Editor's Note: The 2022 GRAMMYs Awards show, officially known as the 64th GRAMMY Awards, has been rescheduled to Sunday, April 3, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The below article was updated on Tuesday, Jan. 18, to reflect the new show date and location.

There's no denying that the social ills that came out of 2020 and 2021 had a profound impact on society as a whole. While the world wrestled with the COVID-19 pandemic, a reckoning over racial injustice swept America and spread worldwide.

These themes popped up in country music's biggest hits and most important songs of that time, in the form of escapist humor and head-on collisions, with the pervading feelings of weariness and weight. Compelling art often comes under trying circumstances, and the turmoil of the past 18 months inspired country artists to examine themselves and their communities in song.

Below, take a closer look at the nominations for Best Country Song at the 2022 GRAMMYs Awards show. Tune in Sunday, April 3, on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+ to find out who'll take home GRAMMY gold.

"Better Than We Found It" — Maren Morris

Jessie Jo Dillon, Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)

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Maren Morris co-wrote this protest song during the summer of 2020, when cities across America and around the world erupted in protests following the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

Released in October 2020, "Better Than We Found It" ponders how Morris' generation can overcome the political division plaguing America and set a positive example for their children. "Will we sit on our hands, do nothin' about it?/ Or will we leave this world better than we found it?," Morris poses in the song's chorus.

The outspoken GRAMMY-winner was unabashed in her lyrical questioning ("When thе wolf's at the door all covered in bluе/ Shouldn't we try somethin' new?/ We're over a barrel, and at the end of one too," she offers in the song's second verse), which comes to a head during the poignant bridge: "America, America/ Divided we fall/ America, America/ God save us all."

Read More: Meet This Year's Song Of The Year Nominees | 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show

"Camera Roll" — Kacey Musgraves

Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters

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While Kacey Musgraves' 2018 album Golden Hour — which won Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards — chronicled the happier times of her marriage to singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly, her latest release, star-crossed, catalogs the unraveling that led to their 2020 divorce. And "Camera Roll" is the song where the tidal wave of conflicting emotions finally crashes.

Inspired by scrolling through images on her phone, the lyrics caution against believing that the photos we save tell the true story of our lives — when in fact, they give a distorted view that obscures the weight hiding behind them.

"Chronological order and nothing but torture/ Scroll too far back, that's what you get," Musgraves sings on the chorus of the melancholy track.

She reaches a place of appreciation for those photos by the song's end, thanking her ex for the good memories they documented throughout their relationship. And as much as the pics may taunt her, she admits, "I'll never erase 'em."

Read More: Kacey Musgraves' Road To Star-Crossed: How The Breakup Album Fits Right Into Her Glowing Catalog

"Cold" — Chris Stapleton

Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon & Chris Stapleton, songwriters

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Though "Cold" wasn't the highest-performing single from Chris Stapleton's fourth solo album, Starting Over, the slow-burning tune is an album standout thanks to its pleading chorus hook and brick-house songwriting.

For a man who's happily married (to his onstage partner, Morgane) with five kids, Stapleton masterfully encapsulated the bitterness of a jilted lover. "What am I supposed to say/ If anybody asks me about you?/ I guess I'll tell 'em I'm without you," he laments in the song's second verse.

Stapleton delivers a raw vocal performance in his trademark blue-collar, blue-eyed soul croon. Following a masterful intro piano riff from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers co-founder Benmont Tench, Stapleton builds the song up, then a string section takes it even higher — making the pain of "Cold," as the singer sings it himself, cut like a knife.

Read More: Meet This Year's Album Of The Year Nominees | 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show

"Country Again" — Thomas Rhett

Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley & Thomas Rhett, songwriters

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In the time wrought by tragedy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many sought silver linings as they were forced to put their usual life on pause. Thomas Rhett used the downtime to take stock of what being a country-music hitmaker meant to his life and relationships.

The opening line of "Country Again" — "I quit huntin' with my daddy, guess I didn't make the time" — illustrates the regrets of a life lived on the road. Later in the song, he reflects, "I traded sunsets with my wife, for hours on my phone/ And even when I was right beside her, I still wasn't really home."

But the song doesn't wallow in self-pity. Instead, it's a call to make up for lost time by rediscovering the passions and relationships that make us human. For Rhett, that meant getting back to his rural American roots.

It was a sentiment that clearly connected: "Country Again" became Rhett's 17th No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.

Read More: ​​Meet This Year's Best New Artist Nominees | 2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show

"Fancy Like" — Walker Hayes

Cameron Bartolini, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins & Shane Stevens, songwriters (Walker Hayes)

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Walker Hayes had been dropped from two record deals by the time he stopped writing songs for radio and just started telling stories from his own life. One of those songs, "Fancy Like," became a runaway hit, thanks to dance moves choreographed by his 15-year-old daughter Lila that made the song a TikTok sensation.

The lyrics are just as fun as the dance, with Hayes cheekily depicting his kind of fancy — you know, Wendys and boxed wine kind of fancy — and how that works perfectly fine for his girl. "Take her to Wendy's, can't keep her off me/ She wanna dip me like them fries in her Frosty," he quips along to the rolling melody.

On the way to becoming a double-Platinum success, the Applebee's restaurant chain used the song, which name-checks some of its popular menu items, in a television commercial. "Fancy Like" went on to top the country charts and nearly the Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 3 this summer.

Read More: Mickey Guyton On Her 10-Year Journey To Debut Album Remember Her Name & Paving The Way For Black Women In Country

"Remember Her Name" — Mickey Guyton

Mickey Guyton, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram & Parker Welling, songwriters

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Mickey Guyton's determination and perseverance as an artist is the driving force behind "Remember Her Name," an empowering anthem written to remind herself of her own internal fire.

The song was inspired by the trials she faced while working her way through the ranks from her debut single in 2015 to finally releasing her debut album after years spent in Nashville record-label limbo. (In fact, Guyton approached the record as if the songs would never be heard.)

"When did you lose the girl with no fear? Oh, she never left," she sings. And when the chorus is about to hit its climax, the singer declares, "Remembеr the girl that didn't let anything get in her way/ Remember her name."

The title "Remember Her Name," which is also the name of the album, is a tribute to Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American woman shot and killed by police in Louisville, Ken., in March 2020.

2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List

Ever since Autumn Rowe won a GRAMMY in 2022, it's been her biggest motivation. That's why the musical multi-hyphenate keeps the award nestled in her writing room — to keep her creative juices flowing.

"It reminds me that anything is possible," she says in the latest episode of Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY?

Rowe won her first-ever career GRAMMY in 2022 with an Album Of The Year award for Jon Batiste's We Are. "It was very stressful," she recalls with a laugh.

"Right before they announced Album Of The Year, the pressure started getting to me," Rowe explains. "Album Of The Year is the biggest possible award you can win. So, I'm like, 'We didn't win any of these [categories], how are we going to win the biggest award?"

The win also taught her one unforgettable, valuable lesson: "We matter. The music matters. Everything matters. We just have to create it. If there isn't space for it, we have to make space for it. Don't wait for something to open."

Rowe says she grew up "super dirt poor" and never even had the opportunity to watch the awards ceremony on television. "To be a GRAMMY winner means it is possible for everyone," she declares.

Press play on the video above to learn more about the backstory of Autumn Rowe's Album Of The Year award, and remember to check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY?

Where Do You Keep Your GRAMMY?: Christopher "Tricky" Stewart Recalls Winning Song Of The Year For Beyoncé's "Single Ladies"

In February, Beyoncé added to her record-breaking legacy by becoming the first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with her single "TEXAS HOLD 'EM."

"I feel honored," she shared on Instagram in a countdown post to her RENAISSANCE sequel, Act II: COWBOY CARTER, out March 29. "My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist's race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant."

Since she first dabbled in country music with "Daddy Lessons" in 2016, the icon has received consistent backlash about whether she belongs in the genre. That same year, audiences campaigned for a boycott against the Country Music Awards for her performance of the track alongside The Chicks, later resulting in its erasure from promotional advertisements. And eight years later, the conversation returns as radio listeners question if her music should air on country stations.

Ironically, if you look back through music history, you will quickly discover that Beyoncé isn't the first (and certainly not the last) Black musician doing country music. 

In fact, the genre plants its sonic roots in negro spirituals and field songs, written on slave plantations. African American Vernacular English continues to influence contemporary chart-topper's lyricism and vocal twang. The banjo, which descends from the West African akonting lute, remains one of the quintessential instruments of the genre. Whether Beyoncé or the many artists who came before her, nothing sits at the heart of country music more than Black art.

To understand the full scope of Black creatives' impact in country, GRAMMY.com examines some of the influential tracks and moments of those who have made their mark on the genre and the music industry — from DeFord Bailey's Grand Ole Opry debut in 1927, to Darius Rucker's post-Hootie & The Blowfish country foray in 2008, to Breland's 2021 fusion of country and hip-hop.

DeFord Bailey — "Pan American Blues" (1927)

Before there was Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker, or even Charley Pride, there was DeFord Bailey, the "harmonica wizard" from Tennessee.

After performing locally, another musician introduced Bailey to Nashville powerhouse radio station WSM's manager, George D. Hay, who later invited him to join the Grand Ole Opry — making Bailey the first Black member. He quickly rose to become one of the program's highest-paid players at the time, largely thanks to his iconic instrumental tune, "Pan American Blues," which imitated the sounds he heard from the railroad during his childhood.

As of press time, the only other Black inductees in the Grand Ole Opry are Rucker and Pride.

Lead Belly — "In The Pines" (1944)

"My girl, my girl, don't lie to me/ Tell me, where did you sleep last night?/ In the pines, in the pines/ Whether the sun don't ever shine/ I would shiver the whole night through," Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter questions in the Appalachian folk song, "In the Pines."

Though Lead Belly isn't the original writer of the song, his chilling vibrato on the recording inspired singers for years to come, including Kurt Cobain, who later covered the track in Nirvana's 1993 MTV Unplugged performance under the title "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" and named the '40s country blues legend his "favorite performer."

Linda Martell — "Color Him Father" (1969)

In "Color Him Father," Linda Martell narrates the heartfelt tale of a stepdad who embraces his new paternal role to a widowed mother and her seven children. It's also the song that propelled her to stardom, landing her a historic performance as the first Black woman on the Grand Ole Opry stage and later opening the door for debut album, Color Me Country.

After the project was released, Martell stepped away from the limelight, but her impact lived on. She was the inspiration for contemporary luminaries like Mickey Guyton: "The fact that she was there was groundbreaking ... She gave me the courage to be here," Guyton told Rolling Stone in 2020.

Charley Pride — "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" (1971)

Through his nearly seven decades-spanning career, Charley Pride became a certified hitmaker and one of the most renowned pioneers of his time. By 1987, he amassed more than 50 Top 10 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, with 30 peaking at No. 1 — including his most notable single, "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'."

After Pride passed away from COVID-19 complications in 2020, the response to his death highlighted the magnitude of his legacy, receiving condolences from Dolly Parton, Billy Ray Cyrus, and perhaps the most personal from Darius Rucker.

"I couldn't have done what I do, I don't think, if there hadn't been Charley before me," Rucker said in an essay for Billboard. Pride served not only as an icon but also as a mentor to Rucker, and his kindness ultimately gave Rucker the courage to do the same for the next generation.

Cleve Francis — "You Do My Heart Good" (1992)

As a cardiologist and songwriter, Dr. Cleve Francis certainly knew a "good heart."

In his 1992 track, "You Do My Heart Good," Francis sings about a budding love that shows him how to see life in a beautiful light. The song eventually became the second single from his Liberty Records debut LP, Tourist in Paradise.

Francis later founded the now-defunct Black Country Music Association in 1995 to foster an inclusive environment in the Nashville music scene and provide resources to aspiring singers. Under his advisory, the BCMA, with the help of Warner Bros., produced From Where I Stand, a record book of Black artists' contributions to the genre.

Darius Rucker — "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" (2008)

Before 2008, many knew Darius Rucker better as Hootie, thanks to his remarkable '90s run as frontman of jangle pop band Hootie & the Blowfish. But with his second album as a solo act, 2008's Learn to Live, the world met Darius Rucker, the country artist.

Fittingly, he chose a heartbreaking ballad for his first country single — "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," a heartbreaking ballad about a man who wonders what could have been in a previous relationship. The choice resonated with country listeners:  "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, making Rucker the first Black country artist to have a chart-topper since Pride in 1983. 

Kane Brown — "Heaven" (2017)

Since his major label debut, Brown has possessed a unique boy-next-door charm, less "Western" than his peers. "Not laced up in a tight belt and buckle hat," but proof that "you can be who you want to be, and you can still listen to country music," his manager, Martha Earls, told Variety in 2018.

Take "Heaven," a romantic ballad with the Southern drawl and instrumentation of a classic country tune. But when you add Brown's R&B influence and natural swagger, the track invites audiences both in and outside of country.

Though Brown now has 12 No. 1 songs on the Country Airplay chart, "Heaven" is undoubtedly the country star's biggest song to date thanks to its crossover qualities and romantic resonance. And just last year, "Heaven" became only the seventh country artist in history to receive a diamond certification from the RIAA; Brown is the second Black country artist to achieve the feat, as Rucker's anthemic cover of "Wagon Wheel" reached diamond status in 2022.

Mickey Guyton — "Black Like Me" (2020)

In a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, Mickey Guyton recalled that she wrote "Black Like Me" at a writer's retreat in 2019, thinking, "There is no way that anybody is going to accept this." But at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, there was no doubt that it was what the industry, especially the country genre, needed to hear.

"It's a hard life on easy street/ Just white painted picket fences far as you can see/ If you think we live in the land of the free/ You should try to be Black like me," she croons on the chorus.

The single made Guyton the first-ever Black woman nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the 2021 GRAMMYs, and also helped her earn nominations for New Female Artist Of The Year and New Artist Of The Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards, respectively, in 2021..

Guyton continues to use her voice for advocacy, from speaking out on racial issues to chronicling the Black experience on her 2021 album, Remember Her Name. 

Breland — "Throw It Back" (2021)

Since making his debut with "My Truck" in 2019, Breland has been praised for his innovative fusion of country, gospel, hip-hop, and R&B. But beyond his sonic landscape, he's also inviting some unlikely choreography into the genre: twerking.

"If she got a shot of whiskey, she know how to throw it back/ She turn up for Elvis Presley, told the DJ, 'Throw it back,'" Breland cheers in the chorus of the trap-infused track.  "If you sexy and you know it, make it clap."

"Throw It Back" features Keith Urban, whoappreciates Breland for his confidence to go beyond the mold of country music's expectations. "He's one of the only artists I've ever met that does not care at all what something sounds like or what box it fits. If he likes it, if it catches his ear, he wants to be a part of it in some way," Urban explained to Taste of Country in 2021.

The War and Treaty — "Blank Page" (2022)

The War and Treaty are making the most of their "Blank Page."

The husband-and-wife pair — Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter — began their musical journey together in 2016.  Seven years later, thanks to their first major label EP, 2022's Blank Page, they also started making history. The War and Treaty became the first Black duo to receive a nomination for Duo Of The Year at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards, where they also delivered a stirring performance of the EP's title track, a heartfelt song about a new slate in love. 

Six months later, they made history again as the first Black pair nominated for Duo Of The Year at the 2023 Country Music Association Awards; they took the stage there as well, performing"That's How Love Is Made" from their 2023 album, Lover's Game. 

They added to their growing legacy at the 2024 GRAMMYs as well,  receiving their first GRAMMY nominations. "Blank Page" earned the duo a nod for Best American Roots Song, and they also were up for the coveted Best New Artist.

Tanner Adell — "Buckle Bunny" (2023)

When Beyoncé dropped "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" and "16 CARRIAGES" in February, country newcomer Tanner Adell readily tossed her cowgirl hat into the ring to become Queen Bey's next collaborator. "I hope Bey decides to sprinkle me with a dash of her magic," she pitched in a tweet that has now garnered more than four million views.

Adell's music is reminiscent of Beyoncé's own empowered narratives, particularly the 2023 single "Buckle Bunny," which even declares that she's "Lookin' like Beyoncé with a lasso." Like Breland, Adell brings a hip-hop flair to country music, exemplified by the thumping beats and rap-inspired singing of "Buckle Bunny."

As artists like Adell, Breland, Kane Brown, and more continue to push the boundaries of the country genre, they'll also remind listeners of its rich lineage in Black culture — past, present, and future.

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As Doja Cat put it herself, the 2022 GRAMMYs were a "big deal" for her and SZA.

Doja Cat walked in with eight nominations, while SZA entered the ceremony with five. Three of those respective nods were for their 2021 smash "Kiss Me More," which ultimately helped the superstars win their first GRAMMYs.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, revisit the night SZA and Doja Cat accepted the golden gramophone for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — a milestone moment that Doja Cat almost missed.

"Listen. I have never taken such a fast piss in my whole life," Doja Cat quipped after beelining to the stage. "Thank you to everybody — my family, my team. I wouldn't be here without you, and I wouldn't be here without my fans."

Before passing the mic to SZA, Doja also gave a message of appreciation to the "Kill Bill" singer: "You are everything to me. You are incredible. You are the epitome of talent. You're a lyricist. You're everything."

SZA began listing her praises for her mother, God, her supporters, and, of course, Doja Cat. "I love you! Thank you, Doja. I'm glad you made it back in time!" she teased.

"I like to downplay a lot of s— but this is a big deal," Doja tearfully concluded. "Thank you, everybody."

Press play on the video above to hear Doja Cat and SZA's complete acceptance speech for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

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For Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, The Melodic Blue was a family affair. The two cousins collaborated on three tracks from Keem's 2021 debut LP, "Range Brothers," "Vent," and "Family Ties." And in 2022, the latter helped the pair celebrate a GRAMMY victory.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, turn the clock back to the night Baby Keem accepted Best Rap Performance for "Family Ties," marking the first GRAMMY win of his career.

"Wow, nothing could prepare me for this moment," Baby Keem said at the start of his speech.

He began listing praise for his "supporting system," including his family and "the women that raised me and shaped me to become the man I am."

Before heading off the stage, he acknowledged his team, who "helped shape everything we have going on behind the scenes," including Lamar. "Thank you everybody. This is a dream."

Baby Keem received four nominations in total at the 2022 GRAMMYs. He was also up for Best New Artist, Best Rap Song, and Album Of The Year as a featured artist on Kanye West's Donda.

Press play on the video above to watch Baby Keem's complete acceptance speech for Best Rap Performance at the 2022 GRAMMYs, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

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