Innholdsfortegnelse for December 17, 2022 i Billboard Magazine

WHEN A SKED TO DE SCRIBE HOW he felt hosting the 63rd annual Grammy Awards in March 2021, Trevor Noah has trouble choosing just one word — but he lands on “intrigued.” It was his first time hosting, and a year of other big firsts, too: Ben Winston’s first year executive-producing the broadcast and the first time in the Grammys’ six-decade history that a pandemic had upended the show. At the Los Angeles Convention Center, guests of honor were masked and seated at socially distanced tables of two. Shrubbery and patio lights added warmth to the usually sterile space, as the limited in-person audience — almost exclusively nominees — offered much-quieter-than-usual applause for the global superstars who took home awards, like Megan Thee Stallion, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Billie…

Memphis Chapter Governor, 2022-2024 Why did you get involved in your chapter? I got to know Reid Wick, a fellow musician who lives in New Orleans and has been really involved in the academy for years. He was telling me about their advocacy programs, how they’re figuring out ways to support musicians, and was wondering if I’d be interested in being involved. I think everyone knows that in the post-George Floyd era, a lot of organizations are looking at their membership and their leadership and wanting to diversify, and I certainly feel I’m part of that shift. For me, being a part of the academy is a huge way to be connected to other artists, producers, presenters, all facets of the music industry, and learn about how to make…

Atlanta Chapter Governor, 2022-2024 (prev. 2004-2006) Your first term as an Atlanta governor was 2004-2006. Why the decision to re-up now? I felt like my voice should be heard again on the local side. I’m also a mentor for Grammy U and a member of the Producers & Engineers wing. For me, the Recording Academy is the right place to tap into as a resource. What’s the most important issue facing the academy now? It’s always going to be about staying current with the times while moving forward in terms of legislative issues and creating a transparent and all-inclusive academy. There seems to be a clearer voice in the room; more of a direct line to the powers that be about making important improvements, like this year’s first-ever songwriter…

VOYAGE ABBA PRODUCER Benny Andersson ENGINEERS/MIXERS Benny Andersson and Bernard Löhr SONGWRITERS Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus MASTERING ENGINEER Björn Engelmann ABBA’s indefinite hiatus may have begun in late 1982 following its promotion of 1981’s The Visitors, but in the decades following the act’s unofficial breakup, the Swedish group’s pristine pop songs endured — and naturally set the stage for a long-awaited reunion. Although Voyage, the first album of new ABBA material in 40 years, was written by the group’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and produced by Andersson, the vocals of Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog bring these disco-pop songs to life and present ABBA as a united front once more. Voyage debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 upon its November 2021 release, the legendary quartet’s…

For a diverse group of artists and creatives nationwide, the Recording Academy is no mysterious, abstract entity, or one they only think about once Grammy nomination day arrives. It’s a central part of their lives, because they’re elected members of the academy’s 12 local chapter boards. Each spring, local academy members vote to elect their chapter’s governors, and the chapter boards, in turn, elect their respective officers and trustees. (Term limits vary.) Those board elections empower members at all levels of the industry to take on leadership roles in initiatives with both local and national impact. Ten of them — from a Grammy-winning veteran hip-hop producer, to an acclaimed country songwriter, to a one-time teen sensation turned chapter president — spoke to Billboard about why getting involved was one…

Texas Chapter Trustee, 2021-2023 (Vice President, 2020-2021; Governor, 2018-2020) How did you get involved in your chapter and why? Paul Wall. In maybe 2010, Paul reached out to me about being a member. He had been a member for a few years, and he thought that I’d be a great addition to the Texas chapter. I became a member, and a couple of years after that, I was courted about an elective position. I ran for governor and got elected. After a few years, I ran for vice president, and I won that position. And then recently, a few years ago, I ran for trustee, and I won that position. So now I’m a national trustee for the Recording Academy. Have you made any friends or collaborators through working…

Atlanta Chapter Governor, 2021-2023 You’re currently serving as a firsttime governor. What prompted you to get involved? A lot of it was about understanding. I’d been involved in the Recording Academy’s outreach, like Grammys in the Schools. However, I didn’t realize the other types of offerings they have for music artists, from education to helping people going through mental health or COVID-19 issues. I was really blown away by that, which is what really drew me into wanting to serve my peers. I wasn’t able to make the trip this year, but I was excited about taking part in Grammys on the Hill in Washington, D.C. Advocacy involving the rights of music-makers is a strong aspect of who I am. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen or been a…

ABBA PRODUCER Benny Andersson ENGINEERS/MIXERS Benny Andersson, Bernard Löhr MASTERING ENGINEER Björn Engelmann Last year, legendary Swedish pop group ABBA earned the first Grammy nomination of its half-century-long career when “I Still Have Faith in You,” the lead single from its long-awaited new album, Voyage, earned a record of the year nod. This year, “Don’t Shut Me Down,” the other half of the dual single to “I Still Have Faith in You,” gives the quartet its second straight record of the year nomination, while Voyage scores an album of the year nod. Slinky dancefloor filler “Don’t Shut Me Down” features the group’s Agnetha Fältskog on lead vocals — Anni-Frid Lyngstad led on “I Still Have Faith in You” — and scored better on the charts than its predecessor, becoming…

BEST RAP SONG “Churchill Downs” JACK HARLOW FEATURING DRAKE Ace G, BEDRM, Matthew Samuels, Tahrence Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Jack Harlow, Jose Velazquez, songwriters After securing his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 as a lead artist with the pop-leaning “First Class,” Harlow made a sharp turn on “Churchill Downs.” The Louisville, Ky., slugger swings for the fences as he pours in 24 bars about his rapid ascent to stardom, his hardnosed raps showcasing his love of his craft. To round out the track, Harlow enlisted Drake, whose verse steals the scene: “Man, you n—s drop trash, you littering/I’m overdelivering to the point, it’s belittling,” he spews at his detractors before praising Harlow as the song concludes. “GOD DID” DJ KHALED FEATURING RICK ROSS, LIL WAYNE, JAY-Z, JOHN…

RECORD OF THE YEAR “Don’t Shut Me Down” ABBA Benny Andersson, producer; Benny Andersson and Bernard Lohr, engineers/mixers; Björn Engelmann, mastering engineer “Easy on Me” ADELE Greg Kurstin, producer; Julian Burg, Tom Elmhirst and Greg Kurstin, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer “Break My Soul” BEYONCÉ Beyoncé, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Jens Christian Isaksen and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, producers; Brandon Harding, Chris McLaughlin and Stuart White, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer “Good Morning Gorgeous” MARY J. BLIGE D’Mile and H.E.R., producers; Bryce Bordone, Serban Ghenea and Pat Kelly, engineers/mixers “You and Me on the Rock” BRANDI CARLILE FEATURING LUCIUS Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings, producers; Brandon Bell, Tom Elmhirst and Michael Harris, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer “Woman” DOJA CAT Crate Classics, Linden Jay, Aynzli Jones and Yeti Beats, producers; Jesse…

ADAM PENDLETON X DR. DRE THE CHRONIC AMOAKO BOAFO X 6LACK FREE 6LACK ANNA PARK X BILLIE EILISH WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? ANNA WEYANT X GWEN STEFANI THE SWEET ESCAPE BURNT TOAST X N.E.R.D SEEING SOUNDS BURNT TOAST X TIMBALAND SHOCK VALUE CECILY BROWN X BILLIE EILISH DONT SMILE AT ME CHLOE WISE X YEAH YEAH YEAHS IT'S BLITZ! DAMIEN HIRST X EMINEM THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP DERRICK ADAMS X MARY J. BLIGE THE BREAKTHROUGH ED RUSCHA X 2PAC ALL EYEZ ON ME EMILY MAE SMITH X NINE INCH NAILS BROKEN-EP FERRARI SHEPPARD X BLACKSTREET ANOTHER LEVEL (“NO DIGGITY”) GENESIS TRAMAINE X SUMMER WALKER OVER IT HENNI ALFTAN X OLIVIA RODRIGO SOUR HENRY TAYLOR X KENDRICK LAMAR DAMN. (“DNA.”) HILARY PECIS X SELENA GOMEZ…

Chicago Chapter Governor, 2022-2024 What sets the Chicago chapter apart from others? It’s harder to be a musician in cities like New York or Chicago, just because the majority of people are living in an apartment. And you’re a musician. What do you do? You make loud noises. That fosters a different approach to music. Then you have the extreme-weather aspect of it, and you also have it being more of a centralized point [geographically] than New York or L.A. So you have this real confluence of sounds and perspectives. There’s just a really diverse music scene in Chicago that is unique to Chicago. I’ve already met lots of people [in the chapter] who I’m like, “Oh, I didn’t know anything about you! I didn’t know what you were…

“abcdefu” GAYLE SONGWRITERS Sara Davis, GAYLE and Dave Pittenger Although Taylor Gayle Rutherford, the 18-year-old Texas native who records as GAYLE, only scored one Grammy nomination this year, she made it count, as her breakthrough smash, “abcdefu,” made it into the song of the year race. The clever kiss-off, in which GAYLE uses the alphabet to spell out just how much she loathes an ex, went viral on TikTok before crossing over to streaming services and top 40 radio, eventually climbing to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top of the Pop Airplay chart. The song led GAYLE’s debut EP, A Study of the Human Experience Volume One, which arrived in March on Atlantic Records/Arthouse Records and featured a collaboration with UPSAHL and Blu DeTiger. In…

ANITTA Anitta has already earned seven Latin Grammy Award nominations during her career, but the Brazilian pop star scores her first mainstream Grammy nod thanks to a breakthrough year in the United States. Her irresistible single “Envolver” went viral on TikTok and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 70, becoming her first solo song to reach the chart; the track also climbed to No. 2 on the Global 200 and topped the Global Excl. U.S. chart. “Envolver” was featured on Anitta’s 2022 album, Versions of Me, which includes collaborations with Khalid, Saweetie and Ty Dolla $ign, and which Anitta presented during a performance at Coachella the week of its release. With her lone nomination, Anitta could become the first Brazilian pop artist to win the best new artist…

BEST COUNTRY SONG “Circles Around This Town” MAREN MORRIS Ryan Hurd, Julia Michaels, Maren Morris and Jimmy Robbins, songwriters Morris picked up her fifth best country song nomination this year for this autobiographical track retracing her earliest years as a singer-songwriter in Nashville. As the lyrics move from her journey from Texas to Nashville in “a Montero with the AC busted” to her time spent hustling and trying to “write circles around this town” to her own breakthrough hits “My Church” and “80s Mercedes,” they showcase Morris’ unyielding drive for success on her own terms. “Doin’ This” LUKE COMBS Luke Combs, Drew Parker and Robert Williford, songwriters Combs’ ode to making music just for the love of it — rather than raking in money — earned him his first…

Sir Elton John, who recently performed at Dodger Stadium for the final U.S. show of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road trek, is now within striking distance of the Billboard Boxscore record for highest-grossing tour. He says it’s his last. Billboard has charted the Rocket Man’s ascent and journey through the pop culture firmament since his first Hot 100 top 10, “Your Song.” IT’S A LITTLE BIT FUNNY… Before “Border Song” crossed over to the Hot 100, Billboard took in John’s career-making U.S. debut at the Los Angeles Troubadour for the Sept. 5, 1970, issue and remarked on his “Southern Comfort style” vocals. By the Nov. 28 issue, “Your Song” was climbing the Hot 100, but Billboard wasn’t fully on board. “Elton John faces a major decision in his short…