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Your Weekly GRAMMY Social Roundup
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Your Weekly GRAMMY Social Roundup

Dixie Chicks, Enrique Iglesias and The Weeknd are featured in the 10 tweets and Instagram posts we didn't want you to miss

GRAMMYs/Sep 23, 2016 - 08:45 pm

Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY @ladygaga @radiocitymusichall #StevieWonder

A photo posted by Andrea Bocelli (@andreabocelliofficial) on

Calm before the storm. #116 #DestinationTour

A photo posted by lecrae (@lecrae) on

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch The Chicks Take 'Home' Best Country Album In 2003
The Chicks at the 2003 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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GRAMMY Rewind: Watch The Chicks Take 'Home' Best Country Album In 2003

Revisit the Chicks' heartfelt acceptance speech after their sixth studio album, 'Home,' won Best Country Album at the 45th GRAMMY Awards — one of their three golden gramophones from the night.

GRAMMYs/Mar 8, 2024 - 06:00 pm

When the Chicks walked into the 45th Annual GRAMMY Awards, they already had four GRAMMYs to their name. But like Natalie Maines cheered at the start of their speech for Best Country Album, "No, this never gets old."

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, relive the moment when the trio and Maines' father shared the stage to accept the golden gramophone for their sixth album, Home.

"We are so attached to this album and really proud of it," Maines shared. "It's our first co-producing effort, and we did it with my dad, Lloyd Maines. So, I want to check the record books and find out how many fathers and daughters have won GRAMMYs together."

"We want to say we are so glad we kissed and made up with Sony because they've done so many wonderful things with this record — a record that's acoustic and not very mainstream," Martie Maguire chimed. "Yet, it's winning GRAMMYs and topping the charts. We really credit the Columbia New York team."

Before closing out the speech, Emily Strayer and Maines praised the rest of their team in Nashville, and, of course, the fans: "We thought this would just be a project we gave away on the internet."

That same night, the Chicks — who at the time still went by the Dixie Chicks; they changed their name in 2020 — also won Best Country Instrumental Performance for "Lil' Jack Slade" and Best Duo/Group Country Vocal Performance for "Long Time Gone." As of press time, the Chicks have won 12 GRAMMYs, including four Best Country Album wins.

Press play on the video above to hear the Chicks' complete acceptance speech for Best Country Album at the 2003 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

Why 2024 Is The Year Women In Country Music Will Finally Have Their Moment

Everything We Know About Beyoncé's New Album, 'Cowboy Carter': Two New Singles, A Shift To Country & More
Beyoncé at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy 

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Everything We Know About Beyoncé's New Album, 'Cowboy Carter': Two New Singles, A Shift To Country & More

Beyoncé released two new singles and announced a forthcoming new album after teasing the new music during a Verizon 5G commercial during the 2024 Super Bowl. Here's everything we know about the 'Cowboy Carter' album dropping March 29.

GRAMMYs/Feb 12, 2024 - 05:23 am

Editor's Note: This article was updated on March 12, 2024 with details about the album title.

"OK, they ready: drop the new music." With those seven words, Beyoncé announced new music during a commercial for Verizon 5G during the 2024 Super Bowl.

As the Beyhive clamored frantically to discover what, exactly, their queen was teasing, the answer soon became clear as the superstar unveiled two new tracks titled "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" and "16 CARRIAGES."

But that's not all! The two new songs not only follow Beyoncé's seventh album, Renaissance, and her mega-successful concert tour of the same name, but also build on the single "MY HOUSE" from last year. The dual ditties appear to be components of a larger project, potentially marking the next phase of Beyoncé's ongoing Renaissance.

Below, GRAMMY.com rounded up everything there is to know about Queen Bey's surprise drop and what cards she may have up her sleeve.

Beyoncé's Long-Awaited Country Era Is Upon Us

While Beyonce's Super Bowl LVIII commercial paid homage to 2016's Lemonade, introduced the world to the possibilities of "Beyonc-AI" and even sent her to space, the surprise singles signal a new direction for the living legend into bonafide country territory. 

"TEXAS HOLD 'EM" is a twangy, two-stepping joint addictively tailor-made for a night of line dancing and lassoing, with Bey singing, "This ain't Texas, ain't no hold 'em/ So lay your cards down, down, down, down/ So park your Lexus and throw your keys up/ Stick around, 'round, 'round, 'round, round" before she flirts, "And I'll be damned if I can't slow dance with you/ Come pour some sugar on me honey, too/ It's a real live boogie and a real live hoe-down/ Don’t be a b—, come take it to the floor now."

Meanwhile, "16 CARRIAGES" balances out the yee-haw groove of its jauntier sibling by turning out a slow-burning power ballad as Bey spins a tale of lost innocence and grinding away in the name of a better life. "Sixteen carriages drivin' away while I/ Watch them ride with my dreams away to the/ Summer sunset on a holy night on a/ Lone back road, all the/ Tears I fight," she rhapsodizes over sparse acoustic guitar before slide guitar and pounding percussion crash over her gentle vocals like a wave.

It All Started With A Super Bowl Ad

Beyoncé started all this ruckus with an epic Super Bowl commercial for Verizon. The ad began with the two-time halftime show headliner filming a music video for her 2023 one-off "My House." Clad in a red sequined ensemble and surrounded by faceless backup dancers in the same shade of scarlet, Bey bursts from a giant house (also red) as she pronounces, "Who they came to see? Me! Who rep like me, don't make me get up out of my seat. OK!"

From there, Beyoncé hatches a plan with Tony Hale to break both the internet and the service provider's 5G with a number of viral stunts — including starting her own "Hold Up"-inspired lemonade stand (baseball bat and yellow gown included), climbing to the top the Sphere in Las Vegas, starring in a Bey-ified Barbie redux titled "Bar-Bey"and announcing her uncontested run as "Beyoncé of the United States." You've got our vote, BOTUS!

This One's For The "Daddy Lessons" Fans

Of course, it's a known fact that Beyoncé can sing, well, literally anything, but the sonic shift is particularly gratifying for fans of her zydeco-tinged cut "Daddy Lessons" from 2016 or the even more countrified version she recorded with Dixie Chicks after performing the Lemonade fan-favorite with the group at the 2016 CMA Awards.

Beyoncé Cowboy Carter Art

The Songs Herald The Arrival Of Act II: Cowboy Carter

The two tracks aren't just a one-off, either. The landing page of Beyoncé's official website updated once the songs were released into the world, promising, "act ii…3.29." The promise of a second act refers to the megastar's GRAMMY-winning album Renaissance, which has been billed as "Act I" since its release in the summer of 2022. 

Many fans suspected a full visual album might be the second act of the house-inspired era, but it appears that much like Beyoncé herself, the Renaissance won't be limited to a single genre.

Could Visuals (Finally) Be On Their Way?

Along with the pair of singles, Beyoncé dropped a teaser for "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" on social media. In the clip, the superstar drives an old-fashioned yellow taxi with a Texas license plate reading "HOLD EM." Opting not to write a caption, the post left the Beyhive buzzing at the possibility that a visual component might accompany Cowboy Carter in some form or another. Though given that fans are still eagerly waiting for any sign of OG Renaissance visuals, don't hold us (or Queen Bey) to this hypothesis.

On a completely unrelated and entirely speculative note, the last time Beyoncé was spotted driving a bright yellow vehicle through the desert, it was the same one Uma Thurman drove in "Kill Bill" for the iconic "Telephone" music video with Lady Gaga. Take that tidbit from the P—y Wagon for what you will, Honey Bee…

The Clues Were In Plain Sight At The GRAMMYs

*Beyoncé at the 2024 GRAMMYs in a western-inspired custom Louis Vuitton look.* (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Turns out Beyoncé's been dropping hints for a while! At the 2024 GRAMMYs, the superstar wore a western-inspired outfit — a variation of the closing look from the fall 2024 Louis Vuitton menswear collection —  to support her husband Jay-Z, who was awarded with this year's Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. During his off-the-cuff speech, the Roc Nation mogul recognized his wife's success as the most-awarded artist in GRAMMY history while having yet to win Album Of The Year as Bey looked on from underneath her spotless white cowboy hat. We should've known!

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2024 GRAMMYs: Kylie Minogue Wins First-Ever GRAMMY For Best Pop Dance Recording For "Padam Padam"
Kylie Minogue attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images

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2024 GRAMMYs: Kylie Minogue Wins First-Ever GRAMMY For Best Pop Dance Recording For "Padam Padam"

Kylie Minogue beat out David Guetta, Anne-Marie, and Coi Leray; Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding; Bebe Rexha and David Guetta, and Troye Sivan. This is the first-ever win in this brand-new category.

GRAMMYs/Feb 4, 2024 - 09:02 pm

Kylie Minogue has taken home the golden gramophone for Best Pop Dance Recording — an all-new category — at the 2024 GRAMMYs, for "Padam Padam."

Minogue came ahead of of David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray ("Baby Don’t Hurt Me"); Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding ("Miracle"); Bebe Rexha and David Guetta ("One in a Million"); and Troye Sivan ("Rush").

The win marks Minogue’s second GRAMMY win after six career nominations. She had previously won Best Dance Recording for "Come Into My World."

The Australian pop star — along with producer Peter "Lostboy" Rycroft and mixing engineer Guy Massey — are the first-ever winners of the Best Pop/Dance Performance category. It was one of three new categories introduced at the 66th GRAMMYs; the other two are Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Best African Music Performance. 

Lostboy took the stage to accept the award on behalf of himself, Minogue, and Massey. 

"Padam Padam" charted at No. 7 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic chart; it was a much bigger hit in the UK, where it was a No. 1 hit. The song was embraced by the LGBTQ+ community on both sides of the Atlantic. 

"It's hugely important to me and so touching," said Minogue of her popularity with LGBTQ+ fans in an interview with GRAMMY.com earlier this year. "I hope that for that community and beyond, I just want to say I am open-minded and I want people to be happy in themselves. That community needed support and still needs support. I'm here. And they padamed for me."

Keep checking this space for more updates from Music’s Biggest Night!

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

Ayra Starr's "Rush" To The Top: The Afrobeats Singer On Numerology, The Male Gaze & The Power Of Kelly Rowland
Ayra Starr

Photo: LEX ASH

interview

Ayra Starr's "Rush" To The Top: The Afrobeats Singer On Numerology, The Male Gaze & The Power Of Kelly Rowland

At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Ayra Starr is among the inaugural nominees for the Best African Music Performance category for her record-breaking single "Rush." The singer discusses her headlining tour, working with her idols and making it to Music's Biggest Night.

GRAMMYs/Jan 30, 2024 - 02:17 pm

Ayra Starr's rise to prominence in the realm of Afrobeats is a testament to her talent for seamlessly fusing "Gen-Z princess" flair with the wisdom of an old soul. From her inaugural 2021 EP and her debut album, 19 & Dangerous, to her presence at Music's Biggest Night, Starr has steadfastly embodied her artistic vision and accumulated experiences.

In the latter part of 2023, Starr embarked on her first headline tour, enchanting audiences with her sonorous voice and empowering blend of Afropop, R&B, and alté — skillfully interwoven with the vibrant sounds of her diverse roots. This international showcase further solidified her position as a dynamic force in the music industry.

"I'm constantly trying, constantly bettering myself, to show people I didn't come perfect," Starr tells GRAMMY.com. "I do have down and negative times where I'm in my head, I'm tired, or I'm not motivated. So, in a way, it's sort of a selfish thing where I make those songs for myself." 

This unwavering dedication to craft has transformed Starr into a formidable and industrious artist whose music resonates globally. Starr's pursuit of excellence is driven by a sense of artistic selfishness that compels her to continually evolve and elevate her musical prowess.

Born in Cotonou, Benin, Starr achieved monumental success with her single "Rush," released in 2022 as part of the deluxe version of 19 & Dangerous. The track became the most streamed solo song by a Nigerian female artist on Spotify and propelled her to become the youngest African female artist to surpass 100 million views on a single YouTube video. The Nigerian singer/songwriter's remarkable talent even captured the attention of former President Barack Obama, who included "Rush" in his annual year-end playlist in 2022.

The record-breaking track is nominated for the inaugural Best African Music Performance category at the 66th GRAMMY Awards. Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, Arya Starr spoke to GRAMMY.com about family, touring Europe and how her relationship with numbers is her way  of documenting her growth.

This conversation has been edited for clarity.

How are you recovering after your first headline tour? 

Well, there's no recovery for me anytime soon. 

After the world tour, my schedule is still packed with other stuff to do. I'm enjoying it to be honest. I had a two-day break and I could sit in one place. I'm just very used to the chaos of it all. I'm a proper Lagos babe, so I'm always buzzing for what's next.

Good thing you mentioned Lagos. Your parents bounced around places; from being born in Benin to moving to Abuja and then finally settling in Lagos, how have those migrations have influenced your sound?

I feel like living in different places has really shaped my mind. I really know how to adapt to places, people as well as situations. 

And you can hear that in the music. I know how to try and do different things. I know how to put different cultures and different worlds into what I'm doing. In Stability for instance, you can hear the French aspect of my life. I grew up listening to [Congolese singer and composer] Awilo and I sampled that. I mixed that with Lagos life — proper Afrobeats vibes. 

Your career has featured a pattern of numbers. I read that you like the number 5, your debut album was titled 19 & Dangerous, and your tour was called 21. Why have numbers become a prominent part of your career?

To be honest, it comes very naturally to me. I don't know what it is yet. I've not tapped into that aspect of my life. I think it might make sense in the third album where I'll be able to answer this question. 

But I just like numbers. Right now, my favorite number is eight. I say eight all the time. I don't even know why eight is just my number now. And with 19 & Dangerous and the tour called 21, it's just me relating everything to my age and where I am currently in life. It's just showing people that [what's happening in my life] is a very present movement and activity. I want people to know that, yeah, I did that when I was 19

Does that mean it's sort of a brag?

It's less of me showing off and bragging and more about me being present. There were a lot of people that were 19 at that time. There were a lot of people that were 20, or 29 but could relate to what I was saying. With 21 now, I want to associate it with a feeling and less of a number. 

So it's just you documenting your growth as an artist?

Exactly! I'm stealing that by the way. [Laughing] 

You've toured and opened for several artists like Koffee in the past, but this is your first headline tour. How did that feel?

Amazing. I’ve been touring for a while, but doing my own [tour] was a different feeling. Like people bought tickets to see me. I'm the reason they're there. 

There's no time to mess up. It's a different type of pressure. At a certain point, during the Europe tour, I was just like, I’m so relaxed because it's my stage, they're here to see me you know. If I fall down, it's all part of the vibe. It's an experience for them. They're gonna talk about it years from now. 

Luckily that wouldn't happen… or did it?

Ah, it happened already but I'm over it. But it wasn't during this tour. I just got up immediately. I couldn't let that weigh me down. 

And would you say that's the theme of your life? Falling and getting back up?

Definitely, I'm not afraid to be seen trying, and that's like my whole M.O. because I'm not perfect, and I want that to inspire people. 

I didn't know how to do riffs and runs last year; I had to learn it. I didn't know how to learn choreography in one day, but now I'm doing that. I'm constantly trying, constantly bettering myself, to show people I didn't come perfect. I didn't come knowing any of this, and I had to learn along the way. 

This is me documenting. When I say my age, I want people to be aware that I didn't know anything. I'm just figuring this out. 

What memorable moments do you have from touring?

Singing "Rush," the acoustic version, with my fans. I met this fan that was pregnant and she sent her baby scan and she wanted to let me know she's naming her baby Ayra. I loved it so much, it made me so happy. 

That and just spending time with my team and my friends and being on stage. Every minute of being on stage is very memorable. 

Did you face any challenges while touring and how did you deal with them? 

I'm human at the end of the day, and you get tired, overwhelmed, sick. I had the flu every two business days. I lost my voice. There are a lot of challenges on the road, but we can't let that stop us. 

The thing about touring is that the world isn't stopping for me. I still have my family, my younger sister that wants to talk to me every day, I still have my younger brother. I have friends to keep up with. I have to be a human being outside of this. It's not necessarily a challenge; it's just something I'm aware of, and sometimes it can be hard. 

Is your family happy and proud of you? 

My younger brother makes music with me, so he's literally my partner. I'm also basically on the road with my family. I was with my mum in Paris. I try my best for them to experience it too. 

When I'm not with them, I just feel so guilty. I want my people to feel what I'm feeling; I want them to see the countries too because we all started together. I want them to experience the exact same thing I'm experiencing. I try to spend as much time with them as possible. 

My mum knows every lyric to every song. We were having a conversation, and she was referencing "Ase." I was like "OMG, mummy please, please!" So it's an everyday thing; they're in my life. They're very proud of me, but they're also kinda used to it as well. I feel like everybody expected it to happen. 

You're known for your uplifting and empowering lyrics, but have you found yourself in a situation where you're feeling down and you need a little bit of Ayra? 

Definitely. I do have down and negative times where I'm in my head, I'm tired, or I'm not motivated. So, in a way, it's sort of a selfish thing where I make those songs for myself. I have songs that I make for the future. Music is therapy for me. 

You first went into modeling and then finding music. How proud would little Ayra be of you right now, and how much of all what she experienced made you who you are today? 

She'd definitely be proud, but even right now, when I look back, I'm so proud of little Ayra too. It's because of her that I'm here now. It's because of that 16-year-old girl that didn't give up and kept going. 

I wanted to do modeling because everyone told me I couldn't do it, like I'm not tall enough, and I told them, "watch me." And I ended up doing it. 

How did music come into the fold from modeling? 

I used to do cover [songs] on Instagram. My mum and her friends used to force me to do covers. I uploaded one cover on Instagram —  I didn't even like the video. But something just kept telling me to post it and I did. Not up to 6 hours later, [Marvin Records CEO] Don Jazzy reached out. Three days later, he signed me. 

Your fashion choices are  constantly under scrutiny by fans, particularly by men. Did being constantly bludgeoned with such remarks regarding the male gaze affect you in any way? 

I've always had a mind of my own. Growing up in different places, in different cultures, has shaped my mind. And in spite of all these influences, I'm still myself. I went to a very religious school. I wrote "Asé" when I was 15 — I had no business writing that song. So that gives you a glimpse of the kind of mindset I had at a young age. 

And I still have now. I'm not really bothered about the male, female gaze, or anybody's gaze for that matter, except my own. I'm an artist to the core, and I want my style, my hair, my music, to represent how I feel. I don't really care about aesthetics, it's more about how I feel. 

What was the energy like before and after finding out about your GRAMMY nomination?

I was alone in my hotel room. I remember just speaking to God, asking him to let me be nominated. If I was nominated, I'd be so grateful because I'd know that all my hard work was not in vain. 

This nomination came at one of my low days. I was unmotivated, doubting myself. It was cold, and I was just tired. I was like, I just want rice and stew, abeg. I'm just tired, abeg [meaning please]. Next thing I know, I started getting calls. Tyla sent me a message. So even before I found out, people had started messaging and congratulating me. After I checked, I just knelt down and thanked God. 

Meeting people like David Guetta and Kelly Rowland, both of whom you idolize, must have been an incredible experience. Which encounter was the most memorable for you? 

Everything has been memorable — meeting Kelly, David. Like the Nigerian girl in me wanted to call him Mr. David, but he was like "no Ayra" and I was like "no sir but…." [Laughs.] All these people, they're human beings, and we forget that sometimes. They're regular humans with their lives, making music and doing what they love. 

David was an amazing person. He was so free. After every lyric I recorded, he'd whisk me up in the air. He was so hyped and happy. Then Kelly was like the most amazing human being. I'm so blessed to know her. She is an inspiration to me and everything to me. Even before she recorded the verse, I'd loved her for a long time. 

I don't know how she does it, whenever I'm feeling low or down, she just knows. She'll send me a random message or voice memo telling me to keep going. She's the most amazing human being; I love her so much. She's like my big aunty, she's my friend. She's a friend. 

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List