2017 GRAMMYS: WHAT TO EXPECT
Though dozens are nominated at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, music fans know the real showdown is between Beyonce and Adele. Both are nominated for the top three prizes: Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Adele won all three honors with 21 and Rolling
In the Deep in 2012, while Beyonce earned Song of the Year in 2010 for Single Ladies.
Beyonce has earned multiple album and Record of the Year nominations, though.
The Associated Press music writers Mesfin Fekadu and Nekesa Mumbi Moody think Adele has the biggest award of the night, Album of Year, in the bag.
“I could write a thesis, and happily, too, about why Beyonce’s tasty Lemonade deserves this prize. But unfortunately, she won’t win. Academy voters are always happy to give Beyonce R&B awards, but they haven’t given her artistic heft enough credit when she’s put in categories with her rock, pop and country music peers. And when one of those peers is Adele—who saved the music industry with sales of her 25 album—it’s hard to argue against her success,” said Fekadu.
Moody agreed: “If success is what we’re measuring here, Adele clearly gets this win. Artistry? ... Lemonade is a true art piece that engaged on a political and emotional level and with each listen revealed another layer. No other album in this category pushed our buttons or made us ponder the meaning of the world like Lemonade. It deserves to win… (but) Adele (will take) home her second trophy for Album of the Year.”
25 and Lemonade are up against Justin Bieber’s Purpose, Drake’s Views and Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.
CORDEN: MUSIC NOT POLITICS
While English comedian James Corden is familiar with what’s going on in the United States—he sometimes jokes about it in his late night show— he will not take the Grammy stage to talk about politics.
“I’ve only lived in America for 18 months, and I feel like it would be strange for me to start talking about federal legislation. I just feel like I haven’t earned the right. ...and I don’t know that anyone is tuning in to the Grammys to hear a big political statement from myself,” said Corden.
“If you’re watching the news right now, if you’re on social media right now, you can really feel like the world is an incredibly dark place. And I feel like, if we can bring a big music show, and celebrate some people who we should all be incredibly pleased that we are around at the same time that they’re making music, then we can let it be a moment to realize that there is a lot to celebrate, as much as there is to worry about.”
Corden will host the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, taking the reins from LL Cool J, who hosted the show in the last five years.
“I asked LL Cool J if he had any advice, and he said you just have to be yourself. Which I’m hoping is good advice, because that’s certainly what we’re intending to do,” Corden said of his predecessor.
The Grammys can be seen live on ETC tomorrow starting at 9 a.m. Prime time telecast is at 8 p.m.
LADY GAGA TO DUET WITH METALLICA
It’s the onstage collaboration that music fans can’t wait to see: Lady Gaga matching James Hetfield note for note as the songstress joins Metallica for a Grammy performance.
Metallica is nominated for Best Rock Song for Hardwired. It hasn’t been on the Grammy stage since 2014.
Gaga, though, is not up for anything as Joanne was released after the Grammy deadline last year.
TRIBUTE TO PRINCE, GEORGE MICHAEL
Sunday’s Grammy Awards will include special tributes to pop music icons Prince and George Michael.
Organizers announced that the program will include two performances in honor of the stars who died last year. The announcement didn’t say who would perform the tributes.
John Legend and Broadway star Cynthia Erivo will be singing a Beach Boys song at Sunday’s Grammy Awards.
Executive producer Ken Ehrlich announced Tuesday that Legend and Erivo will perform a new arrangement of God Only
Knows during the show’s In Memoriam segment.
“I heard that song for the first time in the context of loss— not lost love, but in the context of what would I be without you, someone who’s gone?” said Ehrlich, who is producing his 37th Grammy Awards this year. “And I played it again, and then I played it again. And then when I wiped away the tear—which seriously I had—I said, ‘This is what we need to do this year. This is the song,’” adding, “It’s by far my favorite Beach Boys’ song.”
He imagined a slower version for In Memoriam, which he quickly arranged on piano, then tapped Legend and Erivo to perform it.
As for whom to include in the segment, Ehrlich said a committee at the recording academy circulates a list of more than 500 names, which must be whittled down to 50 for the three-minute package.