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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise appearance, via a pre-taped video, at the 64th annual Grammy Awards on April 3, 2022, less than six weeks after Russia invaded his country. He could play an even larger role at the 66th Grammys early next year – he could be a nominee as a featured artist on Brad Paisley’s “Same Here.”
The song, which was released Friday (Feb. 24), the one-year anniversary of the start of the war, ends with Paisley and Zelenskyy in conversation, recorded during a video call. Zelenskyy talks about Ukrainians’ desire for freedom, noting, “There is no distance between our two countries in such values.”
The Recording Academy confirms that Zelenskyy would be eligible for a Grammy nomination if the track were to be nominated. The most likely category for it would be best country duo/group performance.
There is a precedent for a world leader receiving a Grammy nomination. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev won a Grammy in 2004 for best spoken word album for children, alongside former President Bill Clinton and screen legend Sophia Loren. This most unlikely collaboration won for Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf/Beintus: Wolf Tracks.
While “Same Here” doesn’t mention Ukraine specifically, the song’s theme is that people are more alike than they are different, despite distance and surface differences in language and customs.
“I think he understands that art is how you reach the most people, especially in the heart,” Paisley told The Associated Press of Zelenskyy. “He can give as many speeches as he can give, but it’s a lot easier to hear something with a melody maybe.”
Zelenskyy didn’t just sign off on the song; he also suggested some changes to it, Paisley told The AP.
Paisley’s royalties for the song will be donated to United24 to help build housing for thousands of displaced Ukrainians whose homes were destroyed in the war, Paisley also said.
Paisley co-wrote the song with frequent collaborator Lee Thomas Miller (co-writer of such Paisley hits as “The World,” “I’m Still a Guy” and “Perfect Storm”) and Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith.
Zelenskyy’s appearance at the 2022 Grammy Awards included a brief speech which led into an introduction of John Legend and three Ukrainian artists. Zelenskyy urged those in the audience to continue offering support in whatever way they could to his homeland. “The war — what is more opposite to music? The silence of ruined cities and killed people,” he said. “We defend our freedom. To live. To love. To sound. On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs — the dead silence. Fill the silence with your music.”
Legend then took to the stage, bathed in white light and seated at a grand piano to perform his song “Free.” Legend was joined by two Ukrainian artists – Denver-based musician Siuzanna Iglidan, originally from Odessa, Ukraine, and Mika Newton, a Ukrainian singer. Finally, they were joined by Lyuba Yakimchuk — a Ukrainian poet who offered a prayer-like stanza to close the performance.
“Same Here” is Paisley’s first single from his upcoming album, Son of the Mountains, to be released later this year on Universal Music Group Nashville. This will be Paisley’s debut on UMG after moving over from Sony’s Arista Nashville label, for whom he recorded 12 studio albums from 1999 to 2017.
Paisley has received 18 Grammy nominations since 2000. He has won three times.
The Grammy Museum has announced its Grammy in the Schools Fest programming schedule. Panels and events feature Grammy winners Larrance Dopson and Manny Marroquin and Grammy nominees Justin Tranter and MAJOR.
There will be daily guest artist sessions featuring Tranter, Chase Atlantic, Catie Turner and NLE Choppa & Baby Tate.
Events are scheduled for the week of March 6-10, except for Wednesday March 8. All education programs are free for students with registration.
Here’s the complete schedule of events for the 2023 Grammy in the Schools Fest. Register for all sessions here.
Monday, March 6
Event: Women in Music Career Panel
What: A conversation and Q&A with women working in the music industry. Featuring executive director of the Music Forward Foundation, Nurit Siegel Smith; senior vice president and chief human resources officer for the Guitar Center Company, Anne Buchanan; and from Roland Americas, artist relations manager Melanie Lynn Stevenson and vice president of marketing Katherine Wing.
When: 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Event: Music in Film & Television Panel
What: A conversation with music supervisor for The Walt Disney Studios, Brian Vickers; composer Lee Sanders; and re-recording mixer and sound designer, Jonathan Greasley CAS, MPSE on their experiences working in film and television, sync licensing, publishing, and what it takes to have a career in the music industry on the film side.
When: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Event: Mentorship with Grammy U
What: Learn about what steps to take next as a student looking to have a career in the music industry. Featuring director of social media marketing at the Recording Academy, Laura Rodriguez; operations manager for Jammcard, Katrina Lee; and Grammy-nominated musician and singer-songwriter, MAJOR.
When: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Event: Guest Artist Session: Chase Atlantic
What: A conversation with Australian pop artists and production trio, Chase Atlantic. Gain insight into being signed to a label, what it’s like to go on tour, and how to promote yourself in the music industry. Discussion and Q&A with Mitchel Cave, Clinton Cave, and Christian Anthony.
When: 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Tuesday, March 7
Event: LGBTQ Panel in Partnership With the Ally Coalition
What: A conversation with music industry professionals from the LGBTQ community. Featuring DJ, songwriter and music producer Moore Kismet (Omar Davis), and rapper and social media personality, DreBae.
When: 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Event: Guest Artist Session: Catie Turner
What: A conversation with singer-songwriter Catie Turner, as she shares her experience in the music industry, on American Idol, and what it means to be an “attachment-style musician.” This panel will feature a Q&A and performance.
When: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Event: Educator Professional Development Clinic
What: A conversation with the founding director of the Popular Music Program, and current associate professor at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, Christopher Sampson. Discuss ways to include soft skills and creativity into your curriculum as an educator that will help students learn of different opportunities in the workforce.
When: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Event: History of Hip-Hop & The Hip-Hop Experience
What: Celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop by learning about the genre through various elements including culture, fashion and history. Featuring British-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer Jason Mills (professionally known as IDK); DJ/rapper most known for joining the World Class Wreckin’ Cru, Marq Hawkins (professionally known as DJ Cli-N-Tel); and Grammy-winning producer and 1500 Sound Academy founder, Larrance Dopson.
When: 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday March 9
Event: Engineering / Recording / Producer Panel
What: Explore elements of producing recorded music, with an interactive conversation between Grammy-winning engineer and studio owner, Manny Marroquin and American record producer, Noah Goldstein.
When: 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Event: World Beat Rhythms Workshop
What: Maria Martinez and Ed Roscetti perform using a selection of traditional hand drums, various percussion instruments and drum set, covering a variety of traditional and hybrid styles. Participants will interact with the performers from their seats, giving the attendees a better understanding of rhythm, technique, time feel, rhythmic phrasing, song form, improvisation and leading an ensemble in a supportive and inspiring environment.
When: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Event: Shakira Exhibit Tour & Non-Profit Spotlight
What: A conversation celebrating the culture and impact of Latin Music with three musicians who have toured and worked directly with Grammy Award winner Shakira: Joe Ayoub, Grecco Buratto, and Adam Zimmon. The Grammy Museum’s chief curator & vice president of curatorial affairs, Jasen Emmons, will take you through “Shakira, Shakira,” the newest exhibit at the Museum.
When: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Event: Guest Artist Session: NLE Choppa and Baby Tate
What: A conversation with American rapper NLE Choppa and American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer Baby Tate. Gain insight into being signed to a record label, what it’s like to go on tour, and how to promote yourself in the music industry. Discussion and Q&A followed by a performance.
When: 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday, March 10
Event: From Songwriting to Performance
What: A conversation with Haleigh Bowers and Jack DeMeo about working as a songwriter, sync licensing, international writing rounds, and next steps to take for your professional music career.
When: 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Event: Music Therapy Panel
What: A conversation and Q&A session that addresses the importance of music and mental health with music therapists in the medical field, entertainment, and entrepreneurial industry. Featuring Sarah Nolan, board certified music therapist for Children’s Hospital LA, as well as Shriners for Children Medical Center; Nakeya Fields, mental health entrepreneur, author, and educator; Ricardo Hurtado, board certified music therapist for LA Música Therapy; and singer-songwriter signed with Interscope Records, renforshort.
When: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Event: Guest Artist Session: Justin Tranter
What: A conversation with Grammy-nominated songwriter Justin Tranter, featuring a discussion and Q&A about their experience in the music industry, working with top artists including Selena Gomez, Imagine Dragons, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Måneskin, as well as serving as the executive music producer and songwriter for Rise of the Pink Ladies – the Grease prequel series premiering on Paramount+ this April. Hear about what it’s like to be an ACLU Bill of Rights Award-winning activist, and founder of Facet Records & Facet Publishing, and songwriter for music, film, television and theater.
When: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Event: Music Educator Award 10th Anniversary Celebration
What: A celebration of the past 10 years of the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum’s Music Educator Award featuring Kent Knappenberger, Jared Cassedy, Phillip Riggs, Keith Hancock, Melissa Salguero, Jeffery Redding, Mickey Smith, Jr., Jeffrey Murdock, Stephen Cox, and Pamela Dawson. A conversation about the impact the award has had on their music programs and lives.
When: 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
On the Billboard 200 chart (dated Feb. 18), 35 albums post unit gains thanks to either performances, presentations or on-air wins during the CBS-TV broadcast of the 2023 Grammy Awards (Feb. 5).
Leading the way at the top of the chart is presenter SZA, whose SOS album reclaims the No. 1 slot with 100,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 9 (up less than 1%), according to Luminate. SZA presented the best música urbana album category during the ceremony, which was won by Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti (8-7 with 45,000 units; up 16%). Bad Bunny also opened the show with a medley of two songs from the album.
Also in the top 10 is Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, which took home a pair of awards on the CBS broadcast (pop vocal album, album of the year). It jumps 13-9 with 38,000 equivalent album units (up 51%). Styles also performed the album’s lead single “As It Was” on the show.
Other notables among the 35 Grammy-boosted titles on the Billboard 200 include: Beyoncé’s Renaissance (climbing 24-11 with 37,000 equivalent album units; up 109%), Steve Lacy’s Gemini Rights (70-46 with 14,000; up 16%), Lizzo’s Special (194-89 with 11,000; up 52%), Adele’s 30 (134-93 with 11,000; up 25%) and Samara Joy’s Linger Awhile (a debut at No. 158 with 8,000; up 319%). On the CBS broadcast, Renaissance won best dance/electronic album, Lacy performed the Gemini Rights hit (and nominated track) “Bad Habit,” Lizzo won record of the year for the Special single “About Damn Time” and performed a medley of “About” and the album’s title track, Adele won best pop solo performance for the 30 single “Easy On Me” and Samara Joy won best new artist.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Feb. 18, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 14. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Here are the rest of the Grammy gainers on the Billboard 200:
Performer Lil Baby’s It’s Only Me (12-13 with 27,000 equivalent album units; up 1%) and My Turn (22-21 with 19,000; up 6%); performer Luke Combs’ Growin’ Up (19-19 with 20,000; up 6%), This One’s for You (36-34 with 16,000; up 5%) and What You See Is What You Get (44-38 with 15,000; up 4%); SZA’s Ctrl (20-22 with 19,000; up 1%), presenter Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (23-23 with 18,000; up 2%), winner Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city (27-24 with 18,000; up 6%), DAMN. (42-30 with 16,000; up 11%), Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (59-39 with 15,000; up 20%) and To Pimp a Butterfly (a re-entry at No. 168 with 8,000; up 26%). Mr. Morale won best rap album during the CBS broadcast, and Lamar was on-hand to accept the trophy.
Mick Fleetwood took part in the CBS broadcast, performing Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird” in tribute to its late songwriter, his former Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie. (He joined Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt in the performance.) Fleetwood Mac sees its Rumours album (which includes the original version of “Songbird”) rise 29-26 (17,000 equivalent album units earned; up 4%) and Greatest Hits climb 198-189 (8,000; up 5%).
Performer Chris Stapleton’s Traveller (66-61 with 12,000; up 4%) and Starting Over (113-100 with 11,000; up 7%); Styles’ Fine Line (68-48 with 14,000; up 15%) and his self-titled debut (190-161 with 8,000; up 11%); Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG (98-73 with 12,000; up 11%) and El Ultimo Tour del Mundo (a re-entry at No. 187 with 8,000; up 8%); performer Lil Uzi Vert’s Luv Is Rage 2 (94-87 with 11,000; up 4%) and Eternal Atake (126-124 with 10,000; up 2%) and Quavo and Takeoff’s Only Built for Infinity Links (103-109 with 10,000; up less than 1%). Quavo performed during the In Memoriam segment in tribute to the late Takeoff.
Rounding out the Grammy gainers on the Billboard 200 are winner Adele’s 21 (162-141 with 9,000 equivalent album units; up 10%) and 25 (192-156 with 8,000; up 14%), winner Dr. Dre’s Dr. Dre – 2001 (149-142 with 9,000; up 4%), performer Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III (163-151 with 9,000; up 8%) and performer and winner Sam Smith’s In the Lonely Hour (164-157 with 8,000; up 5%).
Samara Joy shakes up Billboard’s charts, as the Grammy Award winner for best new artist hits No. 1 on Jazz Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums and Heatseekers Albums for the first time (all on the lists dated Feb. 18) with Linger Awhile. The set, which was released last September, also reaches the top 10 of the Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales charts, while additionally debuting on the Billboard 200.
All charts dated Feb. 18 will be posted to Billboard.com on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
The 23-year-old Joy was presented the best new artist trophy during the CBS-TV broadcast of the main ceremony of the Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, while she also won another Grammy that day, for best jazz vocal album for Linger Awhile. (That award was presented during the non-televised Premiere Ceremony that streamed live on the Grammy.com website.)
Linger Awhile earned 8,500 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 9 (up 319%), according to Luminate. Of that sum, traditional album sales comprise 6,500 (up 316%). Linger Awhile tallies the largest week, by both units and album sales, for any non-holiday non-reissue jazz album in over a year – since Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s Love for Sale earned 12,000 units (of which nearly all were album sales) on the chart dated Jan. 1, 2022.
Linger Awhile jumps 3-1 on Jazz Albums, 2-1 on Traditional Jazz Albums and 35-1 on Heatseekers Albums. On the Billboard 200, the title debuts at No. 158. On Top Album Sales, Linger Awhile vaults 87-5, while on Top Current Album Sales it bolts 42-5.
Meanwhile, Joy’s self-titled debut effort, released in 2021, debuts on Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums at No. 7 (1,500 equivalent album units earned; up 362%). With Linger Awhile and the self-titled album concurrently in the top 10 on both charts, Joy is the first woman with two concurrent top 10 albums on both lists since the Jan. 8, 2022-dated list, when Ella Fitzgerald held a pair in each top 10.
Jazz Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums and Heatseekers Albums rank the week’s most popular jazz albums, traditional jazz albums and new and developing artists’ albums by equivalent album units, respectively. The Billboard 200 is an all-genre chart, ranking the week’s most popular albums by units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales rank the week’s top-selling overall albums (both current and older, catalog titles) and current albums, by traditional album sales.
Burt Bacharach, who died on Wednesday (Feb. 8) at age 94, was one of America’s finest composers and arrangers. He most deservedly won a lot of awards over the years, and just missed out on a couple of others.
Bacharach won six Grammys, three Oscars and an Emmy. He and his long-time collaborator Hal David were nominated for a Tony for best musical in 1970 for the musical comedy Promises, Promises, on which they teamed with playwright Neil Simon. Promises, Promises was nominated in that category the same year as the smash Hair, which brought rock rhythms (and full-frontal nudity) to Broadway. Surprisingly, neither of these shows won. The award went to 1776, also a long-running hit, but one that is less well-remembered today.
If Promises, Promises had won, Bacharach would have become an EGOT the following year when he won a Primetime Emmy for his special Singer Presents Burt Bacharach. That would have made Bacharach just the second person to achieve the EGOT, following Richard Rodgers, who completed the sweep of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards in 1962.
Another miss: Bacharach never received the Kennedy Center Honors. True, he and David received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, but many others have received both awards. It’s the Kennedy Center’s loss: Bacharach would have added luster to their roster of recipients.
Fortunately, Bacharach achieved so many awards feats that we don’t need to dwell on the shoulda-woulda-couldas. He had a 58-year span of Grammy nominations, from 1963 (a song of the year nod for the suave, if sexist, “Wives and Lovers”) to 2021 (a nod for best musical theater album for Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater’s Some Lovers).
Here are 11 times Burt Bacharach made awards show history.
The 2023 Grammy Awards (Feb. 5) helped push major sales and streaming gains for winners such as Brandi Carlile, Samara Joy and Bonnie Raitt, among others, in the wake of the 65th annual show.
It’s expected that the weekly Billboard charts dated Feb. 18, which reflect the sales and streaming tracking week ending Feb. 9, will feature a number of titles that post gains thanks to exposure earned from Grammys. News on such gains is scheduled to be reported as early as Feb. 12 on Billboard.com.
Generally speaking, those songs and albums that saw the most eye-catching gains immediately following the Grammy Awards are those that had a lower-profile than the more well-known hits that have been chart hits for months. Essentially, those songs and albums (and artists) that were unfamiliar to the audience watching at home and online had much more room to grown than a well-known hit.
The Grammy Awards aired live on CBS-TV, and was also streamed on Paramount+ and CBS.com. Earlier in the day on Feb. 5, previous to the Grammy Awards, the bulk of the 91 Grammy Awards were presented during the Premiere Ceremony, which streamed live on Grammy.com.
All data comparisons below are for Feb. 5-6 (the day of the show and the day after) versus the two days prior, Feb. 3-4, in the U.S., according to initial reports to data tracking firm Luminate.
Carlile’s “Broken Horses,” which she performed on the Grammy Awards, garnered a 379% gain in on-demand official U.S. streams on Feb. 5-6 as compared to Feb. 3-4. On Feb. 5-6, the track captured 130,000 streams – up from 27,000 in the two days prior. Further, “Broken” logged a 9,273% increase in track sales, rising to 1,500 sold on Feb. 5-6 (up from a negligible sum on Feb. 3-4).
“Broken Horses” won two Grammy Awards — for best rock performance and best rock song. Both trophies were presented during the Premiere Ceremony.
Samara Joy – who won best new artist (presented during the Grammy Awards on CBS) and best jazz vocal album (for Linger Awhile, presented during the Premiere Ceremony) – saw robust gains for Linger Awhile. The album earned nearly 4,000 equivalent album units on Feb. 5-6 in the U.S. (up 675% compared to about 500 in the two days prior).
Of the Feb. 5-6 unit sum for Linger Awhile, traditional album sales comprised a little over 3,000 (up 775% compared to the under 500 sales it generated on Feb. 3-4). The album’s collected songs generated 900,000 on-demand official streams on Feb. 5-6 (up 381% compared to the 187,000 they earned on Feb. 3-4).
Linger Awhile has so far peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s overall Jazz Albums chart and No. 2 on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart. The album has yet to reach the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.
Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That” – which won song of the year – snared a 3,387% increase in on-demand official streams on Feb. 5-6, rising to 777,000 (up from 23,000 in the two days prior). In terms of track sales, the song sold 6,000 on Feb. 5-6 (up 8,001% compared to the negligible sum it sold on Feb. 3-4). “Just Like That” also won the Grammy for American Roots Song, which was presented during the Premiere Ceremony.
Raitt additionally performed on the CBS broadcast, but didn’t sing her own song – she sang Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird,” as part of the In Memoriam segment, in tribute to the late Christine McVie (the writer and vocalist of the original version of “Songbird”).
It’s likely that most viewers watching the CBS broadcast of the show learned about “Just Like That” for the first time, as the song has yet to chart on any U.S. Billboard song chart. Its parent album of the same name spent one week on the Billboard 200, debuting and peaking at No. 44 on the May 2, 2022-dated chart.
The Just Like That album earned nearly 3,500 equivalent album units on Feb. 5-6 (up 1,283% compared to the negligible sum it earned on Feb. 3-4). Of that sum, traditional album sales comprised 2,000 (up 1,021% compared to the negligible sales it had on Feb. 3-4). Finally, the Just Like That album saw its collected songs garner 1.1 million on-demand official streams on Feb. 5-6 (up 1,504% compared to the 69,000 it collected on Feb. 3-4).
Others who saw notable gains include Lizzo’s record of the year-winning “About Damn Time,” DJ Khaled’s “God Did” (a nominee and performed song), Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and Harry’s House (the former was performed and nominated for multiple awards, while the latter won album of the year), Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” (winner of best pop duo/group performance, and it was performed) and Beyoncé’s Renaissance (winner of best dance/electronic album).
“About Damn Time” logged a 9% gain in on-demand official streams on Feb. 5-6 (rising to 1.56 million), and posted a 590% sales increase (selling 3,000; up from less than 500 in the two previous days). “About Damn Time” was performed in a medley on the CBS show by Lizzo, along with “Special.” The latter song collected 251,000 on-demand streams on Feb. 5-6 (up 36%) and sold 1,000 downloads (up 1,264%).
DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” which was the closing performance of the CBS show, scored 489,000 on-demand official streams on Feb. 5-6 (up 59%) and sold 1,000 downloads (up 2,000%).
“As It Was,” which was a nominee and a performed song on the CBS-TV broadcast, nabbed a 17% gain in on-demand official streams on Feb. 5-6 (rising to 3.21 million), and a 593% sales gain (climbing to 4,000 sold).
Harry’s House, which won album of the year and best pop vocal album (both of which were presented during the CBS show), collected a 55% increase in equivalent album units earned (12,000 on Feb. 5-6), of which 3,000 were in traditional album sales (up 115%). The album’s songs generated 11 million on-demand official streams on Feb. 5-6 (up 35%).
“Unholy,” which won the Grammy for best pop duo/group performance and was performed on the CBS show, posted a 493% gain in sales on Feb. 5-6 (rising to 5,000 sold; up from 1,000 in the two previous days). In terms of on-demand official streams, it notched a 4% gain, rising to 4.58 million (up from 4.39 million). “Unholy” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 last October – the first for both Smith and Petras – and has been a fixture in the top 10 of the chart each week since mid-November.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance, which won best dance/electronic album (presented during the CBS show), nabbed a 124% gain in traditional album sales (rising to 2,000 sold on Feb. 5-6) while its collected songs generated 8.6 million on-demand official streams (up 18%).
While many on the Christian right were left clutching their pearls following Sam Smith and Kim Petras‘ supposedly “satanic” performance at the 2023 Grammys, one organization closely familiar with the subject matter found it a bit boring.
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In an interview with TMZ, David Harris, a magister of the Church of Satan, said he thought Smith and Petras’ performance was “all right” and “nothing particularly special.” In the performance, Smith sported a red leather outfit with horns sprouting from a top hat, while Petras danced in a cage surrounded by fire and backup dancers dressed as devils.
However, when it came to the real-life people who were offended by the performance — especially public officials like Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene — Harris called them “delicate snowflakes,” while also turning their own criticism back on them. “It’s sad when politicians on a national stage use someone’s religion as a punchline,” he said.
Harris’ comments came after a wave of criticism for both Smith and Petras online following their performance. Cruz called the number “evil,” while Greene said the production was “demonic.”
Petras spoke a bit more about the performance after making history as the first transgender woman to win in the best pop duo/group performance category, arguing that those getting upset about it were also the ones who directly inspired it. “It’s a take on not being able to choose religion, and not being able to live the way that people might want you to live,” she said. “I think a lot of people have labeled what I stand for and what Sam stands for as ‘religiously not cool.’ I personally grew up wondering about religion and wanting to be a part of it, but then slowly realizing it doesn’t want me to be a part of it.”
Check out Petras’ acceptance speech for the award below:
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Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
Even though her star is rising GloRilla is still living in the moment. She recently met Beyoncé and it was a fangirl moment of the ages.
As spotted on Madame Noire the Memphis, Tennessee native attended the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Throughout the evening she was seen meeting and greeting her peers and idols for the first time. In a chance occasion she met Queen B and it was clear any of her ego was immediately dropped. The two quickly hugged and Glo told her “I love you so much.” She videotaped the brief interaction with her phone and posted the clip to her social media channels. “I met Beyoncé bye !!!!!!! My life is COMPLETE” her caption read.
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Obviously meeting the legendary songstress was a big deal to her. She later went on Facebook to further express her excitement regarding the chance meeting. “I’m finna get my 15 second conversation with Beyoncé tatted !!!!!!ahhhhhhh I’m still not over it” she wrote. She also changed her profile picture to a photo of the two ladies.
Gushing over Beyoncé should not be a surprise to Glo’s core fanbase. In the past she has made it clear the Destiny’s Child member would be a dream collaboration for her. “There’s a lot of people I want to do songs with that I’m a fan of,” she said in an interview with Grammy.com. “But my top two that I’m extremely obsessed with is Beyoncé and Chief Keef. I want to work with Drake and Lil Wayne, too.”
You can view the meet up below.
Photo:
If the all-star salute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop on the 65th annual Grammy Awards left you wanting more, the Grammys have more on the way. A two-hour, Grammy-branded special will tape on Aug. 11, which is the 50th anniversary (to the day!) of a back-to-school party in The Bronx that many point to as the beginning of hip-hop culture. CBS will broadcast the special later this year.
Questlove, who curated the 15-minute spot on Sunday’s Grammy telecast, will have a role in the special, though his exact title is to be determined. Jesse Collins, an executive producer of the Grammy telecast, will produce the special.
While many will assume that the success of the spot on the Grammy telecast led CBS to hurry a special into production, the special was in the works before anyone knew there would be a segment on the telecast, according to a source.
Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, hinted at the upcoming special in a statement announcing the telecast segment. “For five decades, Hip Hop has not only been a defining force in music, but a major influence on our culture,” he said. “Its contributions to art, fashion, sport, politics, and society cannot be overstated. I’m so proud that we are honoring it in such a spectacular way on the Grammy stage. It is just the beginning of our year-long celebration of this essential genre of music.” Questlove has mentioned the upcoming special in his post-Grammy tweets. Talking about why certain artists were booked for the hip-hop tribute and others weren’t, he tweeted:
or we made a decision to wait for the 2 hour August taping— Dr. Love (@questlove) February 6, 2023
The hip-hop segment on the Grammy telecast, which featured three dozen rap acts, drew universal praise. Billboard’s Joe Lynch pegged it as the best performance on the telecast. “While it’s an impossible task to sum up 50 years of any genre (much less one that fought for decades to get a modicum of mainstream respect and eventually became the dominant genre in American music), this electrifying medley brought to vivid life the charged personalities, thumping grooves, deft deliveries and unpredictable flourishes that make hip-hop a global force.”
The segment was produced by Questlove, Collins, Patrick Menton of Fulwell 73, creative producer Fatima Robinson and Shawn Gee, Questlove’s manager and president of LNU. The segment is part of Paramount Global’s companywide initiative to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
The Grammys have not always been hip-hop supporters. The Grammys didn’t have a dedicated category for rap or hip-hop until the 1988 awards, which were presented on Feb. 22, 1989. D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s genial pop hit “Parents Just Don’t Understand” was the first hip-hop recording to win a Grammy (best rap performance). But they weren’t invited to perform on the show that year.
A year later, on Feb. 21, 1990, the duo became the first hip-hop act to perform on the Grammys. “We’d like to dedicate this performance to all the rappers last year that stood with us and helped us to earn the right to be on this stage tonight,” Will Smith said before he and D.J. Jazzy Jeff launched into “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson.”
Both Questlove and Collins are coming off major honors for their work. Questlove won both an Oscar (his first) and a Grammy (his sixth) in 2022 for directing the documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). Collins won his first Primetime Emmy in 2022 as an executive producer of The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, which was voted outstanding variety special (live).
CBS, which has broadcast the Grammy telecast since 1973, will air a second Grammy-branded special this year – A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys. The special, the latest in a series of “Grammy Salute” specials, will be taped on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The Beach Boys and hip-hop are in very different musical worlds, of course, but it’s worth noting that the Beach Boys had a sizable hit in 1987 (No. 12 hit on the Hot 100) with a collab with the Brooklyn rap trio Fat Boys. The two groups teamed for a remake of The Surfaris’ 1963 classic “Wipeout.”
The fact that a quintessential American vocal group teamed with a rap group 36 years ago is more evidence, as if any more were needed, of hip-hop’s reach and endurance.
Beyoncé made history at the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday, becoming the first person ever to win 32 of the Recording Academy’s shiny gramophones. But just one of those 32 awards has come in a Big Four category (album, record and song of the year plus best new artist). It happened on the 2010 telecast, when Bey won song of the year for co-writing her dance smash “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
Beyoncé has been nominated in Big Four categories 18 times. That means she’s had to politely smile as someone else walked up to accept a Big Four award that she was nominated for 17 times. In 2017, she famously lost the three top awards to Adele. In 2001, she and her Destiny’s Child colleagues lost two of the top three awards to U2. In 2021, two of her singles lost to a Billie Eilish hit.
It’s hard to feel too sorry for an artist who has won more Grammys than Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Prince and Elton John combined. And yet, the fact that Beyoncé has a 1-17 track record in the Big Four categories – which are by far the most closely watched and prestigious – is galling to the Beyhive, and to many others who believe it shows that Beyoncé (and Black artists in general) are undervalued by the Academy.
That said, she has twice lost to other Black artists in Big Four categories. Two years ago, “Black Parade” lost song of the year to H.E.R.’s BLM anthem “I Can’t Breathe.” This year, “Break My Soul” lost record of the year to Lizzo’s jubilant “About Damn Time.”
Here’s a closer look at every time Beyoncé was nominated in a Big Four category. The dates shown are the dates of that year’s Grammy telecast.