Some say Raymond Antrobus isn't being deaf correctly. "There are people who feel like I shouldn't be doing this in a view, talking," he tells GRAMMY.com over Zoom. "That I should be signing, and I should get an interpreter."

Instead, the poet uses use technology that dramatically improves his quality of life. Among other things, his phone acts as an external mic, which boosts the clarity of the input.

"If technology has enabled me to have a direct conversation, then am I just performing something?" he asks. "Is that not authentic?"

Antrobus is far more concerned with the authenticity of his artistic output. Mixed in an accessible way for hard-of-hearing listeners, his new album, An Investigator (of Missing Sounds), is an unvarnished portrait of his experience.

"There is a kind of authenticity within it, which is to say that there are also shortcomings, there are also contradictions. It's not trying to be perfect or say something perfect," Antrobus says. 

Poems like "The Perseverance," "The Acceptance" and "Every Sound in the World" are charged with Antrobus's ethos — to "honor my authentic self, and what deafness is to me, what language is to me, and my day-to-day experiences.

"Because I'm in my head quite a lot," he continues. "I'm trying to convey what this internal headspace is like, and get it out and share that and hope that people resonate or understand what I'm speaking about."

Read on for an interview with Antrobus about the road to An Investigator (of Missing Sounds), navigating his deafness and his personal conception of his artform.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

What did you want to artistically impart with An Investigator (of Missing Sounds)?

Almost like an experiment, if I'm honest. There was no real grand vision.

I've been performing and writing poetry since I was a kid. And every now and then, I meet someone who's interested in recording my poems and my words.

Collaborating with [producer] Ian Brennan with his experience, and his understanding and appreciation of the voice as an instrument, felt like a worthwhile, important, potentially powerful collaboration or connection to make.

I think I wanted to create something that was kind of unexpected. The idea of the investigation of missing sound is to find a way into silences, to find a way into places where there's perhaps not much language — or no language, no noise, silence — and try and voice it.

I know that sounds quite vague and out there, but that's how almost in the dark I was in this collaboration and bringing it together.

Tell me more about how it came to be.

We recorded about three times that amount of material; it was Ian who kind of constructed the order, the atmosphere.

One way I think of Ian is as a kind of scientist of sound. He's done things with the track or the sound, which I don't access. I have to let other people listen to it to tell me what else is happening — my own missing sound, because there's things in there that I'm missing.

This is our second collaboration album; that was the case with the first one as well. So I don't hear any high decibel sounds. So if there's anything that's kind of faint, or an alarm, or a ringing, or anything high pitch, is just not going to... I just don't pick that up.

Ultimately, there were so many poets who record their poems and make poetry albums who I love. Poets like Jerome Ellis and some dub poets from the '80s and the '70s, like Linton Kwesi Johnson and Jean "Binta" Breeze and Mutabaruka.

So, I'm very much inspired by quite a lot of British, or European and Caribbean poets and noise makers, in a way. I've always wanted to make projects or records where the most important thing is the voice and the words. And that has been difficult to find someone that aligned with that vision.

I was in a band once and they just wanted me to rap. And I was like, "No, no, no. I'm a poet. I can't. Just don't let me rap." So that was a frustrating, a kind of creatively frustrating experience that I've had.

Whereas in An Investigator (of Missing Sounds) with Ian, he was just free. He was like, just record the poems, just let the voice and the words just do what they do instinctively.

Being trusted as a poet — and as a vocalist as well — is a new and liberating terrain for me.

Tell me how you've navigated your deafness up to this point.

I was educated in deaf school in London. I was slow to read, and I was slow to write.

So much of my engagement with language and with the written word has always felt very charged because I had to do so much work with speech therapists, with teachers of the deaf, with English teachers. Luckily, I got a lot of support when I was a child, because my deafness was picked up late.

I feel like with almost every poem I write, or every poem I record, or every poem that I want to get heard, it feels like I'm trying to honor the teachers or the people that have given me this speech or this language — and I don't want to waste it.

That's why it feels like so much is at stake for me. This is not something I can take for granted. Having a voice, wanting to be heard and channeling that through poetry felt and feels appropriate.

I'm sure this life change deeply altered your perspective as a poet.

I think so. It has enriched it, but it's also complicated it more — because I suppose people think about deafness or deaf identity as a kind of culture, a kind of lifestyle.

There's this idea sometimes within that community that there's a certain way to be a deaf person. So if you are speaking rather than signing, and you are someone who has done a lot of work to be able to sound like a hearing person, sometimes there's a bit of guilt that comes with that because my access is a privilege.

I have also visited deaf schools all over the world, around Africa and the Caribbean, around Europe. One of the most consistent things I see is a lack of funding to deaf schools. Most deaf schools and places that students don't even have hearing aids, let alone high-tech hearing aids that come with an app.

So it is complicated, but at the same time, it's also been quite interesting with the new technology, for example, watching films that I'd seen when I was younger and then realizing how much I had made up the plot of those films, or just had a completely different idea of what the films were about or what was going on.

The hearing aids aren't a cure, they're still an aid. The problem isn't always the sound itself. The volume of the sound is still happening, but then sometimes my brain just can't figure  out exactly what it's saying.

Can you give me an example?

I went to see Oppenheimer the other day. I thought it was a really good film, but I missed quite a bit of it because it was in this IMAX, a very bassy cinema, and the film is very talky film. With a lot of the dialogue, it was almost like reverting to my older days when I was just having to patch things together.

So I had to watch the film and then actually read about Oppenheimer and the experiment in New Mexico, everything like that after I'd watched the film to pick up on what has happened.

But I mentioned that film because I was actually really struck with the sound structure of it. It was an event of sound for me. The idea that light travels faster than sound — how that is a principle throughout the whole film.

I feel like there were a lot of things I noticed in that film in terms of the sound — that maybe hearing people, people that don't think as much about the physics of sound and the way of being in sound, might have missed.

That's interesting to me. It is a rich experience, but it still can be an alienating one knowing that most often other people are on a different page from you.

**To get back into An Investigator (of Missing Sounds): what made Ian the man for the job? Ian seems to possess an uncommon level of perceptiveness.**

He does. So many things came together in our meeting, but basically he'd reached out and said that he was a fan of my work.

I'd written a children's book; Ian bought it for his daughter, and she really resonated with it as well. And then Ian was releasing a polemic book on the music industry [2016's How Music ies (or Lives): Field Recording and the Battle for Democracy in the Arts], which is a really good read.

He asked me to come and basically read some poems at the launch. I did that. And at the launch I had a ESL interpreter show up; I was like, Wait, I recognize you. She happened to be one of my support teachers for when I was at school.

So, that was a kind of strange coincidence where we had this whole kind of conversation around the chances of that happening.

At the end of the event, Ian just said, "Look, you have a voice —I just hear something and recognize something that I need to capture."

Because at this point, I've spoken to Ian at the length about the philosophy of sound, about the philosophy of what makes a great vocalist, about the capturing music, and lyrics, and vocals that are outside of the mainstream Amplifying voices and sound that are basically from the margin and trying to center that.

I think Ian and I just kind of had a lot of similar understandings and similar appreciations for those kinds of, I suppose, marginalized narratives. And it just kind of connected, synced together.

It was just like a gut feeling — that this is someone I should work with. This is someone I feel I can trust with my poetry, with my voice to put on a record and hopefully get it heard and have it resonate with others.

Where do you want to go from here? What possibilities are flung open thanks to An Investigator (of Missing Sounds)?

Maybe four years ago, I was teaching creative writing in a men's prison. Most of the men I was working with, they're in jail for life and they're not coming out, and they've taken a liking to poetry.

Half of the group were raised in the same part of London that I'm from. And they'd been given copies of my books before I'd gone to work with them.

The ones who were from where I'm from in East London, in Hackney, once they heard me read the poems they said to me, "Look, I liked reading your work, but when I heard you, I understood you. I had to hear you to understand where you're from and what you're about."

I connected with that, and I never forgot that. That, for me, told me to lean more into my voice and to get some recordings out. And I feel like having had that now, it would just open up my work and the world that I'm talking about, this kind of internal world of mine, to hopefully find more worlds to connect with.

I'm still interested in further collaboration. I'm interested in reaching audiences outside of people who might feel like poetry isn't for them, or that poetry is too, I don't know, earnest, or too predictable, or too much of an old idea. But I truly believe that if poetry had nothing to offer the world today, that it would've died a long time ago.

There's just no way that this art form, which is one of the most ancient art forms of humanity, which is still very much living, breathing, being practiced, being taken seriously by a lot of people in the world.

So I really do feel like, or hope, one of my hopes is that the album would just reach the ears of people who wouldn't have opened up a poetry book in a library or bookshop and connected. But when they hear the voice, maybe they connect with that.

Meet Question, A Rapper/Producer Who Doesn't Want To Be Boxed In By Blindness

So you've been hard at work binge studying the full list of 58th GRAMMY nominees. Now that you've sized up the entire GRAMMY field, we've dissected all 83 categories to bring you 58 interesting and informative factoids about this year's nominees that will help skyrocket your GRAMMY IQ near genius level. Read all 58 facts below.

1. Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is the leading nominee for the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards. The critically acclaimed rapper received 11 nominations, a total topped by only two artists in GRAMMY history. Michael Jackson received 12 nods for 1983, as did Babyface for 1996. 

2. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift received noms for Album, Record and Song Of The Year. It's the second time she has achieved this sweep. She first accomplished it six years ago. Only one other female artist in GRAMMY history has received nominations in all three categories more than once. Mariah Carey achieved the triple play for both 1990 and 2005.

3. Max Martin

Max Martin co-produced two of the contenders for Record Of The Year — Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" and The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face." It's the first time in five years that one producer (or team of producers) has produced or co-produced two of the nominees in this category. The Smeezingtons (Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine) produced two of the 2010 nominees — Cee Lo Green's "F*** You" and "Nothin' On You" by B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars.

4. Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes are nominated for Album Of The Year for Sound & Color. The band received a GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist three years ago. (Two other Album Of The Year candidates this year, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar, are also past Best New Artist nominees.)

5. Ronald Isley

R&B legend Ronald Isley is a featured artist on Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, a current Album Of The Year nominee. Isley received his first two GRAMMY nominations 46 years ago for the Isley Brothers' classic "It's Your Thing." The trio won for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group.

6. Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett is vying to become the second Australian artist to win Best New Artist. Men At Work won for 1982.

7. Maroon 5

Maroon 5 are vying for their third award in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category. The Los Angeles-based quintet is nominated this year for "Sugar." The group won the 2005 award for "This Love" and the 2007 award for "Makes Me Wonder."

8. The Chemical Brothers, Skrillex

The Chemical Brothers and Skrillex are each contending to become the first three-time winner in the category of Best Dance/Electronic Album. The Chemical Brothers, nominated for Born In The Echoes, previously won for Push The Button and We Are The Night. Skrillex, nominated along with Diplo for Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü, previously won for Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites and Bangarang.

9. D'Angelo And The Vanguard

D'Angelo could be headed for his second award for Best R&B Album. He and the Vanguard are nominated this year for Black Messiah. He won the 2000 award for Voodoo. To date, only three artists have won multiple awards in this category. Alicia Keys has won three. John Legend and TLC have each won two.

10. Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is vying to become the first female solo artist to win for Best Rap Album. She is nominated for The Pinkprint. Lauryn Hill shared the 1996 award in this category as a member of Fugees for The Score. (The title of Minaj's album is a nod to Jay Z's The Blueprint, which was a 2001 nominee in this category.)

11. Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves could become the first female solo artist to win twice in the category of Best Country Album. Musgraves is nominated this year for Pageant Material. She won two years ago for Same Trailer Different Park.

12. Joey Alexander

Joey Alexander, who is nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo, is just 12 years old. If the piano prodigy wins either award, he'll become the youngest individual artist to win a GRAMMY. The current record-holder is LeAnn Rimes, who was 14 1/2 when she won her first GRAMMY. (The Peasall Sisters were even younger when they won for their contribution to the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. But they were a group.)

13. Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell could be headed for their second GRAMMY in three years in the Best Americana Album category. They're nominated this year for The Traveling Kind. They won two years ago for Old Yellow Moon. To date, Levon Helm is the only two-time winner in this category.

14. Empire: Season 1

Empire: Season 1 is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media. It's vying to become the second television soundtrack to win in this category. The first was Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1, which won four years ago.

15. Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

One thing's for sure: There will be a first-time winner for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical. Three of the nominees (Jeff Bhasker, Diplo and Larry Klein) have been nominated in this category once before (though they didn't win). The other two contenders, Dave Cobb and Blake Mills, are first-time nominees.

16. Lalah Hathaway

Lalah Hathaway is vying to win for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the second year in a row. She is nominated this year for "Little Ghetto Boy." She won last year as a featured artist on Robert Glasper Experiment's "Jesus Children." Only two other artists, Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé, have won twice in this category — and neither of them won in back-to-back years.

17. GRAMMY Creators Alliance

What do 58th GRAMMY nominees Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Charles Kelley, Adam Levine, and Ryan Tedder have in common? They are co-founders of the GRAMMY Creators Alliance, a collective established by The Recording Academy to help today's leading artists, songwriters and studio professionals form a powerful voice in shaping music's future.

18. Jay Mohr

Jay Mohr is a first-time nominee for Best Comedy Album for Happy. And A Lot. Should he emerge victorious, Mohr would become the fourth former "Saturday Night Live" cast member to win the category. The SNL cast alumni who have previously won Best Comedy Album are Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy. Mohr's SNL tenure ran from 1993–1995.

19. Roger Waters

Roger Waters' The Wall is nominated for Best Music Film. Pink Floyd's original recording of The Wall received a 1980 GRAMMY nomination for Album Of The Year. That album was voted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2008.

20. Pharrell Williams

Pharrell Williams could be headed for his second consecutive award in the category of Best Music Video. The multitalented star is nominated this year for "Freedom." He won last year for "Happy." To date, Peter Gabriel is the only artist to win back-to-back awards in this category. He won the 1992 award for "Digging In The Dirt" and the 1993 award for "Steam."

21. Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter could become the first former U.S. President to win twice for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling). The 39th president is nominated this year for A Full Life: Reflections At Ninety. He won the 2006 award for Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis. (Barack Obama won twice in this category before he became president.)

22. Keith Urban

Keith Urban is nominated in the category of Best Country Solo Performance for "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16." John Cougar, as the artist was then known, won a 1982 GRAMMY for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male for "Hurts So Good." Urban won four GRAMMYs in the Best Male Country Vocal Performance category.

23. Big Sean

In addition to contending for his first career GRAMMY for "One Man Can Change The World," Big Sean is a curator for the fourth annual GRAMMY Amplifier, which provides aspiring artists with the opportunity to showcase their talent. The Detroit rapper — along with fellow 58th nominee Sam Hunt and Lzzy Hale of the GRAMMY-winning band Halestorm — will select the program's top three winners, who will be announced during GRAMMY Week.

24. Tamar Braxton

Tamar Braxton is a finalist for Best R&B Performance for "If I Don't Have You." This could be her first GRAMMY win. Braxton's older sister, Toni Braxton, has won seven GRAMMYs, including one just last year for Love, Marriage & Divorce, a collaboration with Babyface. It was voted Best R&B Album.

25. Björk

Björk is vying to become the second female solo artist in a row to win Best Alternative Music Album. She's nominated for Vulnicura. Last year the award went to St. Vincent for her eponymous album. Only one other female solo artist has won in the category — Sinéad O'Connor, who took the 1990 award for I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got.

26. James Bay

Englishman James Bay is a finalist for Best New Artist. Another Englishman, Sam Smith, won the award last year. If Bay wins, this will be the second time that artists from England have won in this category in successive years. Amy Winehouse and Adele won for 2007 and 2008, respectively.

27. "Girl Crush"

"Girl Crush" is nominated for Song Of The Year. The song, co-written by Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose, could become the second song written by an all-female songwriting team to win in this category. The first was "Bette Davis Eyes," the 1981 winner, which was co-written by Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss. (Four female songwriters have won the award solo: Carole King, Julie Gold, Alicia Keys, and Amy Winehouse.)

28. "See You Again"

"See You Again" from Furious 7 is nominated for Song Of The Year. It's the first film soundtrack song in 12 years to receive a nom in the category. "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile was a 2003 nominee. Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth co-wrote their hit "See You Again" with Andrew Cedar and Justin Franks. Eminem co-wrote "Lose Yourself" with Jeff Bass and Luis Resto.

29. Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran is represented in the Album Of The Year category for the third year in a row. This year, he is a featured artist on The Weeknd's Beauty Behind The Madness. Last year, he was nominated for his own album, X. Two years ago, he was a featured artist on Taylor Swift's Red.

30. The Weeknd

The Weeknd's Beauty Behind The Madness is nominated for both Album Of The Year and Best Urban Contemporary Album. It's the fourth album to be nominated in both categories in the four years that the GRAMMYs have had an urban contemporary category. Beyoncé's self-titled album and Pharrell Williams' Girl were nominated for both awards last year. Frank Ocean's Channel Orange was nominated for both awards three years ago.

31. Ian Brennan

Producer Ian Brennan is nominated for Best World Music Album for his work on Zomba Prison Project's I Have No Everything Here. Brennan recorded the album over 10 days in 2013 with a group of male and female maximum security prisoners. Brennan won the same award for 2011 for his co-producer role on Tinariwen's Tassili.

32. Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me

Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me is competing for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media. Two tracks from the album won GRAMMYs last year. "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," which Campbell co-wrote with Julian Raymond, was voted Best Country Song. The Band Perry's version of Campbell's 1967 hit "Gentle On My Mind" won for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Campbell, a six-time GRAMMY winner, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2012.

33. Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood is vying to take home the award for Best Country Solo Performance for the third time in the past four years. She's nominated this year for "Little Toy Guns." She won the 2012 award for "Blown Away" and last year's award for "Something In The Water."

34. "Glory"

"Glory," which won an Academy Award last year, is nominated for three GRAMMYs: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Song and Best Song Written For Visual Media. Common and John Legend, whose recording of the song was heard at the end of Selma, co-wrote the song with Che Smith.

35. Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney has won GRAMMYs in the Pop, Rock and Traditional Pop Fields. Could he be headed for an award this year in the Rap Field? He's nominated in two rap categories — Best Rap Performance as a featured artist on Kanye West's "All Day" and Best Rap Song as a co-writer of that song.

36. Anoushka Shankar

Anoushka Shankar, a nominee for Best World Music Album for Home, is vying for her first career GRAMMY. Shankar is the daughter of the late Ravi Shankar, a recipient of a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. Ravi Shankar: A Life In Music is on display at the GRAMMY Museum through April 1. The exhibit offers visitors a glimpse into the sitar legend's early life and his impact on Western music.

37. Slipknot

Slipknot could be headed for their second award in the category of Best Metal Performance. The band is nominated for "Custer," a track from.5: The Gray Chapter. Slipknot won the 2005 award for "Before I Forget."

38. Best Rock Performance

Three female-fronted groups are nominated for Best Rock Performance: Alabama Shakes (fronted by Brittany Howard), Florence & The Machine (fronted by Florence Welch) and Wolf Alice (fronted by Ellie Rowsell).

39. Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt is a finalist for Best New Artist. He is just the fourth male country solo artist to receive a nomination in this category. He follows Billy Ray Cyrus, Brad Paisley and Hunter Hayes. Historical note: For two years in the mid-'60s, the GRAMMYs awarded a separate Best New Country & Western Artist award. Roger Miller (1964) and the Statler Brothers (1965) were the winners.

40. Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson, the only two-time winner for Best Pop Vocal Album, could be headed for her third award in the category. She's nominated this year for Piece By Piece. Clarkson won the 2005 award for Breakaway and the 2012 award for Stronger. Her competition includes two other past winners in the category: James Taylor (who won the 1997 award for Hourglass) and Mark Ronson (who shared the 2007 award for co-producing Amy Winehouse's Back To Black).

41. MusiCares Person of the Year

Current GRAMMY nominees Charles Kelley, John Legend and Pharrell Williams are slated to perform at the tribute gala honoring 2016 MusiCares Person of the Year Lionel Richie. Taking place Feb. 13 in Los Angeles, the gala raises funds to support the mission of MusiCares, which ensures music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.

42. Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's Shadows In The Night is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. The album is a collection of songs made famous by Frank Sinatra. Both of these artists have received Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy — Sinatra in 1965; Dylan in 1991. (Coincidentally, both artists were 49 at the time they received those honors.)

43. Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg has never received an Album Of The Year nomination as a lead artist, but he has been a featured artist on two nominated albums in the category. He's featured on Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, a nominee this year. He was previously featured on Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, a 2010 nominee.

44. Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars

"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars is a finalist for Record Of The Year. This is the second time these two musicians have shared a nomination in that top category. Ronson co-produced Mars' "Locked Out Of Heaven," which was a nominee two years ago.

45. Irving Azoff

Irving Azoff will be honored at Clive Davis' and The Recording Academy's annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Sunday, Feb. 14. Known as the manager of bands such as the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Journey, Azoff now runs Azoff MSG Entertainment — a multifaceted company overseeing publishing rights, artist management, branding, and venue management. His current roster of clients includes 58th GRAMMY nominees Maroon 5 and Don Henley.

46. Best Music Film

Three of the films nominated for Best Music Film are focused on great artists from the past. What Happened, Miss Simone looks at Nina Simone, who died in 2003. Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown focuses on the R&B legend, who died in 2006. Amy tells the story of Amy Winehouse, who died in 2011.

47. Charles Kelley

Charles Kelley is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for "The Driver," a collaboration with Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay. As a member of Lady Antebellum, Kelley won back-to-back awards in this category. The trio took the 2009 award for "I Run To You" and the 2010 award for "Need You Now."

48. Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters are nominated for Best Music Film for Sonic Highways. They won this award four years ago for Foo Fighters: Back And Forth. Two artists, Sting and Madonna, each won twice in a predecessor category, Best Music Video — Long Form.

49. Sam Hunt

Current nominee Sam Hunt will perform at GRAMMY In The Schools Live! — A Celebration Of Music & Education during GRAMMY Week. The event features participants from the GRAMMY Foundation's GRAMMY Camp programs, including GRAMMY Camp — Jazz Session students.

50. Best Song Writtern For Visual Media

Two songs from the 2015 film Fifty Shades Of Grey — "Love Me Like You Do" and "Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)" — are vying for Best Song Written For Visual Media. It's the first time in three years that two songs from the same film have been nominated in this category. Two songs from The Hunger Games were nominated for 2012.

51. Little Big Town

Little Big Town may be on their way to a second win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. The co-ed quartet is nominated this year for "Girl Crush." They won three years ago for "Pontoon."

52. Drake

Drake could be headed for his second award for Best Rap Album. The superstar rapper is nominated for If Youre Reading This Its Too Late. He came out on top in this category three years ago for Take Care.

53. Muse

Muse are vying to become the first British band to win twice in the category of Best Rock Album. The band is nominated this year for Drones. They won the award five years ago for The Resistance. To date, the only bands to win two or more times in the category are either American (Foo Fighters, Green Day) or Irish (U2).

54. Bill Charlap

Jazz pianist Bill Charlap, who is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern, a collaboration with Tony Bennett, is the son of two past GRAMMY nominees. His mother, Sandy Stewart, received a 1962 nomination for Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female for "My Coloring Book." His father, Moose Charlap, shared a 1966 nod for Best Recording For Children for Alice Through The Looking Glass.

55. Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar could be headed for his second consecutive award for Best Rap Performance. He's nominated this year for "Alright." He won last year for "I." This would make him the second artist to win back-to-back awards in this category. Jay Z and Kanye West took the 2011 award for "Otis" and the 2012 award for "N****s In Paris."

56. GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

James Brown's "Cold Sweat — Part 1" is part of the 2016 GRAMMY Hall Of Fame induction class. Often called the first true funk recording, its influence — along with that of later Brown acolytes such as Prince and the Time — can be heard in Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' Record Of The Year-nominated "Uptown Funk."

57. Max Martin

This is the third year in a row that Max Martin has received a Song Of The Year nomination. The Swedish hit-maker is nominated for co-writing Taylor Swift's "Blank Space." He was nominated in the same category last year for co-writing Swift's "Shake It Off" and two years ago for co-writing Katy Perry's "Roar." Martin received his first nom in the category 16 years ago for co-writing Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way."

58. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift received her third nomination for Album Of The Year for 1989. She won the 2009 award for Fearless. If she wins again this year, she'll become the first female to win Album Of The Year twice for albums on which she was the lead artist. (Lauryn Hill, Norah Jones and Alison Krauss have each won Album Of The Year twice, but each won at least once for an album that was not a solo project.)

The 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held Feb. 15 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT). For updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.

Seventeen is more than just a K-pop group; it's a musical phenomenon that challenges conventions and redefines what it means to be a star in the South Korean music scene. Formed in 2015, the group consists of 13 members who are divided into vocal, hip-hop, and performance sub-units.

S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, Dk, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino have garnered a growing and dedicated global fandom known as Carats, who closely follow their every move. For the group, their fans are a significant part of their growth.

"We're definitely more confident than before through our growth. The growth of our Carats and the amount of support that they show us just gives us so much confidence", member Joshua told GRAMMY.com in 2022.

The self-produced group has a clear philosophy: Create relevant and innovative music that resonates. They don't adhere to stereotypes or definitions, but constantly strive to evolve and explore new sonic territories. This creative and authentic approach has been an integral part of the group's enduring success.

Seventeen wrapped up 2023 with over 16 million albums sold. On April 29, they'll release 17 Is Right Here, a compilation of some of their most impactful songs. For those looking to dive into the world of Seventeen, here are five essential songs to kickstart this exciting musical journey.

"Don't Wanna Cry" (2017)

The lead single from the mini album Al1, "Don't Wanna Cry" details the struggle of dealing with pain and loss. The track delves into the complex feelings of no longer having a loved one around, while holding onto the hope that they might return.

"Don't Wanna Cry" is a striking example of the group's openness and vulnerability with their fans. The song's raw emotions are deeply personal and relatable, depicting a struggle with pain and loss.

"To You" (2021)

The lively and heartwarming track "To You," from the ninth mini album Attacca, is a beautiful reflection on love and gratitude. It's the kind of song that inspires you to throw your arms open wide, sing out loud, and feel every word with your eyes closed.

With its repeated phrase of "I always need you," the song emphasizes the comfort of having someone dependable in your life. "To You" exemplifies Seventeen's remarkable ability to seamlessly combine emotional depth with infectious dance rhythms, showcasing their talent for creating simultaneously heartfelt and energetic tracks.

"Hot" (2022)

A song to enjoy not just in the summer, but on any day of the year, "Hot" was released in 2022 as part of the album Face the Sun.

Through metaphors involving fire and the sun, the group repeatedly chants the word "Hot" reflecting a sense of confidence and the freedom to live passionately, while also encouraging listeners to express themselves boldly without fear. 

Reflecting the group's identity, "Hot" embraces themes of confidence, passion, and fearless self-expression — qualities that resonate with the group's image and message.

"Super" (2023)

An authentic anthem about unity, "Super" celebrates the power of teamwork and mutual support, as highlighted by the iconic chorus "I love my team, I love my crew." "Super" exemplifies how Seventeen functions as one cohesive group despite its numerous members, emphasizing their strong bond and collective spirit.

The song's title — a reference to Son Goku (손오공) from the famous anime "Dragon Ball" — is featured on the album FML, which in sold over 6.4 million copies in 2023 according to Pledis Entertainment, earning the title of the world's best-selling album.

"God of Music" (2023)

An anthem to the universal language of music and its remarkable ability to forge connections across continents, "God of Music," from Seventeen's 11th mini album, Seventeenth Heaven, is a track that moves you to dance from the very first beat.

The group emphasizes how music breaks down barriers, turning strangers into friends and uplifting people worldwide, regardless of language differences. In their accompanying music video, the members conclude with a heartfelt message: Music is a force that brings people together.

SEVENTEEN Performs A High-Octane Version Of "VERY NICE" | Press Play At Home

Upon first impression, Sam Beam of Iron & Wine’s got a wildly endearing trait: he laughs even when something’s not explicitly funny. Even through Zoom, the man most of us know for aching, desolate folk songs will give you a tremendous lift.

"I like to joke around and stuff with my friends," the beardy and serene Beam tells GRAMMY.com — those friends including fellow mellow 2000s favorites, like Andrew Bird and Calexico. "Honestly, it's harder to be serious than it is to joke around most of my friends."

That’s partly what spurred the four-time GRAMMY nominee to make the shimmering, whimsical Light Verse. While it follows 2023’s soundtrack to the documentary Who Can See Forever, and 2019’s Calexico collaboration Years to Born, in relatively short order, it’s still the first proper Iron & Wine album since 2017’s Beast Epic.

Getting to the space to write waggish songs like "Anyone’s Game" ("First they kiss their lucky dice and then they dig themselves a grave/ They do this until it’s killing them to try") wasn’t easy. In conversation, Beam mentions "the pandemic that put me on my ear." In press materials, he expanded on exactly how it did.

"While so many artists, fortunately, found inspiration in the chaos, I was the opposite and withered with the constant background noise of uncertainty and fear," Beam wrote. "The last thing I wanted to write about was COVID."

"And yet, every moment I sat with my pen," he continued, "it lingered around the edges and wouldn’t leave. I struggled to focus until I gave up, and this lasted for over two years."

Thankfully, a Memphis session with singer/songwriter Lori McKenna relaxed his "creative muscles" and a series of tours and collaborations loosened him up even more. Beam assembled a dream team of musicians in Laurel Canyon, and the rest is history — Light Verse is a sumptuous delight.

Read on for how it came to be — and much more.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Light Verse is the first non-collaborative Iron & Wine album since 2017. I imagine there’s sometimes pressure to just put music out for the sake of having it out. Whatever the case, I appreciate that you put time and thought into it.

Yeah, I mean, honestly, I just like making records with other people. You can only smell your own breath so long. I enjoy putting out records, but I feel like I grow more as a musician and person by working with other people. So, I’ll probably be doing more and more of that.

I don’t feel a whole lot of pressure, one way or the other. Maybe I’m just deaf and those things are screaming at me. But I just don’t listen.

What pressures have you faced in the music industry?

Oh, there are certainly lots of pressures. One is, I should probably be on top of my social media game, but I just can't seem to engage with it. I don’t know. That's how people make their entire careers these days, but I can't find a way to sustain it.

I can't think of a way that I could, because I definitely go through days without picking up my phone at all, so I just can't. I think if I could figure out a way to make it fun, I would do it.

What do you do with the time most people spend on their screens?

Playing guitar, or I do a lot of painting. I’m not saying I never pick up my phone, but I don't think about what could I share about my breakfast to the world, I just don't think about it. I'm private.

What was the germ of the concept behind Light Verse?

I don't really usually go in with a specific idea in mind. I just like to stack the deck with people that I like to play with, or that I like what they do. And so just see what happens, throwing a bunch of ingredients that you like individually, and just seeing if it makes a soup that you like.

My idea was to go in with these folks from L.A. that I had met along the way. David Garza, I'd been wanting to play with for a long time. I'd met Tyler Chester, who plays keys, when he was playing with Andrew Bird. Griffin Goldsmith plays with Dawes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The songs were all developed. They were a bit lighter than some of the fare that I've put out before, far as just silly rhymes. They're a little more off the cuff.

I'm kinda mining the territory of the early '70s, where the folk writers were playing with jazz musicians. It just becomes a little more orchestra, or however you want to describe it. Not quite so straightforward.

But I had these off-kilter tunes and I got an off-kilter, talented band from LA, and I was just going to see what happened. And this is what happened.

Naturally, my mind goes to Joni Mitchell playing with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. What are your touchstones?

Well, those Van records — Astral Weeks and stuff. All the stuff in that time when people started playing cluster-y chords. I love that music. It’s so expressive. Ron Carter playing with Roberta Flack, even. They’re gospel-blues sorts of tunes, but they’re also folky [in their] structures and melodies.

Are you a super technically proficient guitarist? Can you play those crazy chords?

[Grins] I wouldn’t be able to tell you what chord it was, but I might be able to get my hand in the shape. I don’t read music. I just learned to play by ear, but I like to play guitar a lot, so I end up stumbling on most stuff.

I also fool around with a lot of open tunings, so you end up with some cluster-y, bizarre stuff with that, for sure.

Even just paying attention to Brian Wilson — he’s not a guitarist, but I feel like his work can teach guitarists a lot about voice leading and stuff.

Definitely. A lot of those jazz voices have been absorbed by pop music. You can hear Bill Evans all over pop music, especially in the ‘90s.

**Can you take readers through the orchestration on Light Verse? It’s so shimmery and rich and unconventional.**

Thanks. Yeah, we were borrowing from some of those jazz ensembles we’re talking about, and also Brazilian music.

Honestly, that Gal Costa tune, "Baby" — it’s the most famous one — it’s my spirit animal for this record. Just between the strings and the way the guitars and rhythm section work — the sparse way it comes and goes.

We approached it fairly intuitively. But I do feel like Paul Cartwright, who did a lot of those strings and charts and stuff, played a huge role as far as the identity of this record. Outside of the lyrics and the forms and stuff, just the way that he interpreted in this really expressive way. His charts and stuff were really great — and a lot of it's him playing, stacking stuff on his own. He's really, really talented.

He also grew up in Bakersfield, and since the violin is strung the way a mandolin is, he rocks a mean mandolin. He had all these different bass mandocellos and all this stuff. He was just, "What are we working on now? Hand me that thing," and just did all kinds of coloring. It's great.

Can you talk about approaching your work with more whimsy and color?

I feel like for some reason, for the longest time when I sat down to write a song, it was a time to say what I mean. And so when it came time to write a song, it ended up being really somber. Some of it is acidic, but somber for the most part.

Whereas for this one, I was just looking for more balance. Maybe I'm just too old to be impressed by that stuff, so I like balance — something that can resonate on something that people recognize but also is fun at the same time. 

You can embrace both things at one time, that life is hard and also silly. And so that was the MO going into this one, and a lot of the songs that I chose to record were because they had both of those things going on at one time.

You’re a three-dimensional artist, but marketing can flatten musicians. Growing up with Iron & Wine, it tended to be packaged as "chill music for rainy days" or some such. Primary colors.

We all do that. We always try to define something. You know what I mean? You want to understand it, and by understanding, control it and define it.

All artists deal with that, for sure. It's frustrating when you want to be recognized. You want them to pay attention to other things, but it's also that we just want to be appreciated. Artists want to be appreciated for every little gesture we make, and it's not realistic. We do our best.

I feel like if you work hard, hopefully the stars will align and people will appreciate what you do.

What do you remember about the atmosphere of the music industry, back when big songs I don’t need to name came out?

You mean the vampire song and stuff?

Yeah.

It's definitely a lot different. The internet upended everything. I squeezed and slipped in the door just as the door was closing on the closed circuit of records and stuff.

It was more of a monoculture, where everyone was having the same conversation about the same groups of musicians. Now, [you can have] the entire history of recorded music at any moment of the day. It's hard to have the same conversation about things. That's been a big difference.

When you hang out and collaborate with friends like Andrew Bird, is there ever a sense of "We survived, we’re the class of 2000-whatever"?

Well, for one thing, it's hard to realize that you've been making music that long. Most bands don't even last that long. It's insane.

But it's also, I just feel really blessed. Maybe it's because I never studied music — my career feels like a fluke. I still feel blessed that people are still interested, blessed that I'm able to do this. I never thought it was in the cards, and so I just feel really lucky.

Sam Beam of Iron & Wine. Photo: Kim Black

I feel like one route to longevity is self-containment. Namely, self-production, which you’ve done forever. Where are you at with that journey?

I like autonomy. I see the musicians who are also producers in their own right, so usually I have a room full of producers and I don't end up using them. We all think everyone should get a producer credit, but I take it because I'm selfish.

But I like having the autonomy. That's why I still release on an independent record label. I like steering the boat. We're all steering around the same fog, but I don't like to have someone else to bitch about. I just bitch about myself.

It releases you from those moments where it’s like, "Sam, sales are down. We’ve got to get you in with Danger Mouse," or something.

Well, hell, man, I’d do that. But I know what you mean. The idea committees I imagine for most artists are really brutal.

Trend-wise, there’s pressure to chase trains that can lead to all music sounding the same.

The things that you're offered, really teach you a lot about what you're in it for. Or it's also after a while, your reasons for doing it change. I don't fault people for reaching for the ring, but I also feel like I was lucky in the sense that I was just doing it for fun.

And all the songs that have been popular were a surprise to me. The songs of mine that were embraced in a way were a surprise. I felt like there were others that might've been more popular or something, or I would've chosen to promote.

So, the lesson I learned is you have no idea. Just put your best into each one and see what happens because you really can't predict what's going to happen. In that sense, if you're trying to be popular or record something that sticks, you're trying to emulate something that's proven to be popular. And for me, that seemed like a recipe for disaster from the beginning.

I feel like if you wrote a really great song in the ‘90s or 2000s, it’d get heard. Not so much in 2024. You need to take it to market and bother everybody about it.

Yeah, it's a tricky thing. The internet has been wonderful as far as we have access to all kinds of stuff that we didn't have access to before, but it just also disperses all the attention. It's hard. There's a lot of great music happening right now — but like you say, you might never know.

What are you checking out lately that you’re really connecting with? Past or present.

I heard a great tune the other day by this woman named Barbara Keith, "Detroit or Buffalo," from 1972. Obviously not contemporary, but it was incredible. I'd never heard it before. I'm checking out stuff, trying to keep up. It's hard.

What do you like that would make people say, "Sam Beam likes that?"

Oh, in my case, it’s all over the place. I’m not real proprietorial with music. It’s something to experience. I’m not so much into dance music, but I like a lot of really intense electronic music. That might be surprising. Who knows?

Everything’s out there for the taking. It’s the universal buffet.

I think everyone can recognize a musical omnivore, and then not be surprised.

Anything else about Light Verse you’re raring to talk about?

We did get to sing with Fiona Apple, which was really a treat. That was unexpected, but a very welcome experience. And she turned a regular song into an incredible duet, which was really a surprise and a blessing.

What was it like working with Fiona?

I never actually met her. Because of the way technology works these days, she was in a whole other state and sent us the track. But a lot of the people that were playing and a lot of people in the room; we share band members like Sebastian Steinberg, and David Garza plays with her a lot too.

One of the reasons that I recorded there in LA with Dave Way is because they had made their last few records with Dave, and Sebastian had been in my ear about, "You got to go record Dave." And it turns out he was right. It was great. She had a lot of friends in the room, so it wasn't too hard to convince her.

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Twenty-six-year-old rapper Anycia truly lives in the present. The Atlanta-born artist describes her most viral hits as if they were everyday experiences — she's simply going out of town on "BRB" and mad at a partner in "Back Outside" featuring Latto. 

Despite her calm demeanor and cadence, Anycia is a self-proclaimed "firecracker" and credits her success to her long-held confidence. 

"I [command] any room I walk in, I like to introduce myself first — you never have to worry about me walking into the room and not speaking," Anycia tells GRAMMY.com. "I speak, I yell, I twerk, I do the whole nine," adding, "I see tweets all the time [saying] ‘I like Anycia because she doesn’t rap about her private parts’... are y’all not listening?" 

With authenticity as her cornerstone, Anycia's genuine nature and versatile sound appeal broadly. On her recently released sophomore LP, Princess Pop That, Anycia's playful personality, unique vocal style and skillful flow are on full display. Over 14 tracks, Anycia keeps her usual relaxed delivery while experimenting with different beats from New Orleans, New York, California, and of course, Georgia. 

"I'm learning to be myself in different elements. I'm starting to take my sound and make it adapt to other beats and genres," she says. "But this whole album is definitely a little showing of me dibbling and dabbling.

The rising hip-hop star gained traction in June 2023 with her sultry single, "So What," which samples the song of the same name by Georgia natives Field Mob and Ciara. When Anycia dropped the snippet on her Instagram, she only had a "GoPro and a dream." Today, she has millions of views on her music videos, collaborations with artists like Flo Milli, and a critically acclaimed EP, Extra. On April 26, she'll release her debut album, Princess Pop That, featuring Cash Cobain, Luh Tyler, Kenny Beats, Karrahbooo and others. 

Ahead of the release of Princess Pop That, Anycia spoke with GRAMMY.com about her influences, maintaining individuality, working with female rappers, and using her music as a therapeutic outlet.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Where did the title Princess Pop That come from?

Princess Pop That is my little alter ego, and my Twitter and finsta name. It's kind of like a Sasha Fierce/Beyoncé type of situation. 

The cover of your album gives early 2000 vibes. Is that where you draw most of your inspiration from?

Yeah. My everyday playlist is literally early 2000s music. I even still listen to [music] from the '70s – I just like old music! 

My mom is a big influence on a lot of the music that I like. She had me when she was like 19, 20. She's a Cali girl and has great taste in music. I grew up on everything and I feel like a lot of the stuff that I'm doing, you can kind of see that influence.

I grew up on Usher, Cherish, 112, Jagged Edge, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Teena Marie, Luther Vandross and Sam Cooke. Usher was my first concert, ever and actually my last concert — I went to his residency in Vegas with my mom. That's like our thing.

I know you had your hand in many different professions — including barbering and working at a daycare — how did you get into rapping?

I always liked music, but [thought] girl, we need some money right now. Rapping and music is cool, but I always had one foot in and one foot out. When I was [working] my jobs, it was more this is what I need to be doing right now — but I wasn't happy. 

It got to a point where I noticed that I was doing all these things, and it worked but it wasn't working for me. I didn't want to get caught up; I didn't want to be stuck doing something just because it works. I wanted to do something that I actually love to do. I decided to quit both jobs because I was literally making me miserable. 

I feel like that's what happened with a lot of our parents — they lose focus of their actual goals or what they actually wanted to do, and they get so caught up in what works in the moment. One thing about me, if I don't like something I'm done. I don't care how much money I put into it, if I'm not happy and it doesn’t feed me spiritually and mentally I'm not doing it. Right after [I quit] I was in the studio back-to-back making music. It eventually paid off.

Walk us through your music making process. 

A blunt, a little Don Julio Reposado, a space heater because I’m anemic. Eating some tacos and chicken wings or whatever I’m feeling at the moment. It’s not that deep to me, I like to be surrounded by good energy in the studio. 

People like to say female rappers aren’t welcoming or don’t like to work with each other. You’re clearly debunking this myth with songs like "Back Outside" featuring Latto and "Splash Brothers'' featuring Karrahbooo. What was it like working with them and how did these collaborations come about? 

Karrahbooo and I were already friends before we started rapping. It was harder for people to get us to do music because when we were around each other we weren't like, "Oh we need to do a song together." We had a friendship. 

Working with Latto, we didn't collab on that song in the studio. I did the song myself after being really upset at a man. I made the song just venting. I didn't even think that I was ever gonna put that song out, honestly. Latto ended up hitting me up within a week's span just giving me my flowers and telling me she wanted to do a song [together]. I ended up sending her "Back Outside" because I felt like she would eat [it up] and she did just that. 

She did! Are there any other female rappers you’d like to work with?

I really want to work with Cardi B — I love her! I'm also looking forward to collaborating with GloRilla. 

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Many female rappers come into the industry and feel like they have to start changing themself to fit a certain aesthetic or archetype. However, everything about you seems super unique — from your voice to your style and appearance. How do you maintain your individuality? 

Being yourself is literally the easiest job ever. When you're doing everything you're supposed to be doing, you're being genuine while you're doing it and you’re just being 110 percent authentically yourself — I feel like everything works out for you perfectly fine. 

I haven't had the urge to change anything or do anything different. The reason people started liking me was because I was being myself. Even if it wasn't accepted, I'm not going to stop being myself. I do what works for me and I feel like everybody should just do what works for them and not what works for the people outside of them. 

That's what creates discomfort for yourself, that’s how you become a depressed artist — trying to please everybody [but] yourself. I feel like people lose sight of that fact. Aside from this being a job or a career for me now, it’s still my outlet and a way I express myself;  it's still my form of art. I will never let anybody take that from me. It's intimate for me. 

Speaking of intimacy, what was the inspiration behind "Nene’s Prayer"? I want to know who was playing with you.

I was just having a little therapy session in the booth and everyone ended up liking it. Instead of getting mad, flipping out and wanting to go to jail I just put in a song. Even though I said some messed up things in the song, it’s better than me doing those messed up things. 

Have you ever written a lyric or song that you felt went too far or was too personal?

Nope. A lot of the [topics] that I [rap about] is just stuff girls really want to say, but don't have the courage to say. But me, I don’t give a damn! If it resonates with you then it does, and if it doesn't — listen to somebody else. 

Exactly! What advice would you give to upcoming artists trying to get noticed or have that one song that pops?

If you got something that you want to put out into the world, you just have to have that confidence for yourself, and you have to do it for you and not for other people. I feel like people make music and do certain things for other people. That's why [their song] doesn't do what it needs to do because it’s a perspective of what other people want, rather than doing [a song] that you're comfortable with and what you like.

How do you want people to feel after listening to ‘Princess Pop That?’

I just want the girls, and even the boys, to get in their bag. Regardless of how you went into listening to the album, I want you to leave with just a little bit more self confidence. If you’re feeling low, I want you to feel like "I am that bitch." 

It's a no judgment zone. I want everybody to find their purpose, walk in their truth and feel like "that girl" with everything they do. You could even be in a grocery store, I want you to feel like the baddest bitch. 

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