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Turn It Up On Game Day

The GRAMMY Super Bowl playlist

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

With the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards just one week away, it's time to gear up for the exciting lineup of performances we have in store for this year's show. Some of your favorite artists, from the Black Keys, Fun., Rihanna, and Taylor Swift, to the Lumineers, Carrie Underwood and Jack White, will take the GRAMMY stage this year to give you what will undoubtedly be the Super Bowl of music.

But before GRAMMY Sunday, there's Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 3, featuring the Baltimore Ravens versus the San Francisco 49ers. And what does everyone look forward to (aside from, of course, the actual game and million-dollar commercials)? The halftime show. Musical performances during the big game date back to Super Bowl I in 1967 when jazz trumpeter Al Hirt and the University of Arizona and Grambling State University marching bands took the field to provide the entertainment. But the halftime show has since gotten bigger. A lot bigger. Now resembling a stadium concert production, GRAMMY-winning artists from Michael Jackson and Tom Petty to Madonna, Prince and U2 have taken the field to perform what their fans (and the GRAMMYs) love most about them — their music.

So as you get all the fixings ready for your big Super Bowl party, pop in this playlist of GRAMMY-winning and -nominated halftime songs from Super Bowls past.


Super Bowl XXVII, Jan. 31, 1993


Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17
Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif.

"Billie Jean" (iTunes>)


Michael Jackson, Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, 1983

Ten years after Jackson won GRAMMY honors for this classic, he performed it live at Super Bowl XXVII. Jackson, who was honored with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award from The Recording Academy in 2010, also performed "Black Or White" before closing with a heartfelt performance of "Heal The World," backed by a cast of 3,500 local children. Jackson's performance marked the first time an entire Super Bowl halftime show was aired live.


Super Bowl XXXVI, Feb. 3, 2002


New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
The Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans

"Beautiful Day" (iTunes>)


U2, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, 2000

Two years after winning both Record and Song Of The Year, as well as Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal honors for "Beautiful Day," U2 brought the luck of the Irish to Super Bowl XXXVI. Rated as the No. 1 Super Bowl halftime show of all time by Sports Illustrated, U2 performed a stirring tribute to the victims of Sept. 11. The band opened the show with "Beautiful Day," followed by "MLK" and an unforgettable rendition of "Where The Streets Have No Name" (which picked up a GRAMMY for Best Performance Music Video in 1988).


Super Bowl XXXVII, Jan. 26, 2003


Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego

"Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" (iTunes>)


Shania Twain, Best Female Country Vocal Performance, 1999

The halftime show during Super Bowl XXXVII was a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll, as GRAMMY winner Twain was joined onstage by fellow GRAMMY winners No Doubt and Sting. Twain performed this GRAMMY-winning song as well as "Up!" (the title track off her 2003 GRAMMY-nominated Best Country Album). No Doubt performed "Just A Girl" off the band's GRAMMY-nominated Best Rock Album Tragic Kingdom, and Sting teamed with lead singer Gwen Stefani for a rendition of "Message In A Bottle," off the Police's 1979 album Reggatta De Blanc, which earned the title track a GRAMMY for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1980.


Super Bowl XXXVIII, Feb. 1, 2004


New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29
Reliant Stadium, Houston

"All For You" (iTunes>)


Janet Jackson, Best Dance Recording, 2001

Who could forget the unfortunate (or fortunate if we're talking about network ratings) wardrobe malfunction at Super Bowl XXXVIII? The malfunction in question happened during a performance of "Rock Your Body" by Jackson and fellow GRAMMY winner Justin Timberlake. The performance was ranked as the No. 4 Super Bowl halftime show of all time by Sports Illustrated, and the song drove Timberlake to the top five on the Billboard Hot 100. Jackson also performed the GRAMMY-winning "All For You" during the show, and other performances included Nelly's "Hot In Herre" (which earned the rapper Best Male Rap Solo Performance honors in 2002), Sean "Diddy" Combs' rendition of "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" and Kid Rock's "Bawitdaba."


Super Bowl XXXIX, Feb. 6, 2005


New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21
Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.

"Hey Jude" (iTunes>) 


Paul McCartney, GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, 2001

No stranger to the stadium environment, McCartney headlined Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. The year proved to be big for the New England Patriots, who beat the Philadelphia Eagles for their third championship in a span of four seasons. McCartney closed the show with a crowd-pleasing rendition of "Hey Jude," the Beatles classic that earned the group a Record Of The Year nomination in 1968 and a GRAMMY Hall Of Fame induction in 2001. McCartney also performed the Beatles' "Drive My Car" and "Get Back," and his solo James Bond hit "Live And Let Die." McCartney, who has won 15 GRAMMY Awards to date, was honored with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990 and was honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year.


Super Bowl XL, Feb. 5, 2006


Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10
Ford Field, Detroit

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (iTunes>) 


The Rolling Stones, GRAMMY Hall OF Fame, 1998

The Rolling Stones made their Super Bowl debut on a stage that was fashioned as a replica of the band's trademark tongue logo. The Stones, who were honored with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986, performed "Start Me Up" and "Rough Justice" before closing out the show with this GRAMMY Hall Of Famer. Before introducing "Satisfaction," frontman Mick Jagger joked, "Here's one we could have done at Super Bowl I." Sports Illustrated ranked the performance as the No. 10 all-time halftime show. GRAMMY spectators were satisfied again in 2011 when Jagger took the stage to perform a special tribute to the late Solomon Burke with Raphael Saadiq on the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast.

Super Bowl XLI, Feb. 4, 2007


Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17
Dolphin Stadium, Miami

Purple Rain (iTunes>)


Prince, Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or Television Special, 1984

Prince put on a royal performance at Super Bowl XLI in 2007. The artist currently known as Prince launched the show with a performance of "Let's Go Crazy," followed by covers of Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower," John Fogerty's "Proud Mary" and the Foo Fighters' "Best Of You." Prince closed the show with the title track off his GRAMMY-winning album Purple Rain just as it started to, coincidentally, rain. The performance ranked as Sports Illustrated's No. 2 all-time halftime show.


Super Bowl XLII, Feb. 3, 2008


New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

"Free Fallin'" (iTunes>) 


Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, nominee

Petty and his Heartbreakers launched the Super Bowl XLII halftime show with "American Girl" and the New York Giants were victorious over the New England Patriots as 97.5 million TV viewers tuned in. "American Girl" was followed by "I Won't Back Down" and the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 track "Free Fallin,'" off Petty's GRAMMY-nominated Album Of The Year Full Moon Fever.   


Super Bowl XLIII, Feb. 1, 2009


Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.

"Working On A Dream" (iTunes>) 


Bruce Springsteen, Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, 2009

Fresh off scoring his 20th GRAMMY win, Springsteen was the Boss of Super Bowl XLIII with a set that worked like a dream as the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated their sixth championship with a win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Super Bowl franchise was on a roll at this point in terms of booking veteran acts and the Boss did the trend justice. Performing with the E Street Band, Springsteen launched into "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," followed by "Born To Run," the GRAMMY-winning "Working On A Dream," and "Glory Days." More glory days are ahead for Springsteen as he will be honored during GRAMMY Week this year as the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year.


Super Bowl XLIV, Feb. 7, 2010


New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17
Sun Life Stadium, Miami

"Baba O'Riley" (iTunes>)


The Who, Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement recipients

Keeping in line with the running list of veteran acts who have played the Super Bowl halftime show, the Who performed as the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend (seemingly younger than ever) launched the show with "Pinball Wizard" before transitioning into "Baba O'Riley," which featured Daltrey huffing out a closing harmonica solo. The band ended the show with "Who Are You," a brief snippet of "See Me, Feel Me" and "Won't Get Fooled Again."
 

Super Bowl XLV, Feb. 6, 2011


Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

"I Gotta Feeling" (iTunes>)


Black Eyed Peas, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, 2006

Breaking what had become a string of veteran acts taking the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show, the Black Eyed Peas kicked off their glitzy, LED lights-filled performance with a boom, boom pow. After being delivered onto the stage via what seemed like floating saucers, the Peas opened with their feel-good GRAMMY-winning hit "I Gotta Feeling" before shuffling into "Boom Boom Pow." Reminiscent of Fergie's performance with Slash at the 2010 Pre-GRAMMY Gala, the guitarist joined the group onstage for a rendition of Guns N' Roses' classic "Sweet Child O' Mine." GRAMMY winner Usher also took the stage to perform "OMG" with will.i.am. The group turned up the volume again for "Pump It," "Let's Get It Started," "Where Is The Love," and "The Time (Dirty Bit)." And there were plenty of song-and-dance routines to go around. Super Bowl XLV packed an extra boom, drawing a record 111 million viewers.


Super Bowl XLVI, Feb. 5, 2012


New England Patriots v. New York Giants
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis

"Music" (iTunes>)


Madonna, Record Of The Year nominee, 2000

Madonna struck a pose and made an impression at Super Bowl XLVI with her party-rocking performance. The GRAMMY-winning pop goddess emerged onstage decked out in an Egyptian-themed outfit and into the arms of groups of Trojans. The performance kicked off with her No. 1 1990 hit "Vogue" and then segued into the GRAMMY-nominated dance theme "Music" before Madonna was joined by fellow party-rockers LMFAO for a rendition of their GRAMMY-nominated hit "Party Rock Anthem." Everybody was clearly having a good time as LMFAO and Madge broke into a shuffle, proving all three are good at working out and, well, are sexy and they know it. Other guests performers included Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., who joined for "Gimme All Your Luvin'," and Cee Lo Green, who came onstage to express himself. Green changed into his choir attire and closed the show with Madonna for a performance of "Like A Prayer."

Super Bowl XLVII, Feb. 3, 2013


Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans

Beyoncé

This year's Super Bowl halftime show is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated live sets yet, as rumors have surfaced that Beyoncé will team with her bootylicious sisters in-arms for a Destiny's Child reunion. Whether this reunion will come to fruition remains to be seen, but viewers tuning in to the halftime show on Feb. 3 are sure to be in for a treat if these rehearsal photos of her coming show are any indication. Prior to the game's start, New Orleans will welcome a girl on fire as Alicia Keys will perform "The Star-Spangled Banner." Let us know your favorite halftime show.

Tune in to the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards live from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.

8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More
Photo: Martin Philbey/Redferns

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8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More

Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' is part of a proud lineage of artists, from Ringo Starr to Tina Turner, who have bravely taken a left turn into country's homespun, heart-on-sleeve aesthetic.

GRAMMYs/Mar 28, 2024 - 01:07 pm

When Beyoncé announced her upcoming album, Cowboy Carter, with the drop of two distinctly country tracks, she broke both genre and barriers. Not only did Queen Bey continue to prove she can do just about anything, but she joined a long tradition of country music crossover albums.

Country music is, like all genres, a construct, designed by marketing companies around the advent of widely-disseminated recorded music, to sell albums. But in the roughly 100 intervening years, genre has dictated much about the who and how of music making.

In the racially segregated America of the 1920s, music was no exception. Marketing companies began to distinguish between "race records" (blues, R&B, and gospel) intended for Black audiences and hillbilly music (country and Western), sold to white listeners. The decision still echoes through music genre stereotypes today.

But Black people have always been a part of country music, a message that's gained recognition in recent years — in part because of advocacy work by those like Rhiannon Giddens, who plays banjo and viola on "Texas Hold 'Em," one of two singles Beyoncé released in advance of Cowboy Carter.

And since rigid genre rules' inception, many artists from Lil Nas X to Bruce Springsteen have periodically dabbled in or even crossed over to country music.

In honor of Beyoncé's foray, here are eight times musicians from other genres tried out country music.

Ray Charles — Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)

In 1962, the soul music pioneer crossed the genre divide to cut a swingin' two-volume, 14-track revue of country and western music.

Part history lesson and part demonstration of Charles' unparalleled musicianship, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music covers country songs by major country artists of the era, including Hank Williams, Don Gibson, and Eddy Arnold. An instant success, the record topped album sales charts and was Charles' first atop the Billboard Hot 200 charts.

Ringo Starr — Beaucoups of Blues (1970)

The Beatles' drummer loves country music. Ringo Starr cut this album, which sounds like something you'd two-step the night away to at a honky tonk, as his second solo project. He was inspired by pedal steel guitar player and producer Pete Drake, who worked on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.

With Drake's help, Starr draws out a classic honky tonk sound — pedal steel, country fiddle, and bar room piano — to round out the album.

Beaucoups includes a textbook country heartbreak song, "Fastest Growing Heartache in the West," a bluesy ramblin' man ballad, "$15 Draw," and a surprisingly sweet love song to a sex worker, "Woman Of The Night."

The Pointer Sisters — Fairytale (1974)

Remembered for their R&B hits like "I'm So Excited" and "Jump (For My Love)", the Pointer Sisters dropped "Fairytale," a classic country heartbreak song into the middle of their second studio album, That's A Plenty.

Full of honky tonk pedal steel and fiddle, the track earned the band a GRAMMY award for Country and Western Vocal Performance Group or Duo in 1975, beating out Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Bare, and the Statler Brothers; they were the first, and to date, only Black women to receive the award.

The same year the song came out, the Pointer Sisters also became the first Black group to play the Grand Ole Opry, arriving to find a group of protesters holding signs with messages like 'Keep country, country!'

Tina Turner Tina Turns the Country On! (1974)

Also in 1974, Tina Turner cut her first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On!, while she was still performing with then-husband Ike Turner as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

Containing the seeds of the powerful, riveting voice she'd fully let loose in her long solo career after separating from her abusive husband, the album presents a stripped down, mellow Turner.

She covers songs like Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and Bob Dylan's "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," and delivers a soaring rendition of Dolly Parton's "There Will Always Be Music."

Turner was nominated for a GRAMMY award for the album, but in Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, category.

The Beastie Boys — Country Mike's Greatest Hits (1999)

This Beastie Boys cut only a few hundred copies (most reports say 300) of this spoof country album — reputedly conceived of as a Christmas present for friends and family, and never officially released.

Presenting the supposed greatest hits of a slightly dodgy, enigmatic character – Country Mike, who shares a name with band member "Mike D" Diamond — the album sounds like vintage steel guitar country. Think Hank Williams and Jimmy Rodgers with a dash of musical oddballs Louden Wainwright III and David Allen Coe's humor and funk.

Country Mike appears just briefly in the liner notes of the band's anthology album, The Sounds of Silence, (which also includes two of the album's tracks: "Railroad Blues" and "Country Mike's Theme"), as part of an alternate universe wherein Mike temporarily lost his memory when he was hit on the head.

"The psychologists told us that if we didn't play along with Mike's fantasy, he could be in grave danger," the notes read. "This song ('Railroad Blues') is one of the many that we made during that tragic period of time."

Cyndi Lauper — Detour (2016)

The "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" singer enjoyed herself thoroughly by deviating from her typical style with 2016's Detour.

Road tripping into country music land, Lauper covered country songs of the 1950s and 1960s, including Marty Robbins' "Begging You," Patsy Montana's "I Want to be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" and Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" with guest appearances by Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and Vince Gill.

Jaret Ray Reddick — Just Woke Up (2022)

It might be hard to imagine the Bowling for Soup frontman, known for teenage pop-punk angst hits like "Girl all the Bad Guys Want" and "Punk Rock 101" crooning country ballads.

But in 2022, under the name Jaret Ray Reddick, he cut his solo debut, Just Woke Up. Drawing inspiration from Reddick's native Texas, the steel guitar and twang driven album features duets with Uncle Cracker, Cody Canada, Frank Turner, and Stephen Egerton.

Self-effacing and personable as ever, Reddick heads off questions about the viability of his country music with the album's first track, "Way More Country," acknowledging the questions listeners might have:

"I sing in a punk rock band/ And I know every word to that Eminem song "Stan"/ And I've got about a hundred and ten tattoos / But I'm way more country than you."

Bing Crosby — "Pistol Packin' Mama" (Single, 1943)

Legendary crooner of classic Christmas Carols and American standards, Bing Crosby decided to try his hand at country music with his cover of Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama," the first country song to appear on Billboard's charts.

The song, which tells the story of a man begging his woman not to shoot him when she discovers him out on the town fooling around, has since also been covered by Willie Nelson, Hoyt Axton, and John Prine.

How Beyoncé Is Honoring Black Music History With "Texas Hold Em," 'Renaissance' & More

Run The World: Why Beyoncé Is One Of The Most Influential Women In Music History
Beyoncé at the 2023 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Run The World: Why Beyoncé Is One Of The Most Influential Women In Music History

Relive a few of the moments that made Beyoncé the global icon she is today, from her debut with Destiny's Child in 1997 to becoming the most awarded musician in GRAMMY history in 2023.

GRAMMYs/Mar 27, 2024 - 08:15 pm

Since her debut with Destiny's Child in 1997, Beyoncé has become one of the most decorated, record-breaking artists of all time.

In 2023, Queen Bey became the artist with the most GRAMMYs in history with 32 wins, after her seventh album, RENAISSANCE, won Best Dance/Electronic Music Album. That same LP also helped Beyoncé become the first female musician to have their first seven studio albums debut at No. 1 in the United States.

Earlier this year, she became the first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with "TEXAS HOLD 'EM," the lead single from her forthcoming album, COWBOY CARTER.

Beyond her chart achievements, Beyoncé has dedicated much of her work to uplifting women and exploring the Black experience, from Destiny's Child's "Independent Women, Part 1" to 2011's "Run the World (Girls)" and her 2016 album, Lemonade.

To add to her extensive resume, Beyoncé is also an active philanthropist and businesswoman. Through her BeyGOOD charity, she has championed countless causes, including education for young girls. Earlier this year, Beyoncé launched her hair care brand, Cécred, alongside an annual student scholarship and salon grant.

Among the many ways Bey has uplifted women around the world, her message to 2020 graduates perfectly summed up her influence: "Make those power moves, be excellent."

Press play on the video above to learn more about Beyoncé's colossal career. Check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Run the World, as well as for more news on Beyoncé's highly anticipated COWBOY CARTER.

Enter The World Of Beyoncé

9 Reasons Why Usher's 'Confessions' Is R&B's Definitive Blockbuster Album
Usher at iHeartRadio’s Living Black 2023 Block Party.

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

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9 Reasons Why Usher's 'Confessions' Is R&B's Definitive Blockbuster Album

Just before Usher kicks off his extensive world tour, the R&B superstar celebrates the 20th anniversary of his magnum opus, 'Confessions.' Here's a look at the ways the album changed the genre — and cemented Usher as an icon.

GRAMMYs/Mar 22, 2024 - 02:29 pm

"All of us have our Pandora's boxes or skeletons in our closets," Usher told MTV News while promoting his 2004 album, Confessions. "I've got a lot of things and stuff built in me that I just want to let go of."

He sure wasn't kidding. The concept album, and loosely based around his relationship with TLC's Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas — essentially played out like a prime-time soap opera set to music. But its brutally honest narrative and earworm hooks connected like no other contemporary R&B record before or since, solidifying Usher as one of music's modern greats.

In fact, Confessions was the second-best selling album of the 2000s (only behind *NSYNC's 2000 juggernaut, No Strings Attached), thanks in part to four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers and a string of attention-grabbing videos that allowed Usher to showcase his skills as a singer, dancer, actor, and all-round loverman.

Just after delivering a career-defining Super Bowl halftime show performance, Usher celebrates  20 years of Confessions on March 23. To commemorate the anniversary, here's a look at why Confessions remains the R&B scene's definitive blockbuster.

It Saved The Record Industry 

Thanks to the rise in illegal downloads and decline of "Total Request Live"-friendly blockbusters, the music industry began 2004 staring down a fourth consecutive year of declining sales. Step forward their savior, Usher Raymond IV.

Confessions shifted a colossal 1.1. million copies in its first week, the highest number since Eminem's The Eminem Show in 2002, and didn't stop selling. By the end of December, its total had ballooned to nearly eight million — double its closest competitor, Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, to become the year's biggest commercial smash.

Usher's magnum opus was widely credited with getting the American public back into record stores again, resulting in a 1.6 percent increase in overall album sales. But Confessions' journey wasn't done there. In 2012, it was awarded diamond status, joining TLC's CrazySexyCool and Boyz II Men's II as the only R&B representatives in the exclusive club, with its current tally now reportedly standing at 18 million!

It Invented Crunk&B 

Crunk, an energetic form of southern hip-hop defined by its 808 basslines, kick drums, and general party-starting vibes, originated in the mid-1990s. But it took nearly a decade for the sound to crossover from the Miami underground to the top of the charts. And then the lead single from Confessions took the scene to another level.

With its high-pitched synth hook, emphatic beats, and hype man chants from the subgenre's self-proclaimed king Lil Jon, "Yeah!" had all the hallmarks of a crunk classic. But Usher's smooth, soulful tones and Ludacris' playful rhymes gave the dance floor anthem a much stronger melodic edge, prompting critics to coin a new term, Crunk&B.

Several artists took note of the crunk and contemporary R&B crossover, with both Ciara's "Goodies" and Chris Brown's "Run It" also topping the Hot 100. But "Yeah!" remains the sound's crowning glory, as proven by the diamond status it achieved right before Usher's Super Bowl halftime show (Usher is also now only the third ever Black artist to have a diamond-certified single and album, alongside Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston).

It Further Bridged The Gap Between R&B And Hip-Hop 

While previous albums Usher, My Way, and 8701 had all been grounded in slick, soulful R&B, Confessions was a concerted attempt to bridge the gap between his signature sound and the grittier world of hip-hop. The man himself admits that he took just as much inspiration from Eminem and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony as his usual suspects, like Michael Jackson and James Brown, to create an album that was aimed equally at the bedroom and the clubs.

Alongside the famous guest appearances from Lil Jon and Ludacris, the LP also drew upon the production talents of Roc-A-Fella regular Just Blaze. Meanwhile, on the special edition, Jadakiss laid down some bars on "Throwback," while the remix of "Confessions Part II" boasted rhymes from Shyne, Twista, and Kanye West.

That's not to say thatNot that Usher forgot his roots, though., Has proven by his collab with Keys ("My Boo"), recruitment of legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and contributions from long-time collaborators Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox all helped remind of his R&B prowess. "I feel like it is the base of everything," Usherhe said about his love of R&B at the time. "I want to make it more prominent."

It Was A GRAMMY Favorite 

Although Ray Charles posthumously won the most awards of the night, the 2005 GRAMMYs undoubtedly still belonged to Usher. The R&B star not only took home three golden gramophones, but he also brought the house down thanks to a spellbinding duet with the Godfather of Soul.

A sharp-suited Usher first took to the stage for an epically choreographed performance of Confessions' fifth single "Caught Up," before James Brown — who even at the age of 71 still had several moves of his own — popped up for a joint rendition of his classic, "Sex Machine."

Usher was no doubt in a celebratory mood. By this point, he'd picked up three of the eight categories he'd been nominated in: Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Yeah!," and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal alongsideAlicia Keys for "My Boo." (As of press time, Usher has won eight GRAMMYs and received 23 GRAMMY nominations.)

It Brought A Confessional Side Back To R&B 

From Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear to D'Angelo's Brown Sugar, some of the greatest R&B records of the 20th century resulted from artists baring their souls as if their lives depended on it. This was an approach that had largely fallen by the wayside as time went on, with some suggesting that the genre gradually became more emotionally stunted.

Usher, on the other hand, had no qualms whatsoever about laying it all on the line, namely the ups and downs of his relationship with Thomas. On the falsetto-voiced "Burn," he willingly displays devastation over his breakup ("I'm twisted 'cause one side of me's telling me that I need to move on/ On the other side I wanna break down and cry"). And even by the penultimate track, "Take Your Hand," he still seems to be in a state of torment ("In your loving, every time I feel your touch/ Second thoughts, more doubts started building up").

Usher's confessional approach continued in 2008 with Here I Stand's love letter to then-wife Tameka Foster and then again in 2010 with the divorce-themed Raymond vs. Raymond. And many other R&B artists, including Janelle Monae and Beyoncé, have since made career bests by delving similarly deep into their personal lives.

It Inspired A Generation Of R&B Lotharios 

Think of any R&B lothario who's emerged in the last 20 years and chances are they've been heavily inspired by Confessions. Jason Derulo has said as much, describing it as a "classic album" and "just start to finish awesome"; Ne-Yo echoed that sentiment to BBC Radio 1, calling it "flawless top to bottom." While Bryson Tiller explicitly told Fuse he wanted to make a record in the same vein. And you can hear its influence in everything from Drake's more romantic offerings to August Alsina's intimate revelations.

And 10 years after Robin Thicke co-penned and co-produced Confessions' sensuous bedroom jam, "Can U Handle It," he released his own breakup tale with 2014's Paula.  Though he hasn't ever explicitly cited Confessions as an influence, Paula is a concept album about Thicke's real-life marriage breakdown, which essentially doubled up as a begging letter to his estranged wife.

It's A Storytelling Masterclass 

In 2023, it was announced that an untitled drama series inspired by Usher's back catalog was in the works. No doubt that the project, said to be "about Black love in Atlanta and individuals looking to find a place to call home," will draw heavily upon the storytelling masterclass that is Confessions.

Take "Truth Hurts," for example, the relationship tale in which Usher initially presents himself as the wounded party before revealing that he was, in fact, the one being adulterous ("I've been blaming you when I'm the one that's doing wrong/ I'ma go on/ My guilty conscience is the real reason I wrote this song").

Usher also appeared to enjoy keeping audiences guessing about whether his confessions were truly autobiographical or borrowed from the album's male-centric production team. See the two title tracks, which suggested the lothario had himself become a father following a one-night stand, when in reality, the paternity drama was all Dupri's.

"We wanted the media to ask us questions," the latteradmitted to Vibe in 2014, citingMichael Jackson as a key attention-grabbing influence. "Nobody knows who the f— Billie Jean is. We're still looking for her."

It Helped Breathe New Life Into Several Soul Classics 

While much of Confessions was interested in pushing R&B forward, it wasn't entirely averse to getting a little nostalgic. The record is filled with cleverly chosen samples from the soul of yesteryear, from Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' "Is There a Place for Me" on "Take Your Hand" to Willie Hutch's Mack's Stroll on "Superstar" and Preston Love's "Chili Mac" on "Whatever I Want."

And nearly 20 years before Doja Cat repurposed a Dionne Warwick classic to chart-topping effect on 2023's "Paint the Town Red," Usher brought the Motown legend into the contemporary R&B world by borrowing from "You're Gonna Need Me" on the aptly titled "Throwback."

It Broke Multiple Chart Records  

You know an artist has reached true greatness when they start being mentioned in the same breath as The Beatles. In 2004, Usher became the first act since the Fab Four to have both the biggest and second biggest-selling singles of Billboard's year-end chart with "Yeah!" and "Burn," respectively. And this was far from the only major milestone Confessions achieved. 

Until Taylor Swift's Fearless spent an additional fortnight in the top spot in 2009, the album's nine weeks atop the Billboard 200 was the longest run of the millennium. And with "Confessions Part II" also reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100 (ironically, replacing "Burn"), Usher not only became the first artist in  history to achieve three consecutive chart toppers, but also the first act to spend more than half a calendar year atop the Hot 100 at 28 combined weeks. 

Twenty years on, Confessions is still the highest-selling record by a Black artist this century. And further exemplifying his staying power and impact across the globe, Usher will soon embark on a lengthy world tour that has sold out from Brooklyn to Berlin — a momentous way to honor the album that changed the R&B game.

24 Songs Turning 20: Listen To 2004's Bangers, From "Yeah!" To "Since U Been Gone"

Justin Timberlake's Road To 'Everything I Thought It Was': How Revisiting & Accepting The Past Resulted In His Most Assured Album Yet
Justin Timberlake at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscars Party.

Photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)

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Justin Timberlake's Road To 'Everything I Thought It Was': How Revisiting & Accepting The Past Resulted In His Most Assured Album Yet

Revisit the journey that's led Justin Timberlake to his sixth album — both an homage to his past and a celebration of where he's going.

GRAMMYs/Mar 15, 2024 - 02:45 pm

When Justin Timberlake played his new material for close friends, they had one resounding reaction: "This sounds like everything we know you for, everything we thought we wanted from you."

Those words inspired the title of Timberlake's first album in six years, Everything I Thought It Was, which arrived March 15. The Memphis-born singer has described the release as "incredibly honest" but also as having "a lot of f—ng fun" — a statement that encapsulates how his music has evolved in the past three decades.

Since his beginnings as a child entertainer on shows like Star Search and Disney's Mickey Mouse Club, and later as a member of best-selling boy band *NSYNC, Timberlake proved that he belonged on the stage. His charisma and passion made him stand out effortlessly, and those experiences foreshadowed his star power and the brilliant solo career he was poised to have. 

When *NSYNC announced their hiatus in April 2002, it took Timberlake just six months to release Justified, his debut LP. For the first time in a decade, he was introducing himself as an artist with full agency over his work, and showing exactly the kind of music he wanted to create. 

"I felt like I had so much to prove to myself because I was coming from such a humongous group and a humongous movement of pop music," he reflected in a 2023 YouTube interview for Beatclub. "There was a real sound around what people were considering pop music before I went solo ... I knew I wanted to make a different type of album."

Justified promptly shifted Timberlake's good-boy image into a grown-up stunner. Through R&B, hip-hop and funk beats, he wears his heart on his sleeve; there's lust in lead single "Like I Love You," pain in "Cry Me A River," joy in "Rock Your Body." It resonated with the public — the album peaked at No.2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two top five singles, proving that Timberlake was more than ready to shine on his own. In addition, the album won him his first GRAMMYs in 2004 for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me A River"; he had been nominated nine times with *NSYNC, and once for "Like I Love You" the year prior.

Largely produced by the Neptunes and Timbaland, Justified also marked the beginning of a vital partnership for the singer. Timbaland was essential in shaping Timberlake's musical DNA, and helped produce a majority of his discography — including credits on two tracks of EITIW. "We share the same perspective that we always want to make something that reminds us of music that we love, but at the same time is something we've never heard before," Timberlake told GRAMMY.com in 2014.

Following Justified, Timberlake ventured into acting — another one of his burgeoning skills — landing roles in films like 2006's Alpha Dog and Black Snake Moan. However, 2006 was best known as the year Timberlake brought sexy back with his sophomore album, FutureSex/LoveSounds.

Considered by many as peak JT, FS/LS shot his popularity into the stratosphere and solidified him as a superstar in his own right. An avant-garde pop masterpiece, its 12 tracks weave R&B and electronic music, sprinkling in guitar solos and interludes, Timberlake's flawless falsetto and distorted synths. Its experimentalism laid the groundwork for what became known as Timberlake's signature sound, and what he would explore in the future — including on Everything I Thought It Was singles "Selfish" and "Drown." The album also marked Timberlake's first solo No.1 on the Billboard 200, and produced three No.1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in a row.

According to Timberlake, those three singles — "SexyBack," "My Love," and "What Goes Around…Comes Around" — "started a sound that I feel like it went on for, humbly speaking, a whole decade." FutureSex/LoveSounds earned Timberlake four more GRAMMYs: Best Dance Recording for "SexyBack" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "My Love" in 2007, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "What Goes Around…Comes Around" and Best Dance Recording for "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" in 2008.

Following FS/LS, Timberlake started a six-year release pattern that he has continued through Everything I Thought It Was. During those down periods, he still managed to maintain his star prowess by landing successful acting spots and producing songs for artists such as Rihanna and Madonna. And the first six-year hiatus was clearly fruitful, as his third LP was a two-part beast: 2013'sThe 20/20 Experience.

Produced by Timbaland and J-Roc, the double album displayed the singer at his most sophisticated yet, and reflected his growth in the decade since Justified came out. The first half's 10 tracks are lofty, lengthy meanderings inspired by neo soul and Timberlake's lasting love of '60s music. 

"When we were making the record I said, 'If Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin can do 10-minute songs and Queen can do 10-minute songs, then why can't we?' We'll figure out the radio edits later," he told Capital FM at the time, according to NME. The album went straight to No.1 on the Billboard 200, spearheaded by the austere charm of "Suit & Tie," featuring Jay-Z, and the stirring emotions of "Mirrors."

Six months later, Timberlake dropped the second half of his project, The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2, and the compilation of both albums, The 20/20 Experience – The Complete Experience. Comprising songs with a more accessible structure (though they still averaged 7 minutes), 2 of 2 also debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, and "Pusher Love Girl" won Timberlake his first Best R&B Song GRAMMY in 2014. Furthermore, its sounds pushed Timberlake's versatility to new edges, and deeply impacted his future releases.

As he entered his thirties, Timberlake's priorities shifted; he married actress Jessica Biel in 2012, and welcomed his first son, Silas, in 2015. A break from music was only natural, but this time it was also transformational — and reflected in his artistry. In 2016, in the middle of an album hiatus, Timberlake landed one of the biggest and most unexpected hits in his career: "CAN'T STOP THE FEELING!."

The disco-infused single was part of the soundtrack for DreamWorks Animation's Trolls, where Timberlake voiced the character Branch and worked as executive music producer. Attesting his talent for making simple, feel-good hits, "CAN'T STOP" was Timberlake's first No.1 single in almost a decade, and earned him a GRAMMY for Best Song Written For Visual Media and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. It is also his biggest streaming song to date, with over 1 billion listens on both Spotify and YouTube.

Trolls brought Timberlake back into the limelight after years of focusing mostly on his personal life, and consequently created buzz around his upcoming releases. "I wouldn't say [my new material] is the antithesis of 20/20, but it does sound more singular," he teased in an interview with Variety in 2016. "If 20/20 sounded like it literally surrounds your entire head, this stuff feels more like it just punches you between the eyes."**

In 2018, Timberlake dropped his fifth studio album, Man Of The Woods, whose title derives from the meaning of Silas' name. The album itself was largely inspired by Timberlake's family and his Southern roots, and found him back with Timbaland and the Neptunes. The result is a record where Timberlake mixes his brand of funky pop while diving into the country and Americana sounds of his childhood. It's his most vulnerable work so far; in the album closer, "Young Man," for example, Timberlake takes the position of a doting father passing on his teachings, wrapping it up with vocal snippets from Biel and Silas.

Even though Man Of The Woods largely didn't have the same commercial impact as Timberlake's previous works, it still marked his fourth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, and the release lined up with a headlining gig at the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show — a testament to his staying power.

In the years prior to Everything I Thought It Was, Timberlake kept busy by collaborating with artists like SZA ("The Other Side" from Trolls World Tour), Calvin Harris ("Stay with Me" with Halsey and Pharrell Williams), and Jack Harlow ("Parent Trap"). He also welcomed second son, Phineas, in 2020, and worked in several movies, including two Trolls sequels.

2023's Trolls Band Together, the latest installment of the franchise, also held a sweet, dreamlike surprise: Timberlake reunited with *NSYNC to release their first song together in 20 years. The heartwarming, funky "Better Place" was a reminder of the quintet's chemistry, and reignited hopes for further collaborations.

Luckily, fans wouldn't need to wait for too long. *NSYNC is among the three featured artists on  Everything I Thought It Was, on a breezy track called "Paradise." (And those who were in attendance at Timberlake's "one night only" show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on March 13 got to see the group's first performance together in over a decade, when they premiered "Paradise" and sang four *NSYNC classics.)

This isn't the only callback to the past on the album, though. The chill beats and adoring message of lead single "Selfish" bring to mind a refresh of 20/20's "Not A Bad Thing"; second single "Drown" rides on the same wavelength of "Cry Me A River" and "What Goes Around…Comes Around," but tinged with more sadness than spite. Meanwhile, "Sanctified" is the pure ambition of FS/LS transmuted into a soul-opera-rock trip. Throughout the album's other 15 tracks, Timberlake also dabbles on heavy basslines ("No Angels"), disco melodies ("My Favorite Drug"), sweet R&B croons ("Love & War"), and sour, stingy ballads ("Flame").

As Timberlake declared himself on The Graham Norton Show, bits and pieces of all his previous works come together to form an updated version of himself on this album — one that is finally comfortable in being vulnerable, and thankful for everything he's been through. "I'm everything you thought I was/ I'm everything I thought I was/ It was everything I thought it was," he sings in the opening track, "Memphis."

"I'm having this moment in my life looking back on everything that has been, and accepting all of it. The good, the bad, the fast, the slow," he said on The Kelly Clarkson Show. "It's just about arriving at this place right now in my life, as an artist, as a husband, as a father, as a human. And I'm just really excited about what the future holds."

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