Tag: Grammys

NME

SZA has shared an update on her highly-anticipated third studio album, ‘Lana’, saying that she wants “to allow it to finish shaping itself and form itself.”

• READ MORE: The Grammys 2024: the biggest talking points

Last week (February 4), SZA attended the 66th Grammys where she won three awards: Best Progressive R&B Album for her second studio album ‘SOS’, Best R&B Song for the ballad ‘Snooze’, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for ‘Ghost In The Machine’, featuring Boygenius‘ Phoebe Bridgers. She also performed ‘Kill Bill’ and ‘Snooze’ at the show.

She also spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about her feat, as well as her eagerly awaited third LP ‘Lana’. When asked to comment on the status of the record, SZA was reserved. “You know, this round, I actually don’t want to say anything,” she told the publication. “Just because I feel like I do myself a disservice because you can shift the energy of the album.”

SZA continued: “You got to let it form itself because I’m not really forming anything. I’m just kind of here while energy is forming and I’m just trying to allow it to do what it needs to do, and my voice just follows whatever the frequency is.

In conclusion, the Top Dawg Entertainment signee said: “I feel like I want to allow it to finish shaping itself and form itself before I speak on it and possibly change the trajectory of what it could be. But, I will say, I’m in a beautiful space creatively and I feel just very new.”

After releasing ‘SOS’, SZA was going to put out a deluxe version. However, she later revealed that she was saving the extra songs for her next album, revealing the cover art on the first anniversary of the Grammy-winning ‘SOS’. In December, she teased that she would go on an “intimate” tour in support of ‘Lana’ once it’s released.

The St. Louis-born star performed in Brooklyn for her own headline Apple Live concert. She previewed a new song, currently dubbed ‘DTM’, at the event which is believed to be from ‘Lana’.

Elsewhere in SZA’s chat with The Hollywood Reporter, she spoke about whether she thought she was “snubbed” and should have won Album Of The Year at this year’s Grammy Awards.

• READ MORE: Here are all the winners from the 2024 Grammys

“I don’t actually,” she replied. “I’m grateful I won three. I could have left with nothing and I didn’t, and I’m grateful. My parents got to see it and I didn’t bomb on live television, and that was so scary. And I faced some really big fears and I’m just happy that it all went well, genuinely. And I’m happy for everybody.”

Taylor Swift made history as ‘Midnights’ was awarded Album Of The Year, making her the first person to win the award four times. She won the award in 2020 (for ‘Folklore‘), 2014 (for ‘1989‘) and 2008 (for ‘Fearless‘).

In other news, SZA called out those who leak her music – calling them “fucking theives” and promising “to put maximum energy into holding everyone accountable to the full extent of the law.”

Last week, she also revealed the message Beyoncé sent her after she won her Grammys, which read: “I’m so happy for you, beautiful! Watching you grow and watching you win is an honour. Sending you a huge congrats, you talented queen. All my love and respect, B.”

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NME

Ariana Grande has penned a message paying tribute to her longtime collaborator and friend Victoria Monét after the latter won three Grammys.

• READ MORE: Here are all the winners from the 2024 Grammys

On Sunday (February 4), the 66th Grammy Awards were held where the Atlanta singer was nominated for seven awards – winning two for her debut studio album ‘Jaguar II’. She also was given the coveted Best New Artist award, beating the likes of Ice Spice, Fred Again…, Gracie Abrams and more.

To celebrate, Grande shouted out the R&B breakout star on her Instagram story.

“I am so deeply proud of you and happy for you there are no words,” she wrote. “You have worked so hard and given so much of yourself to this industry for so, so long while quietly being in your absolute own league.”

She continued: “We’ve talked about this happening since the day we met and over many tour bus sleepovers. It is the greatest joy to see the goodness you have poured into others, into your collaborators (I am so incredibly lucky to be one of them) over the years pouring right back into you. Happy does not begin to cover it. This is your motherfuckin’ MOMENT!!!!!”

While interviewing Monét on the red carpet, Entertainment Tonight showed her the post.

“I love you, Ari,” she replied. “I love you so much. Thank you for being a believer and supporting me from the very beginning. You’ve been just so ride or die, so this is my love letter to you. Thank you so much.”

Monét has worked on many of Grande’s biggest songs, including her Number One hits ‘7 Rings’ and ‘thank u, next’. The duo even released three collaborations – ‘Monopoly’, ‘Got Her Own’ (from the soundtrack for the 2019 remake of Charlie’s Angels) and ‘Better Days’ – as well as performing the latter at the 2017 One Love Manchester benefit concert.

Last December, the ‘On My Mama’ singer revealed that Grande gifted her two rings in honour of her work on ‘7 Rings’. Monét told PEOPLE that when she lost the original ring, the Florida singer gave her a replacement.

• READ MORE: Victoria Monét: How ‘Ass Like That’ is finally putting the ‘Thank U, Next’ co-writer in the spotlight

This year’s Grammys saw Tracy Chapman join Luke Combs for a performance of her 1988 hit ‘Fast Car’. Elsewhere, Joni Mitchell reflected on her surprise appearance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival as she collected the 10th Grammy of her career.

Boygenius confirmed their familial bond amid reports they’re about to go on hiatus, while Killer Mike seemingly responded to André 3000’s comments about being too old to rap as he swept up three trophies at the premiere ceremony. The rapper was arrested shortly after his wins.

• READ MORE: The Grammys 2024: the biggest talking points

In other news, Grande is set to release her seventh album, ‘Eternal Sunshine‘, on March 8. She dropped the LP’s lead single, ‘yes, and?’, on January 12 – which interpolates ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat’ from the musical Hairspray. Last week, the singer shared the tracklist for the record as well as an alternate version of the album cover.

NME awarded the song four stars, saying: “It may not be an ‘Into You’ or ‘No Tears Left To Cry’, the type of big Grande singles that can shift your entire world for three adrenaline-pumping minutes, but ‘Yes, And?’ presents Grande in her truest form: a flawed but honest human being, seeking to own her narrative and move forward.”

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NME

Travis Kelce has revealed that he has heard some of Taylor Swift‘s upcoming new album, hailing the project as “unbelievable”.

Swift surprised fans last Sunday (February 4) by announcing her 11th studio effort, ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, at the Grammys 2024. She has since shared the record’s full tracklist, which includes collaborations with Florence + The Machine and Post Malone.

• READ MORE: Taylor Swift – ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ review: her best album will never go out of style

NFL footballer Kelce – who is currently in a relationship with Swift – briefly spoke about the LP during a media event for this weekend’s Super Bowl, which will see his team the Kansas City Chiefs go up against the San Francisco 49ers.

“I have heard some of it, yes. And it is unbelievable,” the Chiefs’ tight end told reporters (via Rolling Stone). “I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”

When asked to provide more information about Swift’s ‘Midnights’ follow-up, Kelce responded: “I can’t give you anything. I’ll leave that up to her.”

He also praised his girlfriend for earning a history-making fourth Album Of The Year award at this year’s Grammys. She picked up the coveted statue for 2022’s ‘Midnights’, which also bagged Swift the Best Pop Vocal Album gong.

“She’s unbelievable,” Kelce said. “She’s re-writing the history books herself. I told her I’ll have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with hardware, too.” Check out the clip below.

Swift was previously tied for three AOTY wins alongside Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra. Additionally, the star is the first female artist to win the Grammys’ biggest award more than twice.

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is due to be released on April 19 – you can pre-order it here. Track titles include ‘My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys’, ‘But Daddy I Love Him’, ‘Guilty As Sin?’ and ‘I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)’.

In other news, Kelce’s brother Jason has defended Swift after some people suggested that the singer is shown onscreen too frequently at NFL games. He called her “a role model for all the young girls out there”.

Meanwhile, Swift is set to begin the 2024 leg of her huge ‘Eras Tour’ in Tokyo, Japan tomorrow (February 7). She’ll bring the career-spanning show to the UK and Ireland this summer, with Paramore supporting.

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NME

Beyoncé’s father and former manager has claimed that it may be the singer’s label that has prevented her from winning Album Of The Year at the Grammys.

• READ MORE: Here are all the winners from the 2024 Grammys – rolling list

The legendary singer currently holds the titles of the most-nominated artist and most-awarded artist in Grammy history – racking up an impressive 88 nominations and 32 wins across her career.

However, during this time she has never taken home the award for Album Of The Year – despite being nominated various times with her 2008 album ‘I Am… Sasha Fierce’, 2013’s self-titled, 2016’s ‘Lemonade’ and her most recent LP ‘Renaissance’.

Now, Mathew Knowles – her father and ex-manager – has said that he thinks the singer’s label may be to blame for the snubs.

Speaking in a new interview with TMZ Live yesterday (February 5), Knowles said that the reason why Beyoncé hasn’t won the award is more because of her label, Columbia, than it is to do with the voters at The Recording Academy.

“People don’t know the process. Your record label can only appoint one person in a category. So that means her record label—I’m gonna call you out, Columbia Records—her record label has never really put her in that category for consideration,” he told the outlet.

He also went on to use the 2017 Grammys ceremony as an example – suggesting that Adele, who is also signed to Columbia, may have been pushed ahead of Beyoncé when the two went head to head with their respective albums ‘25’ and ‘Lemonade’.

“I mean, there’s a financial reason. Maybe Adele sold more records worldwide? I don’t know these answers,” he said, exploring the potential reasons why Adele went home with the trophy. “But these are some of the thought processes that they go through. Maybe you say, ‘You know, Beyoncé has her success. Here’s an opportunity to push Adele, so let’s push her.’”

“I’ve been 14 years in those rooms supporting the label. I know exactly how this works,” he added.

Harry Styles, who is also signed to the record label, went on to beat Beyoncé’s latest ‘Renaissance’ album with his third LP ‘Harry’s House’.

Mathew Knowles’ comments aren’t the first time that someone close to the singer has publicly acknowledged the fact that Bey has never secured the Album Of The Year award at the Grammys.

At the 2024 edition of the ceremony, held on Sunday (February 4), Jay-Z called out the Recording Academy for not awarding her with the honour while accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.

“I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than everyone and never won Album of the Year. So even by your own metrics that doesn’t work. Think about that. Most Grammys, never won Album of the Year, that doesn’t work,” he said.

“We want y’all to get it right,” he added. “We love y’all, we love y’all. … We want y’all to get it right. At least get it close to right. And obviously, it’s subjective…because it’s music and it’s opinion-based.”

This year, Taylor Swift was named as having the Album Of The Year with her ‘Midnights’ album. Now with four of the trophies to her name, she has become the all-time leader in Album Of The Year wins, setting a new record. She was previously tied for three wins alongside Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra.

In other Beyoncé news, the artist’s groundbreaking tour recently grossed over $579million (approximately £454million), making it the second highest-grossing tour ever by a female artist. The only woman to surpass this figure is Taylor Swift, with her current ‘Eras’ tour named the highest-grossing tour of all time and the first ever to earn over $1billion.

Elsewhere, last month it was reported that Bey, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child fame recently reunited for a private one-off performance.

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