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CMT Awards 2017: Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood win big

Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban perform at the 2017 CMT Awards

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CMT Awards 2017: Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood win big

Find out who took home the most awards at the CMT Awards, and who set a new record

GRAMMYs/Jun 8, 2017 - 08:43 pm

GRAMMY winner Keith Urban came out on top at the CMT Awards in June 7, taking home four awards for video of the year for his GRAMMY-nominated hit "Blue Ain't Your Color," male video, collaborative video, and social superstar of the year.

GRAMMY winner Carrie Underwood set a new record after winning two awards for female video of the year for "Church Bells" and collaborative video for "The Fighter." Now with a career total of 17 CMT Awards, Underwood is the highest-awarded artist in the show's history.

The record-setting duo reprised a performance of "The Fighter," which they also performed during the 59th GRAMMY Awards earlier this year.

The show included a number of collaborative genre-crossing performances, including an all-star tribute to GRAMMY winner Gregg Allman, who died May 27. Peter Frampton paired with Brothers Osborne while GRAMMY winners the Chainsmokers and Florida Georgia Line performed a pre-taped version of "Last Day Alive." Luke Bryan and Jason Derulo performed their pop hit "Want To Want Me." Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Earth, Wind & Fire closed the show with Lady Antelbellum with a mashup of "You Look Good" and "September."

Reflecting on his accomplishments of the evening, Urban likely captured what other artists were feeling as well.

"I love making music, I love making videos ... who knows how long you get to do it," said Urban, who also gave a special shout-out to his wife, Nicole Kidman. "I'm just trying to make a connection."

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Remembering Toby Keith: 5 Essential Songs From The Patriotic Cowboy And Country Music Icon
Toby Keith performs at the 2021 iHeartCountry Festival in Austin, Texas.

Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images

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Remembering Toby Keith: 5 Essential Songs From The Patriotic Cowboy And Country Music Icon

After a two-year battle with stomach cancer, country star Toby Keith passed away on Feb. 5 at the age of 62. Revisit his influence with five of his seminal tracks, including his debut hit "Should've Been a Cowboy."

GRAMMYs/Feb 7, 2024 - 04:39 pm

We may have known about Toby Keith's stomach cancer diagnosis for nearly two years, but that didn't keep the news of his Feb. 5 death from hitting hard. The oftentimes outspoken country music star enjoyed a three-decade career as one of the genre's beloved hitmakers, courtesy of unabashed hits like "Who's Your Daddy?," "Made In America" and "I Wanna Talk About Me."

Occasionally his in-your-face persona clashed with folks, particularly when it came to his political views in recent years. But for the most part, it was Keith's blue-collar upbringing and work ethic that shined through and resonated with his legion of listeners. 

It wasn't until his thirties that the future Songwriters Hall of Famer landed his first record deal in 1993, following years grinding away as a rodeo hand, in oil fields and as a semi-professional football player to make ends meet. The Oklahoma-born crooner would go on to record 20 No.1 hits, sell over 40 million records across 26 albums, and gross nearly $400 million touring — cementing himself as one of country music's most successful artists in the process.

As we look back on Keith's life and legacy, here are five essential cuts from the seven-time GRAMMY nominee, whose memory will live on in the hearts of country music artists and fans alike.

"Should've Been A Cowboy" (1993)

Few artists strike gold with their maiden release, but Keith did just that when his song "Should've Been A Cowboy" launched in February 1993. The upbeat track received widespread acclaim, eventually reaching No. 1 on the Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart a few months later.

"Should've Been A Cowboy" takes on a distinctly traditional tone as Keith romanticizes cowboy culture by referencing classic westerns like Gunsmoke with nods to Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty in addition to six-shooters, cattle drives and Texas Rangers abound. The tune also reinforces the notion that cowboys just have more fun, whether its "stealin' the young girls' hearts, just like Gene [Autry] and Roy [Rogers]" or "runnin' wild through the hills chasin' Jesse James." 

By the looks of Keith's career, he certainly had his fair share of fun, and it may not have come if it weren't for "Should've Been A Cowboy."

"How Do You Like Me Now?!" (1999)

After a successful '90s run (which included two more No. 1s in "Who's That Man" and "Me Too"), Keith kicked off the 2000s with his fourth No. 1 hit, "How Do You Like Me Now?!" In signature Toby Keith fashion, he confronts his haters by asking the titular, rhetorical question, posed to his high school's valedictorian — who was also his crush. "I couldn't make you love me but I always dreamed about livin' in your radio," he sings on the brazen chorus.

The song is a stern reminder to never let anyone keep you from chasing your dreams; it's also a lesson of standing strong on your convictions. Its message also proved fitting for Keith's career: After Mercury Records Nashville rejected the song (and its namesake album) in the late '90s, Keith got out of his deal with them in favor of signing with DreamWorks Records, with whom he released the project a year later. Not only did the single go on to spend five weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, but it became the singer's first major crossover hit.

"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" (2002)

Keith was never afraid to share his opinion in public or in song, especially when it came to displaying his patriotism and appreciation for those who protect the United States. While the Okie approached this from a softer side on 2003's "American Soldier," his most renowned musings on the subject without a doubt came a year earlier with "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."

On the angsty ballad — which was written in the wake of his father's March 2001 death and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — Keith channels a universal feeling of American hurt and pride. "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" inspired an equal outpouring of support and outrage that, for better or worse depending on where you stand, helped cement the song into the annals of country music lore.

"I Love This Bar" (2003)

We've all got our favorite watering hole full of its own quirks and characters, from winners to losers, chain-smokers and boozers. Keith taps into that feel-good, hometown hang feeling with "I Love This Bar," a lighthearted tale from 2003's Shock'n Y'all that makes dingy dive bars feel like the prime party destination.

The midtempo track — Keith's 12th No. 1 — further plays into country music drinking tropes as Keith proclaims, "I like my girlfriend, I like to take her out to dinner, I like a movie now and then" before making a hard pivot, adding "but I love this bar." 

All joking aside, the song, and all of the unique individuals described within it, have a harmony to them inside those hallowed walls. It's a kinship that seems more and more difficult to find in today's world, and a sentiment best captured at the song's conclusion: "come as you are."

"As Good As I Once Was" (2005)

Your best days may be behind you, but that doesn't mean you can't still live your best life and thrive in the present — even if you don't get over hangovers as quickly as you used to.

That youthful wisdom is distilled into every lyric of "As Good As I Once Was," a reminiscent story in which a then-44-year-old Keith recounts his prime as a lover, drinker and fighter humbly. That being said, his pride is still quick to take charge with convictions like "I still throw a few back, talk a little smack, when I'm feelin' bullet proof."

Lasting six weeks at No. 1, "As Good As I Once Was" was the biggest of the 15 chart-toppers Keith tallied in the 2000s. And though he scored one more in the following decade (along with several other hits, including the playful drinking song "Red Solo Cup"), "As Good As I Once Was" will live on as one of Keith's quintessential messages of fun-loving confidence: "I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once, as I ever was."

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Catching Up With Neal Francis: How Peter Frampton, A Spiritual Journey & Chicago Pride Led To A Timeless Live Album & Film
Neal Francis

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Catching Up With Neal Francis: How Peter Frampton, A Spiritual Journey & Chicago Pride Led To A Timeless Live Album & Film

For Neal Francis, a hometown show was the ultimate stage to capture his energetic performance via live album and concert film. The cheekily titled 'Francis Comes Alive' was recorded at Chicago's Thalia Hall.

GRAMMYs/Dec 19, 2023 - 07:57 pm

A hometown gig is often something special for a performer — local friends and family bring a particular energy to the audience; the feel of a familiar room can enliven the show. Undoubtedly, there's a joy in performing for people who live in the same milieu that inspired your music. 

For singer, songwriter and pianist Neal Francis, a hometown show was the ultimate stage to capture his energetic performance via live album and concert film. Recorded live to tape at Chicago's Thaila Hall with an expanded 11-piece band, Francis Comes Alive could've been cut in 1973 or 2023 — as if the Band, the Meters, Wings and Dr. John had become unstuck in time. 

Fittingly, Francis and co. rollick through 12 originals on vintage analog equipment under moody lighting. Most of the band don custom jumpsuits; shaggy-haired Francis is centerstage wailing on the keys, his paisley-printed one-piece open to the navel. Through an occasionally hazy filter, the camera pans over the sold-out audience and the sound engineer, who is grooving backstage.

Compared to the incredible and bombastic stage shows documented in Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Francis Comes Alive is stripped down. But it's clear Francis and his all-Chicago band are having a great time. Touring with such a large, local ensemble "felt like a high school band field trip," Francis tells GRAMMY.com. "We ham it up there…everybody's just so together and it feels like one unit."

Neal Francis will close 2023 which saw him play 113 dates across the country with a New Year's Eve show in Denver, Colorado. GRAMMY.com caught up with Francis to discuss Francis Comes Alive, his spiritual journey back to music, and receiving a blessing from the OG rocker to Come Alive

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You've been touring heavily in the past few years, which would certainly hone your live show. Was that part of the thinking behind putting out a live album?

Definitely. We had talked about doing a live record and it just made sense: We've played hundreds of shows together, let's document it. But then of course adding an extra seven people to the equation, that was more of a separate vision.

What about your live performance did you think would translate well to a live album/film?

We've persisted in presenting this kind of old school rock show that may not be as common anymore, which I think resonates with people.  I think people don't expect it because my recorded music is a lot more laid back and chill than what they encounter live. We just pour all of our energy into it. 

I tried to make the presentation of the live album and the live film— as much as I could within the constraints of our budget— look special and ethereal. It all came from my initial brainchild, but I definitely would not have come close to pulling it off were it not for having that team around me: Al Basse is the director, [and] my stylist Rachel Epperson made all the jumpsuits from scratch for the entire band – including the one I was wearing.

There's one guy in a white suit that has all this fringe under his arms…

That's our guitarist. It was funny because that was what I envisioned myself wearing initially. What always happens with Rachel is I'll come in with some idea and then she'll just really go out in left field with it and end up creating something that's way more cool than anything I could ever think of.

Rachel makes a lot of what we wear on stage on any given night. She's been with us since early on. 

There have been quite a few concert films out this year, including massive ones from Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. While yours is markedly different, did you think about any of those big tours as you were putting this concept together?

I don't want to say I have my head under a rock, but in some ways I do because I didn't have any idea that those were coming out! I don't have social media at all; I have a presence there thanks to my management team. I'm generally looking towards stuff I like from the past for inspiration, and [to] my spiritual journey. I read a lot. 

My range of influence is a little bit different than whatever's happening currently. And I'd love to see T Swift's movie. My dad actually went and saw it, and I didn't ask how he liked it, but I should. [Laughs.] 

As far as other concert films, there's two that really come off the top of my head: The Last Waltz and Stop Making Sense. I feel like a cue was taken from The Last Waltz in hiring a horn section, perhaps. 

I had this pretty strong visual experience doing some breathwork in January of 2023 that gave birth to the whole visual concept, and that gave me enough vocabulary and manic energy to start collaborating with Al and Rachel. And it just took shape from there. 

I wanted custom set pieces like you would see on a 1960s variety show, but ideas like that had to be pared down. We ended up dressing up the risers, et cetera instead. The people I have working with me are just ingenious, so I think it came off really well. 

Beyond the pandemic, the past five years or so have been quite a whirlwind for you. You broke up with a partner, you started a music ministry job in 2018, made your debut album Changes in 2019 and then put out In Plain Sightwhich was recorded in that church, where you were also living, in 2021. How does your creative journey reflect those experiences?

I got sober in October of 2015 and I didn't really start investing back into my music career until I was a couple years sober.

The common thread for me has been as I develop a spiritual way of life — not to say a religious way of life, but just as I devote more time to things like meditation and increased mindfulness and awareness — it seems to translate to these gifts in my career that I didn't have at all before getting sober. The more I contribute to that side of things, the more everything else blossoms.

Have you seen yourself evolve as a performer as well?

Unquestionably. I'll just say inwardly, Wow, I'm able to sing so much better now. When that recording was made at Thalia Hall, unfortunately, I was still smoking. And that was something that I was actually in the midst of a relapse, smoking cigarettes. And I can really hear it, when I listen back. 

One of the things that has been getting more consistent is my commitment to my vocal process, warming up and the sort of exercises I do. Also just the way in which I sing — learning how to sing at all because I just wasn't a singer before starting this project. Changes is really my first recorded attempt at singing lead vocals on anything.

What was your favorite song to play during this live session?

I still really enjoy playing "Changes" because we have this arrangement that's been kicked around live for a while, and the audience always really responds to it. "Sentimental Garbage" is another one that's really fun to play because we've added this sort of spacey droning synth section that is really fun and funny. 

We ham it up there and it's really fun to play with this band because everybody's just so together and it feels like one unit.

I've always appreciated that your music sounds a bit out of time. I'd love to hear a little bit about the sonic fabric of Neal Francis.

When I was making Changes, I was kind of like, how close can I get to this? Specifically Allen Toussaint and Leon Russell and J.J. Cale and Curtis Mayfield— these are some of my heroes; what is in their playbook for these situations? That's sort of how I arrive at new things, just really trying to go for a certain aesthetic and then inevitably ending up somewhere different.

I've got a huge range of influences that I tried to open up more to on my second record. And now the record I'm working on currently, it's just another snapshot. I think the unifying element is probably the process; we do a lot of stuff analog, recording live as a band, and I think that's perhaps increasingly rare, and it yields a certain sound that's difficult to replicate. 

I don't know if this is a musical hero of yours, but I read that you received a congratulatory text from Peter Frampton.

I guess he was tipped off by my friend Tom Cusimano. And the music industry is tiny in that regard. Tom sent Peter this Chicago Sun Times article about the Francis Comes Alive shows, and he sent his blessing. He was like, "Congratulations in advance, here's hoping it goes smoothly for you." It was so funny to get that the day we were recording. A real nice nod from him.

I have to ask you about this because it happened to me: the Neal Francis/ Neil Frances confusion. How do you feel about getting mistaken for that pop/dance duo?

It's definitely been a process. It's my actual name and not having any control over it, especially early on, it was really a challenge to let it roll off and accept it. Now we're actually acquainted with those guys and I'm going out to record something with them in early January. 

We run into them: We had consecutive sets at Outside Lands and then they were on the same flight to L.A. recently from San Fran. It's very congenial and they're really in a different space musically. So there's not really a threat; if anything, I think, it's a boon to our individual success because people will mistakenly end up at the other person's shows, but end up enjoying it because it's a quality experience. So hopefully our collaboration will yield something interesting.

Beyond that collab, you mentioned that you're working on a new album. What else is on your plate?

That's the main thing on my horizon is getting rest and then making the album. Hopefully, having that wrapped the first couple of months of the year. Then I'm not really touring very much until that record gets released. We'll be doing more of those one-offs and festivals over the summer, starting with Jazz Fest in May, and then coming back with a proper album release tour. 

[I'm also] building my own recording rig here at home so that we can record more and release more. It's two years since our last studio effort, and [I want to be] less precious about it but still having quality releases, but just maybe them being more frequent. That's just another muscle that I'm really excited to be working— just recording stuff on my own. 

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
Kendrick Lamar

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

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He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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9 Songs You Didn't Know Jon Bellion Wrote & Produced: Hits By Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & More
Jon Bellion performs in London in 2019.

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9 Songs You Didn't Know Jon Bellion Wrote & Produced: Hits By Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & More

Pop superproducer Jon Bellion is the man behind Tori Kelly's new ep, 'tori,' but he's also been involved with countless hits for more than a decade. Check out nine of Bellion's biggest songs, from Eminem to Jonas Brothers.

GRAMMYs/Aug 3, 2023 - 01:36 pm

If the name Jon Bellion sounds familiar, it's probably because of his 2016 single "All Time Low." With its relentless "low-low-low-low-low" chorus, the electronic-fused pop confection scored Bellion his first major hit — as a solo artist, that is.

Prior to Bellion's breakthrough with his debut solo single, he'd already made a name for himself behind the scenes by writing and producing songs for the likes of Eminem, Jason Derulo, Zedd and CeeLo Green. And in the seven years since "All Time Low" became a top 20 hit, he's celebrated plenty of other smashes with some of pop's A-listers from Christina Aguilera to Justin Bieber.

This year alone, he worked with the Jonas Brothers to executive produce their statement-making record The Album, helped shape Maroon 5's "Middle Ground" — which is expected to be the lead single off the veteran pop-rockers' forthcoming eighth studio album — and teamed up with Switchfoot for an orchestral 2023 update of the band's 2003 breakout single "Meant to Live."

Bellion's most recent work can be heard on Tori Kelly's new self-titled EP tori, which dropped July 28. Along with producing the project, Bellion joined Kelly for a magnetic, electro-tinged track titled "young gun." Upon the EP's release, Kelly herself noted Bellion's impact, calling their collaboration "the start of something really special."

In honor of Bellion's latest project, take a look at nine songs you may not have known contained Bellion's signature touch — a roadmap to his becoming one of the most in-demand producers of the moment.

Eminem feat. Rihanna — "The Monster"

One of Bellion's earliest smashes came courtesy of Eminem — well, and Bebe Rexha. The pop singer penned the track's dark hook while working on her debut album, but it later made its way to Eminem and eventually shapeshifted into his fourth collaboration with Rihanna. The song became the duo's second No. 1 collaboration following 2010's "Love The Way You Lie" and remains one of most monstrous hits in Bellion's career.

Jason Derulo — "Trumpets"

Jason Derulo worked solely with Bellion on this top 20 hit from his 2013 Tattoos, which was later re-packaged as 2014's Talk Dirty. Built around an irresistible horn line of, yes, literal trumpets, Bellion and Derulo concocted a bouncy, flirtatious symphony to smoothly objectify the R&B singer's lady love, and manages to name drop Coldplay, Katy Perry and Kanye West over the course of just three minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

Christina Aguilera feat. Demi Lovato — "Fall in Line"

Bellion handled production on Christina Aguilera's fierce 2018 team-up with Demi Lovato, "Fall in Line," off the former's 2018 LP Liberation. Behind the boards, Bellion effectively captured all of the feminist rage and empowerment that the two vocal powerhouses lit into their lyrics, pairing their sneering vocals with a vamping strings section, rattling chains and a robotic male overlord futilely demanding, "March, two, three, right, two, three/ Shut your mouth, stick your ass out for me."

"Fall in Line" scored a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2019 GRAMMYs, marking Aguilera's twentieth career nod and Lovato's second. 

Maroon 5 — "Memories"

To kick off their seventh album, JORDI, Maroon 5 enlisted Bellion to co-write lead single "Memories." The gentle ballad found frontman Adam Levine mourning the loss of a friend, pouring one out over a lilting reggae-pop line that cleverly samples Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major." While the heartfelt song is dedicated to the band's longtime manager (and namesake of the LP) Jordan Feldstein, who tragically passed away in 2017 due to a blood clot, the relatable sentiment of "Memories" helped it peak at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

In addition to "Memories," Bellion also worked with the band on two other songs from JORDI, co-writing fourth single "Lost" as well as Anuel AA and Tainy collab "Button." Three years later, he would reunite with the band to co-write and co-produce their latest, equally delicate single "Middle Ground" alongside the likes of Andrew Watt and Rodney Jerkins.

Miley Cyrus — "Midnight Sky"

Miley Cyrus came raring into her glam rock-inspired album Plastic Hearts on the back of "Midnight Sky," an unapologetic statement of independence following her split from longtime love Liam Hemsworth. Dripping in sultry synths, the power ballad took a page from '80s rock icons like Joan Jett, Debbie Harry and Stevie Nicks.

The sound was an entirely new one for Cyrus — which is one of Bellion's tools when working with a new superstar for the first time. In a 2023 Billboard interview, he likened his approach to inventing a new kind of ride for the given A-lister. "They have already built an amazing theme park: millions of people go to it and experience their roller coasters," he said. "They put me in charge of revamping or creating a new section of the theme park, and they let me be the foreman of it all." The new style worked in Cyrus' favor, and earned Bellion yet another top 20 hit on the Hot 100.

Justin Bieber — "Holy"

Bellion's fingerprints are all over Justin Bieber's 2021 album Justice, starting notably with its Chance the Rapper-assisted lead single "Holy," which he both co-wrote and co-produced. The superproducer contributed to six other songs on the pop-driven LP — including the pop radio No. 1 "Ghost," which was inspired by Bellion's late grandmother — as well as three deluxe tracks. And though Bellion didn't have any credited features, his voice can still be heard: he offered background vocals on seven of the songs.

Justice earned Bellion his very first GRAMMY nomination, as the project was nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2022 GRAMMYs (Bieber also received seven other nods). 

Selena Gomez — "My Mind & Me"

Bellion first collaborated with Selena Gomez on Rare album cut "Vulnerable" alongside Amy Allen, Michael Pollack and The Monsters & Strangerz. Two years later, the entire team reunited for the title track to the pop singer's Apple TV+ documentary My Mind & Me.

Bellion and co. helped Gomez tap even further into the most vulnerable side of her psyche to date. "Vulnerable" saw Gomez letting her guard down with a new flame, but "My Mind & Me" allowed her to completely lay bare her mental health journey. "Sometimes I feel like an accident, people look when they're passin' it/ Never check on the passenger, they just want the free show," she sings. "Yeah, I'm constantly tryna fight somethin' that my eyes can't see," over spare guitar and piano.

Jonas Brothers — "Waffle House"

After the success of their 2019 comeback album Happiness Begins with producer Ryan Tedder, the Jonas Brothers recruited Bellion to helm the boards on their 2023 follow-up The Album. The producer helped the hitmaking siblings tap into a new facet of their pop-rock sound, finding inspiration in the '70s music their dad raised them on. (As Joe Jonas told GRAMMY.com upon the album's release, Bellion "was saying exactly what we were hoping for" when they first met to mull over ideas.)

While Bellion had a hand in every song on The Album, second single "Waffle House" is the latest to earn both him and Jonas Brothers a top 15 hit on pop radio. Bellion also serves as the one and only featured artist on The Album, coming out from behind the boards and into the vocal booth for bombastic closer "Walls."

Tori Kelly — "missin u"

Tori Kelly first linked up with Bellion thanks to Justin Bieber, as the pair worked together with the Biebs on tender bonus cut "Name" from the Justice sessions. So, when it came time to launch a new era with her self-titled EP tori, the songstress turned to Bellion to help bring her vision to life.

On lead single "missin u," the two-time GRAMMY winner throws the guitar-driven singer/songwriter vibes of her past work out the window in favor of a sleek R&B sound reminiscent of the early 2000s. The sonic gear shift is a natural fit for her lithe voice as she replays a romance that "was rainin' purple skies in my room." Somehow, Kelly even manages to outdo the vocal acrobatics of "missin u" with a deliriously brilliant "R&B edit" that adds even more layers, soul and vocal flourishes to the single.

"When I first started working with Jon Bellion, we were just beginning to scratch the surface on a new sound that truly felt like my own," Kelly explains in a video celebrating the release of her self-titled EP tori. "I know that I'm gonna look back on this collaboration as the start of something really special." As for Bellion's thoughts on his latest project? "Tori Kelly's the greatest vocalist of all time!"

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