Video
Haley Reinhart Is Free
Facebook Twitter Email
Former "American Idol" finalist discusses her jazz influences, songwriting process and her debut album, Listen Up!
GRAMMYs
Aug 28, 2012 - 4:25 pm
GRAMMY.com

Singer/songwriter Haley Reinhart recently visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to participate in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview and perform a brief set. Reinhart discussed her debut album, Listen Up!, collaborators she worked with on the album, her jazz influences, and touring, among other topics. Reinhart's set consisted of songs from Listen Up!

"I've been songwriting for a long time," said Reinhart." "Since I was young, I did slam poetry. I'm very much into the lyrical aspect [of music]. Also, I really, really appreciate melody for everything that it's worth. And it comes quite easily for me too. [Singing] is probably my favorite thing of all."

A native of Wheeling, Ill., Reinhart was a finalist on season 10 of "American Idol" in 2011. Her performances on the show subsequently earned her a deal with Interscope Records. Reinhart's debut album, Listen Up!, was released in May, featuring the single "Free." For Listen Up! Reinhart collaborated with songwriters/producers such as Mike Elizondo (Jay-Z, Maroon 5), Rob Kleiner (Flo Rida, Usher) and busbee (Kelly Clarkson, Kid Cudi). The album peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200. Reinhart has select tour dates scheduled in Canada and the United States this fall.

News
5 Questions With ... Haley Reinhart
Facebook Twitter Email
Former "American Idol" finalist discusses her experience on the reality TV show and her forthcoming debut album, Listen Up!
GRAMMYs
Apr 27, 2012 - 12:03 pm
GRAMMY.com

Former "American Idol" finalist Haley Reinhart was the recent guest for an installment of The Recording Academy's 5 Questions With … series. Held at The Recording Academy New York Chapter office, Reinhart discussed her experience on "American Idol," performing live, her biggest career moments so far, and her forthcoming debut album, Listen Up! Part of the discussion was driven by questions submitted by fans using the #5QW hashtag on Twitter.

"It really was the experience of a lifetime," said Reinhart regarding "American Idol." "We often referred to it as 'Star Boot Camp' just because you really go through the ringer. But it's all worth it. You get all those layers of skin on you and you're ready for anything."

View video from 5 Questions With … Haley Reinhart

Born in Wheeling, Ill., Reinhart began singing at 8 years old. Throughout high school she performed in her parents' cover band, and upon graduating in 2009 she attended Harper College where she studied jazz. She auditioned for "American Idol" in the summer of 2010, and her jazzy, soulful vocals landed her in the show's final top three in 2011. Reinhart subsequently earned a record deal with Interscope Records. Her debut album, Listen Up!, is set to be released on May 22 and features the single "Free."

Photo Gallery
Students Come Together At Eighth Annual GRAMMY Camp
Facebook Twitter Email
Summer music experience culminates with showcase concert in Los Angeles
GRAMMYs
Jul 24, 2012 - 5:05 pm
GRAMMY.com

Approximately 80 high school students from across the United States were selected to participate in the Los Angeles installment of the of the GRAMMY Foundation's eighth annual GRAMMY Camp, held  July 14–23 at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.

The interactive 10-day residential summer music experience focused on all aspects of commercial music with instruction by industry professionals in an immersive creative environment with cutting-edge technology in professional facilities. The program offered students six music career tracks: Engineering for Audio & Video; Concert Production; Electronic Music Production; Music Journalism; Songwriting; and a performance track for bass, drums, guitar, keyboard, vocal, and winds & strings. All tracks culminated in media projects, CD recordings and/or showcase performances.

On July 17 several artists and music industry professionals visited GRAMMY Camp as part of Guest Professional Day, including recording artists Sean Gadd and Ryan Rabin of Grouplove, Keith Phelps, and Haley Reinhart, musical director Brian London, and Steven Slate, owner of Slate Pro Audio. Additional music industry professionals participating in GRAMMY Camp included KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez, Live Nation Director of Publicity Greg Terlizzi, and Columbia Pictures Vice President of Production Devon Franklin, among others.

The program culminated on July 22 at the GRAMMY Camp Showcase Concert at the El Rey Theatre. Produced entirely by the GRAMMY Camp participants, the concert featured students performing original songs created during GRAMMY Camp, including "Ninety-Nine Percent" by Larry's Scooter featuring Noah Jessup, "That Ain't Enough" by P.J. Bucknor featuring Patrick Bucknor and Kaya Lynch, "My Mystery" by Drop The Biscuit featuring Christopher Cobbs.

"This group of talented youngsters has been charged with the challenging task of creating new music and new multimedia projects, all in a little more than one week," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation.

GRAMMY Camp is the GRAMMY Foundation's signature music industry camp for U.S. high school students. The final installment of the eighth annual GRAMMY Camp will take place in New York from Aug. 6–13. 

Album covers from new music released in May 2017
List
Lil Yachty to Miley Cyrus: What was new in music in May?
Facebook Twitter Email
Covering pop, rap, country, jazz, and more, take a look back at some of the latest music released in May
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
May 26, 2017 - 12:48 pm
GRAMMY.com

It's that time again, when we gather some of the best new releases from the last month and deliver them straight to your front door. While it's always near impossible to choose just a handful of new releases to spotlight, we want to give you a little bit of everything — from pop, rock, hip-hop, country, and more. So without further ado, take a look back at the Monthly Music Roundup for May.

Albums

The Afghan Whigs, In Spades

This '90s alt-rock mainstay is back In Spades with their second release since reuniting in 2012. "Bolstered again by the louche and ravaged voice of singer Greg Dulli," writes Pitchfork, "the latest from the indie rock icons is delightfully stuffed with romance and rancor."

Diana Krall, Turn Up the Quiet

The sultry-voiced GRAMMY winner takes it back to basics for Turn Up The Quiet as she revisits standards such as "L-O-V-E," "Blue Skies" and "Night And Day" with alternating backing bands. Produced by GRAMMY winner Tommy LiPuma prior to his passing this past March, AllMusic.com says of the album, "The end result is so elegant, it seems effortless."

Natalia Lafourcade, Musas

Like many of her acclaimed albums, GRAMMY winner Lafourcade's Musas "serves as a mini lesson in Latin American music." A combination of Latin American standards and songs written or co-written by Lafourcade, she told Remezcla the album represents "patience" and "humanity."

Mary Lambert, Bold

The "Same Love" GRAMMY nominee is back at it with her latest, the crowdfunded EP, Bold, which Bust describes as a mix of "emotionally deep and thought-provoking songs" and "fun feel-good jams." Bold is an open and honest ode to living a full life and includes a little dancing, a little poetry and even a duet with her mom.

Lil Yachty, Teenage Emotions

With guests such as Migos, YG, Kamaiyah, and GRAMMY winner Diplo, Lil Yachty is ramping up with Teenage Emotions. The 21-song album reflects an empowering, "be yourself" message. "Don't be afraid to do you, to be you," Lil Yachty said on Instagram Live. "If you have vitiligo or if you're gay or whatever it is, embrace yourself. Love yourself. Be happy, positive."

Logic, Everybody

Rapper Logic has taken his game to the next level withn Everybody, on which he tackles everything from mental health to his biracial identity. The album has already charted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and XXLmag.com said it "further solidifies Logic['s] solid standing in hip-hop."

Paramore, After Laughter

Paramore's After Laughter is a "very of-the-moment" pop record that ditches the bubblegum but keeps the catchy hooks. Or, as Rolling Stone says, it's "a record that's so sunshine-bright it gives off a glare at times, rooted in fleet basslines and beats made for open-road drives and solo bedroom dance parties" that also has a bit of "cocked-eyebrow trepidation."

Perfume Genius, No Shape

Perfume Genius — aka Mike Hadreas — is back with his fourth studio album, No Shape. Produced by GRAMMY winner Blake Mills, the singer/songwriter continues his confessional brand of indie-pop in grand style. "These songs swoop and chatter like flocks of mad starlings, light up like religious paintings, … make the cosmos explode inside your ribs," Pitchfork writes. "No Shape rebukes tasteful minimalism and embraces beauty at its most transgressive."

Chris Stapleton, From A Room: Volume 1

His first album since winning the GRAMMY for Best Country Album for 2015's Traveller, From A Room: Volume 1 also embraces '70s-sounding outlaw country, including a cover of Willie Nelson's "Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning." While the record only runs approximately 30 minutes, Variety said, "Country has been holding out for a hero so long, even a display of superpowers as modest as From A Room feels epic enough."

Wale, Shine

Rapper Wale's fifth studio album, Shine, covers a lot of musical ground across 14 tracks. There's dancehall with a Diplo co-produce, a Latin connection with a J Balvin feature and a revisit of the seminal, "Smile." While Complex calls the album "a new dad rap classic" in light of its devotion to Wale's daughter, it's not a bad thing — the "different flavors" the album evokes are cause for celebration.

Roger Waters, Is This The Life We Really Want? 

The former bassist for Pink Floyd, Waters' latest album hearkens back to a 1970s sound. GRAMMY-winning producer Nigel Godrich was given unusually strong oversite of the album. The result is an album that reaches from politics to the personal in a Floydian-esque package of the best kind. Waters told Entertainment Weekly, "It's about the transcendental nature of love and, I suppose, how it can transform anger into compassion."

Zac Brown Band, Welcome Home

Appropriately titled, this LP takes Zac Brown Band back to their roots of a more traditional country sound, including "Roots" and "Family Table." AllMusic.com says, "The sound of Welcome Home is a warm, comfortable bath" that "is the very definition of music as comfort food." For those who appreciate this melodically inclined country band, it will definitely be a Welcome Home.

Deluxe Editions

The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

A must-have for collectors, the 50th-anniversary super deluxe edition of the Beatles' classic 1967 album is packed with fabulous bonuses and extras. Aside from a new stereo mix of the album and track outtakes, the super deluxe set features 33 more recordings from the Sgt. Pepper sessions, unreleased mono mixes, surround-sound audio mixes, a documentary, and commemorative hardcover book.

Time travel to 1967 and revisit the legacy of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Singles soundtrack

With '90s nostalgia in full bloom, the 25th-anniversary deluxe edition of the Singles soundtrack is an alt-rock feast for the ears. The set features a remastered version of the original soundtrack, featuring Gen X classics by Alice In Chains, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, and Chris Cornell, plus a bonus disc of previously unreleased songs and rarities, including songs heard in the film but not on the original soundtrack. Also included is a full EP from the late Cornell, featuring an early version of Soundgarden's GRAMMY-winning song "Spoonman."

Singles

Miley Cyrus, "Malibu"

Cyrus' "Malibu" does not come in like a wrecking ball. Quite the opposite, actually. A sweet love song that goes back to basics in its instrumentation, "Malibu" could be the soundtrack for your summer fling.

Flume, "Hyperreal"

A move toward a more house-sound for Flume, "Hyperreal" features Australian singer Kučka. Her ethereal vocals compliment asymmetric synths and a darker backdrop with crunchy atmospherics.

Haim, "Want You Back"

A mid-tempo tune with the Haim sisters' signature vocals, "Want You Back" continues their brand of pop, this time with a love song. NPR adds that the track features "production that feels like several songs layered up and seeking maximum heart."

LCD Soundsystem, "Call The Police"/"American Dream"

Released as a "double A-side" to their upcoming comeback album, LCD Soundsystem evoke two separate moods with these two tracks. "American Dream" languishes with self-deprecating talk about love while "Call The Police" has instrumentals that, per Pitchfork, sound like "downed live wires …raring to go."

Polls

Which of the following new albums released in May is your favorite?

Rihanna holds a GRAMMY in 2008
List
Rihanna: 5 ways 'Good Girl Gone Bad' was a RiRi revolution
Facebook Twitter Email
Take a look back at how Rihanna's third studio album transformed her from pop star to GRAMMY winner
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Jun 2, 2017 - 3:25 pm
GRAMMY.com

These days, it's common for a mere meme of Rihanna (and Lupita Nyong'o) to be turned into a feature-length film.

We've gotten used to RiRi dominating the charts, the fashion world and the pop culture zeitgeist. She's an eight-time GRAMMY winner who has earned distinction as the artist with the most digital single sales in RIAA history.

It's hard to fathom that a mere 10 years ago, Rihanna was still a long-haired good girl about to take a turn. With the release of 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad, and a new short hairdo to match, Rihanna ultimately helped meet her stated goal of becoming the "black Madonna."

As the 10th anniversary of Good Girl Gone Bad is upon us, take a look back at five reasons Rihanna's groundbreaking third studio album helped turn her into a bona fide pop sensation and unmistakable trendsetter.

Transition to entertainment icon

Beginning with Good Girl Gone Bad, Rihanna chopped her long, curly hair into a fierce short bob. She adopted a more provocative look, beginning a fashion evolution that would lead her to style icon status on the GRAMMY red carpet, at the Met Gala and beyond. This fashion change was also reflected in her music, which went from primarily Caribbean-inspired jams to pop, dancehall and R&B-infused tracks built to make you move. "I basically took the attitude of the bad girl and I really got rebellious and just did everything the way I wanted to do it," Rihanna told The StarPhoenix in 2007. "I just want to have a little more fun with my music and be a little more experimental in terms of my image and my sound. I just reinvented myself."

Landing the perfect song

Who didn't get "'ella, 'ella, 'ella" stuck in their head after hearing the chart-topping smash "Umbrella"? The catchy repetitive chorus of the song became a defining moment for Rihanna, yet she almost didn't record the song. According to GRAMMY-winning producer/songwriter Chris "Tricky" Stewart, he and co-producer The-Dream shopped the song to Britney Spears' camp first. When her label passed, they presented the record to Mary J. Blige next, who didn't have a chance to hear the tune before L.A. Reid at Def Jam procured it for Rihanna. When the team first heard those famous ''ellas" in the studio, they knew the song was right as rain for RiRi.

First international tour

Having promoted her first two albums with tours in North America, Rihanna took Good Girl … international, marking her first headlining world tour. She visited venues across Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia, and Africa. But the tour wasn't without a bit of controversy. Malaysian officials weren't thrilled with this good girl's provocative "gone bad" look and sultry performance moves. Rihanna agreed to follow local regulations, but postponed her original performance date in the country.

Three releases are a charm

Befitting its mega mark on pop culture, Good Girl Gone Bad has been released a total of three times. First, the original five-time platinum album was released on June 5, 2007, spawning five singles, all of which reached multiplatinum status: "Umbrella," "Shut Up And Drive," "Hate That I Love You," "Don't Stop The Music," and "Rehab." This was followed by 2008's Good Girl … Reloaded, which featured additional tracks such as "Take A Bow" and "Disturbia," and then again with … The Remixes in early 2009. Both "Take A Bow" and "Disturbia" rocketed to No. 1, and the latter earned a GRAMMY nomination for 2008 for Best Dance Recording.

First GRAMMY win

As the first single released from Good Girl Gone Bad, "Umbrella" not only created the perfect storm — staying at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks — it netted RiRi her first GRAMMY. At the 50th GRAMMY Awards in 2008, Rihanna earned four total nominations, including two for "Umbrella": Record Of The Year and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. She ultimately won for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration alongside Jay Z. Rihanna also performed "Umbrella" and "Don't Stop The Music" at the milestone 50th GRAMMYs, marking her stage debut on Music's Biggest Night.

Are you a true rap stan? Go inside The Eminem Show