Tag: Beyonce

  • Largest US newspaper chain hiring Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter ‘journalists’

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: This week the United States’ biggest newspaper chain posted to its site two unusual job listings: a Taylor Swift reporter and a Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter.

    Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily papers, will employ these new hires through USA Today and The Tennessean, the company’s Nashville-based newspaper. The chain is looking for “modern storytellers” adept in print, audio and visual journalism, said Michael Anastasi, the Tennessean’s editor and Gannett’s vice president for local news.

    “Seeing both the facts and the fury, the Taylor Swift reporter will identify why the pop star’s influence only expands, what her fanbase stands for in pop culture, and the effect she has across the music and business worlds,” the company said in its job description.

    Similarly, the company wants a journalist who can capture Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s effect on society and the industries in which she operates.

    Anastasi said the Tennessean already has a three-person music team and “I put our sophisticated coverage up against anybody.” Gannett is always looking for opportunities to make itself essential for paying customers, he said.

    Critics of the new roles cited layoffs at Gannett, where the workforce has shrunk 47% in the last three years due to layoffs and attrition, according to the NewsGuild. At some newspapers, the union said the headcount has fallen by as much as 90%. Last year alone, Gannett cut about 6% of its roughly 3,440-person U.S. media division.

    Some journalists said that while hiring these massively popular artist-specific roles reflects their influence in pop culture, they do fail to invest in local journalism at a company known for its local dailies.

    “At a time when so much serious news and local reporting is being cut, it’s a decision to raise some questions about,” Rick Edmonds, an expert at the journalism think tank Poynter Institute, said of the new positions.

    Said Anastasi: “We’re not hiring a Taylor Swift reporter at the expense of other reporters.”

    Some journalists criticized the job listings for presenting superfan behavior as a full-time journalism job. Music writer Jeremy Gordon said on social media that it “doesn’t feel great to see ‘full-time stan’ go out as an actual journalism job.” Stan is slang for “superfan.”

    If the hire acts more like a fan than a journalist, the decision could backfire on Gannett. But if the job is done well, and the reporters can penetrate tightly-controlled operations to glean insights, they can establish themselves as national authorities on important cultural figures.

    Omise’eke Tinsley, academic and author of “Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism,” says this type of role makes space for more positive stories about Black women.

    But also, she adds, the existence of both jobs directly reflects Beyoncé and Swift’s economic power. “If there wasn’t that component to it, there wouldn’t be a Beyoncé reporter,” Tinsley said.

    It is not uncommon for journalists to develop a beat on a specific figure, particularly in politics — as evidenced by Amy Chozick, who the New York Times hired in 2013 to cover Hilary Clinton exclusively. But most entertainment journalists are responsible for reporting on a wide range of talent — even if they are subject matter experts on a specific artist.

    That was the case for Los Angeles Times reporter Suzy Exposito, who called herself an “unofficial” beat reporter on popular reggaetonero Bad Bunny because she spent a disproportionate amount of time in a previous job covering him compared to other priorities.

    “His near-weekly output became really overwhelming, and it took away focus from a lot of other artists who were also making compelling work,” Exposito said. “He’s so prolific that I think I literally ran out of new words to describe him at some point. He could use his own reporter, too.”

    She said a major challenge for entertainment journalists is the sheer volume of releases from pop artists. “The business of music is a numbers game,” Exposito said. “Hit records become deluxe editions become sold-out world tours, and it can be dizzying for a general music journalist to keep up.”

    So, are artist-specific jobs the future of music journalism?

    “It is a bit odd, but Taylor Swift Inc., I guess you would call it, is a big economic driver right now,” said Eric Grode, director of the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications program at Syracuse University. “Taylor Swift is doing a lot of newsworthy things beyond just selling concert tickets.”

    If a reporter takes the job seriously and provides more than breathless concert coverage, their established expertise could be valuable for a news organization, Grode said. Still, there are very few musicians who have such a wide cultural reach.

    The likelihood of fans to click on stories about Swift or Beyoncé makes it an obvious motivating factor in designing the new jobs, Exposito said.

    “Digital media is now competing with fan accounts on social media — not when it comes to accuracy, but when it comes to being the first source to report on pop stars’ developments,” she said.

    Top artists prioritize the attention and work of expert reporters, leading to what critic Soraya Roberts has called a ” culture of sameness ” — yet another barrier to local arts coverage.

    Tinsley believes that posts on social media criticizing the focus of these new roles may reflect a culture of sexism. “Adding to the pantheon of what figures and representatives matter has the potential to do something important,” she said. “I believe some of the dismissals (of these roles) have to do with what we value and don’t value as a society — and I think there’s an implicit misogyny in it.”

    Representatives for Swift and Beyoncé did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

    LOS ANGELES: This week the United States’ biggest newspaper chain posted to its site two unusual job listings: a Taylor Swift reporter and a Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter.

    Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily papers, will employ these new hires through USA Today and The Tennessean, the company’s Nashville-based newspaper. The chain is looking for “modern storytellers” adept in print, audio and visual journalism, said Michael Anastasi, the Tennessean’s editor and Gannett’s vice president for local news.

    “Seeing both the facts and the fury, the Taylor Swift reporter will identify why the pop star’s influence only expands, what her fanbase stands for in pop culture, and the effect she has across the music and business worlds,” the company said in its job description.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Similarly, the company wants a journalist who can capture Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s effect on society and the industries in which she operates.

    Anastasi said the Tennessean already has a three-person music team and “I put our sophisticated coverage up against anybody.” Gannett is always looking for opportunities to make itself essential for paying customers, he said.

    Critics of the new roles cited layoffs at Gannett, where the workforce has shrunk 47% in the last three years due to layoffs and attrition, according to the NewsGuild. At some newspapers, the union said the headcount has fallen by as much as 90%. Last year alone, Gannett cut about 6% of its roughly 3,440-person U.S. media division.

    Some journalists said that while hiring these massively popular artist-specific roles reflects their influence in pop culture, they do fail to invest in local journalism at a company known for its local dailies.

    “At a time when so much serious news and local reporting is being cut, it’s a decision to raise some questions about,” Rick Edmonds, an expert at the journalism think tank Poynter Institute, said of the new positions.

    Said Anastasi: “We’re not hiring a Taylor Swift reporter at the expense of other reporters.”

    Some journalists criticized the job listings for presenting superfan behavior as a full-time journalism job. Music writer Jeremy Gordon said on social media that it “doesn’t feel great to see ‘full-time stan’ go out as an actual journalism job.” Stan is slang for “superfan.”

    If the hire acts more like a fan than a journalist, the decision could backfire on Gannett. But if the job is done well, and the reporters can penetrate tightly-controlled operations to glean insights, they can establish themselves as national authorities on important cultural figures.

    Omise’eke Tinsley, academic and author of “Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism,” says this type of role makes space for more positive stories about Black women.

    But also, she adds, the existence of both jobs directly reflects Beyoncé and Swift’s economic power. “If there wasn’t that component to it, there wouldn’t be a Beyoncé reporter,” Tinsley said.

    It is not uncommon for journalists to develop a beat on a specific figure, particularly in politics — as evidenced by Amy Chozick, who the New York Times hired in 2013 to cover Hilary Clinton exclusively. But most entertainment journalists are responsible for reporting on a wide range of talent — even if they are subject matter experts on a specific artist.

    That was the case for Los Angeles Times reporter Suzy Exposito, who called herself an “unofficial” beat reporter on popular reggaetonero Bad Bunny because she spent a disproportionate amount of time in a previous job covering him compared to other priorities.

    “His near-weekly output became really overwhelming, and it took away focus from a lot of other artists who were also making compelling work,” Exposito said. “He’s so prolific that I think I literally ran out of new words to describe him at some point. He could use his own reporter, too.”

    She said a major challenge for entertainment journalists is the sheer volume of releases from pop artists. “The business of music is a numbers game,” Exposito said. “Hit records become deluxe editions become sold-out world tours, and it can be dizzying for a general music journalist to keep up.”

    So, are artist-specific jobs the future of music journalism?

    “It is a bit odd, but Taylor Swift Inc., I guess you would call it, is a big economic driver right now,” said Eric Grode, director of the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications program at Syracuse University. “Taylor Swift is doing a lot of newsworthy things beyond just selling concert tickets.”

    If a reporter takes the job seriously and provides more than breathless concert coverage, their established expertise could be valuable for a news organization, Grode said. Still, there are very few musicians who have such a wide cultural reach.

    The likelihood of fans to click on stories about Swift or Beyoncé makes it an obvious motivating factor in designing the new jobs, Exposito said.

    “Digital media is now competing with fan accounts on social media — not when it comes to accuracy, but when it comes to being the first source to report on pop stars’ developments,” she said.

    Top artists prioritize the attention and work of expert reporters, leading to what critic Soraya Roberts has called a ” culture of sameness ” — yet another barrier to local arts coverage.

    Tinsley believes that posts on social media criticizing the focus of these new roles may reflect a culture of sexism. “Adding to the pantheon of what figures and representatives matter has the potential to do something important,” she said. “I believe some of the dismissals (of these roles) have to do with what we value and don’t value as a society — and I think there’s an implicit misogyny in it.”

    Representatives for Swift and Beyoncé did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
     

  • Check out the key winners of the 2023 Grammy Awards

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: Here is a list of winners in key categories for the 65th annual Grammy Awards, which were handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles.

    Beyonce led the field with a total of nine nominations and scooped up four awards, making her the winningest artist in Grammys history.

    Harry Styles won the Album of the Year award, while Lizzo, Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Brandi Carlile and Bonnie Raitt also took home golden statuettes.

    Album of the Year: “Harry’s House,” Harry Styles

    Record of the Year, recognizing overall performance of a song: “About Damn Time,” Lizzo

    Song of the Year, recognizing songwriting: “Just Like That” — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)

    Best New Artist: Samara Joy

    Best Dance / Electronic Music Album: “Renaissance,” Beyonce

    Best Dance / Electronic Recording: “Break My Soul,” Beyonce

    Best Pop Vocal Album: “Harry’s House,” Harry Styles

    Best Rap Album: “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Kendrick Lamar

    Best Rock Album: “Patient Number 9,” Ozzy Osbourne

    Best Pop Solo Performance: “Easy on Me,” Adele

    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Unholy,” Sam Smith and Kim Petras

    Best Americana Album: “In These Silent Days,” Brandi Carlile

    Best Country Album: “A Beautiful Time,” Willie Nelson

    Best Music Video: “All Too Well (The Short Film),” Taylor Swift

    Best Global Music Album: “Sakura,” Masa Takumi

    Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media: “Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok: Dawn of Ragnarok,” Stephanie Economou

    Artists with Most Wins

    Beyonce – 4

    Bonnie Raitt – 3

    Kendrick Lamar – 3

    Brandi Carlile – 3

    LOS ANGELES: Here is a list of winners in key categories for the 65th annual Grammy Awards, which were handed out on Sunday in Los Angeles.

    Beyonce led the field with a total of nine nominations and scooped up four awards, making her the winningest artist in Grammys history.

    Harry Styles won the Album of the Year award, while Lizzo, Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Brandi Carlile and Bonnie Raitt also took home golden statuettes.

    Album of the Year: “Harry’s House,” Harry Styles

    Record of the Year, recognizing overall performance of a song: “About Damn Time,” Lizzo

    Song of the Year, recognizing songwriting: “Just Like That” — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)

    Best New Artist: Samara Joy

    Best Dance / Electronic Music Album: “Renaissance,” Beyonce

    Best Dance / Electronic Recording: “Break My Soul,” Beyonce

    Best Pop Vocal Album: “Harry’s House,” Harry Styles

    Best Rap Album: “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Kendrick Lamar

    Best Rock Album: “Patient Number 9,” Ozzy Osbourne

    Best Pop Solo Performance: “Easy on Me,” Adele

    Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Unholy,” Sam Smith and Kim Petras

    Best Americana Album: “In These Silent Days,” Brandi Carlile

    Best Country Album: “A Beautiful Time,” Willie Nelson

    Best Music Video: “All Too Well (The Short Film),” Taylor Swift

    Best Global Music Album: “Sakura,” Masa Takumi

    Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media: “Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok: Dawn of Ragnarok,” Stephanie Economou

    Artists with Most Wins

    Beyonce – 4

    Bonnie Raitt – 3

    Kendrick Lamar – 3

    Brandi Carlile – 3

  • Harry Styles wins album of the year Grammy; Beyonce triumphs

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Harry Styles won album of the year at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, taking home the top honor on a night that Beyonce dominated and became the ceremony’s most decorated artist.

    Beyonce won her 32nd award, breaking a 26-year-old record. But as in years past, the album of the year honor eluded her.

    Styles took home three awards Sunday.

    “I’m so inspired by every artist in this category,” said the teary-eyed singer.

    “A lot of different times of my life, I’ve listened to everyone in these categories. It’s so important to remember that there is no such thing as best.”

    Still, Beyonce stands alone on her Grammy throne and had the support of the room throughout the night, with winners frequently referencing her and her influence on them.

    “I’m trying not to be too emotional,” the superstar said after her historic win as her husband Jay-Z stood and applauded her.

    The singer thanked her late uncle, her parents, Jay-Z and her children for supporting her.

    “I’m just trying to receive this night. I want to thank God for protecting me. Thank you, God,” she added. 

    Beyonce won for best R&B song for Cuff It, dance-electric music recording for Break My Soul, traditional R&B performance for Plastic Off the Sofa and dance-electric album for Renaissance, which is also nominated for album of the year.

    Beyonce accepts the award for best dance/electronic music album for ‘Renaissance’ at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. (Photo | AP)

    Lizzo won record of the year for About Damn Time, delivering a rousing speech that brought many in the audience, including Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Adele, to their feet.

    “Me and Adele were having a good time, rooting for our friends. This is an amazing night. This is so unexpected,” Lizzo said, dedicating her award to Prince.

    “I wanted to make the world a better place, so I had to be that change to make the world a better place.

    Now, I look around and see these songs are about loving your body and feeling comfortable in your skin and feeling good.

    Jazz singer Samara Joy won best new artist, shrugging off challenges by such acts as Wet Led, Anitta and Maneskin.

    The New Yorker was virtually in tears when she collected the award and noted that her little brother was her date.

    I’m so, so grateful. Thank you.”

    She has released two albums as a lead artist and also won the Grammy for best jazz vocal album earlier in the night.

    Beyonce missed being in the room when she tied Solti’s record, which stood since 1997.

    VIEW PHOTOS | Our favourite red carpet looks from the Grammys 2023

    Host Trevor Noah said she was on her way to the ceremony but blamed Los Angeles traffic for not being in person to accept it.

    The song was written by several writers including Beyonce, The-Dream, Nile Rodgers and Raphael Saadiq.

    Once Beyonce the night’s leading nominee finally arrived, Noah presented her with the best R&B song award at her table.

    Veteran singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt shrugged off big-name rivals like Adele, Taylor Swift and Beyonce to win the song of the year award.

    “I’m so surprised. I don’t know what to say, “a visibly stunned Raitt said, adding that the song Just Like That” explores organ donation.

    It capped a night when Raitt won two other Grammys for best Americana performance and best American roots song.

    A who’s who of hip-hop royalty took the stage for an epic, rousing 15-minute tribute to the genre’s 50th anniversary.

    The performance included Grandmaster Flash doing part of his seminal hit The Message, Run DMC, Chuck D and Flavor Flav along with Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes and Nelly all taking the stage.

    It ended with everyone on the stage and LL Cool J shouting multi-generational! Fifty years! Bad Bunny opened the show with a festive, high-energy performance that brought many of the audience including Taylor Swift who rose to her feet and danced near her table at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.

    Styles won the main telecast’s first award for best pop vocal album for Harry’s House. The singer said recording the song was one of the greatest experiences of his life.

    It’s been my greatest joy.  Sam Smith and Kim Petras won best pop duo-group performance for their song Unholy.

    Petras said Smith wanted Petras to make the acceptance speech because I’m the first transgender woman to win this award.

    “I want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight,” said Petras, who made a reference to friend and Grammy-nominated musician Sophie, who died after an accidental fall in Athens, Greece in 2021.

    You told me this would happen. I always believed in me. Thank you so much for your inspiration, Sophie. I adore you, and your inspiration will forever be in my music.

    Petras thanked Madonna for being a tremendous supporter of LGBTQ rights. I don’t think I could be here without Madonna, Petras said. My mother, I grew up next to a highway in nowhere Germany.

    And my mother believed me that I was a girl. I wouldn’t be here without her and her support.

     During the in memoriam segment, the Grammys recognized the lives of Loretta Lynn, Migos rapper Takeoff and Christine McVie with several star-studded performers paying them homage.

    The touching performances included Kacey Musgraves singing Coal Miner’s Daughter in tribute to Lynn; Quavo and the Maverick City Music hit the stage to honor his nephew Takeoff with the song Without You; and Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt performed Songbird to remember McVie.

    Kendrick Lamar won sixth career trophy for best rap performance for The Heart Part 5 and also won best rap album for his studio offering, Mr. Morales & The Big Steppers.

    “You know, as entertainers, we say things to provoke thoughts and feelings and emotions,” he said. So making this record is one of my toughest.  I would like to thank the culture for allowing me to evolve in order to make this.

    I finally found imperfection with this album.

    Viola Davis emerged from Sunday’s show an EGOT  a term for those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony after her win for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording.

    The actor gave an emotional speech and emphatically said I just EGOT after she marched on stage to collect her award.

    “Oh, my God,” she said.

    “I wrote this book to honor the 6-year-old Viola, to honor her, her life, her joy, her trauma, everything,” Davis said. It has just been such a journey.

    Tattered streetwear, T-shirts and denim mixed with blinged-out couture, wild patterns and plenty of skin on the Grammys carpet.

    Lizzo wowed in a bright orange Dolce & Gabbana robe adorned with flowers and a huge hood while Taylor Swift wore a long two-piece sparkly skirt with a high-neck and long-sleeve crop top in midnight blue.

    The show marks a return to Los Angeles after the pandemic first delayed, then forced the Grammys to move to Las Vegas last year.

    Noah hosted the ceremony as well, which saw Jon Batiste take home album of the year.

    LOS ANGELES: Harry Styles won album of the year at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, taking home the top honor on a night that Beyonce dominated and became the ceremony’s most decorated artist.

    Beyonce won her 32nd award, breaking a 26-year-old record. But as in years past, the album of the year honor eluded her.

    Styles took home three awards Sunday.

    “I’m so inspired by every artist in this category,” said the teary-eyed singer.

    “A lot of different times of my life, I’ve listened to everyone in these categories. It’s so important to remember that there is no such thing as best.”

    Still, Beyonce stands alone on her Grammy throne and had the support of the room throughout the night, with winners frequently referencing her and her influence on them.

    “I’m trying not to be too emotional,” the superstar said after her historic win as her husband Jay-Z stood and applauded her.

    The singer thanked her late uncle, her parents, Jay-Z and her children for supporting her.

    “I’m just trying to receive this night. I want to thank God for protecting me. Thank you, God,” she added. 

    Beyonce won for best R&B song for Cuff It, dance-electric music recording for Break My Soul, traditional R&B performance for Plastic Off the Sofa and dance-electric album for Renaissance, which is also nominated for album of the year.

    Beyonce accepts the award for best dance/electronic music album for ‘Renaissance’ at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. (Photo | AP)

    Lizzo won record of the year for About Damn Time, delivering a rousing speech that brought many in the audience, including Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Adele, to their feet.

    “Me and Adele were having a good time, rooting for our friends. This is an amazing night. This is so unexpected,” Lizzo said, dedicating her award to Prince.

    “I wanted to make the world a better place, so I had to be that change to make the world a better place.

    Now, I look around and see these songs are about loving your body and feeling comfortable in your skin and feeling good.

    Jazz singer Samara Joy won best new artist, shrugging off challenges by such acts as Wet Led, Anitta and Maneskin.

    The New Yorker was virtually in tears when she collected the award and noted that her little brother was her date.

    I’m so, so grateful. Thank you.”

    She has released two albums as a lead artist and also won the Grammy for best jazz vocal album earlier in the night.

    Beyonce missed being in the room when she tied Solti’s record, which stood since 1997.

    VIEW PHOTOS | Our favourite red carpet looks from the Grammys 2023

    Host Trevor Noah said she was on her way to the ceremony but blamed Los Angeles traffic for not being in person to accept it.

    The song was written by several writers including Beyonce, The-Dream, Nile Rodgers and Raphael Saadiq.

    Once Beyonce the night’s leading nominee finally arrived, Noah presented her with the best R&B song award at her table.

    Veteran singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt shrugged off big-name rivals like Adele, Taylor Swift and Beyonce to win the song of the year award.

    “I’m so surprised. I don’t know what to say, “a visibly stunned Raitt said, adding that the song Just Like That” explores organ donation.

    It capped a night when Raitt won two other Grammys for best Americana performance and best American roots song.

    A who’s who of hip-hop royalty took the stage for an epic, rousing 15-minute tribute to the genre’s 50th anniversary.

    The performance included Grandmaster Flash doing part of his seminal hit The Message, Run DMC, Chuck D and Flavor Flav along with Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes and Nelly all taking the stage.

    It ended with everyone on the stage and LL Cool J shouting multi-generational! Fifty years! Bad Bunny opened the show with a festive, high-energy performance that brought many of the audience including Taylor Swift who rose to her feet and danced near her table at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.

    Styles won the main telecast’s first award for best pop vocal album for Harry’s House. The singer said recording the song was one of the greatest experiences of his life.

    It’s been my greatest joy.  Sam Smith and Kim Petras won best pop duo-group performance for their song Unholy.

    Petras said Smith wanted Petras to make the acceptance speech because I’m the first transgender woman to win this award.

    “I want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight,” said Petras, who made a reference to friend and Grammy-nominated musician Sophie, who died after an accidental fall in Athens, Greece in 2021.

    You told me this would happen. I always believed in me. Thank you so much for your inspiration, Sophie. I adore you, and your inspiration will forever be in my music.

    Petras thanked Madonna for being a tremendous supporter of LGBTQ rights. I don’t think I could be here without Madonna, Petras said. My mother, I grew up next to a highway in nowhere Germany.

    And my mother believed me that I was a girl. I wouldn’t be here without her and her support.

     During the in memoriam segment, the Grammys recognized the lives of Loretta Lynn, Migos rapper Takeoff and Christine McVie with several star-studded performers paying them homage.

    The touching performances included Kacey Musgraves singing Coal Miner’s Daughter in tribute to Lynn; Quavo and the Maverick City Music hit the stage to honor his nephew Takeoff with the song Without You; and Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt performed Songbird to remember McVie.

    Kendrick Lamar won sixth career trophy for best rap performance for The Heart Part 5 and also won best rap album for his studio offering, Mr. Morales & The Big Steppers.

    “You know, as entertainers, we say things to provoke thoughts and feelings and emotions,” he said. So making this record is one of my toughest.  I would like to thank the culture for allowing me to evolve in order to make this.

    I finally found imperfection with this album.

    Viola Davis emerged from Sunday’s show an EGOT  a term for those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony after her win for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording.

    The actor gave an emotional speech and emphatically said I just EGOT after she marched on stage to collect her award.

    “Oh, my God,” she said.

    “I wrote this book to honor the 6-year-old Viola, to honor her, her life, her joy, her trauma, everything,” Davis said. It has just been such a journey.

    Tattered streetwear, T-shirts and denim mixed with blinged-out couture, wild patterns and plenty of skin on the Grammys carpet.

    Lizzo wowed in a bright orange Dolce & Gabbana robe adorned with flowers and a huge hood while Taylor Swift wore a long two-piece sparkly skirt with a high-neck and long-sleeve crop top in midnight blue.

    The show marks a return to Los Angeles after the pandemic first delayed, then forced the Grammys to move to Las Vegas last year.

    Noah hosted the ceremony as well, which saw Jon Batiste take home album of the year.

  • Beyonce scripts history, becomes most decorated Grammy winner of all time

    By AFP

    LOS ANGELES: Pop queen Beyonce on Sunday reigned supreme at the Grammys, breaking the all-time record for wins with her 32nd prize and fourth of the night to resounding applause.

    The 41-year-old entered the day with the most chances at Grammy gold with nine, following the release of “Renaissance,” her rich, layered ode to club music.

    She clinched the title by winning the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for her smash “Renaissance,” thus surpassing the late classical conductor Georg Solti, who had 31 awards.

    “I’m trying not to be too emotional. And I’m trying to just receive this night,” Queen Bey said, wearing a shimmering, curve-hugging gown, her hair in mermaid waves as her peers witnessed the history-making moment.

    Beyonce thanked her family and paid special tribute to the queer community, who she credited with inventing the genre she celebrated in her historically layered record that pays homage to pioneers of funk, soul, rap, house and disco.

    Beyonce remains a powerhouse contender for the night’s major awards of album, record and song of the year — but the same goes for British balladeer Adele, whose introspective album “30” earned her seven nods.

    The 2023 face-off has prompted obvious comparisons to 2017, when Adele swept the top prizes at the glitzy music biz gala, shutting out Queen Bey’s culture-shaking “Lemonade.

    Despite breaking record after record, when it comes to the big three awards, Beyonce curiously remains something of an underdog in those categories.

    She has never won Album of the Year honours and although she has the most Record of the Year nods with eight, she’s never won that prize either.

    She only scored Song of the Year once, for 2008’s “Single Ladies.”

    Beyonce appears in the audience at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Photo | AP)

    Carlile, Lamar with three wins each 

    Both folk rocker Brandi Carlile and rapper Kendrick Lamar had scored three awards by midway through the ceremony.

    “This is one of my toughest records to make,” Lamar said of “Mr Morale and the Big Steppers.”

    “And it allowed me to do that and allowed me to share other people’s experiences. Going back and thinking back where I started with rapping, and how far I came, I would like to thank the culture for allowing me to evolve in order to make a song.”

    Actor Viola Davis became the latest showbiz heavyweight to earn a coveted EGOT — winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — by taking the Grammy for best audiobook, narration and storytelling for her memoir “Finding Me.”

    Bad Bunny kicked off the 65th annual Grammys gala by bringing the audience to its feet with the first performance, after which Harry Styles jumped out of the gate by winning the award for the best pop vocal album for his record “Harry’s House.”

    “Thank you so much. This album, from start to finish, has been the greatest experience of my life,” he said onstage.

    The star-studded 65th annual gala, hosted once again by comedian Trevor Noah, also featured performances from Styles, Lizzo and Mary J. Blige, as well as an exuberant tribute to hip-hop music featuring a constellation of stars.

    Bad Bunny, indisputably the world’s biggest commercial artist, nabbed the prize for Best Musica Urbana album for his major drop “Un Verano Sin Ti,” also an Album of the Year contender.

    ALSO READ | Music composer Ricky Kej wins third Grammy Award, dedicates his trophy to ‘India’

    “Thank you to all the Latinos across the entire world,” he said in his native Spanish in accepting his award. “We will keep elevating this genre to the next level.”

    Industry watchers were also waiting to see whether pop juggernaut Swift — who hit the red carpet in a sparkling, deep blue ensemble alluding to her most recent album “Midnights” — could win the Song of the Year prize that has evaded her for years.

    The superstar — who has been making good on a vow to re-record her first six albums to gain control of her rights to them — has a chance at the award celebrating songwriters for her 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”

    She had already won the Best Music Video prize for her short film based on the song.

    Best New Artist hopefuls strike gold 

    After several Grammy years with clear Best New Artist favourites — Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion and Billie Eilish — Sunday’s race is wide open.

    The category has grown increasingly eclectic and reflective of the internet age’s impact on popular music, and many of the nominees — including Brazil’s Anitta, Eurovision rockers Maneskin and rapper Latto — have all found viral fame on TikTok.

    Wet Leg swept the alternative music categories, as several of the nominees jumped forward with early victories: Muni Long stole one of Beyonce’s nine opportunities in taking home the award for Best R&B Performance, while Molly Tuttle won for Best Bluegrass Album.

    LOS ANGELES: Pop queen Beyonce on Sunday reigned supreme at the Grammys, breaking the all-time record for wins with her 32nd prize and fourth of the night to resounding applause.

    The 41-year-old entered the day with the most chances at Grammy gold with nine, following the release of “Renaissance,” her rich, layered ode to club music.

    She clinched the title by winning the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for her smash “Renaissance,” thus surpassing the late classical conductor Georg Solti, who had 31 awards.

    “I’m trying not to be too emotional. And I’m trying to just receive this night,” Queen Bey said, wearing a shimmering, curve-hugging gown, her hair in mermaid waves as her peers witnessed the history-making moment.

    Beyonce thanked her family and paid special tribute to the queer community, who she credited with inventing the genre she celebrated in her historically layered record that pays homage to pioneers of funk, soul, rap, house and disco.

    Beyonce remains a powerhouse contender for the night’s major awards of album, record and song of the year — but the same goes for British balladeer Adele, whose introspective album “30” earned her seven nods.

    The 2023 face-off has prompted obvious comparisons to 2017, when Adele swept the top prizes at the glitzy music biz gala, shutting out Queen Bey’s culture-shaking “Lemonade.

    Despite breaking record after record, when it comes to the big three awards, Beyonce curiously remains something of an underdog in those categories.

    She has never won Album of the Year honours and although she has the most Record of the Year nods with eight, she’s never won that prize either.

    She only scored Song of the Year once, for 2008’s “Single Ladies.”

    Beyonce appears in the audience at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Photo | AP)

    Carlile, Lamar with three wins each 

    Both folk rocker Brandi Carlile and rapper Kendrick Lamar had scored three awards by midway through the ceremony.

    “This is one of my toughest records to make,” Lamar said of “Mr Morale and the Big Steppers.”

    “And it allowed me to do that and allowed me to share other people’s experiences. Going back and thinking back where I started with rapping, and how far I came, I would like to thank the culture for allowing me to evolve in order to make a song.”

    Actor Viola Davis became the latest showbiz heavyweight to earn a coveted EGOT — winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — by taking the Grammy for best audiobook, narration and storytelling for her memoir “Finding Me.”

    Bad Bunny kicked off the 65th annual Grammys gala by bringing the audience to its feet with the first performance, after which Harry Styles jumped out of the gate by winning the award for the best pop vocal album for his record “Harry’s House.”

    “Thank you so much. This album, from start to finish, has been the greatest experience of my life,” he said onstage.

    The star-studded 65th annual gala, hosted once again by comedian Trevor Noah, also featured performances from Styles, Lizzo and Mary J. Blige, as well as an exuberant tribute to hip-hop music featuring a constellation of stars.

    Bad Bunny, indisputably the world’s biggest commercial artist, nabbed the prize for Best Musica Urbana album for his major drop “Un Verano Sin Ti,” also an Album of the Year contender.

    ALSO READ | Music composer Ricky Kej wins third Grammy Award, dedicates his trophy to ‘India’

    “Thank you to all the Latinos across the entire world,” he said in his native Spanish in accepting his award. “We will keep elevating this genre to the next level.”

    Industry watchers were also waiting to see whether pop juggernaut Swift — who hit the red carpet in a sparkling, deep blue ensemble alluding to her most recent album “Midnights” — could win the Song of the Year prize that has evaded her for years.

    The superstar — who has been making good on a vow to re-record her first six albums to gain control of her rights to them — has a chance at the award celebrating songwriters for her 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”

    She had already won the Best Music Video prize for her short film based on the song.

    Best New Artist hopefuls strike gold 

    After several Grammy years with clear Best New Artist favourites — Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion and Billie Eilish — Sunday’s race is wide open.

    The category has grown increasingly eclectic and reflective of the internet age’s impact on popular music, and many of the nominees — including Brazil’s Anitta, Eurovision rockers Maneskin and rapper Latto — have all found viral fame on TikTok.

    Wet Leg swept the alternative music categories, as several of the nominees jumped forward with early victories: Muni Long stole one of Beyonce’s nine opportunities in taking home the award for Best R&B Performance, while Molly Tuttle won for Best Bluegrass Album.

  • Beyonce announces first solo tour in six years, to perform in Europe and North America

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Pop queen Beyonce has announced a 2023 world tour on Instagram, following the release of her multiple-Grammy-nominated 2022 album, “Renaissance,” reported Variety.

    The singer has also released the dates and cities on her official website on Wednesday. Beginning on May 10 in Stockholm, and continuing in Europe through June before coming to North America, the Renaissance World Tour will run for at least 40 dates, according to the dates posted on the website.

    According to ‘Variety’, the announcement’s timing, which comes just days before the Grammy Awards on Sunday, sparks speculation that the singer may perform or at least appear on the show. Beyonce is leading the Grammy nominations with nine nods, all related to “Renaissance.” Sources tell Variety, that her husband Jay-Z will perform with DJ Khaled on the show, most likely their nominated song “God Did.”

    Beyonce’s last full tour was the “Formation” tour in 2016, which unusually featured no guest appearances until the final show, at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, where she brought out Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z, reported The New York Times.

    Beyonce performed her first full concert in four years on Jan 21 at the new Atlantis Royal Resort in Dubai. It was an elaborate and highly theatrical performance — for which sources say she was paid whopping 24 million dollars.

    Beyonce has faced numerous controversies since the release of “Renaissance,” and outrage over the obscene phrase used in the song. Following the protest, Beyonce removed the words from her song.

    queenThe lyric was criticized as ableist and offensive on social media. It even inspired an essay published in The Guardian in which writer Hannah Diviney wrote, “Beyonce’s commitment to storytelling musically and visually is unparalleled, as is her power to have the world paying attention to the narratives, struggles and nuanced lived experience of being a Black woman… But that doesn’t excuse her use of ableist language.”

    In addition to Beyonce’s shows, this year will see blockbuster tours from artists including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Metallica, Morgan Wallen and Madonna, reported the New York Times.

    WASHINGTON: Pop queen Beyonce has announced a 2023 world tour on Instagram, following the release of her multiple-Grammy-nominated 2022 album, “Renaissance,” reported Variety.

    The singer has also released the dates and cities on her official website on Wednesday. Beginning on May 10 in Stockholm, and continuing in Europe through June before coming to North America, the Renaissance World Tour will run for at least 40 dates, according to the dates posted on the website.

    According to ‘Variety’, the announcement’s timing, which comes just days before the Grammy Awards on Sunday, sparks speculation that the singer may perform or at least appear on the show. Beyonce is leading the Grammy nominations with nine nods, all related to “Renaissance.” Sources tell Variety, that her husband Jay-Z will perform with DJ Khaled on the show, most likely their nominated song “God Did.”

    Beyonce’s last full tour was the “Formation” tour in 2016, which unusually featured no guest appearances until the final show, at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, where she brought out Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z, reported The New York Times.

    Beyonce performed her first full concert in four years on Jan 21 at the new Atlantis Royal Resort in Dubai. It was an elaborate and highly theatrical performance — for which sources say she was paid whopping 24 million dollars.

    Beyonce has faced numerous controversies since the release of “Renaissance,” and outrage over the obscene phrase used in the song. Following the protest, Beyonce removed the words from her song.

    queenThe lyric was criticized as ableist and offensive on social media. It even inspired an essay published in The Guardian in which writer Hannah Diviney wrote, “Beyonce’s commitment to storytelling musically and visually is unparalleled, as is her power to have the world paying attention to the narratives, struggles and nuanced lived experience of being a Black woman… But that doesn’t excuse her use of ableist language.”

    In addition to Beyonce’s shows, this year will see blockbuster tours from artists including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Metallica, Morgan Wallen and Madonna, reported the New York Times.

  • AP’s top albums 2022: ‘Renaissance,’ ‘Motomami,’ Bad Bunny

    Dropping her first album in six years, Queen Bey once again proved why she’s worth the wait. 

  • Beyonce-Adele rematch set to dominate 2023 Grammys

    NEW YORK: Pop royalty Beyonce and Adele will face off at the Grammys once again, after the music titans released blockbuster albums that vaulted them to the front of the list of 2023 nominees.Beyonce leads the pack with nine chances to win during the performance-heavy ceremony on February 5 that honors the industry’s best, the Recording Academy announced Tuesday.

    Rapper Kendrick Lamar notched eight nods, while Adele and fellow balladeer Brandi Carlile scored seven each.

    Beyonce’s “Renaissance,” a pulsating club track collection, will face off with Adele’s introspective, ugly-cry ode “30” in the most prestigious categories — six years after the British artist shut out Queen Bey’s culture-shaking “Lemonade”.

    Adele’s sweep left both women in tears, with the crooner calling Beyonce her “idol” and telling the audience her fellow megastar’s paradigm-shifting record should have won.

    That contest fueled criticism that the Academy consistently fails to pay Black artists their due.

    The 2023 nomination slate sees Beyonce continue on her history-making path: she moved into a tie with her husband, Jay-Z, as the most nominated artists ever with 88 each.

    Already the woman with the most Grammys, Beyonce could overtake classical conductor Georg Solti for the most wins by any artist, with four victories; she’s already tied for second place with music power player Quincy Jones.

    Bad Bunny, Mary J and Taylor redux

    After years of pandemic-induced delays and scalebacks, the 65th annual Grammys will head to Los Angeles early next year for what looks primed to be the Recording Academy’s most star-studded gala in recent memory.

    Bad Bunny, indisputably the world’s biggest commercial artist, came away with three nominations for his major drop “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which is in the running for Album of the Year.

    It’s the first time an all Spanish-language album has a chance at that coveted award, and the Puerto Rican reggaeton megastar’s first time landing a solo nomination in the major Grammy categories.

    R&B legend Mary J. Blige won a surprise six nominations off her album “Good Morning Gorgeous.” She is tied with rapper Future, who dominated the rap categories, and DJ Khaled, for his album “God Did.”

    Pop juggernaut Harry Styles, who the Academy has repeatedly snubbed, will also vie for six awards, including alongside Beyonce, Lamar, and Adele for Record and Album of the Year.

    Beyonce’s “Renaissance” was a boon for songwriters, including Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, who received six nominations thanks to his work on the album.

    Lizzo and Doja Cat also figure among the top nominees, cementing their status as Grammy regulars.

    Taylor Swift — who’s been making good on a vow to re-record her first six albums so she can control the rights to them — returned to her country roots by earning one of the genre’s down-ballot nominations for “I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault).”

    She also snagged a nod for best music video, and another in the prestigious Song of the Year contest, which celebrates songwriters, for her 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”

    The song came out in 2012 on Swift’s album “Red,” but qualified for inclusion because the expanded version contained more than 50 percent new material.

    “I want to ramble about the magic and mystery of time and fate and reclaiming my art but instead I think I’ll go scream for ten minutes straight,” the artist posted in her Instagram stories.

    Surprises and snubs

    The Best New Artist field was once again one of the ballot’s most eclectic, featuring Brazil’s Anitta, Mexican-American Omar Apollo, and Eurovision winners Maneskin, who hail from Italy.

    The Academy — comprised of music-makers including artists, composers and engineers — also honored a coterie of the industry’s enduring stars, with Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and ABBA garnering a handful of nominations each.

    Familiar faces cropped up in the global categories, including Angelique Kidjo and Burna Boy, while South Korea’s boy band sensation BTS — who earlier this year declared they were taking a hiatus — will vie once again for their first elusive Grammy.

    After complaining that her song “Super Freaky Girl” was moved from the rap categories to pop, Nicki Minaj didn’t make it into either.

    Silk Sonic’s Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — who scooped both Record and Song of the Year in 2022 — meanwhile abstained from submitting work from their 1970s easy listening project this time around.

    Meanwhile, the Weeknd continued to boycott the awards after being left out in 2021.

    And it wouldn’t be the Grammys without a few amusing morsels: icon Neil Young will compete against pop stars including Adele, Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber for top music film.

  • Beyonce ties Grammy record after leading nominations with 9

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Beyonce has propelled herself into the highest Grammy echelon: The star singer claimed a leading nine nominations Tuesday, making her tied ” with her husband Jay-Z ” as the most nominated music act in the history of the awards show.

    Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” reeled in record and song of the year nominations, while “Renaissance”  which ventured into the world of dancehall music — netted an album of the year nod.

    With Jay-Z also earning five nods this year, each spouse now holds the record for the most-ever Grammy nominations at 88 apiece. Kendrick Lamar came away with the second-most nominations, with eight. Adele and Brandi Carlile both received seven nods.

    Harry Styles, Mary J Blige, Future, DJ Khaled, The-Dream and mastering engineer Randy Merrill each picked up six.

    Nearly half of this year’s leading nominees — announced by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, John Legend, Machine Gun Kelly and Smokey Robinson — are women and more than half are people of colour, according to the recording academy.

    The ceremony will be held February 5 here.

    “This makes me feel very proud, but it makes me conscious of the fact that we have to maintain the work we have done,” said Harvey Mason Jr, the Recording Academy’s CEO.

    He said there have been strides in the peer-driven voting system and increased membership, but he still believes more progress can be made.

    “This year, I’m pleased with the result and work the voters did,” he continued.

    “We have almost 13,000 voters now. I’m pleased to think they spent the time listening to the music and evaluating it. I think you see by the type of nominations that they are not only going for just popular music or music that has a lot of streams. It’s just music of high quality.”

    The academy added a special song for social change and five new categories including songwriter of the year, which Harvey says will further help diversify the 65th edition of the annual awards.

    The non-classical songwriter category will recognise one individual who was the “most prolific” non-performing and non-producing songwriter for a body of new work during an eligibility year.

    It will take a different approach than the song of the year, which awards the songwriters who wrote the lyrics or melodies to one song.

    Harvey said implementing the songwriter’s category is a ‘significant’ step forward for the music industry.

    Last year, a rule update allowed any songwriter, producer, engineer or featured artist on a work nominated for album of the year could ultimately earn a nomination.

    “The academy and voters are placing a high importance on the craft of songwriting,” Harvey said of the new category, in which nominees include The-Dream, Amy Allen, Nija Charles, Tobias Jesso Jr and Laura Veltz.

    “Personally, as a songwriter, I’m happy to see it being a significant part of our process. We realize that songwriting is at the heart of our industry. It’s one of the building blocks for every artist’s career.”

    Harvey said it’s his priority to earn the trust of the music community including The Weeknd and Drake, who are still unwilling to submit any of their music.

    Drake declined to submit his album “Honestly Nevermind” for the awards, but the Canadian rapper still received four nominations — including album of the year for his co-writing efforts on Beyonce’s —Renaissance.

    “Anything that has been looked at and talked about in the past, we’re going to continue to look at it and improve it,” Harvey said.

    “As we do that work, our hope is that all artists feel comfortable and confident with the work the academy does.”

    Beyonce, the most decorated woman in Grammy history with 28 wins, could break the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti’s record for most awards won if she wins four awards.

    Solti, who has 31 Grammys, has held on to the record since 1997. For the first time in Beyonce’s lauded career, she was nominated in the dance category.

    Her seventh studio project is up for best dance-electronic music album and ‘Break My Soul’ is nominated for best dance-electronic recording.

    Other nominations include best R&B song for ‘Cuff It’, R&B performance for ‘Virgo’s Groove’, traditional R&B performance for ‘Plastic Off the Sofa’ and song written for visual media for ‘Be Alive,’ the Oscar-nominated song from the ‘King Richard’ soundtrack.

    Other album of the year nominees include: Adele’s -30, ABBA’s -Voyage, Bad Bunny’s -Un Verano Sin Ti, Mary J.Blige’s -Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe), Carlile’s -In These Silent Days, Coldplay’s -Music of the Spheres, Lamar’s -Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Lizzo’s – Special and Styles’ -Harry’s House.

    Bad Bunny made history, with his album becoming the first sung entirely in Spanish to compete in the category.

    Tracks competing with “Break My Soul” for record of the year include Styles’ “As It Was”, Doja Cat’s -Woman, Adele’s – Easy On Me, ABBA’s -Don’t Shut Me Down, Blige’s -Good Morning Gorgeous, Steve Lacy’s -Bad Habit, Lamar’s -The Heart Part 5, Lizzo’s -About Damn Time and Carlile’s -You and Me On the Rock- featuring Lucius.

    Three of Jay-Z’s nominations came through DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” a song featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Friday.

    The track is up for best rap performance and rap song along with a song of the year, which also has Jay-Z nominated for his writing efforts on Beyonce’s “Break My Soul”.

    The rapper also received a nod for album of the year for his work on his wife’s ‘Renaissance’ album.

    Young Thug and Gunna both received nominations despite being currently locked up in a racketeering criminal case.

    The rappers are up for best rap song and rap performance through Gunna’s ‘pushin P, featuring Thug and Future.

    Christina Aguilera’s comeback to Latin music with her self-titled album earned her two nominations for best Latin pop album and immersive audio album.

    Among the 10 nominees for best new artist are Muni Long, Latto and Eurovision winner Maneskin.

    LOS ANGELES: Beyonce has propelled herself into the highest Grammy echelon: The star singer claimed a leading nine nominations Tuesday, making her tied ” with her husband Jay-Z ” as the most nominated music act in the history of the awards show.

    Beyonce’s “Break My Soul” reeled in record and song of the year nominations, while “Renaissance”  which ventured into the world of dancehall music — netted an album of the year nod.

    With Jay-Z also earning five nods this year, each spouse now holds the record for the most-ever Grammy nominations at 88 apiece. Kendrick Lamar came away with the second-most nominations, with eight. Adele and Brandi Carlile both received seven nods.

    Harry Styles, Mary J Blige, Future, DJ Khaled, The-Dream and mastering engineer Randy Merrill each picked up six.

    Nearly half of this year’s leading nominees — announced by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, John Legend, Machine Gun Kelly and Smokey Robinson — are women and more than half are people of colour, according to the recording academy.

    The ceremony will be held February 5 here.

    “This makes me feel very proud, but it makes me conscious of the fact that we have to maintain the work we have done,” said Harvey Mason Jr, the Recording Academy’s CEO.

    He said there have been strides in the peer-driven voting system and increased membership, but he still believes more progress can be made.

    “This year, I’m pleased with the result and work the voters did,” he continued.

    “We have almost 13,000 voters now. I’m pleased to think they spent the time listening to the music and evaluating it. I think you see by the type of nominations that they are not only going for just popular music or music that has a lot of streams. It’s just music of high quality.”

    The academy added a special song for social change and five new categories including songwriter of the year, which Harvey says will further help diversify the 65th edition of the annual awards.

    The non-classical songwriter category will recognise one individual who was the “most prolific” non-performing and non-producing songwriter for a body of new work during an eligibility year.

    It will take a different approach than the song of the year, which awards the songwriters who wrote the lyrics or melodies to one song.

    Harvey said implementing the songwriter’s category is a ‘significant’ step forward for the music industry.

    Last year, a rule update allowed any songwriter, producer, engineer or featured artist on a work nominated for album of the year could ultimately earn a nomination.

    “The academy and voters are placing a high importance on the craft of songwriting,” Harvey said of the new category, in which nominees include The-Dream, Amy Allen, Nija Charles, Tobias Jesso Jr and Laura Veltz.

    “Personally, as a songwriter, I’m happy to see it being a significant part of our process. We realize that songwriting is at the heart of our industry. It’s one of the building blocks for every artist’s career.”

    Harvey said it’s his priority to earn the trust of the music community including The Weeknd and Drake, who are still unwilling to submit any of their music.

    Drake declined to submit his album “Honestly Nevermind” for the awards, but the Canadian rapper still received four nominations — including album of the year for his co-writing efforts on Beyonce’s —Renaissance.

    “Anything that has been looked at and talked about in the past, we’re going to continue to look at it and improve it,” Harvey said.

    “As we do that work, our hope is that all artists feel comfortable and confident with the work the academy does.”

    Beyonce, the most decorated woman in Grammy history with 28 wins, could break the late Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti’s record for most awards won if she wins four awards.

    Solti, who has 31 Grammys, has held on to the record since 1997. For the first time in Beyonce’s lauded career, she was nominated in the dance category.

    Her seventh studio project is up for best dance-electronic music album and ‘Break My Soul’ is nominated for best dance-electronic recording.

    Other nominations include best R&B song for ‘Cuff It’, R&B performance for ‘Virgo’s Groove’, traditional R&B performance for ‘Plastic Off the Sofa’ and song written for visual media for ‘Be Alive,’ the Oscar-nominated song from the ‘King Richard’ soundtrack.

    Other album of the year nominees include: Adele’s -30, ABBA’s -Voyage, Bad Bunny’s -Un Verano Sin Ti, Mary J.Blige’s -Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe), Carlile’s -In These Silent Days, Coldplay’s -Music of the Spheres, Lamar’s -Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Lizzo’s – Special and Styles’ -Harry’s House.

    Bad Bunny made history, with his album becoming the first sung entirely in Spanish to compete in the category.

    Tracks competing with “Break My Soul” for record of the year include Styles’ “As It Was”, Doja Cat’s -Woman, Adele’s – Easy On Me, ABBA’s -Don’t Shut Me Down, Blige’s -Good Morning Gorgeous, Steve Lacy’s -Bad Habit, Lamar’s -The Heart Part 5, Lizzo’s -About Damn Time and Carlile’s -You and Me On the Rock- featuring Lucius.

    Three of Jay-Z’s nominations came through DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” a song featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Friday.

    The track is up for best rap performance and rap song along with a song of the year, which also has Jay-Z nominated for his writing efforts on Beyonce’s “Break My Soul”.

    The rapper also received a nod for album of the year for his work on his wife’s ‘Renaissance’ album.

    Young Thug and Gunna both received nominations despite being currently locked up in a racketeering criminal case.

    The rappers are up for best rap song and rap performance through Gunna’s ‘pushin P, featuring Thug and Future.

    Christina Aguilera’s comeback to Latin music with her self-titled album earned her two nominations for best Latin pop album and immersive audio album.

    Among the 10 nominees for best new artist are Muni Long, Latto and Eurovision winner Maneskin.

  • Beyonce sounds urgent call to dance on new album ‘Renaissance’

    By AFP

    Beyonce, the paradigm-shifting music royal whose art has long established her as one of entertainment’s seminal stars, on Friday released her hotly anticipated album “Renaissance,” a house-tinged dance record primed for its summer needle drop.

    Six years after she shook the culture with her powerful visual album “Lemonade,” Beyonce’s seventh solo studio work is a pulsating, sweaty collection of club tracks aimed at liberating a world consumed by ennui.

    Eminently danceable and rife with nods to disco and EDM history — Queen Bey interpolates Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder along with James Brown and the archetypal synth line from “Show Me Love,” the 1990s house smash by Robin S — the 16-song album is poised to reign over the season.

    Prior to releasing her opus Beyonce had dropped “Break My Soul” to acclaim, setting the tone for her house revival that highlighted the Black, queer and working-class artists and communities who molded the electronic dance genre, which first developed in Chicago in the 1980s.

    The megastar has indicated that “Renaissance” is but the first act of three, in a project she said she recorded over the course of three years during the pandemic.

    “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” Beyonce on her website.

    “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving,” she continued. “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking.”

    “A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.”

    – ‘Expansive listening journey’ –

    In the weeks preceding the release of “Renaissance” Beyonce teased the album with the steady stream of glossy, curated portraits of herself that over the past decade have become her signature.

    But though she’s received wide praise for keeping the world of music videos on the cutting edge, Beyonce put out her latest record sans visuals (they’re promised at a later date.)

    In a statement her label Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records lent insight into the decision, saying the artist “decided to lead without visuals giving fans the opportunity to be limitless in their expansive listening journey.”

    Beyonce’s soaring vocals have their place on “Renaissance” but it’s the rhythmic, urgent call to the dance floor that stands out, with a tapestry of influences paying homage to pioneers of funk, soul, rap, house and disco.

    “Unique / That’s what you are / Stilettos kicking vintage crystal off the bar,” she sings on “Alien Superstar,” which samples Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” in a sonic ode to voguing, the stylized house dance that emerged from the Black LGBTQ ballroom culture of the 1960s.

    That song closes by sampling a speech from Barbara Ann Teer, who founded Harlem’s National Black Theatre.

    On “Virgo’s Groove” Beyonce gets raunchy with an unabashed sex anthem, adding a titular nod to her star sign — the Virgo turns 41 on September 4.

    Along with a smattering of deep house cuts as well as tributes to gospel, funk and soul, Beyonce’s collaborators on “Renaissance” include Nile Rodgers, Skrillex, Nigerian singer Tems, Grace Jones, Pharrell and, of course, her rap mogul husband Jay-Z.

    – Album leaks, Beyhive stings –

    Beyonce has long bucked music’s conventional wisdom, and is credited with popularizing the surprise album drop.

    She later made waves by releasing “Lemonade” — the groundbreaking work that chronicled her own emotional catharsis following infidelity within a generational and racial context — first on cable television, and limiting its streaming availability.

    Since “Lemonade” she’s released “Homecoming,” a live album and film featuring footage from her mythic 2018 Coachella performance, as well as the critically acclaimed song “Black Parade” — which dropped amid mass protests ignited by the police murder of George Floyd.

    That song saw the megastar, who first gained fame as a member of Destiny’s Child, become the winningest woman ever at the Grammys with 28, and the gala’s most decorated singer.

    But for all her cultural clout and an indisputable throne in music’s pantheon, Beyonce’s songs have not seen the same commercial dominance as other contemporary global stars — her last number one solo hit was 2008’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”

    That’s poised to change with “Renaissance.”

    The album’s release saw Queen Bey return to music business as usual, deploying pre-sales, a lead single drop, a tracklist and polished social media fodder.

    But it wasn’t without a hitch — in the days prior to the official release, the album leaked online.

    Late Friday Bey thanked her hive for waiting, and added that “I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early.”

    “We are going to take our time and Enjoy the music,” the megastar told her fandom. “I love you deep.”

    Beyonce, the paradigm-shifting music royal whose art has long established her as one of entertainment’s seminal stars, on Friday released her hotly anticipated album “Renaissance,” a house-tinged dance record primed for its summer needle drop.

    Six years after she shook the culture with her powerful visual album “Lemonade,” Beyonce’s seventh solo studio work is a pulsating, sweaty collection of club tracks aimed at liberating a world consumed by ennui.

    Eminently danceable and rife with nods to disco and EDM history — Queen Bey interpolates Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder along with James Brown and the archetypal synth line from “Show Me Love,” the 1990s house smash by Robin S — the 16-song album is poised to reign over the season.

    Prior to releasing her opus Beyonce had dropped “Break My Soul” to acclaim, setting the tone for her house revival that highlighted the Black, queer and working-class artists and communities who molded the electronic dance genre, which first developed in Chicago in the 1980s.

    The megastar has indicated that “Renaissance” is but the first act of three, in a project she said she recorded over the course of three years during the pandemic.

    “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” Beyonce on her website.

    “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving,” she continued. “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking.”

    “A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.”

    – ‘Expansive listening journey’ –

    In the weeks preceding the release of “Renaissance” Beyonce teased the album with the steady stream of glossy, curated portraits of herself that over the past decade have become her signature.

    But though she’s received wide praise for keeping the world of music videos on the cutting edge, Beyonce put out her latest record sans visuals (they’re promised at a later date.)

    In a statement her label Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records lent insight into the decision, saying the artist “decided to lead without visuals giving fans the opportunity to be limitless in their expansive listening journey.”

    Beyonce’s soaring vocals have their place on “Renaissance” but it’s the rhythmic, urgent call to the dance floor that stands out, with a tapestry of influences paying homage to pioneers of funk, soul, rap, house and disco.

    “Unique / That’s what you are / Stilettos kicking vintage crystal off the bar,” she sings on “Alien Superstar,” which samples Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” in a sonic ode to voguing, the stylized house dance that emerged from the Black LGBTQ ballroom culture of the 1960s.

    That song closes by sampling a speech from Barbara Ann Teer, who founded Harlem’s National Black Theatre.

    On “Virgo’s Groove” Beyonce gets raunchy with an unabashed sex anthem, adding a titular nod to her star sign — the Virgo turns 41 on September 4.

    Along with a smattering of deep house cuts as well as tributes to gospel, funk and soul, Beyonce’s collaborators on “Renaissance” include Nile Rodgers, Skrillex, Nigerian singer Tems, Grace Jones, Pharrell and, of course, her rap mogul husband Jay-Z.

    – Album leaks, Beyhive stings –

    Beyonce has long bucked music’s conventional wisdom, and is credited with popularizing the surprise album drop.

    She later made waves by releasing “Lemonade” — the groundbreaking work that chronicled her own emotional catharsis following infidelity within a generational and racial context — first on cable television, and limiting its streaming availability.

    Since “Lemonade” she’s released “Homecoming,” a live album and film featuring footage from her mythic 2018 Coachella performance, as well as the critically acclaimed song “Black Parade” — which dropped amid mass protests ignited by the police murder of George Floyd.

    That song saw the megastar, who first gained fame as a member of Destiny’s Child, become the winningest woman ever at the Grammys with 28, and the gala’s most decorated singer.

    But for all her cultural clout and an indisputable throne in music’s pantheon, Beyonce’s songs have not seen the same commercial dominance as other contemporary global stars — her last number one solo hit was 2008’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”

    That’s poised to change with “Renaissance.”

    The album’s release saw Queen Bey return to music business as usual, deploying pre-sales, a lead single drop, a tracklist and polished social media fodder.

    But it wasn’t without a hitch — in the days prior to the official release, the album leaked online.

    Late Friday Bey thanked her hive for waiting, and added that “I appreciate you for calling out anyone that was trying to sneak into the club early.”

    “We are going to take our time and Enjoy the music,” the megastar told her fandom. “I love you deep.”

  • Beyonce unveils tracklist for ‘Renaissance’

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Singer-actress Beyonce has revealed the tracklist for her forthcoming seventh album ‘Renaissance’, which drops on July 29.The tracklist, which was posted on her Instagram story includes many intriguing titles like ‘America Has a Problem’, ‘Alien Superstar’, ‘Church Girl’, ‘Cuff It’, ‘Thique’, ‘All Up in Your Mind’ and more, along with the single ‘Break My Soul’, reports Variety.Earlier this month Beyonce shared the album’s cover artwork, which shows her posing regally atop the silhouette of a luminous horse.In a note accompanying the artwork, Beyonce wrote: “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving.””My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”Late last month, Beyonce surprise-dropped ‘Break My Soul’, the first single from the album.The track channels ’90s house music beats over a sample of Robin S’s 1993 hit ‘Show Me Love’, and features vocals from Big Freedia.’Renaissance’ is said to feature both dance and country-leaning tracks, although it remains unclear whether the country songs will appear as a separate album, or as part of the first edition of “Renaissance.”

    act i RENAISSANCE 7.29 https://t.co/6sfw3sBWnz pic.twitter.com/FPPhEW1OTK
    — BEYONCÉ (@Beyonce) June 30, 2022
    Beyonce has released four albums since 2016’s ‘Lemonade’, although none of them are full studio solo albums.In 2018, she dropped ‘Everything Is Love’, with her husband Jay-Z under the name the Carters; in April of 2019, she put out ‘Homecoming’, an album of her explosive 2018 headlining performance at Coachella; and that summer she followed with ‘The Lion King: The Gift’, a companion album to the Disney film that featured several new Beyonce songs.

    LOS ANGELES: Singer-actress Beyonce has revealed the tracklist for her forthcoming seventh album ‘Renaissance’, which drops on July 29.
    The tracklist, which was posted on her Instagram story includes many intriguing titles like ‘America Has a Problem’, ‘Alien Superstar’, ‘Church Girl’, ‘Cuff It’, ‘Thique’, ‘All Up in Your Mind’ and more, along with the single ‘Break My Soul’, reports Variety.
    Earlier this month Beyonce shared the album’s cover artwork, which shows her posing regally atop the silhouette of a luminous horse.
    In a note accompanying the artwork, Beyonce wrote: “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving.”
    “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”
    Late last month, Beyonce surprise-dropped ‘Break My Soul’, the first single from the album.
    The track channels ’90s house music beats over a sample of Robin S’s 1993 hit ‘Show Me Love’, and features vocals from Big Freedia.
    ‘Renaissance’ is said to feature both dance and country-leaning tracks, although it remains unclear whether the country songs will appear as a separate album, or as part of the first edition of “Renaissance.”

    act i RENAISSANCE 7.29 https://t.co/6sfw3sBWnz pic.twitter.com/FPPhEW1OTK
    — BEYONCÉ (@Beyonce) June 30, 2022
    Beyonce has released four albums since 2016’s ‘Lemonade’, although none of them are full studio solo albums.
    In 2018, she dropped ‘Everything Is Love’, with her husband Jay-Z under the name the Carters; in April of 2019, she put out ‘Homecoming’, an album of her explosive 2018 headlining performance at Coachella; and that summer she followed with ‘The Lion King: The Gift’, a companion album to the Disney film that featured several new Beyonce songs.