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Grammys 2023: Michael Buble, Kelly Clarkson & More Artists Who Are Vying for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Michael Bublé, a four-time Grammy winner for best traditional pop vocal album, is in the running for another nomination in the category for his latest studio album, Higher. This would be Bublé’s ninth nomination in the category, a total surpassed only by Tony Bennett (17 nods) and Barbra Streisand (13 nods).
First-round voting closed on Sunday (Oct. 23). Nominations in this and 90 other categories will be announced on Nov. 15.
The Recording Academy introduced this category in 1991 as a way to honor the music that by that point had a hard time competing in the pop categories. The first winner was a single, Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable,” a duet with her late father Nat King Cole, but all subsequent winners have been full-length albums.
Here’s the description of the category from the current Grammy rules and guidelines booklet: “This category is for performances of a type and style of song that cannot properly be intermingled with present forms of pop music. This includes older forms of traditional pop such as the Great American Songbook, created by the Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley songwriter of the period between the 1920s and the end of World War II, as well as cabaret/musical theater-style songs and previous forms of contemporary pop. This would also include contemporary pop songs performed in a traditional pop style – the term ‘traditional’ being a reference, equally, to the style of the composition, vocal styling and the instrumental arrangement, without regard to the age of the material.”
A total of 78 albums are vying for nominations in this category this year. There will be five nominees (except in the event of a tie).
Here are 10 albums that are thought to be most likely to receive a nomination, listed in descending order of their perceived likelihood of being nominated — followed by a quick listing of eight more albums that could surprise us with a nomination.
Bailey Zimmerman Shines on Top Country Albums Chart With ‘Leave the Light On’
Bailey Zimmerman‘s debut collection Leave the Light On debuts at No. 2 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart (dated Oct. 29). Released Oct. 14, the eight-song set earned 32,000 equivalent album units in its first week, ending Oct. 20, according to Luminate.
The first Top Country Albums entry for the 22-year-old from Louisville, Ill., concurrently starts at No. 9 on the all-genre Billboard 200, where he also makes his first appearance. Zimmerman, who worked at a meat processing plant and on a gas pipeline prior to his career in music, co-wrote six songs on the project, which Austin Shawn produced.
Zimmerman made history on the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart dated Sept. 3 when he became the first act to place three career-opening entries in the top 10 simultaneously, since the list began as an all-encompassing genre ranking in October 1958: “Rock and a Hard Place,” “Where It Ends” and “Fall in Love.”
“My life went from, like, nothing to 100, just so fast,” Zimmerman — who boasts 1.7 million followers on TikTok — recently told Billboard. “I started reading books. [Fellow country artist] Drew Baldridge has been like a mentor for me. He was like, ‘Dude, get the book All You Need to Know About the Music Business [by Donald Passman].’ I learned how labels worked, all kinds of stuff. I still have a lot to learn, but I dove in to learn what’s going on.”
On the Oct. 29 dated Hot Country Songs survey, Zimmerman charts five titles, including two in the top 10. “Rock” pushes 9-6 with 13.7 official streams and 2,000 downloads sold. It also ranks at No. 58 on Country Airplay with 568,000 audience impressions (up 7%). “Fall,” his current proper radio single, holds at its No. 8 Country Airplay high (17.2 million, up 3%), also with 9 million streams and 3,000 sold.
Zimmerman rounds out his current Hot Country Songs haul with “Where” (No. 28; 4.9 million streams); “Never Leave” (No. 35; 5.1 million streams, up 40%); and “Waiting” (No. 36 debut; 2.5 million first-week streams).
‘Delight’-ful Debut
Alabama‘s “Dixieland Delight” arrives on the Country Digital Song Sales chart, sparked by the intense college football rivalry between University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide and the University of Tennessee’s Volunteers.
The track, which led Hot Country Songs in April 1983, becoming the band’s ninth of 33 No. 1s (the most among duos or groups), enters Country Digital Song Sales at No. 13 with 1,500 sold, up 684%.
For those who don’t follow NCAA football, here’s a playbook on the song’s resurgence: Tennessee beat Alabama 52-49 on Oct. 15 at the former’s Neyland Stadium courtesy of a game-winning 40-yard field goal by Chase McGrath, ending a 15-game losing streak for Tennessee against Alabama dating to 2006.
Not unexpectedly, Tennessee fans got a tad rambunctious after the game, flooding the field and knocking over one of their own goalposts (reportedly at a cost of $100,000). As the orange-clad kids filed onto the field, the public address system ribbingly blared “Dixieland Delight” … normally played after the Crimson Tide wins at its home field (Bryant-Denny Stadium, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Aided by buzz and press coverage, the song, solo-penned by Ronnie Rogers (who also wrote Alabama’s 1990 Hot Country Songs No. 1 “Jukebox in My Mind”), additionally gained by 44% in official on-demand streams, to 1.2 million, in the week ending Oct. 20.
Since Country Digital Song Sales began in 2010, Alabama charted one prior entry: Brad Paisley’s “Old Alabama,” on which the band is featured. The collaboration arrived at its No. 2 peak in April 2011. It went on to dominate Hot Country Songs for two frames that June, marking the group’s most recent No. 1 and first since “Reckless” in 1993.
The Boulet Brothers’ 10 Favorite Horror Soundtracks of All Time
A lot of us love scary movies, but unless you are Elvira, Mistress of the Dark or Stephen King, your opinion on cinematic things that go bump in the night probably pales in comparison to those of the Boulet Brothers.
As drag culture iconoclasts and “horror’s new icons” per genre authority Fangoria, Dracmorda and Swanthula Boulet managed to create a reality competition series (The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula) that serves as both a love letter to horror and a refutation of the idea that reality TV can’t be underground and subversive. Now, the duo is launching The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans on Tuesday (Oct. 25) on Shudder and AMC+, a spin-off series featuring 10 standout contestants from Dragula’s first four seasons.
“The fans are not ready,” Swan tells Billboard. “The competitors dubbed it ‘Gagula’ because there’s so many different twists.”
With Halloween month (aka gay Christmas) and spooky szn upon us, we spoke with the Boulets about their 10 favorite horror movie soundtracks of all time. We’re talking about everything from John Carpenter’s iconic minimalist score for Halloween to Danny Elfman’s zany theme for the HBO series Tales From the Crypt to the synth fantasia Tangerine Dream crafted for the cult favorite Legend.
The Boulets also explain how the music in these movies affects their own work. “If it’s campier or more fun — and there are definitely fun challenges in this Titans season — you might hear a little music that sounds like Danny Elfman. But if it’s more epic and dramatic, you might hear our love for Bram Stoker’s Dracula and that score in those epic moments,” says Swan. “With so many episodes, it allows us to express musically all the ways we love horror.” Plus, the season will feature a new Boulet Brothers song called “Ascension,” which Drac says they “wrote specifically for the grand finale of the show.”
Read on — and expect to hear some of these sounds when the Boulets throw their annual Halloween Ball in Los Angeles on Oct. 28-29 at the Globe Theatre.
Miranda Lambert, Jimmie Allen, Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen Among 2022 CMA Awards Performers
The first round of performers for the upcoming 56th annual CMA Awards was announced Tuesday morning (Oct. 25), and it includes a mix of veteran hitmakers and rising artists.
This year’s performer lineup includes Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, HARDY, Marcus King, Miranda Lambert, Carly Pearce, Carrie Underwood, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and Zac Brown Band. This year’s show will be co-hosted by two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Bryan, and NFL star Peyton Manning.
The 56th annual CMA Awards will air Wednesday, Nov. 9 from Nashville. The ABC broadcast will open with a tribute to the late singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. Bryan will perform his new single “Country On,” while current five-time nominee Carly Pearce will perform a song from her recent album 29: Written in Stone.
Lambert, the most-nominated female artist in CMA Awards history, who has three nominations this year including entertainer of the year, will perform “Geraldene” from her album Palomino, which is nominated for album of the year.
Underwood, who also has three nominations this year including entertainer of the year, will perform her new single “Hate My Heart.” As previously confirmed by Billboard, Ballerini will team with Pearce and Clarkson to perform Ballerini’s new song “You’re Drunk, Go Home.”
Wallen, who receives his first CMA entertainer of the year nod this year, will perform his latest chart-topper “You Proof.” Three-time CMA Awards nominee this year HARDY will be joined by Wilson, the top nominee this year with six nods, for their duet “wait in the truck.”
Meanwhile, CMA vocal group of the year nominee Zac Brown Band will team with reigning CMA new artist of the year Allen and blues guitarist King to perform the single “Out in the Middle.” Additional performers and presenters for CMAs will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for the awards are on sale beginning today at 11 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster. The winners of this year’s awards show will be determined via a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot is open now for CMA members, with voting for the final ballot set to close on Friday (Oct. 28) at 7 p.m. ET.
Mariah Angeliq Struts Her Stuff During Hometown Miami Concert
Fresh off her announcement as the first mentor in the Billboard and Samsung Present NXT 2.0 singing competition, Mariah Angeliq brought her dance-ready catalog to her hometown of Miami for a show as part of Billboard Latin Music Week 2022.
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During the recent performance, which preceded a set by Bizarrap, the reggaeton singer took over the 305’s outdoor performance stage at Oasis Wynwood for an evening showcase, which included her hits, “Perreito,” and her colossal Karol G collaboration, “El Makinon.” The affair saw La Princesa de Miami perform alongside four backup dancers in a black leather ensemble to a sold-out crowd. Aside from offering the tunes, the rising singer made sure to show love to the audience, too, when she pulled out a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 to take a quick selfie with the crowd.
Among the folks in attendance included Ty Dolla $ign, who watched her perform from the side of the stage, and Angeliq’s own family. Prior to hitting the stage, the star told Billboard that the show was going to be a special one as it’d be the first time that her father has ever seen her perform in-concert.
Expect to see more from the singer as part of the NXT 2.0 singing competition, which is gearing up to announce its 12 contestants. The dozen will be armed with Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip4, Buds2 Pro and Watch5 to compete in three challenges that’ll put their artistry to the test. Throughout the challenge round, they’ll see their rankings on a specialty Billboard chart until the dozen is narrowed down to just three finalists.
Ahead of a grand finale performance in Los Angeles, the singer and two additional celebrity judges will coach the trio with one-on-one mentorship sessions. With the newly-acquired expertise and advice, they’ll vie for the title in front of a live audience and A-list judges to compete for the crown — and the prizes are massive. The winner of Samsung and Billboard’s NXT 2.0 competition will grace a special digital Billboard cover, land a meeting with a record label, studio time to record their first single, funding for a music video and tickets to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.
Her strategy to her mentorship duties will fall on her undeniable personality, something seen by her 6 million followers on social media. “My approach as a mentor is going to be very blunt, very straightforward, very black and white because that’s what this industry is about,” she told Billboard in a recent interview. “It’s very coldhearted, it’s challenging and I want people to know that. I want these aspiring artists to know what they’re getting themselves into. Are they ready for this? Are they willing to fight for what they want? Are they willing to stay focused and consistent? This industry is not as easy as it seems and I want them to know that.”
“In addition to the discipline and the confidence, the competing artists need to have the ‘full package.’ For me, this means, stage presence, ambition, and the fire,” she continued.
Looking ahead, her participation in the competition doesn’t stray too far from her priorities in music releases either. In addition to working on her debut studio album, she just released “En La Mía,” a new collaboration with a rising Puerto Rican rapper by the name of YOVNGCHIMI, whom she discovered on social media.
Click here for more details on Billboard and Samsung Present NXT 2.0 singing competition!
Will Smith Hosts ‘Epic’ Screening of ‘Emancipation’ With Rihanna, Dave Chappelle as Guests
Three weeks after Apple debuted Antoine Fuqua’s Emancipation in Washington D.C., the Will Smith-starrer screened for an intimate crowd in Los Angeles that included Rihanna and boyfriend ASAP Rocky, Tyler Perry, Kenya Barris, music producer Corey Smyth, celebrity stylist Fawn Boardley and writer-producer Esa Lewis, among others.
Perhaps the most notable guest in the room — aside from Smith himself — was Dave Chappelle.
The superstar comedian recently finished a sold-out European arena tour opposite co-headliner Chris Rock, who was slapped by Smith on stage at the Oscars. The slap seen round the world led eventual best actor Oscar winner Smith to being banned from the show for 10 years.
During stand-up sets in the months since the Oscars, Rock hasn’t shied from addressing the slap though he’s kept most of his comments relatively brief. Just last month at a show in the U.K., however, both Rock and Chappelle broached the subject with Rock saying, “the motherf—er hit me over a bull—t joke, the nicest joke I ever told.” Chappelle also took aim at Smith saying that he “did an impression of a perfect man for 30 years.”
While it’s unclear how they came together for this special screening, several attendees took to Instagram to share how special it was, with Smith calling it an “EPIC night!!” Barris opened up a bit more, posting that “this night was truly one for the books! An amazing and brilliant group of friends got together and witnessed TRUE ART.”
He continued: “The conversation after was the effect of what anything and everything we as creatives do in this industry hope for.” He credited Chappelle for hosting and the comedian is seen in one of the images speaking to the other guests presumably during the post-film dialogue.
“I’m still haunted by Emancipation,” wrote Perry. “It’s truly powerful, moving and captivating. And the conversation afterwards with this group was legendary. Thank you Will Smith for the preview!” Based on a true story, Emancipation follows Peter (Smith), an enslaved man who runs away from his plantation in search of his family, outwitting cold-blooded hunters and surviving Louisiana swamps along the way.
Fuqua directed and executive produced Emancipation from a script by William N. Collage. The film is produced by Smith and Jon Mone through Westbrook Studios, Joey McFarland through McFarland Entertainment and Todd Black through Escape Artists. Chris Brigham, James Lassiter, Heather Washington, Cliff Roberts, Glen Basner and Scott Greenberg served as executive producers. The film is due to be released in select theaters on Dec. 2, before it hits Apple TV+ on Dec. 9.
Check out Smith’s post about the screening below.
This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.
Blink-182, Paramore, Turnstile to Headline New Atlantic City Adjacent Music Festival
Blink-182, Paramore, Turnstile, Bleachers and Japanese Breakfast will top the bill for the new Live Nation-produced two-day Adjacent Music Festival on the beach in Atlantic City. The Memorial Day 2023 event (May 27-28) will feature more than 40 artists on three stages, with Atlantic City’s historic boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean serving as the fest’s backdrop.
Also on the roster are a number of acts who grew their fan bases in the Northeast corridor or are from the region, including The Starting Line, Mannequin Pussy, Thursday and Midtown, as well as Folly, The Front Bottoms, L.S. Dunes (featuring My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero), the Happy Fits, Jeff Rosenstock, Wheatus and The Movie Life.
Other bands pulling up include Coheed and Cambria, Jimmy Eat World, IDLES, Pup, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Beach Bunny, Motion City Soundtrack, The Linda Lindas, Drug Church, Electric Callboy, Hot Milk, I Am the Avalanche, Knocked Loose, Loveless, Meet Me @ the Altar and more.
Two-day VIP packages and two-day general admission passes will go on sale on Friday (Oct. 28) at 10 a.m. ET here. Organizers are offering a number of travel packages, including a “Super VIP” experience at the Caesars Hotel & Casino that includes one Super VIP GA ticket for two days — including an exclusive VIP viewing area and VIP boardwalk viewing deck and VIP standing-room pit access on the beach for the main stage; other travel packages are available for the Ocean Casino Resort, the Tropicana Hotel and Showboat Hotel.
Check out the event poster below.
Mary J. Blige, Jill Biden Team Up For Cancer Prevention
The Biden administration’s initiative to spur prevention and treatment of cancer got a dose of celebrity support Monday (Oct. 24) when singer Mary J. Blige joined Jill Biden and the American Cancer Society to announce national meetings on breast and cervical cancer.
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The cancer society pledged to convene the events after President Joe Biden and the first lady resurrected the “cancer moonshot” initiative this year. The program provides more money for research to, as Jill Biden said, “help us end cancer as we know it. For good.”
R&B superstar Blige said she lost aunts and other family members to breast, cervical and lung cancer. She has promoted breast cancer screening, especially among Black women who are disproportionately affected, through the Black Women’s Health Imperative.
Blige on Monday blamed misconceptions about mammograms among Black women and “the practice of not wanting other people in our business” for disparities in breast cancer outcomes between Blacks and whites.
She said she is convinced that, had her aunts, godmother and grandparents been informed about cancer, “they would have a different outcome today.” She paused a few times to stay composed. The first lady reached for Blige when the Grammy Award-winning singer returned to her seat. They sat holding hands for several minutes before Biden, whose adult son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015, thanked Blige for “lending your powerful voice to this cause.”
The first lady said the administration’s cancer initiative will help encourage collaboration and research, invest in new treatments and therapies, and help people get the best care and support for their loved ones. She said it is about creating “a future where we don’t have to be afraid of the word cancer anymore.”
The American Cancer Society said the roundtables will bring doctors, scientists and other professionals together with leading organizations to work on making progress against cancer. They are to begin this week, said Karen Knudsen, the CEO.
Breast cancer is the leading cancer for women, and is the No. 1 cause of death among Black and Latino women. More than 14,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths, she said. Knudsen said the meetings will work to “end breast and cervical cancer as we know it for everyone.”
Since becoming first lady, Jill Biden has traveled around the country to learn about advances in cancer research and encourage people, especially women, to catch up on the screenings they skipped during the pandemic. Her cancer advocacy began in the 1990s, after four of her friends were diagnosed with breast cancer.
