NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson breaks down the nominations for subsequent 12 months’s Grammy Awards, out Friday. A number of the world’s largest pop stars bought main nods, with SZA because the most-nominated artist.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Nominations for subsequent 12 months’s Grammy Awards are out at present. A number of the world’s largest pop stars bought main nods – performers like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus – although it was the singer and songwriter SZA who led the complete subject with 9 nominations.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “KILL BILL”)
SZA: (Singing) I would kill my ex – not the perfect concept.
SUMMERS: Right here to speak all issues Grammys with us is Stephen Thompson from NPR Music. Thanks for being right here.
STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: Thanks.
SUMMERS: OK. So they provide out Grammys in 94 totally different classes. It is exhausting to sum all the pieces up in just some minutes. We’ll attempt our greatest. What are your massive takeaways from this spherical of nominations?
THOMPSON: Properly, the very first thing that jumped out to me is that within the prime three basic classes – I am speaking about album, report and music of the 12 months – they’re overwhelmingly dominated by girls. That’s uncommon for the Grammys, which have had type of an up-and-down historical past with makes an attempt to attain some type of gender parity. In every of these three classes, there are eight nominees apiece, and each artist is a lady apart from Jon Batiste. As you scroll via these main classes, you see a variety of those self same large names popping up time and again. You talked about them – SZA, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo. All of them are massively represented in these prime classes, and every of them has no less than six nominations. In case you’re in search of surprises, individuals who weren’t essentially anticipated to dominate, Victoria Monet had a large day. She bought seven nominations, together with finest new artist and report of the 12 months for the music “On My Mama.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ON MY MAMA”)
VICTORIA MONET: (Singing) I put that on my mama, on my hood. I look fly. I look good. You’ll be able to’t contact my bag.
SUMMERS: All proper. What else jumps out to you? Are there some other massive surprises which can be value us speaking about?
THOMPSON: Properly, it is exhausting to name Jon Batiste a shock after he gained album of the 12 months. He pops up in album of the 12 months, music of the 12 months, report of the 12 months. It is a clear reminder the Grammys completely love Jon Batiste. One factor I noticed scrolling via all of these 94 classes is that whereas SZA is probably the most nominated artist, probably the most nominated album is definitely the soundtrack to the “Barbie” film. I counted 11 nominations for songs from “Barbie,” together with 4 of the 5 nominees within the class of finest music written for visible media. That does not even rely the “Barbie” rating, which can be nominated – so an enormous, large, large day for the “Barbie” soundtrack. It helps that these “Barbie” songs are by large stars. You have bought Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and, in fact, Ryan Gosling for “I am Simply Ken.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I’M JUST KEN”)
RYAN GOSLING: (Singing) I am simply Ken. Anyplace else, I might be a ten. Is it my future to stay and die…
SUMMERS: OK. In much less enjoyable information, let’s discuss snubs, individuals who didn’t make the listing for nominations – any of these stand out to you?
THOMPSON: Properly, wanting on the different classes, I am truly shocked the “Barbie” soundtrack did not get an album of the 12 months nod. However what stood out to me probably the most, I feel, is how scant the illustration was for rock and nation music and hip-hop, to a sure extent. With a lot pop and R&B within the lead classes, there’s not a variety of room left over for these different genres. Lots of people thought Foo Fighters have been going to get main nominations for his or her album, “However Right here We Are.” It is one in every of their finest in years. They’re an enormous Grammy favourite. Dave Grohl is principally the mayor of rock ‘n’ roll. They’re nominated within the rock classes, however they bought shut out of the overall subject.
This was additionally a really, very massive 12 months commercially for nation music, and but nation bought largely omitted of a variety of the most important classes, too. Luke Combs had a large crossover hit along with his cowl of Tracy Chapman’s “Quick Automobile.” That solely bought one nomination. And I used to be very interested in what the Grammys have been going to do with Morgan Wallen. His music, which is known as “Final Night time,” was the largest hit of this 12 months, however he is additionally a mainstream nation star with a really polarizing status. And lately, the Grammys have shied away from what you may name bro nation, they usually largely shied away from Morgan Wallen this 12 months, too. So he bought only one nomination. “Final Night time” was nominated for finest nation music.
SUMMERS: Stephen Thompson is a author with NPR Music and a co-host of Pop Tradition Joyful Hour. Stephen, thanks.
THOMPSON: Thanks, Juana.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “LAST NIGHT”)
MORGAN WALLEN: (Singing) I do know that final evening we let the liquor discuss. I can not keep in mind all the pieces we mentioned, however we mentioned all of it. You informed me…
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