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GRAMMYs

X Ambassadors

Photo by Lauren Kallen

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Interview: X Ambassadors' Sam Harris x-ambassadors-want-redefine-what-it-means-be-band

X Ambassadors Want To Redefine What It Means To Be A Band

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Sam Harris sits down with the Recording Academy to talk about X Ambassadors' sophomore effort, 'Orion,' working with mega-producer Ricky Reed on 'For The Throne' and how mind-blowing it is to write songs with Lizzo
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
May 3, 2019 - 11:00 am

Ever since the release of early singles like "Strangers" and "Litost," X Ambassadors have been a tricky group to classify. When the Ithaca three-piece initially came together in 2009, it would've been easy to dub them as a traditional rock band, but time and a series of surprising partnerships have upended that categorization and revealed a chameleonic sonic range.

Over the last decade, lead singer Sam Harris, brother Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin have revealed an extraordinary ability to participate in a number of popular genres. While part of this is imbued in shape-shifting singles like the piano-led ballad "Unsteady" and the rapidfire romp "The Devil You Know," the bulk of their adaptability comes through via some high-profile collaborations. Take the moody 2016 single "Sucker For Pain," which shows up on the "Suicide Squad" soundtrack and features Lil Wayne, plus X Ambassadors, Wiz Khalifa, Logic, Ty Dolla $ign and Imagine Dragons. Then there's the trudging 2017 single "Home" where the trio pops up with hip-hop performer Machine Gun Kelly and pop singer Bebe Rexha. Meanwhile, on 2016's "Low Life," the band subverts genre again with guests A$AP Ferg and British singer/songwriter Jamie N Commons.

Nowadays, X Ambassadors are readying their second album, Orion (arriving on June 14 via IDinaKORNER/Interscope Records) and have released a couple of arena-ready singles ("HEY CHILD" and "BOOM"), which showcase the band's supple, radio-ready sound. But when it comes to alliances, they've gained more visibility than ever. The trio contributed three tracks to Lizzo's most recent album, Cuz I Love You, and Sam even collaborated with mega-producer Ricky Reed (Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony) in writing and producing for For the Throne: Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones, which features Maren Morris, The National, Ellie Goulding, and more notable names

Ahead of Orion's release, we sat down with Sam to talk about his fruitful working relationship with Reed (who also produced their sophomore effort), how he'd like to see X Ambassadors redefine what it means to be a band and a producing/songwriting collective, his immense respect for Lizzo, and the need for diversity in alternative music. 

You’ve said that your single "HEY CHILD" comes from a personal place, specifically it’s about growing apart from a lifelong friend. How did you decide on that angle for the song?

Sam Harris: Yeah, I mean, it's so funny. I like [that] most of these songs that end up being these personal songs. It was not an easy road to go down, but I'd had the chorus written already and I had different verses. I played it for Ricky Reed, who executive produced our record and produced a lot of tracks on it. And he was like, "I love this song. I love the music. I love the chorus. [But] I don't really know what song’s about, you know? I wish you could put a little more of yourself in there."

So, we talked about it and then I told him, "Well, this is a love letter to my friend who I've become so estranged from and really miss, who's really struggling and I can't talk to right now." And he's like, "You should write about that." So I did. I went back and rewrote the verses and told our story. This is one of my best friends since I was five years old. It's the feeling of that love and dedication. I feel like a lot of songs [operate] within the context of a romantic relationship, and this is just as potent, in my view. Friendships are very similar to a lot of romantic relationships. They require work, they require attention. They can break your heart. I care a lot about this person still, even though we aren't really on a speaking basis right now.

I really appreciate you telling me that, and I agree. I actually wish there were more songs that describe how friendships change.

Harris: Yeah. And I know myself, too. I was literally just talking to my fiance about this. I can be a very codependent person. That's my whole life; I've kind of struggled with that and fought against it and given into it again. That's a big part of the song and a big part of why the disillusion of this relationship hit me so hard. Because I realized I couldn't really help this person anymore.

I read that the "BOOM" artwork is written in braille. You know, I actually didn't realize that your brother and bandmate Casey Harris was born with only 10% of his vision. Why did this feel like a good time to lean into that, conceptually?

Harris: Yeah. He's visually impaired, he was born blind. Yeah, it's something a lot of people don't know about.

I think what we're trying to embrace on this album is that it's part of our DNA, and it's the part that maybe we've subconsciously kind of kept hidden, and I don't really know why. Probably because, I think at least for me, I was always afraid of making it about the fact that he has a disability, rather than about the music. I'm obviously very protective of my big brother.

But on this album, the most important thing for us is to really try and show people who we are, not just make a record full of songs that can get on the radio or get a bunch of streams. We want to show people who we are as people and as human beings.

We're doing a lot of yellow on black [artwork]. My brother has a smartphone and has used computers, but he has to adapt it all so that the text is very, very large and bold in Arial black font, which is the same font that we used in all the artwork. And he reverses the contrast of it so that it's yellow on black, so he can see it better. Everything that we're doing now, I run by him. I showed him [the artwork for “Boom”] on a big screen and said, "Hey, can you see what this says or what the shape is?" I remember showing him the artwork for “Boom,” and even though it's not tactile, I showed it to him on the phone, and he was like, "Oh sh*t. That says 'BOOM.'"

Why does this feel like the right time to really show the world who you are? What prevented X Ambassadors from doing that earlier in your career?

Harris: I think we were still figuring it out. I'm 30 now. My brother's 32, and our drummer's also 30. I'm very happy to be this age, and I think I know myself better now. I mean, we made [our first record] when we were 24, 25. And the stuff before that, like, 22, 23. I just don't think I had as good of a sense of self back then, as I do now. It's just feeling a lot more confident in who you are and not being afraid to put that out there. That's why artists like Billie Eilish are so incredible, and she's so young. She's putting all of herself out there which is like so, so scary and so cool to watch her do that. And to be so unafraid to do that.

I mean, I think fear has to be there. But I think she just acknowledges it and says, "Okay, but I'm still going to do it, I'm still going to show people who I am even though it's scary."

Absolutely. You know, I’d also love to know how you got involved in producing and writing songs for For the Throne: Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones. That’s huge!

Harris: Yeah! We had a demo of this song called "Baptize Me," which is on the record now. I had sent it to A&R at Columbia, because I was like, it didn't fit the tone of our album that we're putting out. But I thought it was a great song, and I didn't know what to do with it, so I sent it to this A&R, and I was like, "What do you think? Do you think this could work on a soundtrack, or anything?” And then he sent it to Imran [Majid], the head of A&R at Columbia, who then showed it to Ricky Reed. He had already been tapped to executive produce the "Game of Thrones" soundtrack. Ricky was like, "I know Sam. Let me talk to him about this song, and about potentially writing some more stuff for the soundtrack."

He gave me a call and was like, "Would you be interested in this? Maybe we can get in, in a day and try to come up with a few ideas." Before I'd even hung up the phone I was working on something for it, and sent him a demo of another track: the beginning of what ended up becoming “King Of One.” Then I ended up co-writing eight songs on the soundtrack, and I'm listed as associate producer on it. It’s a pretty crazy journey.

Wow. Were you part of the team involved in narrowing down who would be best to sing each song?

Harris: Well, I had some involvement. I threw out suggestions. Every artist who is singing on these songs really contributed to the writing process, and to the creative process as a whole. Really it would boil down to who was willing to come in and help us finish this thing.

Our track "Baptize Me" featuring Jacob Banks—I really pushed hard to have him on that song. When I originally wrote that track, I actually wrote it for him.

Then the Chloe X Halle track “Wolf At Your Door” is one of my favorites on the soundtrack. They are so talented and so, so sweet. When I knew that we were going to be working with a lot of artists in the Sony system and in the Columbia roster, I knew that they were on Columbia. I said, "They would be such a cool addition to the soundtrack. We've got to get them on it." Ricky was like, "Cool, let’s make it happen." We ended up getting in together to write this song all together, and it was me and Ricky and the two of them in the room working on it.

OK, so, now that we’re a few episodes away from the series finale of Game Of Thrones, do you have any theories as to who will—or won’t—survive the war against Cersei?

Harris: You know, I could talk about it all day. I don't know. I go back and forth. Originally I was like, I think that Sansa Stark is going to somehow end up on the Iron Throne.

Yeah, she's going places.

Harris: But I don't know. Or it could just end in total death and chaos and disarray. The incredible thing about this show is that you really just have to stay on your toes. In other words, you can't predict anything. Sometimes the bad guys win. Look [what] we're seeing happen in our political climate in this country and all over the world. Sometimes the bad guys are winning. It's something that the show doesn't shy away from.

Totally. But hey, to pivot back to songwriting for a second, you and the rest of X Ambassadors also collaborated with Lizzo on her new record. No big deal. How did you end up connecting with her?

Harris: Yeah! We co-wrote and produced three tracks on her record, “Cuz I Love You,” “Jerome” and “Heaven Help Me,” and that was so fun. I just was such a f**king fan, she's so good. I'd heard her music a couple of years ago, I was obsessed with the Coconut Oil EP. Then she put “Water Me” out, and I was just like, "Ooh.”

I just told my manager and his team, "Get me in a room with her if there's any way, please." Eventually that ended up happening. [X Ambassadors] was starting to do some production work as a band for some other artists, and felt like this is something we really like, and we're good at, and we want to continue, and let's try it out and get in a session with Lizzo.

So it was the three of us and her in a room all together. That day we wrote "Jerome," which is one of my favorite things I think we've done. Watching her write is ... I've never seen anything like it before. She just is so open and so good, and so, so on f**king point. Everything she was doing was great. She knows herself so well, and that is such a strength when you're coming into a room to write a song.

Then a couple of months later she hit me up, like, "Let's get back in and write some more." So we ended up writing "Heaven Help Me" and "Cuz I Love You" in literally the same day. I met Ricky Reed through her; he was working on her record, and she signed to his label Nice Life, through Atlantic. Ricky was producing her record, and he was like, "Man, I really love what you're doing with Lizzo, we should get in and write some time." And we ended up making our whole album together.

Wow. Is songwriting and producing for other artists something you’d like to keep doing? Do you have any projects in the works, or anyone you really want to work with moving forward?

Harris: Yeah, I mean, we’re always looking to work with more people. We would like to redefine what it is to be a band in today's world. I know a lot of writing teams of people who are all songwriters, and all musicians, and they all get together, and they all write songs together with other artists, and write and produce for other artists. I look at them, and I'm like, "Well, that's a band. They just happen to be making all this music and have different lead singers come in and write with them, and why can't we do that too? We’re a band. We put out our own music, yes, but we can also become a production and writing team, and that can be a part of our signature sound."

And I also just love working with different voices and different perspectives. That's what excites me. That's what turns me on. I love that sh*t. I can't express how important it is I think in general to just have more perspectives and more voices. ... Especially in the world of alternative rock.

I think it's a subject that gets skirted around and hasn't been addressed directly too many times. I think that it is definitely why the genre feels a little stale right now. Not to say that there aren't so many incredible alternative musicians coming out right now, and it’s not a diverse field. It's just, the ones who are getting the most attention are white dudes. [Alternative rock] is a very white male-dominated genre, and that's not really good for a genre. You look at pop, you look at urban, and you look at R&B, and it's all very diverse now. Even country is starting to diversify a little bit.

But that's also a slower climb, too. I think that where, we're at right now, we really love beginning to explore our sound and figure out ways to redefine ourselves. Also, to speak our truth as a band and explore, and also try to elevate other voices that we find really compelling and interesting.

Going back to Lizzo, working with her was just such an honor and a pleasure for that very reason. Because she just is so, so compelling and such a unique voice. From the very beginning we just all thought, "This is someone who is just a star. She's a star."

Music Is Coming: Composer Ramin Djawadi Looks Back On Eight Epic Seasons Of 'Game Of Thrones'

GRAMMYs

Ricky Reed

Photo by Chantal Anderson

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Ricky Reed Invites You Into 'The Room' ricky-reed-invites-you-room-where-it-happened

Ricky Reed Invites You Into 'The Room' Where It Happened

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The Los Angeles producer and songwriter talks to GRAMMY.com about his new "solo" album and what it took to get inspired to make music again
Brennan Carley
GRAMMYs
Aug 28, 2020 - 8:51 am

When Los Angeles-based producer and songwriter Ricky Reed appears on Zoom in early August, it feels no different than his new normal pandemic routine. The GRAMMY-winning musician has, since the early days of quarantine here in the U.S., invited fans to take a magnifying glass to his process in regular live streams (cheekily called "Nice Live" in a wink to the name of his record label, Nice Life) with artists, singers, songwriters, producers, instrumentalists, mental health experts and fans alike. The streams have provided an urgent way for a creative community and fandom to gather and support each other when gathering in-person is still inadvisable. They’ve also been a beacon of hope for brighter days ahead.

And the Nice Live streams were not only a window into the world of one of the most in-demand hitmakers in Hollywood—including Lizzo’s "Truth Hurts" and recent beloved collaborations with Maggie Rogers, Halsey, Leon Bridges, Kesha, Camila Cabello and more—but also the springboard Reed needed to help him gather the materials for his first "solo" album in seven years, The Room. Though prior Reed solo material featured his vocals, The Room adopts his new chosen family as contributors and guiding voices throughout, including Bridges, Alessia Cara, Dirty Projectors, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Terrace Martin, Kiana Ledé, St. Panther and more.

The result is a 10-song album radiating with warmth and hope at a time when we need those things the most. "Real Magic" finds joy and light in the mundane. "Fav Boy" brilliantly pairs Alessia Cara and John-Robert on one of the year’s most connective duets. Bridges and Ledé intertwine emotional vocals on the smooth, stunning "Better." At every turn, The Room does what Reed himself does best: it not only supports its myriad guests, it elevates them to sweeping new heights.

Earlier this month, Ricky Reed spoke with us about The Room, helping Lizzo tell her story for the past half-decade and the lessons we should all be learning from the ongoing global pandemic.

How are things?

We're stable and safe. Seven is the new 10, you know? I was going to say I can't complain, but I don't subscribe to that. I think that everybody should be allowed to grieve the changes to their own life. Empathy is not finite, right? So you can grieve your own situation or the changes in your life, even if you don't have it as bad as other people, and you can still have empathy for them too.

Plus having conversations like this help us unpack those changes. And making music—like you’ve done with this new album, The Room—seems like it’s done that for you too.

I didn't know that I was doing sessions for the album until I was halfway done with it. When the shit hit the fan, just like every other knucklehead in the music industry, I was like, "I know what to do: live stream, along with 1000 of my peers." In an anxious or a depressed state, my response is overfunctioning—planning, checklists, tasks. The live stream started as this... maybe unhealthy outlet that I was using to escape the terror that was all around, and the walls that were caving in.

10 streams in, I was doing this thing where I produce stuff on the spot and talk to people. And I'd gotten a keyboard part from my friend, Terrace Martin, earlier in the day. As I was sitting down for dinner with my family, I texted it to [singer, producer, and instrumentalist] St. Panther and just said, "If you can lay a vocal on this, I'll work on it tonight on the stream. People in the chat can hear your voice. It'd be cool exposure and I just need something to do." I had had a really rough week that week. This was like mid-April, so things were pretty heavy.

I listened to her vocals live on the air for the first time. The combination of the rough time I was having with how transcendent her vocal part was? It brought me to tears in the middle of a live stream. I cried in front of the whole community watching me. It just got me. It may have been the first time that I'd let myself cry since the pandemic had really hit in the States. It let me let my guard down—which as a father can be a really complicated thing.

I worked on the music the rest of that night, and I felt actually relieved. The process was an actual salve for me, as opposed to this escapism overfunctioning I had been doing. I was like, "I need to do more of this because this is actually good for me. And I need to make sure this comes out because if I could share this feeling that I'm having, this need for cracking yourself open, having a good cry or a good honest moment with yourself, and then maybe using that to find a little hope, I need to share this with other people." Over the weeks that would follow, it started to become evident to me that I was making my first album in seven years.

How did that song unlock what became the rest of The Room for you, creatively or otherwise?

I think I realized that live-streaming became a form of therapy for me because of the community that started to gather and galvanize around the music that I was making. They're just really amazing people that show up every week and hang out. I've continued to try to make the process more about tapping in, checking in with yourself and listening to your body. In realizing that it was therapy for me, I tried to let it be therapy for anyone else who needed it.

The music-making didn't change. What did change is that I started to also work on music not during the live streams, because then I had officially been bitten by the bug and things were getting progressively more intense. The heat was rising as we moved into summer, including the untimely death of George Floyd. The social progress movement happening in this country is incredible and long overdue, but obviously with it comes even more heat and tension and the expenditure of emotional energy. So I felt like I had more to say, and I also needed to process. So music-making started happening in the daytime too.

Were you having conversations with yourself about like, "Is now the right time for this?"

Oh yeah, major. It was interesting because this album was made as a response to the pandemic, to put it plainly, and it's something that's given me some respite and some hope, and something that has helped keep me close to my community, my collaborators, my friends.

But there have been a lot of conversations with myself. Why do something, why do this now? Is this of any value? Are you adding to the conversation in any way? A white, cisgendered male putting out his art project in the middle of all this. Is it necessary?

With The Room, I decided that in place of how you would traditionally market an album, we’d put this art to practical use. When we released "Us," we tied it to a campaign which was focused on how lucky we are to still have the ones that we have around. Use this as an excuse to check in on relatives or friends or family you haven't spoken to in awhile. Then we launched the Room-Aid Community Fund with this organization called The Solutions Project. We're raising money for three amazing grassroots community organizations, each of which is tied to one of the singles. All three of these organizations do everything from fighting climate change, to creating green jobs and green spaces, like the Life Garden—all black and Brown and indigenous-owned or led groups.

This album was made by a community of people that I'm really grateful to be a part of. I want to make sure that through the process of telling this story, it's always community first.

Your life and career have only continued to blossom and expand since the last time we talked. What does it mean to you now, this many years into such a successful career, to be able to work with newer and underappreciated voices instead of just the A-listers I know you could be pulling into a project like this?

For me, it's music first, but it's also people first. Michael Sneed is a great example. I did the song [album-opener "Shipwreck"] with him, brought him on the live stream, and was like, "This guy is just great." I loved the music and also thought that we would click as people. From a career perspective, I spent a lot of time chasing down the legacy artists. That gives you something to talk about when you're home for Thanksgiving. You can say, "Oh, I worked with famous artist X." Maybe it's a little less cool to go home for Thanksgiving in 2014 and say, "I'm working with this band called twenty one pilots. They're going to be huge.” And they're like, "Oh, that's cool. Do you still talk to Pitbull?"

Everything about working with new artists is so exciting. Seeing St. Panther on the Michelle Obama playlist? That shit goes 10,000 times further for me than congratulations or back-patting from people about working on famous artist XYZ. I live for those moments.

Has the role you play as a producer changed in this all-digital moment—and as you focus on your own project instead of working with and for another artist?

The thing that was cool about doing these records remotely was that the artists are recording in their own spaces, on their own time. I would send most of them anywhere between three and 10 things. "Do any of these speak to you?", as opposed to, "I need you to cut a verse on this song here, and it should be about this." I'd say, "Whatever inspires you. The only rule is to be honest and be current. What are you feeling now?"

What that allowed for is these incredible performances and songwriting that is beyond reproach or critique from me. How am I going to tell an artist, "Be honest, do this at your home on your own time,” and then get it back and say, "Meh." The only times that there was workshopping with the artists would be: they would send me something, I'd say, "Oh my God, that gave me an idea. Well, what if we tried this? What if you pushed that 10% further? What's the idea that we're trying to say here?” Doing things remotely for a project like this was really nice, because it forced me to be hands off.

You’ve been running full speed for as long as I’ve known you. Did this project allow you to slow down and enjoy the process more, given the circumstances?

I have three small children now—a three-year-old and twin one-year-old boys. Home life is crazy. I have to do basically all my work late at night, but I am a lot more grounded. I'm a lot more centered in myself. And I'm listening to how I feel a lot more than I was for a lot of the last decade. That means some really, really hard days, and it means some really great days. I have a garden here at home that is a pretty big priority of mine. I make popcorn on the stove at three o'clock almost every day.

I almost wish that for the last 10 years I’d had some other things to do besides music, some other things that would help me tune into myself, because the process of making music is a lot more rewarding when you're not just able to be in a studio 12 hours a day. When I get that hour now, oh boy, I'm on fire and it feels great.

Now that we're firmly on the other end of Lizzo's groundbreaking album cycle and ensuing GRAMMY glory, can you sum up what it was like going through that time with her?

Bro. Man. My first number one song was "Truth Hurts." I think it's one of the first times in my career where success felt as good as everyone says it's supposed to feel. It was mind-boggling just to get the news of the nominations, let alone attend the GRAMMYs.

That night, I was in the fifth row, but right on the center aisle. Lizzo opened the show. For people who have never attended the GRAMMYs—most people, and myself until recently—the lights, the sound, the pyro, everything has to be 10000% overblown when you're in the room for it to actually look big and colorful and fun on TV. So to be at the GRAMMYs is a sensory overload, an explosive experience. To be in the fifth row, right on the catwalk, is so explosive that it's hard for your body to even handle what you're getting hit with.

To watch the artist that you signed and helped develop open the GRAMMYs 20 feet away from me with lights, and pyro, and choreography, and blaring music? I felt like my rib cage had split open and there was a beam of light shooting out of me to the sky. I was f**king screaming and tears were streaming down my face—I didn't realize that until afterwards. It was an actual out-of-body experience watching her perform at the GRAMMYs. And then when she thanked me, when she won on stage, I immediately wept. My whole upper body whipped forward uncontrollably and I cried into my hands when she said my name on stage. My body just took control and was overwhelmed by the whole thing. It was one of the most incredible nights of my life.

It's a reminder of why working with new artists is everything and I'm proud for that to be the lifeblood of my career.

This is the silliest question that anyone has likely ever asked you but: you'll continue working with her as long as she wants you to, right?

Completely. We are definitely continuing to rock, without saying too much. But at the same time, she is a true visionary, and part of what made her last album so special was that she executive produced it. She knew exactly what she wanted and knocked it out of the park, so I'm super stoked to continue being a part of her story and a part of her journey. But it is her story and I'll contribute to it in any way that I can.

You mentioned "Truth Hurts" topping the Hot 100 was the first moment for you when success felt like what people said it would. How do you define success for yourself in 2020?

Success looks like not having fear. Success looks like having real hope. I think being able to be present with my kids and my wife, success means being able to wake up and water the vegetables and make popcorn at three o'clock every day. That's all it is.

I'm not the kind of person that's going to say money isn't everything, or money is overrated. It's just not fair to me that you have to acquire a certain amount of money in this country to feel safe, to feel peace, to have hope, because all the things I'm talking about are things that anybody should be able to do. I hope I'm clear-eyed enough to really understand that my success has allowed me to enjoy these simple things. I just think it's regrettable in this country that to enjoy the little things, to not live in fear, to not live in constant worry, you have to have some amount of money. You have to buy peace of mind. I think that's terrible.

You’ve long been politically active and socially conscious, constantly using your platform to amplify voices and causes for the betterment of the greater good. How can people follow you in stepping up to the plate?

Try to vote in local elections, because when you vote in local elections, it causes you to read up on things and educate yourself about what's happening around you. For me, the big change that needs to happen is: we need to save this planet and to recognize that climate justice and racial justice are the same thing. It's only going to come from a lot of learning and understanding that, regardless of what side of the political spectrum you're on, we need to be pushing our leaders to take care of us—to really be pushing them. Just because the guy on your team wins, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to make your life better and it doesn't even mean that they have the ability to make your life better.

It might be laws enacted at the state level, like Gavin Newsom refusing to shut down this leaking gas facility in Southern California that's caused health problems for tens of thousands of people, or Eric Garcetti continuing to allow oil to be drilled in neighborhoods across the street from schools in South L.A. I'm talking about two Democratic leaders. I would vote for them before I'd vote for someone on the other side of the aisle, but I think if we don't really start to pay attention to whether our leaders are taking care of us or not, then we shouldn't expect them to take care of us. They're not going to unless we beat them up a little bit.

Educate yourself as much as you can. Vote. Find some great community organizations or advocacy groups. Man, just get educated. Voting is everything.

Songwriter Justin Tranter On Pride Anthems, Protesting & Pop Superstardom

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Lizzo On Standing Out In Music Biz With GRAMMY U lizzo-talks-creative-process-standing-out-music-industry-more-grammy-u-close-personal

Lizzo Talks Creative Process, Standing Out In The Music Industry & More With GRAMMY U | Up Close & Personal

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The "Tempo" queen sat down with 'Cuz I Love You' producer Ricky Reed last fall to share tidbits on her success and how others can be successful too
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 23, 2020 - 4:42 pm

Pop "Tempo" Queen Lizzo has been no stranger to patience and perseverance on her road to music success.

Last fall, she sat down with Cuz I Love You producer Ricky Reed in front of an intimate group of GRAMMY U students to share tidbits on her success and insigth on how they can be successful, too. Among her pointers, she talked about how standing her ground got her to where she is today. 

Up Close & Personal: Lizzo With GRAMMY U

"I was a bad bitch on this one," Lizzo shares about not compromising on her debut album Cuz I Love You. "I knew what I wanted and couldn't nobody tell me nothing."

Watch above to hear how she made herself heard while recording her full-length album, how she feels college graduates stand out in the music business, her thoughts on finding a creative process, and more. Plus GRAMMY U correspondent Emilie Menasse takes you behind the scenes of it all.  

GRAMMY Museum Launches Free Digital Songwriting Workshop With Boi-1da As A Guest Professional

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Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

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10 Major Moments From The 2020 GRAMMY Awards 10-best-unforgettable-moments-2020-62nd-grammy-awards

10 Unforgettable Moments From The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

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From Lizzo opening the show in grand fashion to Tyler, The Creator's fiery set, relive the magic below with our roundup of 10 unmissable moments from the 2020 GRAMMY Awards
Pamela Chelin
GRAMMYs
Jan 27, 2020 - 9:10 am

The 2020 GRAMMY Awards were a sight to behold on Sunday, Jan. 26, opening with a brilliant performance from Lizzo and Sasha Flute and closing out with multiple wins from 18-year-old pop wunderkind Billie Eilish, who swept the major categories (Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Album Of The Year, respectively). Though the night had an unexpected dark cloud overhead with the recent news of basketball legend Kobe Bryant's passing, host Alicia Keys and the night's many performers came through with both respectful tributes and still-celebratory vibes. Relive the magic below with our roundup of 10 unmissable moments from the 2020 GRAMMY Awards.

Lizzo Poses With Her Three GRAMMYs

Lizzo Opens The Show

Singer/songwriter, rapper and flutist Lizzo, who took home three GRAMMYs—Best Pop Solo Performance for "Truth Hurts," Best Urban Contemporary Album for Cuz I Love You and Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Jerome"—opened the show with a stellar performance of "Cuz I Love You," which she dedicated to Kobe Bryant. Backed by a group of all-female string and horn players and all-female backup dancers, Lizzo, dressed in a floor-length black sparkling gown before switching into a futuristic leotard for "Truth Hurts," delivered a powerhouse performance, replete with her flute delivered to her onstage on a silver platter which was fitting for this queen who, like her "Truth Hurts" lyrics express, clearly won't ever be anyone's "side chick."

Alicia Keys & Boyz II Men Pay Tribute To Kobe Bryant

GRAMMY host Alicia Keys, with her hair tightly pulled back into a bun and dressed in a silver gown, adopted an appropriately somber tone when she opened the show and addressed the audience, paying her deepest respect to the tragic loss of basketball star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash earlier in the day. Standing in the Staples Center, home to the GRAMMYs and Los Angeles Lakers, Keys referred to the center as "the house that Kobe built" as a photo of Kobe was displayed on an overhead screen. Keys asked the audience to hold Kobe, Gianna and all those who were lost in the helicopter crash in their thoughts, prayers and spirits. Keys was then joined onstage by Boyz II Men with whom she sang a beautiful rendition of "It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye."

Read More: Alicia Keys & Boyz II Men Give A Moving Tribute To Kobe Bryant At The 2020 GRAMMY Awards

Tyler, The Creator Burns Down The House

Rapper, singer/songwriter and record producer Tyler, the Creator, who won a GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for Igor and brought his mom onstage for his acceptance speech, wore his signature platinum blond wig (for his character Igor) and a pink and magenta suit and brought sizzling, amped up energy to a charged-up performance of "EARFQUAKE" and "NEW MAGIC WAND." As he sang and danced on a simulated street, with rooftop flames coming out of surrounding houses, he was joined by an army of Tyler, the Creator lookalikes, R&B artist Charlie Wilson (his Igor collaborator) and Boyz II Men as he rose up on a platform above the stage bringing the energy to a fired-up frenzy before taking it back down again. He ended his fiery, magnetic performance appearing to fall backwards on to the ground as flames burned all around.

Tyler, The Creator Wins Best Rap Album

Camila Cabello Honors Her Father

Singer/songwriter and actress Camila Cabello, who, in 2019, was the first Latina woman to open the GRAMMYs, wore a pink gown as she sang "First Man," which she wrote about her father Ajelandro. As Cabello delivered a tender and beautiful performance, home video from her childhood played on a nearby pink curtain that was erected next to her onstage. She ended her performance by singing directly to her father who was seated in the front row of the audience. Holding his hand, as tears streamed down his face, Cabello’s father kissed his daughter’s hand before standing up and hugging her. With the two locked in a heartfelt father-daughter embrace, it was an especially powerful moment given the sudden loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. 

Demi Lovato Gives A Heartwrenching Performance Of "Anyone"

Singer/songwriter and actress Demi Lovato, dressed in a sweeping white shimmering floor-length gown, became so choked up when she began to sing "Anyone," her new song which was written several days before she overdosed in 2018, that she had to stop her performance to begin again. Her emotionality and false start, however, added further sentiment and poignancy to her heartfelt and stunning delivery as tears streamed down her cheeks while she sang. While powerfully singing "Anyone"'s painfully naked lyrics "No one is listening to me," it was clear that everyone in the audience was absolutely listening. Lovato's performance, her first return to the stage since 2018, received a standing ovation from the audience.

Lil Nas X Takes Us To The "Old Town Road"

Rapper and singer/songwriter Lil Nas X, who won two GRAMMYs—Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Old Town Road"—made his GRAMMY debut performing the smash hit. Starting off solo, strumming his guitar and singing seated on a couch next to a Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey spread across a nearby armchair, Lil Nas X, wearing a black and silver sparkly cowboy hat and silver outfit, moved through a variety of ever-changing colorful sets where he was joined by  Billy Ray Cyrus, Diplo, K-pop seven-piece BTS, and 13-year-old viral yodeling sensation Mason Ramsey for a high octane and compelling performance before diving into "Rodeo" with "Big" Nas.

Lil Nas X | 2020 GRAMMYs Thank You Cam

Billie Eilish Gives A Raw Performance Of "When The Party's Over"

18-year-old singer/songwriter Billie Eilish, who won five GRAMMYs (Song Of The Year, Best New Artist, Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album) and her collaborator and brother FINNEAS delivered a stripped down, anguished performance of "when the party’s over" driven by Eilish’s emotional, raw and gut-wrenching vocals. Eilish, seated on a stool and dressed in sparkly Gucci pajamas with matching sneakers, kept her eyes closed throughout her anguished and mesmerizing performance as Finneas accompanied her on piano. 

Read More: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: FINNEAS On Billie Eilish & "Doing Production That No One's Ever Done Before"

Watch: Billie Eilish Wins Album Of The Year

Nipsey Hussle Gets A Worthy Tribute

L.A.-born rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was shot and killed last year at just 33 years old, won two posthumous GRAMMYs—Best Rap Performance for "Racks In The Middle" and Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Higher." DJ Khaled, John Legend, Meek Mill, Kirk Franklin, Roddy Ricch and YG paid an all-star tribute to the slain rapper in a hip-hop, R&B and gospel-infused performance that began with Mill performing a rap tribute to Hussle before being joined by Ricch for a new song called "Letter To Nipsey" followed by a powerful and affecting delivery of "Higher" by Khaled, Legend, Franklin, YG and video footage of Hussle. Photos of both Hussle and Bryant were shown at the end of the incredibly spirit-lifting performance. 

Rosalía Owns The GRAMMY Stage

Spanish singer/songwriter Rosalía, who won a GRAMMY for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for El Mal Querer, performed "Juro Que" and "Malamente (Cap 1: Augurio)." Dressed in a white fringed, form-fitting bodysuit, Rosalía started her strong vocal performance standing next to full-length mirrors and accompanied by flamenco guitarists before breaking into a captivating solo flamenco dance. The charismatic and powerful Spanish singer was then backed by a bevy of red outfitted male dancers for a red-hot, memorable performance.

Watch: Rosalia 2020 GRAMMYs Backstage

Aerosmith Prove Rock's Not Dead

Aerosmith, who were honored during GRAMMY Week with the MusiCares Person Of The Year award, took it back to the '90s with their GRAMMY-winning hit "Livin’ On The Edge"—with Steven Tyler walking off the stage, directly into the crowd and running right up to Lizzo to join in for the chorus—before being joined by legendary hip-hop trio Run-D.M.C., who broke through and emerged from a graffiti-covered wall onstage, for a rocking rendition of "Walk This Way." Originally recorded in the '70s by Aerosmith and re-recorded in the '80s by Run-D.M.C. with Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry, the infectious energy of the collaborative performance and Tyler's signature stalking the stage like a panther provided a great throwback touch to the evening.

Read More: Check Out The Full 2020 GRAMMYs Nominees And Winners List

62nd GRAMMY Awards Wrap Up Show

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"WE ARE ALL WINNERS": 2020 GRAMMY Award Nominees React On Social Media

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From first-time nominees Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X to GRAMMY winners James Blake, H.E.R., Ariana Grande and The Chemical Brothers, current nominees are filling their social media with messages of gratitude and joy
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 20, 2019 - 1:06 pm

With the full 62nd GRAMMY Award nominations dropping bright and early this morning, the music industry is now wide awake and celebrating on social media.

Read on to share in the excitement with some of the 2020 GRAMMY nominees: Lizzo, James Blake, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Yola, Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande and more!

First-time nominee Lizzo is "feelin' good as hell" about her momentous eight nods, which include Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Best New Artist. She took to her Twitter bright and early, not long after the news went live to share the big mood. "THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE YEAR FOR MUSIC AND IM JUST SO THANKFUL TO EVEN BE PART OF IT," she beamed in her second tweet, followed by "WE ARE ALL WINNERS." Congrats, queen!

WE ARE ALL WINNERS https://t.co/sfc4aARZ5D

— Feelin Good As Hell (@lizzo) November 20, 2019

Billie Eilish is another first-time nominee who's also up for Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year Best New Artist and more. The young anti-pop star, whose older brother FINNEAS produces her music, wrote "BETWEEN ME & MY BROTHER ITS 11 NOMINATIONS thank u grammyyys this is an honor." Talk about a sibling power duo!



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BETWEEN ME & MY BROTHER ITS 11 NOMINATIONS thank u grammyyys this is an honor

A post shared by BILLIE EILISH (@billieeilish) on Nov 20, 2019 at 8:56am PST

Another first-time nominee and Best New Artist contender, Yola, is reveling in this big day. "I'm trying to find the right words for the @RecordingAcad nominations this morning, this is an absolute dream!!" the rising Queen of Country Soul first wrote on Twitter this morning.

Two hours later, the British songstress came up with a few more words to summarize her joy: "To be be nominated for four @RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs in the 10th month of my debut year is beyond a dream come true. Thank you to my incredible team and everyone who has supported and believed in me along the way. I'm truly honoured to be in the category with every artist nominated."

To be be nominated for four @RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs in the 10th month of my debut year is beyond a dream come true.Thank you to my incredible team and everyone who has supported and believed in me along the way.I’m truly honoured to be in the category with every artist nominated pic.twitter.com/4D4kTBAx5u

— Yola (@iamyola) November 20, 2019

Country/trap king Lil Nas X also joined the first-time nominee rodeo with six nods, including for Best New Artist, Album Of The Year—for his debut EP, 7—and Record Of The Year for "Old Town Road."

"NO F***ING WAY" he wrote on Twitter. Yee-haw indeed, cowboy.

GRAMMY-winning alt-electro crooner James Blake, who was a Best New Artist nominee back at the 56th GRAMMY Awards, also took to social media to share the weight of this prestigious peer recognition. "Assume Form nominated for best alternative album! This one meant a huge amount to me. ahhhhhhhhh! LOVE YOU ALL," he wrote on Instagram.



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Assume Form nominated for best alternative album! This one meant a huge amount to me. ahhhhhhhhh! LOVE YOU ALL

A post shared by James Blake (@jamesblake) on Nov 20, 2019 at 8:13am PST

Rising R&B powerhouse H.E.R., won her first two GRAMMYs at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, where she was a Best New Artist nominee. She is understandably thrilled about her five nominations this year, and gave her tweet the all-caps, multiple-exclamation-point treatment: "5 NOMINATIONS!!!! WHAAAAAT. THATS CRAZY!!!! AGAAAAAINNNNNN. AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. GOD IS GREAT."

5 NOMINATIONS!!!! WHAAAAAT. THATS CRAZY!!!! AGAAAAAINNNNNN. AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. GOD IS GREAT

— H.E.R. (@HERMusicx) November 20, 2019

Pop queen Ariana Grande may have won her first GRAMMY earlier this year, for Sweetener, but she was still blown away by today's news. She is up for five awards this year, including for Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (the gramophone she snagged in 2019) for her 2019 follow-up, thank u, next.

In one of her excited tweets this morning she wrote, "thank u for acknowledging this music my beautiful best friends and i created in just a few weeks together. the acknowledgement is truly enough on its own for me and my heart."

thank u for acknowledging this music my beautiful best friends and i created in just a few weeks together. the acknowledgement is truly enough on its own for me and my heart. pls allow me to bring all of my friends who made this w me so they can make sure my heart is beating. pic.twitter.com/GqBRyP2yCz

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) November 20, 2019

GRAMMY-winning alt-rock stalwarts Cage The Elephant were stoked to earn another Best Rock Album nod, the category they won at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. The band wrote, "Such a blessing and honor to wake up this morning and see we're nominated for a GRAMMY!!! BIG LOVE!!!! @RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs2020 #GrammyNominations #GRAMMYs."

Such a blessing and honor to wake up this morning and see we’re nominated for a GRAMMY!!! BIG LOVE!!!! a href="https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RecordingAcad #GRAMMYs2020 #GrammyNominations #GRAMMYs https://t.co/m83sHcxOQB

— Cage The Elephant (@CageTheElephant) November 20, 2019

First-time nominees and Brit-rock experimenters The 1975 are celebrating their Best Rock Song nomination, sharing, "// B E S T R O C K S O N G - N O M I N A T I O N // @RecordingAcad L O V E #GRAMMYs," along with a picture featuring lyrics from the nominated song, "Give Yourself A Try."

// B E S T R O C K S O N G - N O M I N A T I O N // @RecordingAcad L O V E #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/z4TCNnZEPg

— The 1975 (@the1975) November 20, 2019

Nigerian Afro-fusion artist Burna Boy also received his first GRAMMY nomination this year, as his major 2019 album, African Giant, is up for Best World Music Album. He joined in the conversation, retweeting a plethora of fan congrats, as well as his own post, which simply read, "African Giant #GRAMMYs @RecordingAcad!!"

African Giant #GRAMMYs @RecordingAcad ‼️ pic.twitter.com/qlTTb3Lj3A

— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) November 20, 2019

Young rapper YBN Cordae officially joins the ranks of GRAMMY-nominated artists with his two first-ever nods (Best Rap Song and Best New Rap Album) for his 2019 debut LP, The Lost Boy. He shared his excitement with a tearful video of gratitude on his IG stories, as well as several tweets, one of which read, "Bro my DEBUT album got nominated for BEST RAP ALBUM..... this sh*t crazy."

He also tweeted a video of himself from just two years ago, prophesizing more was on the horizon ("This is just the beginning…give me two years"). "Don't let nobody tell you can't do whatever the f**k you put your mind too," this tweet read. Dayum, word.

Dont let nobody tell you cant do whatever the fuck you put your mind too pic.twitter.com/tCp7MntoDm

— The Lost Boy (@YbnCordae) November 20, 2019

While there are far too many nominees to share in this article, let's go out with pivotal U.K. electronic duo The Chemical Brothers, who are up for three GRAMMYs this year, including Best Dance/Electronic Album. They were first nominated (and won) back at the 40th GRAMMY Awards, for their classic 1997 track "Block Rockin' Beats."

"Joyful about today's 3 Grammy @RecordingAcad nominations for Best Dance/Electronic Album (No Geography), Best Dance Recording (Got To Keep On) & Best Music Video (We've Got To Try)! Love & gratitude to all that made it possible! #NoGeography #GRAMMYNoms #GRAMMYs #ChemicalBrothers," they shared.

Joyful about today's 3 Grammy @RecordingAcad nominations for Best Dance/Electronic Album (No Geography), Best Dance Recording (Got To Keep On) & Best Music Video (We've Got To Try)! Love & gratitude to all that made it possible! #NoGeography #GRAMMYNoms #GRAMMYs #ChemicalBrothers pic.twitter.com/j0jKSSyeic

— The Chemical Brothers (@ChemBros) November 20, 2019

Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com, our YouTube page, our social channels (follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and our newsletter (sign up below) for the latest on all things 62nd GRAMMY Awards. And don't forget to tune in on Jan. 26, 2020 to catch the Biggest Night In Music to find out who takes home the golden gramophones!

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2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

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