meta-scriptBehind The Board: Josh Gudwin On Working With Bad Bunny & Justin Bieber — And Why Record Mixing Is The Best Job Ever | GRAMMY.com
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Josh Gudwin

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Behind The Board: Josh Gudwin On Working With Bad Bunny & Justin Bieber — And Why Record Mixing Is The Best Job Ever

The mixing engineer has worked with stars like Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa, among many others. Here's why Josh Gudwin thinks that he has the best job in the business.

GRAMMYs/May 17, 2022 - 06:33 pm

Mixing engineers might not be the ones in the spotlight playing to thousands of screaming fans — but for veteran mixer Josh Gudwin, it's the best job in the world. "We come in when we want, we mix records all day and we go home," he says. "Really, what else is there, for someone that loves music?"

Gudwin has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, like Justin Bieber and Bad Bunny. In his episode of Behind the Board, he explains how each new project is different — whether he has the leeway to work on a project top to bottom, like he did on Bieber's 2015 Purpose album; or tackles the challenge of combining speed and accuracy, like he had to while working with Bad Bunny. 

Whatever the task, it all comes down to translating an artist's musicality seamlessly to a recording. "Bunny's energy just came to me, I put it in the mixes and just put it right back," he says. "We came home with trophies on that one."

Gudwin's work with Bad Bunny has earned him a Latin GRAMMY (Best Urban Music Album for X 100pre in 2019) and a GRAMMY (Best Latin Pop Or Urban Album for YHLQMDLG in 2021). His other GRAMMY wins show just how versatile he is as a mixer: Best Contemporary Christian Album for For King & Country's Burn the Ships and Best Dance Recording for Silk City and Dua Lipa's "Electricity."

That hardware is on display in his mixing studio, which also features Star Wars figurines and   artwork on the walls — including Bad Bunny's signature stuffed black bunny, hanging right beside where the magic happens. 

Peek inside the studio where it all goes down, and learn more about Gudwin's day-to-day life as a mixing engineer to the stars, in the newest episode of Behind the Board. 

How Audio Engineer Jessica Thompson Restores, Preserves & Masters Records That Snap, Crackle & Pop: "My Job Is To Get The Noise Out Of The Way"

Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa performs at the 2024 GRAMMYs

Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Dua Lipa's New Song "Illusion" Is Here: Listen & Watch The Video

Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism' era is in full swing — and now, we have a new song, "Illusion," with an aquatic-themed video. Check out the new banger, and its aqueous video, below.

GRAMMYs/Apr 11, 2024 - 10:00 pm

Now that we've absorbed "Houdini" and "Training Season," it's time for a third scoop of pop goodness from Dua Lipa.

On April 11, the three-time GRAMMY winner released "Illusion," the third single from her hotly anticipated new album, Radical Optimism, due out May 3. The percolating, endlessly catchy track arrived with a video where Lipa dances on a pool deck in Barcelona, with swimmers and surfers joining the party — a playful homage to the shark-infested waters of the album's cover.

Lipa first kicked off her Radical Optimism era in November with "Houdini," which she performed alongside the debut of "Training Season" in a head-spinning show opener at the 2024 GRAMMYs. The album follows her GRAMMY-winning second LP, 2020's Future Nostalgia.

"[Releasing the album] feels good. It feels, for lack of a better word, radically optimistic," Lipa told Billboard in March, when she also explained the inspiration for the shark fin cover art. "Throughout the whole record, there's this idea of chaos happening around and me trying to push through it in a way that feels authentic and honest to me."

Now, adding "Illusion" to the mix, Lipa has made it very clear the only way she knows how to cope with chaos is to dance — and Radical Optimism will continue the party that Future Nostalgia ignited. 

Check out the video for "Illusion" above, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more news about Dua Lipa and Radical Optimism!

Everything We Know About Dua Lipa's New Album Radical Optimism

Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism': What We Know
Dua Lipa attends the BRIT Awards 2024

Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage

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Everything We Know About Dua Lipa's New Album 'Radical Optimism'

Dua Lipa could barely contain her excitement when announcing her new album, scheduled for release on May 3. GRAMMY.com rounded up everything there is to know about Dua Lipa’s upcoming era of 'Radical Optimism.'

GRAMMYs/Mar 13, 2024 - 09:56 pm

“Who wants moreeeeeee?” With that teasing caption, Dua Lipa sent her more than 88 million Instagram followers into a flurry of anticipation on March 12 as she seemingly primed for a major announcement with a slideshow of behind-the-scenes snaps.

Just one day later, the three-time GRAMMY winner  announced her hotly anticipated third album, Radical Optimism, was officially on its way — complete with a May 3 release date, first look at the cover art, a complete tracklist and more. Lipa couldn’t contain her excitement about the project, punctuating her all-caps caption with a string of more than a dozen exclamation points.

The album announcement arrives on the heels of a celebratory awards season for Lipa, who was nominated for two golden gramophones (including Song Of The Year) at the 2024 GRAMMYs for “Dance The Night” and opened the telecast with an electrifying medley of her singles “Houdini” and “Training Season.” Additionally, her disco-infused Barbie banger scored a nod for Best Original Song at the 2024 Golden Globes and three separate nominations at last year’s MTV Video Music Awards. 

Below, GRAMMY.com rounded up everything there is to know about Dua Lipa’s upcoming era of Radical Optimism.

The Pop Star Is Nearly Upstaged In Her Wet And Wild Cover Art

In her announcement, Lipa shared the cover art for her forthcoming studio set and the result is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Shot by Tyrone Lebon, the image depicts the English Albanian pop star out at sea, her dark hair slicked back as she bobs in the ocean wearing a shiny gold ensemble with matching jewelry against a sun-streaked sky. 

However, it’s entirely possible that, upon first glance, the “Dance The Night” singer isn’t the first thing fans will notice when they see the artwork. That’s because she shares the frame with a fearsome co-star: a shark glides past her in the foreground, its fin slicing ominously through the water’s surface. 

The Tracklist Announces The “End Of An Era”

Lipa’s fans, whom she notably refers to as “my loves,” may still be obsessed with her GRAMMY-winning sophomore album Future Nostalgia, but the pop star makes it clear on Radical Optimism’s tracklist that she’s ready to turn the page. 

According to the album’s watery back cover, the 11-track studio set will kick off with opener “End of an Era” before segueing into previously released singles “Houdini” and “Training Season.” Other as-yet-unheard songs on the LP include titles like “French Exit,” “Illusion,” “Falling Forever” and closing number “Happy For You.” And unless Lipa still has a few surprises up her sleeve ahead of the album’s unveiling, it appears that, for the first time in her career, there won’t be a single collaboration or guest artist featured on the tracklist.

She Thinks Radical Optimism Is “Exactly What We Need in the World”

Just one hour after dropping the cover art and tracklist, Lipa followed the reveal up with a video explaining the important meaning behind the album’s boldly cheery title. “I [can’t] wait for this to be yours,” she promised in the caption, adding a tidal wave emoji to punctuate her point. 

“You know what the world needs is, like, the idea of being endlessly happy,” the singer says in the clip. It’s like an overpowering feeling, I want it.” Later, she hints at the emotional throughline that threads through her upcoming body of work, revealing, “Every song does have that kind of, like, ‘through the struggle you kind of make it something optimistic’...Radical optimism, that’s exactly what we need in the world.”

The Singer’s 2021 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech Inadvertently Sparked the Album’s Ethos

As it turns out, the emotional concept behind Radical Optimism was actually born during Lipa’s acceptance speech at the 2021 GRAMMYs, where she took home the trophy for Best Pop Vocal Album for Future Nostalgia

“My last GRAMMY speech, I said something just in the midst of panic,” the pop sensation says in the aforementioned video, which flashes to her grinning on the stage outside Staples Center in L.A, clutching her third golden gramophone. “One thing I’ve come to realize is how much happiness is so important,” she said at the time. 

“I felt really jaded at the end of my last album [2017’s Dua Lipa] where I felt like I only had to make sad music to feel like it mattered," she continued. "And I’m just so grateful and so honored because happiness is something that we all deserve, and that’s something that we all need in our lives.” 

Three years later, Lipa is channeling that mindset into her new music in such a bold way that she felt Radical Optimism had to be the album’s title. 

She’s Assembled A Solid Group Of Collaborators

The singer’s latest Instagram post also gave fans a peek at some of Lipa’s most trusted collaborators on Radical Optimism. “Tobias Jesso Jr. Kevin Parker. Caroline Ailin. We have Daniel L Harle,” the GRAMMY winner notes, whirling the camera around to introduce each of her producers and fellow lyricists by name before gleefully exclaiming, “We’re makin’ an album!” 

Gesso Jr, Parker, Ailin and Harle are all listed alongside Lipa in the credits of lead single “Houdini” as well as follow-up “Training Season,” so it’s a safe bet that fans will likely see their names throughout the credits when they hear Radical Optimism in full.

2024 GRAMMYs: Dua Lipa Debuts "Training Season" & Slays "Houdini" In Mesmerizing Opening Performance

Close-up of Dua Lipa performing at the 2024 GRAMMYs
Dua Lipa performs at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Listen: Dua Lipa Drops New Single "Training Season" From Her Upcoming New Album

The song — which Dua Lipa premiered, along with the head-spinning "Houdini," at the 2024 GRAMMYs — will be featured on her forthcoming third studio album. Hear the swirling track and watch its entrancing video here.

GRAMMYs/Feb 15, 2024 - 11:02 pm

Dua Lipa has evaded expectations like "Houdini"; now, she's declaring that "Training Season" is over. The three-time GRAMMY winner and 10-time GRAMMY nominee has released a percolating, questioning new single, "Training Season," the second track from her yet-to-be-announced third album, due out this year. The song’s video opens with Dua Lipa alone and disheartened in a crowded cafe, surrounded by men, but unimpressed by her options.

As the video unfolds, a crowd of hopeful admirers presses against the glass and swirls around her, vying for her attention. She looks on, unimpressed by the multitude of options before her, signaling that the time for "training" has passed. "Training season's over," she declares, underscoring her readiness for something more genuine. "Are you someone that I can give my heart to?” Lipa sings over an effervescent beat. "Or just the poison that I'm drawn to?" Because, in the end, she "Need someone to hold me close / Deeper than I’ve ever known / Whose love feels like a rodeo / Knows just how to take control / When I’m vulnerable."

The song’s release follows her stunning performance at the 2024 GRAMMYs where she opened the show with a mesmerizing medley in which she official debuted “Training Season” and also performed “Houdini.”

Lipa was nominated for Best Song Written For Visual Media and Song Of The Year for her Barbie the Album hit, "Dance the Night," at the 2024 GRAMMYs. Though Billie Eilish took home the golden gramophones in both categories — for another Barbie song, “What Was I Made For?” — Lipa has three GRAMMYs to her name, including 2019’s Best New Artist honor.

Listen to “Training Season” above, and check back on GRAMMY.com for more information about Dua Lipa's upcoming album.

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Usher and Alicia Keys at Super Bowl 2024
(L-R) Usher and Alicia Keys during the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show.

Photo: L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

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17 Love Songs That Have Won GRAMMYs: "I Will Always Love You," "Drunk In Love" & More

Over the GRAMMYs' 66-year history, artists from Frank Sinatra to Ed Sheeran have taken home golden gramophones for their heartfelt tunes. Take a look at some of the love songs that have won GRAMMYs.

GRAMMYs/Feb 14, 2024 - 09:42 pm

Editor's Note: This is an update to a story from 2017.

Without heart-bursting, world-shifting love songs, music wouldn't be the same. There are countless classic and chart-topping hits dedicated to love, and several of them have won GRAMMYs.

We're not looking at tunes that merely deal with shades of love or dwell in heartbreak. We're talking out-and-out, no-holds-barred musical expressions of affection — the kind of love that leaves you wobbly at the knees.

No matter how you're celebrating Valentine's Day (or not), take a look at 18 odes to that feel-good, mushy-gushy love that have taken home golden gramophones over the years.

Frank Sinatra, "Strangers In The Night"

Record Of The Year / Best Vocal Performance, Male, 1967

Ol' Blue Eyes offers but a glimmer of hope for the single crowd on Valentine's Day, gently ruminating about exchanging glances with a stranger and sharing love before the night is through.

Willie Nelson, "Always On My Mind"

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, 1983

In this cover, Nelson sings to the woman in his life, lamenting over those small things he should have said and done, but never took the time. Don't find yourself in the same position this Valentine's Day.

Lionel Richie, "Truly"

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, 1983

"Truly" embodies true dedication to a loved one, and it's delivered with sincerity from the king of '80s romantic pop — who gave life to the timeless love-song classics "Endless Love," "Still" and "Three Times A Lady."

Roy Orbison, "Oh, Pretty Woman"

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, 1991

Orbison captures the essence of encountering a lovely woman for the first time, and offers helpful one-liners such as "No one could look as good as you" and "I couldn't help but see … you look as lovely as can be." Single men, take notes.

Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You"

Record Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, 1994

Houston passionately delivers a message of love, remembrance and forgiveness on her version of this song, which was written by country sweetheart Dolly Parton and first nominated for a GRAMMY in 1982.

Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic)"  

Record Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, 1999

This omnipresent theme song from the 1997 film Titanic was propelled to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 as the story of Jack and Rose (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and GRAMMY winner Kate Winslet) swept the country.

Shania Twain, "You're Still The One"

Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Song, 1999

Co-written with producer and then-husband Mutt Lange, Twain speaks of beating the odds with love and perseverance in lyrics such as, "I'm so glad we made it/Look how far we've come my baby," offering a fresh coat of optimism for couples of all ages.

Usher & Alicia Keys, "My Boo"

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, 2005

"There's always that one person that will always have your heart," sings Usher in this duet with Keys, taking the listener back to that special first love. The chemistry between the longtime friends makes this ode to “My Boo” even more heartfelt, and the love was still palpable even 20 years later when they performed it on the Super Bowl halftime show stage.

Bruno Mars, "Just The Way You Are"

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, 2011

Dating advice from Bruno Mars: If you think someone is beautiful, you should tell them every day. Whether or not it got Mars a date for Valentine's Day, it did get him a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona, "Fool For You" 

Best Traditional R&B Performance, 2012

It's a far cry from his previous GRAMMY-winning song, "F*** You," but "Fool For You" had us yearning for "that deep, that burning/ That amazing unconditional, inseparable love."

Justin Timberlake, "Pusher Love Girl" 

Best R&B Song, 2014

Timberlake is so high on the love drug he's "on the ceiling, baby." Timberlake co-wrote the track with James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon and Timbaland, and it's featured on his 2013 album The 20/20 Experience, which flew high to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Beyoncé & Jay-Z, "Drunk In Love"

Best R&B Performance / Best R&B Song, 2015

While "Drunk In Love" wasn't the first love song that won Beyoncé and Jay-Z a GRAMMY — they won two GRAMMYs for "Crazy In Love" in 2004 — it is certainly the sexiest. This quintessential 2010s bop from one of music's most formidable couples captures why their alliance set the world's hearts aflame (and so did their steamy GRAMMYs performance of it).

Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"

Song Of The Year / Best Pop Solo Performance, 2016

Along with his abundant talent, Sheeran's boy-next-door charm is what rocketed him to the top of the pop ranks. And with swooning lyrics and a waltzing melody, "Thinking Out Loud" is proof that he's a modern-day monarch of the love song.

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, "Shallow"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance / Best Song Written For Visual Media, 2019

A Star is Born's cachet has gone up and down with its various remakes, but the 2018 iteration was a smash hit. Not only is that thanks to moving performances from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, but particularly thanks to their impassioned, belt-along duet "Shallow."

H.E.R. & Daniel Caesar, "Best Part"

Best R&B Performance, 2019

"If life is a movie/ Know you're the best part." Who among us besotted hasn't felt their emotions so widescreen, so thunderous? Clearly, H.E.R. and Daniel Caesar have — and they poured that feeling into the GRAMMY-winning ballad "Best Part."

Kacey Musgraves, "Butterflies"

Best Country Solo Performance, 2019

As Musgraves' Album Of The Year-winning LP Golden Hour shows, the country-pop star can zoom in or out at will, capturing numberless truths about the human experience. With its starry-eyed lyrics and swirling production, "Butterflies" perfectly encapsulates the flutter in your stomach that love can often spark.

Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber, "10,000 Hours"

Best Country Duo/Group Performance, 2021

When country hook-meisters Dan + Shay teamed up with pop phenom Justin Bieber, their love song powers were unstoppable. With more than 1 billion Spotify streams alone, "10,000 Hours" has become far more than an ode to just their respective wives; it's an anthem for any lover.

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