only critically acclaimed, SZA embodies what is best about the alt-RnB genre. Direct, honest lyrics, brooding production, supplemented with an “Ima doing me” attitude. SZA takes the BlackGirlMagic persona and says, to quote Woke-Social-Activist-Who-Left-His-Black Wife-For-A-White-Woman-Bae:
“just because we’re magic doesn’t mean we’re not real”
SZA is real, she leans into being real, and she's out here f*cking and ducking f*ckboys like the millennial sorceress she is. Give 👏🏿 her 👏🏿 her 👏🏿Grammys. She's honestly doing the lord's work.
Here's what my panel of experts had to say about “Best New Artist”
Lil Uzi Vert. Young, ambitious, and distinctive, Lil Uzi Vert is paving the way forward for a wing of music that once included Roscoe Dash, and evolved with Migos. The rock influences on his music are interesting inversion of the effect of rap on other genres. -John
Alessia. She is not too basic and genuinely everywhere. Super talented. -Kelisha
SZA. If I go by impact in respective genres of the nominees, I think I'm going to have to go with the patron saint of side chicks. - Uche
Song of the Year
Song of the Year is awarded for songwriting. This award is a fun one because to choose a winner you have to evaluate a song based on its lyrics, messaging, and the skill required to thread the English language and this year Spanish (shout out to Desss-paaa-cito) to a beat. Needless to say, songs with truly iconic lines like “It’s Britney Bitch” don’t make the cut (that line is everything though #JusticeForBlackOut). Previous winners include Lorde’s refreshing “Royals” (2014), Beyonce’s ebullient "Single Ladies" (2010), and Celine Dion’s wretched "My Heart Will Go On” (1999). Sorry, that song makes my ears bleed. It’s sappier than a Full House and Gilmore Girls episode combined.
The results for Song of the Year are:
This year, I believe the award should go to “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars. The song features a confident Bruno singing about all the ways he can dazzle his partner. Curiously, he doesn’t mention having the power of impeachment 😜. “That’s What I Like” is clever, conversational, and cute, in the way only Bruno has perfected over the years. The song, like most of his album "24K Magic", was marinated and baked in the 90s RnB sound, which Bruno effortlessly makes sound fresh. If you haven’t already, check out the Finesse remix featuring the regular-schmegular-girl-from-the-Bronx-Cardi B. Yasssss Queen.
And what does the expert panel think?
Despacito is the biggest record and I think first Latin nominee? I think the Grammys might try to seem woke this year for PR (before reverting to bullshit next year), so Despacito gets my vote. - Steve
Issues. Julia Michaels fits into the mold of the most recent Song of the Year winners (Lorde, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Adele), and she is a well-respected songwriter for other big artists. This would also be a great place to recognize Jay-Z with a big award, but I'm personally rooting for 1-800-273-8255. -Kevin
That's What I Like. I can't believe some of these other songs were even nominated. That's What I Like was and still is EVERYWHERE and was a positive escape from the bullsh*t that was 2017. -Kendall
Record of the Year
This award is given to a song for its production ie: the beats, musicality, and recording performance. Previous winners include the retro-hit “Uptown Funk” -Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars (2016), indie-hit "Somebody That I Used to Know" - Gotye feat. Kimbra (2013), and the karaoke favorite for under-blessed singers “I Will Always Love You” - Whitney Houston (1994).
And the results for Record of the Year are:
I believe Record of the Year will go to “Despacito”. The song was, in the strictest sense of the phrase, the record of the year. It topped the Hot 100 for 16 weeks and tied “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men as the longest reigning number one song on the charts.
Despacito being nominated is remarkable given that it’s mostly sung in Spanish. While many listeners in the US may not understand 90% of the words, they could definitely belt the line "this is how we do it down in PUERTO RICO!"
Despacito’s infectious beat, romantic lyrics, and sultry voices got people wining their hips, gyrating their bodies, and grinding on whoever could keep a beat. No wall could keep the influence of Latin music in the US away in 2017, and honoring Despacito not only for its commercial success, but also its cultural significance as a harbinger for music trends to come would be progressive for the Grammys.
And what does the expert panel think?
Despacito (the Justin version) was an insanely wild success. I think it would be very surprising if this award did not go to that song. The collaboration and production quality make this a clear front runner in my opinion. - Sunanda
Despacito. Considering some of the Recording Academy must skew much older than your average Spotify listener, I think it's still pretty fair to say that when in doubt, they'll go with the name they've heard/seen. Well, it was nigh on impossible to get through 2017 without hearing Despacito at least a handful of times. Plus music industry people are always trying to tap into the "booming Latin market" or whatever, so I imagine the song has some sort of business appeal to them as well that would have made it stick out. And everyone's heard the name Justin Bieber. -Aixsha
The Story of O.J. was likely the lead song on this album before marketing forces pushed Jay-Z and team to make 4:44 appear to be a response to Lemonade. This song is a tour de force. Touching on themes as wide as wealth creation, black masculinity, family, this song is, in its own way, an anthem of the year. -John
Album of the Year
“Like books and black lives, albums still matter”
Yes, albums matter. In the age of streaming, specific singles are plucked from albums and placed alongside other singles in playlists like “Hot Rhythmic” and “daddy pence come dance.” Yes this is a real playlist. And yes, it’s hella gay :).
Streaming is a double edged sword. Playlists are more commonplace as is listening to albums front to back without having to drop serious schmoney. For instance, if not for streaming, I wouldn't have listened to Katy Perry’s latest album, “Witness”, which left me feeling like a witness to a pop career deferred.
If albums are paintings, songs are the brush strokes. Good artists treat albums like cohesive bodies of works. Solange’s masterful “A Seat At the Table” or Lorde’s excellent “Melodrama” are such albums. They are meant to be listened to from front to back, with their messaging, strong vibes, and overarching emotional arcs. Like paintings, which are better understood when viewed in full, albums are better appreciated when listened to completion.
This year’s nominees for AOTY are from five standout artists. And if you were paying attention, I have incorporated all the album titles in my post thus far. Find them if you can.
And the nominees are:
Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!” is a beautiful collection of funk, hip-hop, and RnB. It’s weird. It’s introspective. It’s artsy and eclectic. Classic Childish Gambino.
Standout Track: Redbone
"4:44" is Jay-Z at his most self-reflective. 4:44 is an answer to Lemonade of sorts, and we see Jay-Z admitting to almost losing his wife. He also discusses black love, black enterprise, and black legacy.
Standout Track: The Story of O.J
“Melodrama” by Lorde is my favorite album nominated this year. It's a beautifully produced and well performed concept album with songs that hit the right mix of drama, somber, and emotional honesty.
Standout Track: Supercut
"24K Magic" by Bruno Mars is sonically cohesive, a well-produced ode to the 90s sound that Bruno Mars has perfected for the 21st century listener. The album is imbued with Bruno magic, that is superb performance-ship and personality.
Standout track: 24K Magic
The final nominee and my pick for Album of the Year is:
DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar I can only really describe in one word: Damn. Kendrick was playing no games with this masterclass of an album. His bars are fresh. The production fire. Themes - real and poignant. The albums oscillates from having me vibe out with a cute lil head bob to wanting to jump up and down in black excellence. Because why sit down and be humble?
This is also Kendrick’s year to win. DAMN. is his third consecutive nomination for Album of the Year and arguably this is his most critically acclaimed album. It's packaged with conscious rap, pop-rap, IDGAF rap and the Recording industry would be foolish to repeat the same mistake as last year, or the year before that, or the year before that....
DAMN. is this year's Lemonade, and recall what I said about creole ancestors? If white supremacists can come back with a vengeance in 2017, so can creole ancestral bewitching in 2018.
The (under) world is watching Grammys. Get it right!
Let’s see what my fabulous friends think:
DAMN. He was snubbed last year for a better album. They have to do right or deal with the public backlash of snubbing the best rapper of this generation again.
Melodrama is a great album but is more controversial than Pure Heroine (and if a white woman beats Kendrick again, the Grammys will have major fallout). Jay Z is a relic and hated by white ppl for cheating on Beyonce. No one knows who Childish Gambino is (unfortunately). 24K is old (and inconsistent). - Steve
DAMN. Though my personal favorite of the five nominees is Melodrama, this feels like Kendrick's year to win. DAMN. was a huge hit both critically and commercially, and is an opportunity for the Recording Academy to correct their mistake of awarding 1989 over To Pimp a Butterfly two years ago. With a (hopefully) strong showing at the Grammys and the upcoming Black Panther soundtrack, 2018 is going to be another great year for Kendrick. -Kevin
24K Magic. Every track to come off this album has brought the cookout music to the forefront of the mainstream (lol). I have yet to hear a track that hasn't caught fire. -Kendall
DAMN. I don't think Childish and Jay-Z have the same exposure as Bruno and Kendrick- Childish due to overall underrated-ness by the masses and Jay-Z because his music is limited to Tidal. That’s not to say the albums are not great but I think this may be a limiting factor to their ability to win this award. Kendrick and Bruno would be my top choices for the winner of this category as they have multiple successes in terms of singles from their respective albums. Based on Spotify plays, my vote goes to Kendrick. -Sunanda
DAMN. Highly critically acclaimed. Sophisticated lyricist. Hip hop but conscious and wp like that. -Kelisha
Awaken, My Love! The Gambino's album is impressive in its range of references, musical callouts and lyrics. -John
DAMN. Apart from being just a top notch album, I think this is going to be one of those Scorcese-finally-wins-the-Oscar-for-The-Departed-and-not-any-of-his-earlier-classics situations. Which is to say, even the Academy eventually has to recognize when someone's a creative powerhouse. Also Loyalty bangs. - Aixsha
DAMN. He was basically robbed for "To Pimp a Butterfly." -Uche
With the voting changes and increased diversity of nominations, this years awards may usher the Grammys into a new era of cultural relevancy. For as times change, institutions must change too. And maybe future rap artists like Future will no longer have to sing "they gon' think I won a Grammy." By this point, he'd already have one 😜.
-Wahala Jr.
PS: A big thank you to my supportive friends Sunanda, John, Aixsha, Uche, Kelisha, Kendall, Steve, and Kevin for their contributions to this post! I had a blast writing my first pop-culture analysis post. Stay tuned for more Wahala Jr and be sure to follow the Instagram @wahalajr
