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Taylor Swift photographed in 2012

Taylor Swift

Photo: Kevin Kane/Getty Images

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9 Love Songs To Play On Valentine's Day taylor-swift-julia-michaels-khalid-9-love-songs-valentine%E2%80%99s-day

Taylor Swift, Julia Michaels & Khalid: 9 Love Songs For Valentine’s Day

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Just in time for Valentine's day, here are 9 shades of love songs that aim straight for the heart
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Feb 13, 2018 - 3:28 pm

Let's revisit a little classical mythology, shall we? Cupid, the god of desire, attraction and affection, is rumored to have been the son of love goddess Venus and god of war Mars. This fiery youth evolved to carry a bow and arrow with magical properties that, when shot through a lover's heart, will bring their affection right to your doorstep, making him the perfect symbol for Valentine's Day.

While Cupid may just be a legend, we have an even better way to shoot straight to a lover's heart — or cure a broken one — on this special day: music. That's why we've compiled this special Valentine's Day playlist, including your favorite love-inspired spins from the likes of Taylor Swift, the Holy Cows, Khalid, Shakira, Julia Michaels, Lana Del Rey, Joe Satriani, Indigo Girls, and more.

So snuggle up, drop the needle and let the sparks — and arrows — fly.

Indigo Girls, "Power Of Two"

It may ring a little sentimental but what is the purpose of Valentine's Day if not to get a little mushy? The classic Indigo Girls track "Power Of Two" puts simple words to the power of holding your partner's hand through thick and thin — "I'm stronger than the monster beneath your bed/Smarter than the tricks played on your heart/Look at them together then we'll take them apart/Adding up the total of a love that's true/Multiply life by the power of two." From their 1994 GRAMMY-nominated album, Swamp Ophelia, folk-rock duo Amy Ray and Emily Saliers let these beautiful words shine through with crystal clear vocal harmonies accompanied by a clean acoustic guitar line. There's nothing overly complicated about the song, contributing to the breezy contentment of finding the one true companion to share your life with. What could be more perfect for this holiday?  — Renée Fabian

Martina Topley Bird, "Anything"

British underground soul songstress Martina Topley Bird's 2003 debut album, Quixotic, created such a buzz in the U.K. that it was redesigned, resequenced, and renamed for a U.S. release a year later, this time with the entrancing "Anything" as the title track. Ethereal and hypnotic, "Anything" seethes with desire as Topley Bird's sultry voice begs and moans through the chorus of "I don't want anything but you/ I don't need anything but you," a performance managing to be both suggestive and convincing. — Nate Hertweck

Julia Michaels, "Uh Huh"

Best New Artist and Song Of The Year GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Julia Michaels' "Uh Huh" speaks to the wild abandon of young love at its most frenetic peaks. The way Michaels throws herself vocally into the choruses and lets her voice break over the hooks evokes a rising wave that blurs the border between love and lust and swirls everything together so quickly that there is no time left to think. This is the kind of love where it's tough to separate the fear over whether things are getting too serious too early from the feverous excitement and novelty of the whole thing. It's big, it's powerful, and it feels real. And ultimately it doesn't even matter if it’s fated to burn out almost as soon as it's started, because right now this love makes it feel like "now" is all there will ever be. — Brian Haack

Listen Now: "Required Listening" Podcast Featuring Julia Michaels

Joe Satriani, "Always With Me, Always With You"

Has love just left you speechless? If so, you wouldn't be alone. With that thought in mind, GRAMMY-nominated guitarist Joe Satriani composed 1987's "Always With Me, Always With You" as an instrumental tribute to his wife, Rubina. Though there are no lyrics, Satriani's fluid melodies conjure vivid, intense imagery. The song's major-key main theme bottles that feeling of finding your one true soulmate. Meanwhile, the bridge — which is signaled by a tonal shift to a minor key — seemingly represents a temporary parting of the ways. But like some once-in-a-lifetime matches that are meant to be, the couple reunites and rides off into the sunset together, a sentiment reflected by Satriani joyously returning to the original key and reprising the main theme. At least that's one listener's interpretation of it. — Tim McPhate

Khalid & Swae Lee, "The Ways"

Like the sweet bonbon one desires for Valentine's, Khalid and Swae Lee relate that they are way into that special someone. Featured on 2018's Black Panther: The Album curated by Kendrick Lamar, the track's layered soul and R&B elements loop ethereally against gritty drumming, a nice contrast to the bachelors' sweet talk. The object of their affection is a "power girl" and apparently one of her powers is demanding the attention of a crowd — initially from Khalid's heartfelt ballad at the base, then higher up as Swae Lee says she's "over the city" while flying through vocal electronica of his own, and with a special "If I had you" message inserted from Lamar as well. — Philip Merrill

The Holy Cows, "Valentine"

This gem of buried treasure comes from the long-defunct, Chelsea, Mich.-born garage rock band the Holy Cows, who smashed together a guitar-driven punk attitude and alt-country flair with melancholic vocal harmonies and exceptional songwriting. Drawing influence from a pair of Minneapolis greats, the Replacements and Soul Asylum, the Holy Cows released two astonishingly solid and sadly overlooked albums in the mid-'90s: Get Along and Blueberrie. "Valentine," the closing track of the latter, shows the band's tender side while reminding us of the many hearts who will spend Feb. 14 alone, looking back on love. — N.H.

Lana Del Rey, "Love"

The opening track from Lana Del Rey's Best Pop Vocal Album GRAMMY-nominated Lust For Life, "Love" is another song that paints an evocative picture of young love, but from a touchingly ageless perspective. In her signature breathy tones, Del Rey sings of the self-encompassing completeness of young love, while her slant-rhyme chorus lines of "You get ready, you get all dressed up/to go nowhere in particular" speak of the quieter side of capital-L "Love." Hinted at here are the secret smiles that come to our lips as we walk down a sunlit path on a daily errand, as unprompted thoughts of a loved one skew the world to seem as though it is lensed in soft focus. And while Del Rey's vocals meander around the title-line hook "… to be young, and in love," the sense remains strong that this is a usage of "young" that would remain unchanged whether the song's subject was aged 17 or 70. — B.H.

Taylor Swift, "Dear John"

"Dear John, I see it all, now it was wrong/Don't you think 19 is too young to be played by your dark twisted games, when I loved you so?" Taylor Swift gets right to the point on the other side of love on "Dear John," doesn't she? Featured on 2010's GRAMMY-nominated Speak Now, the melancholy diss track was an arrow (allegedly) pointed at John Mayer, whom she reportedly dated circa 2009. Though Swift has not confirmed the song's inspiration, she surely hit upon a relatable side of how to deal with a bitter breakup aftertaste. "A lot of times when people's relationships end, they write an email to that person and say everything that they wish they would have said. A lot of times they don't push send," the GRAMMY winner told People magazine. "This was a tough one to write, and I guess putting it on the album was pushing send." — T.M.

Maná Featuring Shakira, "Mi Verdad"

Multiple GRAMMY winners Maná and Shakira sing "You are my truth" to each other, a sentiment that became the centerpiece track of the former's 2015 LP, Cama Incendiada. Celebrated for having run up 25 million hits quickly, the music video's total views on YouTube are now more than 187 million. Its message of depending on each other implies depending on the other to be real, so that love is honest — a feeling that certainly drips with romance. Also romantic was the video's wine-cellar setting near Barcelona, Spain. Shakira's pregnancy adds associations of family to the duet's passionate lyrics. The simplicity and musical power rock, as Shakira has on other noteworthy duets with Alejandro Sanz and Carlos Vives. — P.M.

Catching Up On Music News By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

60 Facts About The 60th GRAMMY Nominees

(L-R) Jay Z, Rapsody, Lady Gaga, Alessia Cara, Childish Gambino, SZA, Taylor Swift, Luis Fonsi, Bruno Mars, Cardi B
Photos: WireImage.com

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2018 GRAMMYs: 60 Nominee Facts 2018-grammys-alessia-cara-jay-z-60-nominee-facts

2018 GRAMMYs: Alessia Cara To Jay-Z | 60 Nominee Facts

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From Luis Fonsi, Bruno Mars, SZA, and Childish Gambino to Rapsody, Lady Gaga, Shakira, and Taylor Swift, get forensic with 60 interesting facts about the 60th GRAMMY nominees
Paul Grein
THE GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
Jan 3, 2018 - 4:56 pm

Looking for a different kind of New Year's resolution? How about pledging to become an expert on this year's nominees for the 60th GRAMMY Awards? We can help you do just that.

From first-time nominees and top nominees to GRAMMY history and potential records at stake, we've sliced and diced the 84 categories to bring you 60 delectable factoids about the 60th nominee class.

Make sure to read all 60 facts below and follow all the storylines during Music's Biggest Night at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, Jan. 28.

1. Jay-Z

Jay-Z is this year's leading GRAMMY nominee with eight nominations. This is the third time the rapper has been the year's leading nominee (or at least tied for the lead). He tied for the lead for 2003 with Beyoncé, OutKast and Pharrell Williams. He held the lead outright for 2013.

Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake Win Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

2. SZA

SZA is this year's top female nominee with five nominations, including Best New Artist.

3. Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino is nominated for five GRAMMYs, including Record and Album Of The Year. The versatile performer, aka Donald Glover, won two Emmy Awards in September for his work on the FX series Atlanta. (He won Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series.)

4. "Despacito"

"Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber is this year's only work to be nominated for both Record and Song Of The Year. It's the first foreign-language hit to be nominated in both categories since "La Bamba," recorded by Los Lobos, 30 years ago.

5. "The Story Of O.J."

"The Story Of O.J." is Jay-Z's fourth single to receive a Record Of The Year nomination. It follows Beyoncé's "Crazy In Love," on which he was featured; Rihanna's "Umbrella," on which he was featured; and "Empire State Of Mind," a collaboration with Alicia Keys. Jay-Z is the first rapper to amass four Record Of The Year nominations.

6. Bruno Mars, Record Of The Year

Bruno Mars' "24K Magic" is nominated for Record Of The Year. It's Mars' fifth nomination in that category since 2010. That's more than any other artist in this decade. Mars and Beyoncé are the only artists to amass five nominations since 2000.

7. Kendrick Lamar

DAMN. is Kendrick Lamar's third consecutive studio album to be nominated for Album Of The Year. Kanye West is the only other rapper to receive nominations in this category for three consecutive studio albums.

8. Lorde

Lorde is among the nominees for Album Of The Year for her sophomore release, Melodrama. The young star has now been nominated in three of the General Field categories. Four years ago, her breakthrough hit, "Royals" was nominated for Record Of The Year and won for Song Of The Year.

Lorde, Joel Little Win Song Of The Year

9. Alessia Cara, Khalid, Julia Michaels: Song Of The Year

Three of this year's Best New Artist nominees — Alessia Cara, Khalid and Julia Michaels — are up for Song Of The Year. Cara and Khalid co-wrote "1-800-273-7255," the Logic hit on which they are featured. Michaels co-wrote her hit "Issues." This is only the second time in GRAMMY history that three Best New Artist nominees have also been nominated for Song Of The Year in the same year. It first happened 16 years ago with Alicia Keys ("Fallin'"), India.Arie ("Video") and Nelly Furtado ("I'm Like A Bird").

10. Alessia Cara, Best New Artist

Alessia Cara is the first artist who was born in Canada to receive a Best New Artist nomination since 2010, when both Justin Bieber and Drake were nominated.

11. Khalid, Best New Artist

Khalid, 19, is the first teenager to receive a Best New Artist nomination since Justin Bieber, who was 16 when he was a finalist for the 2010 award. Khalid will turn 20 on Feb. 11.

12. Michael Bublé

Michael Bublé lands his eighth nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Nobody But Me (Deluxe Version). He is a four-time winner in the category.

13. Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Triplicate. This gives the music legend a 55-year span of GRAMMY nominations. He received his first nomination for 1962, when his debut album was up for Best Folk Recording. Dylan received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 1991.

14. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga's Joanne is among the nominees for Best Pop Vocal Album. She won in this category seven years ago for The Fame Monster. Gaga is vying to become the third two-time winner in the category's history, following Kelly Clarkson and Adele.

15. Kraftwerk

Electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk are nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album for the second time for 3-D The Catalogue. The German group was first nominated in this category 12 years ago for Minimum-Maximum. 3-D The Catalogue is also nominated for Best Surround Sound Album. Electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk are nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album for the second time for 3-D The Catalogue. The German group was first nominated in this category 12 years ago for Minimum-Maximum. 3-D The Catalogue is also nominated for Best Surround Sound Album. Kraftwerk received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2014.

16. Leonard Cohen, Chris Cornell

Leonard Cohen and Chris Cornell are posthumously nominated for Best Rock Performance. Another late, great artist, David Bowie, won the award posthumously last year for "Blackstar."

17. Body Count

Body Count are vying for Best Metal Performance for "Black Hoodie." Bandleader Ice-won a GRAMMY 27 years ago for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group, for his featured role on the title song from Quincy Jones' album, Back On The Block. He's vying to become the first artist to win in both of these categories.

18. Best Metal Performance

Each of the five bands vying for Best Metal Performance — August Burns Red, Body Count, Code Orange, Mastodon, and Meshuggah — is looking to bring home their first GRAMMY Award.

19. Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters are nominated for Best Rock Song for "Run." The group won in the category six years ago for their similarly titled song "Walk." In addition, group members Dave Grohl and Pat Smear shared the 2013 award in that category for "Cut Me Some Slack," a collaboration with Paul McCartney and Krist Novoselic.

20. Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire lands their fifth nomination for Best Alternative Music Album for Everything Now. Only one other group or duo has amassed five or more nominations in this category. Radiohead have had eight.

21. LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem's American Dream is nominated for Best Alternative Music Album. The group's first two albums, LCD Soundsystem and Sound Of Silver, were nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

22. Kali Uchis

Kali Uchis receives her first GRAMMY nomination for Best R&B Performance for her featured role on Daniel Caesar's "Get You." At the recent Latin GRAMMY Awards, she received a Record Of The Year nod for "El Ratico," a collaboration with Juanes, who is also a current GRAMMY nominee.

23. The Weeknd

The Weeknd's Starboy is among the nominees for Best Urban Contemporary Album. The Weeknd's previous album, Beauty Behind The Madness, won in the category two years ago. He is vying to become the first two-time winner in the category.

24. Ledisi

Ledisi's Let Love Rule is nominated for Best R&B Album. This is Ledisi's fourth nomination in this category. She was previously nominated for Lost & Found, Turn Me Loose and Pieces Of Me. Ledisi was nominated for Best New Artist 10 years ago.

25. Bruno Mars, Best R&B Album

Bruno Mars' 24K Magic is nominated for Best R&B Album. Mars won Best Pop Vocal Album four years ago for Unorthodox Jukebox. He is vying to become the first artist to win in both of these categories.

Bruno Mars wins 2014 Best Pop Vocal Album GRAMMY

26. Cardi B

"Bodak Yellow" brings Cardi B her first GRAMMY nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. The title is a play on its musical inspiration: Kodak Black's 2014 hip-hop hit "No Flockin."

27. Jay-Z, Best Rap Album

Jay-Z's 4:44 is nominated for Best Rap Album. Jay-Z won in that category 19 years ago for Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life. If he wins, he'll have the longest span of wins in the category's history. Eminem currently holds that distinction, with a 15-year span of wins in the category.

28. Rapsody

Rapsody's Laila's Wisdom is nominated for Best Rap Album. Rapsody is the fifth female solo artist to be nominated in this category, following Missy Elliott (who has had four nominations in the category), Nicki Minaj (two) and Eve and Iggy Azalea (one each).

29. Tyler, The Creator

Tyler, The Creator's Flower Boy is up for Best Rap Album. It's his second GRAMMY nomination. He was nominated as a featured artist on Frank Ocean's Channel Orange, which was an Album Of The Year contender five years ago.

30. Alison Krauss

Alison Krauss is nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for "Losing You" and Best American Roots Performance for "I Never Cared For You." Krauss is currently tied with Quincy Jones for the second most wins in GRAMMY history with 27. The late classical conductor Sir Georg Solti is the long-time GRAMMY leader, with 31 awards.

31. Little Big Town

Little Big Town are seeking their third win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "Better Man." The group won for "Pontoon" (2012) and "Girl Crush" (2015).

Little Big Town Win Best Country Duo/Group Performance

32. Taylor Swift, Best Country Song

Taylor Swift is vying to win for her third GRAMMY for Best Country Song. She is nominated for writing the Little Big Town hit, "Better Man." Swift previously won for co-writing "White Horse" and writing "Mean." She would become only the second three-time winner in the category. Josh Kear won for co-writing the Carrie Underwood hits "Before He Cheats" and "Blown Away" and the Lady Antebellum hit "Need You Now."

33. Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne are among the writers of two of this year's nominees for Best Country Song. They co-wrote Sam Hunt's "Body Like A Back Road" and Midland's "Drinkin' Problem." McAnally and Osborne won in this category four years ago for co-writing Kacey Musgraves' "Merry Go 'Round."

34. Chris Stapleton

Chris Stapleton is nominated for Best Country Album for From A Room: Volume 1. He won in the category two years ago for Traveller. Stapleton is vying to become the first male solo artist to win two awards in this category since the late Roger Miller did it more than 50 years ago.

Chris Stapleton Wins Best Country Album

35. Indie.Arie

Indie.Arie's SongVersation: Medicine is nominated for Best New Age Album. She won Best R&B Album 15 years ago for Voyage To India. India.Arie is vying to become the first artist to win in both of these categories.

36. Jazzmeia Horn, Alex Han, Pascal Le Boeuf

Three alumni of the GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session receive their first GRAMMY nominations. Jazzmeia Horn is nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album, Alex Han for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album and Pascal Le Boeuf for Best Instrumental Composition. The GRAMMY Museum program is designed for outstanding high school jazz musicians.

37. CeCe Winans

CeCe Winans lands two nominations for Best Gospel Album for Let Them Fall In Love and Best Gospel Performance/Song for "Never Have To Be Alone." These are Winans' first nominations in seven years. The gospel great is a 10-time GRAMMY winner.

38. Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire's Sing It Now: Songs Of Faith & Hope is among the nominees for Best Roots Gospel Album. This marks her first nod in the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Field. She has 13 previous Country Field nominations and one prior Music Video/Film Field nod.

39. Shakira

Shakira's El Dorado is among the nominees for Best Latin Pop Album. Shakira won in that category 17 years ago for Shakira — MTV Unplugged. She is vying to become the first female artist to win twice in this category.

40. Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell is nominated for Best American Roots Performance for "Arkansas Farmboy." This gives the late music legend a 50-year span of GRAMMY nominations. He received six nominations (including four awards) for 1967 for his classic hits "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "Gentle On My Mind." Campbell received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2012.

Glen Campbell: Lifetime Achievement Award Acceptance

41. Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit

Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit's The Nashville Sound is nominated for Best Americana Album. Isbell won in this category two years ago for his previous album, Something More Than Free. Isbell is vying to become the second two-time winner in this category, following Levon Helm.

42. The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album for Blue & Lonesome. They won Best Rock Album 23 years ago for Voodoo Lounge. They are vying to become the first artist to win in both of these categories.

43. Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Yusuf/Cat Stevens lands his first GRAMMY nomination, more than 50 years after he released his first album. He is nominated for Best Folk Album for The Laughing Apple.

44. Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley

Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is among the nominees for Best Reggae Album for Stony Hill. With two prior category wins, he's looking to join his brother Stephen Marley as a three-time Best Reggae Album winner. Another brother, Ziggy Marley, has the most wins in the category with seven.

45. Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is nominated in two categories with different albums. Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration is nominated for Best World Music Album. Songs Of Peace & Love For Kids & Parents Around The World is nominated for Best Children's Album.

46. Lisa Loeb

Lisa Loeb is nominated for Best Children's Album for Feel What U Feel. It's her second GRAMMY nomination. She was nominated 23 years ago for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for "Stay (I Missed You)," a chart-topping hit with her group, Nine Stories.

47. Carrie Fisher

The late Carrie Fisher scores her second GRAMMY nomination for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling) for The Princess Diarist. The Star Wars actress was nominated in the same category eight years ago for Wishful Drinking.

48. Bernie Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) earns his first GRAMMY nomination alongside actor Mark Ruffalo for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling) for the audio version of his book, Our Revolution: A Future To Believe In. Sanders is the fourth politician to be nominated in this category this decade, following fellow Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter (the 2015 winner).

49. Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen receives his 50th GRAMMY nomination for Born To Run, which is among the nominees for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling). The audiobook shares its title with Springsteen's classic 1975 album, which was voted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2003.

50. Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman is nominated for Best Comedy Album for A Speck Of Dust. She is vying to become the fifth female comic to win in this category, following Elaine May (who won for a collaboration with Mike Nichols), Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg, and Kathy Griffin.

51. Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are nominated for Best Musical Theater Album as composers/lyricists and co-producers of Dear Evan Hansen. They're also nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media for "City Of Stars" from La La Land (which they co-wrote with Justin Hurwitz). They previously won a Tony Award for Dear Evan Hansen and an Academy Award for "City Of Stars."

52. Hello, Dolly!

The New Broadway Cast Recording of Hello, Dolly!, starring Bette Midler, is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album. It's the third time a cast album from this durable show has been nominated. An album from the original production, starring Carol Channing, was nominated for 1964. An album from a previous revival, also starring Channing, was nominated for 1995.

53. Justin Hurwitz

Composer Justin Hurwitz's four nominations stemming from the hit film La La Land mark his second try for GRAMMY gold. He was up for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media for his work on Whiplash two years ago. Hurwitz worked with director Damien Chazelle on both films.

54. Game Of Thrones: Season 7

Game Of Thrones: Season 7 is nominated for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media. It's vying to become the first TV soundtrack to win in this category since Mission: Impossible won 50 years ago. Ramin Djawadi is the composer of Game Of Thrones. Lalo Schifrin did the honors on Mission: Impossible.

55. Common, Diane Warren

Common and Diane Warren are nominated for Best Song Written For Visual Media for their collaboration, "Stand Up For Something," from Marshall. Both songwriters are past winners in the category. Common won two years ago for co-writing "Glory" from Selma. Warren won 21 years ago for writing "Because You Loved Me" from Up Close & Personal.

56. Taylor Swift, Best Song Written For Visual Media

Taylor Swift, another nominee for Best Song Written For Visual Media, is also a past winner in that category. Swift, nominated this year for co-writing "I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)," won five years ago for co-writing "Safe And Sound" from The Hunger Games.

57. Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris receives his first Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nomination. Harris won his first GRAMMY five years ago for "We Found Love," his smash collaboration with Rihanna. They shared the award for Best Short Form Music Video.

58. Greg Kurstin

Greg Kurstin, last year's winner for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, is nominated in that category again this year. He's vying to become the first producer to win it two years in a row since Babyface won it three years running from 1995 through 1997.

Greg Kurstin wins Producer Of The Year GRAMMY

59. Producer Of The Year, Classical

The Producer Of The Year, Classical category comprises five producers with previous nods in the category. Morten Lindberg, who now has 24 total GRAMMY nominations, is seeking his first win. Blanton Alspaugh, Manfred Eicher, David Frost, and Judith Sherman have each won the category previously.

60. Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar: Best Music Video

Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar are each vying for their second award in the Best Music Video category. Jay-Z, who is nominated for "The Story Of O.J.," won four years ago for "Suit & Tie," a collaboration with Justin Timberlake. Lamar, nominated for "HUMBLE.," won two years ago for "Bad Blood," a collaboration with Taylor Swift. To date, just four artists have won twice in this category: Peter Gabriel, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Johnny Cash.

The 60th GRAMMY Awards will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Jan. 28, 2018, airing live on CBS from 7:30–11 p.m. ET/4:30–8 p.m. PT.

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Best Reggae Album nominees, 60th GRAMMY Awards Photos: WireImage.com

Who Will Win Best Reggae Album?

60th GRAMMYs - Best Gospel Album Poll
BEST GOSPEL ALBUM NOMINEES, 60TH GRAMMY AWARDS PHOTOS: WIREIMAGE.COM

Who Will Win Best Gospel Album?

60th GRAMMY Awards Song Of The Year nominees
Song Of The Year nominees, 60th GRAMMY Awards Photos: WireImage.com

Who Will Win The Song Of The Year GRAMMY?

60th GRAMMY Best Metal Performance
Best Metal Performance nominees, 60th GRAMMY Awards Photos: WireImage.com

Who Will Win Best Metal Performance?

Best Dance Recording Nominees, 60th GRAMMY Awards
Nominees For Best Dance Recording, 60th GRAMMY Awards
Photos: WireImage.com

Who Will Win Best Dance Recording?

GRAMMYs

Who Will Win Best New Artist?

Best R&B Performance nominees
(L-R) Kehlani, Bruno Mars, Ledisi, Kali Uchis, SZA, Daniel Caesar

Who Will Win Best R&B Performance?

60th GRAMMY Awards: Best Alternative Music Album Nominees
60th GRAMMYs: Best Alternative Music Album Nominees
Photos: Getty Images/WireImage.com

Who Will Win Best Alternative Music Album?

GRAMMYs

Who Will Win Best Pop Vocal Album?

(Paul Grein is a veteran music journalist and historian whose work appears regularly at Yahoo.com and Hitsdailydouble.com.)

(GRAMMY.com staff members Renée Fabian, Brian Haack, Nate Hertweck, Tim McPhate, and Philip Merrill contributed to this article.)

Ed Sheeran photographed in 2017

Ed Sheeran

Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU/Getty Images

Feature
What Do Great Love Songs Have In Common? what-makes-ultimate-love-song

What Makes The Ultimate Love Song?

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Whether it's "Shape Of You," "You Belong With Me," "I Will Always Love You," "Un-Break My Heart," or "Earth Angel," go inside the anatomy of a great love song
Chuck Crisafulli
GRAMMYs
Feb 14, 2018 - 12:16 pm

The Beatles proclaimed that it was all you needed. Whitney Houston sang that she'd found the greatest of all. Kendrick Lamar rapped that it made him feel as powerful as Mike Tyson. And Bruno Mars insists that it's best served with strawberry champagne on ice.

Watch: GRAMMY Winners Name Favorite Love Songs

The element in question is, of course, love — an emotion potent enough to have inspired all manner of singers and songwriters for centuries. Words of love were set to music by the poets of ancient Greece and Rome, and passionate desire was a popular topic for medieval troubadours. The earliest example of a recorded voice is an 1860 phonautograph recording of "Au Clair De Lune," a traditional French folk song that is arguably about a late-night romantic encounter.

Whether spoken or sung, "I love you" would seem to be a fairly straightforward statement, but the feelings and circumstances behind those words can be complicated, which would explain why love songs come in an uncanny number of varieties.

There are songs for brand-new love (Ed Sheeran's "Shape Of You"); love that's stood the test of time (George Gershwin's much-covered "Our Love Is Here To Stay"); breakup songs (Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Getting Back Together"); make-up songs (Peaches And Herb's "Reunited"); songs that express love as something selfless and noble (Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You") and songs that express love as something a little more physical (Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing").

Love has clearly served as a well-tapped source of inspiration, but not all loves — and not all loves songs — are equal. While some love songs endure as classics — happily danced to at generations of weddings — plenty of others fade as quickly as a bad first date. Just a few bars of the best love songs can make hearts swell and eyes tear up, while other more-syrupy contenders induce cringes of horror or shrugs of indifference.

So, what is it that makes a great love song great?

"What makes a love song great is what makes any song great — you have to feel it, " says Diane Warren, a GRAMMY-winning songwriter who has added to the love song canon with such hits as "Because You Loved Me," sung by Celine Dion, "Un-Break My Heart, " sung by Toni Braxton, "There You'll Be," sung by Faith Hill, and the Cher No. 1 single "If I Could Turn Back Time."

"I think a great love song obviously has to have great lyrics and great content," says GRAMMY nominee Thomas Rhett, writer of romantic ditties such as "Sweetheart." "But I think sometimes, above that, melody is what attracts people."

"[A] perfect melody is always good because it allows you to dance to something that you've never felt before," says Anthony Hamilton, whose love song catalog includes "So In Love" with fellow GRAMMY winner Jill Scott. "Great lyrics and the perfect vocal tone [are also] very important."

"The best love songs are something that someone hears and it instantly becomes theirs," Warren adds. "Listeners might have their own unique experience of why a certain song means something to them, but if it's meaningful enough it becomes a part of their own personal soundtrack. In a way, a love song is a canvas that you paint yourself onto, and when a truly great love song comes along, everybody feels they can paint themselves onto it. It becomes a part of everybody's inner life."

"It's writing about something that everybody can relate to but looking at it at a slightly different angle," says Shelly Peiken, a GRAMMY-nominated songwriter who has collaborated with Britney Spears, Keith Urban and Celine Dion, among others. "So when your audience hears it, they go, 'I know how that feels and I never thought about it that way.'"

Perhaps no one has had more experience playing personal soundtracks in public than disc jockey Art Laboe, who is currently in his 74th year as an on-air personality. His syndicated program, "The Art Laboe Connection," regularly mixes love songs from every decade since the '50s, and a long-time signature feature of Laboe's program has been the listener dedications he reads as song intros. Laboe agrees that the most powerful and popular love songs have always had a way of connecting with listeners in a uniquely intimate way. 

"The one thing that's been true through the decades that I've been on is that the great love songs feel personal to each listener," says Laboe. "I don't think there's any one way to make that happen, because musically and lyrically love songs can come from all sorts of directions. But with the ones that really work there's something in them that moves a person beyond the actual melody or the vocalist's performance or the quality of the production, and the big songs that really last continue to move people in that personal way."

As evidence of just how lasting a love song can be, Laboe cites the fact that he still receives weekly requests for "Earth Angel," a No. 1 hit for the doo-wop group the Penguins back in 1955. He points to a more contemporary artist — Swift — to explain how an artist's personal, musical expression can connect with the public at-large.

"She's a talented writer who can come up with something like 'You Belong With Me,'" says Laboe. "That song goes sailing out there and smacks right into the bulls-eye of what a lot of people are feeling, or have felt, or can relate to. Just about everybody — man or woman — has had the experience of looking at somebody else you're interested in and thinking what the song is saying. So Taylor Swift may have been writing about something very specific and personal to her, but she ended up with a song that millions and millions of people felt personally connected to in their own way."

"A very important ingredient in a love song is pain," adds GRAMMY winner Gillian Welch. "Because even when love is good and true, there's part of it that's painful."

Emotional considerations aside, the writing of a love song requires craft and technical skill. But Warren says her best work can't simply be summoned through craft alone — it comes when she feels as moved at the beginning of the creative process as a listener might be by the finished recording.

"On a technical level, every song is an individual and what works for one song might not work for another," she says. "Sometimes I'll start writing with a title in mind, or have some chords to work with. Sometimes I've got a basic concept for a song. But the main thing is that I have to feel something as I'm writing it. If I don't feel something, that song isn't going to be great. And if it seems like more of an exercise than a real expression of emotion, I'm probably not even going to finish writing it. But if I feel moved just getting to work on something, then there's a good chance it's going to move somebody else too."

Love songs — even the great ones — can become so familiar that it may be easy to underestimate their effect on both individuals and entire cultures. But at least one historian with a keen understanding of the evolution of love songs contends that their power to move, and the specific way they get people to move, should not be dismissed.

"What makes a love song great is what makes any song great — you have to feel it." — Diane Warren

"People are wrong to view these songs as mere entertainment or escapism," says Ted Gioia, author of Love Songs: The Hidden History. "The purpose of a successful love song is to create love. The first love songs were part of fertility rites and they aimed at changing the world, not just describing it. When the Beatles sang 'All You Need Is Love' or John Coltrane performed A Love Supreme, they wanted to transform the world in which they lived. And on a personal level, many of us would not be here today if our parents hadn't heard a love song at the right time and place. Those love songs aren't just life-changing, they are life-creating."

Catching Up On Music News By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

(Chuck Crisafulli is an L.A.-based journalist and author whose most recent works include Go To Hell: A Heated History Of The Underworld, Me And A Guy Named Elvis, Elvis: My Best Man, and Running With The Champ: My Forty-Year Friendship With Muhammad Ali.)

Lorde

Lorde

Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

News
Who Are The Most Influential Women Musicians? lorde-amy-winehouse-lana-del-rey-more-named-most-influential-women-musicians-century

Lorde, Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey & More Named Most Influential Women Musicians Of This Century

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NPR listeners voted for the most inspiring female artists, what do you think of the list?
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 21, 2018 - 10:41 am

Three weeks ago NPR asked its listeners who they think are the most influential female musicians currently making waves of change. The question inspired over a thousand fans to participate in the poll and on Nov. 20, they shared the top 25 artists from the responses, which put GRAMMY winners Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Taylor Swift in the top five, along with more current-day sheroes, among them fellow GRAMMY winners Lorde, Amy Winehouse and St. Vincent and GRAMMY nominees Janelle Monáe, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande.

Watch Camila Cabello Speak Up For Dreamers

The list also includes GRAMMY winners P!nk, Alicia Keys and Adele and GRAMMY nominees Florence + the Machine, Sia, Halsey, Cardi B, Kesha, Kehlani, Demi Lovato, Lana Del Rey and Katy Perry.

NPR highlighted that while most of these talented artists fall under the umbrella of popstars, their style and influence is far from cookie-cutter, with authenticity playing a prominent role in responders' answers. In NPR's words: "While the majority of the artists you picked are pop singers, your comments show that this commonality doesn't mean they all exert influence in the same way. You remarked on artists' command of their instruments…their inventiveness around genre; their ability to be honest and authentic in their songwriting."

Others on the list include M.I.A., whose hit "Paper Planes" took over the airwaves in 2008, along with Camila Cabello, whose debut single as a solo artist took over the airwaves in 2017, as well as rising star Hayley Kiyoko, who sits at No. 4 on their list, although she only released her debut album, Expectations, earlier this year.

Hayley Kiyoko On 'Expectations' & "What I Need"

The poll also solicited comments from voters. "[Kiyoko] has influenced an entire new generation of youth to be comfortable with their own sexualities and does this with dreamy pop music that lifts spirits," Manpreet told NPR.

Another response pointed to the importance of Beyoncé, who took first place on the list, as a role model for young black girls. "Her mere presence is enough to encourage young black girls to strive for greatness," fan Niharika Palakodety said. "She doesn't shy away from saying things as they are, and her focus on every detail of her music makes it that much more important." 

The superstar herself seems deeply aware of this, which she reflected on during her acceptance speech for Best Urban Contemporary Album for her groundbreaking Lemonade at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. A then-pregnant, glowing-goddess Beyoncé shared during the show:

Beyoncé wins Best Urban Contemporary Album GRAMMY

"It's important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty, so they can grow up in a world where they look in the mirror, first through their own families, as well as the news, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the White House and the GRAMMYs, and see themselves and have no doubt that they're beautiful, intelligent and capable. This is something I want for every child of every race."

Rosalía Shouts-Out Lauryn Hill, Kate Bush And More Women During Latin GRAMMY Speech

Harry Styles onstage in 2017

Harry Styles

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

News
Vote: Which Summer '18 Concert Are You Going To? taylor-swift-jay-z-beyonc%C3%A9-harry-styles-hottest-summer-tour-poll

Taylor Swift, Jay Z & Beyoncé, Harry Styles: Hottest Summer Tour | Poll

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From Kesha & Mackelmore and The Championship Tour to Shakira and Def Leppard & Journey, which summer tour do you have circled on your calendar?
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
May 25, 2018 - 8:20 am

It's here. That's right, with Memorial Day upon us, it's time to start basking in those #summervibes. And the perfect complement for some sun and fun? It's got to be a summer concert.

Polls

Which tour is your must-see summer 2018 concert?

It just so happens that the summer 2018 touring calendar is positively stacked — whether it's hip-hop jams, pop smashes, classic rock, country fun, or hips that don't lie that you seek, there's a show for you.

No doubt one of the hottest tickets his summer, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are set to launch their On The Run II tour, hitting select stadiums in the U.S. starting June 25 in Cleveland. Speaking of stadiums, Taylor Swift promises to pack them in during her summer tour in support of Reputation, with Camila Cabello and Charli XCX in tow.

"Photograph," "Don't Stop Believin'" … hits, hits and more hits will be the recipe for arguably the classic rock bill of the summer in Def Leppard & Journey. The titans will be crisscrossing the U.S. through October.

Find out what makes Luke Bryan country during his What Makes You Country tour. The singer/songwriter will "Light It Up" with hits such as "Strip It Down" and "Crash My Party" in stadiums and amphitheaters all summer long.

Get ready for another must-see hang with G-Eazy. The Oakland, Calif.-based rapper is teaming with Lil Uzi Vert and Ty Dolla $ign for his 2018 The Endless Summer Tour, which will commence July 20 in Auburn, Wash.

Ready to go toe-to-toe with Tog Dawg's best? The Championship Tour will ring the bell with an all-star lineup from the label's roster, including Kendrick Lamar, SZA, SchoolBoyQ, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul. The trek, which kicked off in May, is going strong through June.

She'll bring plenty of pop and he'll spit the bars. Together it will add up to some big-time adventure. Kesha and Macklemore will tag-team for The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore Tour in support of Rainbow and Gemini, respectively — all coming to you starting June 6 in Phoenix.

Shakira is saving the U.S. leg of her El Dorado World Tour for the hottest month of the summer: August. The Latin GRAMMY-winning "Whenever, Wherever" icon will bring the heat starting Aug. 3 in Chicago, wrapping Sept. 6 in San Jose, Calif.

Harry Styles is winding down his tour in support of his acclaimed self-titled debut album. The "Sign Of The Times" singer/songwriter will be back in the States on June 5 in Dallas before winding up in Los Angeles on July 14. As if you needed some extra incentive, GRAMMY winner Kacey Musgraves will be opening.

Before you fire up the grill and unofficially kick off summer this Memorial Day weekend, we want to know: Which show is your hot ticket for summer 2018? Cast your vote in our poll and stay cool.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

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