The story of the 2021 Grammy nominations isn't the one we expected. Mediocrity actually got promoted to the forefront in major categories while some of the most obvious choices were erased out of the competitive slate.
However, I, like many of you, am happy that some deserving spots went to the right choices therefore imbuing the nomination process with a semblance of credibility. In fact, it's our love for these following artists and their songs that makes us happy for them. So while there's only one name that gets called out for the winners' batch, let's wish some of our favourites all the very best.
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First and foremost, there's the incredible Brittany Howard and her alchemy on her debut solo album of repute titled JAIME. I give out that information to all the uninitiated listeners and music lovers because inspite of being the frontwoman of another eclectic unit in the form of ALABAMA SHAKES, Brittany continues to be underrated.
By gifting her with six nominations, better minds at the Recording Academy have prevailed indeed. It's perfect for this set of nomination roll as she holds fort across six different genres. So STAY HIGH makes it to ROCK PERFORMANCE and ROCK SONG list of honours, GOAT HEAD finds space on R&B PERFORMANCE, SHORT AND SWEET( the one that miraculously seems to be a reincarnated Nina Simone solo performance) grabs a spot in the American Roots Performance while the album itself is up for BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM as well as a well deserved BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM( NON-CLASSICAL) berth for its production. Multiple writers and music lovers called JAIME 'diverse' and inter-generic and this whole, collective set of nominations do them justice. The album is all that and more, pure and untethered, raw in its musicality. Without the support of that loyal fan base, musicians just cannot evolve and I'm glad some of the voters chose to be rational and exercise their right with due discretion and fairness.
Though I still believe JAIME deserved to be up for contention in the major categories, I am not ultimately complaining. This slew of recognition will only boost this multifaceted, personal album's imprint. More power to Ms. Howard and her trailblazing career ahead.
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TAYLOR SWIFT'S FOLKLORE is the album that was tailor-made for universal acclaim. Her forays into the more accessible, often dumbed down pop realms of years past and album cycles of 1989, REPUTATION and LOVER were not ripe for the kind of attention that awards constantly showered them with, Grammys included. In the midst of that whole era of reinvention, I never doubted her songwriting or the focal finesse of her best years on FEARLESS, SPEAK NOW and RED. Those are veritable classics. She built her mystique and brilliance, took a shot at diversifying her own possibilities and we understand that.
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