Last year saw the demise and birth of many worlds. But despite the upheaval, Alejandra Ghersi, the avant-garde electronic music artist known as Arca, streamlined her approach and delivered her most palatable album yet, KiCK i.

Fans of the singer/songwriter and producer know her for her boundless, experimental approach to music-making. Her textured sound design includes instrumentals, futuristic effects and haunting, ceremonial vocals. KiCK i, released June of 2020, is an out-of-this-world bilingual sonic experience that marries the two sounds that raised her: electronic music and reggaeton.

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To the Barcelona-based, Venezuelan-born artist, reggaeton and electronic music are one and the same. Reggaeton relies "on the loop of electronic instrumentation," she explains via Zoom. With this album, Arca is taking Latin music’s biggest sound to new dimensions outside of the traditional Latin music world.

The intent is GRAMMY-worthy. KiCK i is nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 2021 GRAMMY Awards. And it has a place on the dancefloor—hip-shaking tracks like "KLK" with Spanish sensation Rosalía and Venezuela’s Cardopusher are pop songs at their core even as Arca maintains her experimental vision. 

The album's 12 songs mix reggaeton’s infectious rhythms with heavy, emotive synth sounds and robotic vocals. And the complex themes of identity in tracks like "Nonbinary" and "Machote" are as relevant and cutting-edge as the sound itself. She’s known for her contradictory nature—when asked about the songs, she responds, "There are times where it feels pleasurable and right to indulge in the binary, and there are times where it feels pleasurable and right to indulge in not having to put everything into one of those two boxes."

Recently, Arca spoke with GRAMMY.com about how her transition influenced the expansion of her sound on KiCK i, working with the late singer/producer Sophie on the album and creating reggaeton with Rosalía.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

What about the creative process or the creating process gets you excited?

It tends to be the part of making a song or being on set where I'm not in control of what the outcome will be. My favorite part of making something is not necessarily the part that entails having a vision and figuring out how to execute it, but rather the element of surprise that emerges when there's maybe a beautiful mistake or an accidental discovery.

So you don't mind not being in control?

Oh, I crave that. I think in my day-to-day, I want to be in control of my feelings or my practice. 

What drew you to electronic music?

I have a brother seven years older, and I would often borrow his music—sometimes without permission. I think his musical tastes left a big influence on me. He had a lot of Aphex Twin, Squarepusher. He had a few Björk records that were very formative in my musical heritage [and] instruction. 

Also, I loved electronic music on the radio. Pretty much all the musical genres that I gravitated to when I was a kid were electronic in some way—even if it was like future-leaning R&B. There was [also always] reggaeton on the radio in Venezuela. I considered reggaeton electronic music.

That’s interesting. Tell me more.

It really does rely on the loop of electronic instrumentation.

Before I come back to that thought, I want to get into your music. Your last album, Arca, was experimental. KiCK i is a bit more pop. How did that shift happen?
I can't answer that without mentioning the beginning of my transition. I think the self-titled record was more of like a swan song, as if I was letting go or mourning. When I wrote that record, I was walking in a cemetery every day by my house. It was pretty goth. Beyond emo. After that, I came to terms with a few things and decided to share them with the world.

The immediate result was something more celebrational. I didn't really want to preach to the choir, so to speak. There was a focused intention to try to reach people that might not share the same views as me—but to entice them or invite them by making something beautiful enough or entertaining enough that would compel people to think about the fact that we're each kind of mutants in our own way.

At the same time, we're all brought together in being unique. I don't know how to explain it. I think it's something that's more a result of living and finding a queer family after I left Venezuela when I was 17 years old. The values and the ways of making a new family or finding yourself to be part of a community that you didn't realize existed, it all ties into the reasons why the record sounds so different.

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You mentioned people who have different values than you, and then you cited queerness. Is that what you mean by people who have different views?

Definitely, but only because I think everyone is queer. You can self-identify as queer or not, but I think we're all on a spectrum.I don't think it should be something exclusive. It should be something inclusive. I think also each individual has multiple souls. That's something that I talked about a lot on Kick I—that we all have more than one state. 

I want to make space for each of those to be able to coexist in the same space, not just tolerate each other, but in a harmonious way. I think queerness isn't something that should make anyone feel like an outsider. If anything, it should make everyone feel like part of the same thing.

You have a song called "Nonbinary," but you also have a song called "Machote," which means "man" in Spanish. Why did you decide to name the songs that?

I didn't want to force people into thinking that by being non-binary, you're renouncing the heritage and tradition of these charges between masculinity and femininity. If anything, I wanted each woman to recognize the man inside them and each man to recognize the woman inside them. The words "woman" [and] "man" mean different things to each person.

My idea was that you can know who you are without needing to only choose one side of you. It's like the sun and the moon. I want it to have the pleasure and the joy and the sparks that can fly off of the tension between hyper-masculinity and hyper-femininity in the case of "Machote."

At the same time, there are instances where thinking in terms of masculinity and femininity as a binary might not be useful. I was trying to have my cake and eat it too. There are times where it feels pleasurable and right to indulge in the binary, and there are times where it feels pleasurable and right to indulge in not having to put everything into one of those two boxes.

It was a very nuanced message and a layered one that I understood was contradictory upon the moment of sharing it. That was kind of the point.

How did reggaeton and trap make it into the album?

Part of the lifeblood that has nurtured me was music that I heard on the radio. Music that reached me, through not just academic and performance, in more of a popular sense. One of the contradictions I like to relish in is to not think of my practice as academic, but also not to think of it as just entertainment.

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Did you plan on making the track of the Rosalía reggaeton since the beginning?

No. Actually, that's not the first song that we've made together. It just happened to be the first song we've been able to share. I'm glad that ["KLK" is] the first one because I'm really proud of it. I hope the other ones make it too, but at the same time, I don't think that our sound has to be shared with an audience for it to be real or for it to mean something.

I'm happy that we've made songs. Whether or not they see the light of day and are shared with audiences is secondary, almost, but I love her so much.

What about the song makes you proud of it?

I want to mention Cardopusher. It was between the three of us that the song came to be. So, I want to do more than a shout-out. I think the lifeblood of that song, the melody that is very hypnotic and has given the song so much of its energy was Cardopusher’s musicality. It's not just Rosalía. It's Rosalía, Cardopusher and I.

It's very important because the collaboration feels like a triangle. I've known him since I was, like, 14 years old. He was and is a local hero in the scene of Caracas. So, I'm proud for, I guess, being a bridge too, between Cardopusher and Rosalía. I'm proud to be a part of that song.

I'm proud because those are the rhythms that Luis and I grew up with, and I know Rosalía really appreciates them too. I love the song because I think it's infectious, but not 100 percent digestible in a pleasant way.

I have noticed that about your music. Some things about it are more poppy and accessible than others. Are you ever concerned about it not being palatable enough for broader audiences?
All the time. It's my nightmare to think that I might make something that means much more to me than it could mean to an audience. I always want to make it possible for people to have their own reading of things without making it sound too abstract. That's something I find myself never figuring out.

Your music is at the intersection of so many things. You're creating a new space for Latinx music outside its traditional boundaries. Do you think so too?

That's the goal. I don't know if I can answer that. I think that's for other Latinx musicians to answer, but that is honestly the goal.
And I think that your music is necessary for that—to push those audiences.

Bless you, for saying so. Thank you.

On the album, you worked with Sophie as well. What did working with Sophie mean to you?

It meant a lot. It's an emotional subject because it's very recent that she passed, and I find myself still processing the emotional side of that. What I can say right now, honestly, that I feel nothing short of an honor to have been able to make music with her and have that connection and be a part of my life for many years.

We met each other before either of us transitioned, so there was this very profound parallel and also similarities and also contrasts. I think Sophie is a genius. Period. She will forever remain someone that inspires me. We had so many plans. We were making so many plans to tour together. 

The track with Sophie, "La Chiqui," is more experimental than some of the others. What do you enjoy about playing with sounds?
I like the idea of combining things that haven’t been combined: languages, good print, times, different eras, different materials, even fantasy worlds, like science fiction versus fantasy. Maybe even interpreting traditional things with more contemporary leanings, or interpreting more contemporary ideas through traditional classical beauty.

I try to find combinations that surprise me and hopefully can produce a sense of wonder. Or, at least, inspiration.

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This album is nominated for a GRAMMY. How do you feel about that?
I’m still pinching myself. I can't say that I've taken it all in. Interviews like this one are what help it feel more real because I didn't even know that was possible.

When the label mentioned that it was nominated, I wasn't even told that it was a possible candidate. It's a great honor because I've studied not just music, but the history of recorded music. The GRAMMYs are very much about albums, which is a format that I'll always believe in. And then to have the recognition and the honor of it being nominated for me is already more than enough. It just gives me a lot of fuel to keep doing what I'm doing as best as I can.

Outside of your music, what do you want to be known for?
That’s a big question. I want to be known for not ever fully being known. I'd like to remain something of a mystery. I'd like to make it so that if you study my tracks, or the gestures, or the decisions that I took throughout the course of my career as a musician or as an artist working in more than one medium, it would be to make it hard for people to reverse-engineer and figure out who I was without hiding from people.

To find this place where people can feel like they don't have to know exactly who I was in order for my work to mean something to them—that would make me happy.

Even after a flight and an hours-long photo shoot, Coi Leray exudes brightness and warmth as she discusses her monumental year. She carries a vibrant energy that matches her music — all of which is reminiscent of hip-hop's beginnings and bright future. 

Leray brought that vitality to "A GRAMMY to 50 Years of Hip Hop," where she held her own among genre legends with a dynamic performance of her smash hit, "Players." Exactly one month prior to the Dec. 10 event, Leray added another milestone to her booming career: her first GRAMMY nominations.

"Players" earned Leray a nod for Best Rap Performance at the 2024 GRAMMYs, where she's also nominated in the new Best Pop Dance Recording Category, for her collaboration with David Guetta and Anne-Marie, "Baby Don't Hurt Me."

"One of the biggest things and accomplishments for me as a artist is for people to know me and admire my versatility," Coi told the Recording Academy. "To be nominated for two of my voices — my melodic, my rap, my singing — it's a dream come true. I wouldn't want it no other way." 

Her versatility expands outside of her music, too. From her signature braided hairstyle to launching her own beauty and haircare products, the New Jersey-raised rapper is also building a name for herself in the fashion and beauty industries. What's more, Leray has entered the philanthropic space as well, with plans to launch her mental-health-focused Camp Courage World Foundation later this year. 

Even just a few years into her career, Leray is steadfast in leaving a multi-faceted legacy for herself — one that takes inspiration from icons like Beyoncé and J.Lo, but feels uniquely hers. And while she sees herself in every business venture, the rapper vows for one thing to remain true: she'll always be having fun. 

Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, Leray sat down with GRAMMY.com to discuss what she learned in 2023 — and how her breakthrough year was the perfect setup for a long career. 

Congratulations on a wonderful year — from receiving your first GRAMMY nominations for "Players" and "Baby Don't Hurt Me" to opening up for Beyoncé at the Renaissance World Tour in Los Angeles. How would you describe 2023 for you?

This year was the icing on the cake to what my future entails. You know with "Players" being nonstop on the radio, getting nominated to all these big award shows, performing on Beyoncé's stage, and getting a written letter from Beyoncé. 

She told me that she's been watching me grow. It shows how hard I have been working. Most importantly, it shows them what to look forward to in the future. I feel like I'm one of those artists that is going to be here for a very, very long time.

As you described, "Players" has maintained a chart-topping position since its release. The single has a sweeter meaning to it because you are paying homage to the rappers, such as The Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, who have come before you.  The group has even publicly thanked you for re-introducing them to the younger generation. 

I wanted to ask about your decision to pay homage to them, because we exist in an era where a majority of songs have samples, but few artists go out of their way to pay respect to the pioneering artists.

I feel like it is my job to educate the youth as much as possible.

I'll be 27 in May. As I get older, I remember when I was 16, 13, 10, 18, 21. Everything that you hear now is inspired by so many great artists, such as Busta Rhymes and The Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five; those icons in hip-hop made a huge statement. What's derived from Busta's creativity, his flows, his music videos and everything — a lot of kids have to understand the music they hear today and the videos they see are inspired by him and that's where it came from.

I remember the moment where I sat down and listened to Sade. She has one of the most beautiful tones in the music industry, and one of my biggest inspirations. When I go to the studio, I try to master my tone, my melodies, and my voice.  Sade helped me grow, and [I] realize how big she is to hip-hop, the industry, and music in general.

All the icons study music. The way in which you spoke about developing your melodies and voice speaks to that, and shows your dedication to the craft. Another icon that you have spoken of in high regard and worked with is Pharrell Williams. 

He's not only an icon in music, but fashion as well. You sat front row at his debut collection for Louis Vuittion and have become a regular attendee for other notable luxury fashion houses. Are you carving out your own path as an entertainer who has one foot in music and the other in fashion?

I have always been into fashion. I have been building my brand. To me, it's bigger than being an artist. It helps me build my brand. 

I've been building my relationship with YSL. When I landed my Fendi by Marc Jacobs campaign, I was on the frontpage of Fendi's website, alongside Kendall Jenner. I have done Fashion weeks and been dressed by amazing designers, like Jeremy Scott at Moschino, Alexander Wang, AREA, Diesel, and more.

As I continue to elevate and and my music continues to grow, "TWINNEM" ended up on the charts, the success of "Players" and to land with Pharrell, then sit front row at Louis Vuitton; it just shows how much I have been progressing. 

It's also a reminder that through all the hate and negativity that I am going through, even my personal tribulations, it's those moments that make me realize, "Yo! You are a star!" and this is happening in real life. Whether it's next week, next month, you're elevating.

The weekend where I sat front row at Louis Vuitton, I was in the studio with Pharrell. We made four records. I learned so much in my 24 hours with him. I built the most amazing relationship. Pharrell is a mastermind not only when it comes to not only fashion, but when it comes to music. 

In previous interviews, you referred to yourself as a "walking brand." As of late, you have garnered partnerships with brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Tommy Hilfiger, Ray-Ban, and more. In your interview with Angie Martinez, you mentioned the possibility of a haircare line. I would like to hear more about the business components of your brand and how you are building an empire, adjacent to the music industry?

I have always had braids since I was a kid. When I did my first song, "Huddy," and throughout the beginning of my career, I always wore braids. I always had my baby hairs out.

It was important to me when I signed my deal to make sure that I'm good in the long run. So I sat down and thought about, what is going to help me be a better person? 

Create longevity. Create an asset. 

As much as I did my baby hairs, I ended up inventing a baby hair brush. I'm just getting my first mold. It's been a process because I want this brush to be perfect, and it's crazy because once it's complete, I want to go add something else. It's a learning process, and it feels so good to be able to financially invest into myself, grow my brand, continue to learn, have errors, make mistakes at this age and in my career.

I got my first top 10, but I never got a top five. I'm aiming bigger and everything is on God's timing. With my branding, my music and my YouTube series, "Cooking with Coi Leray," my skincare products, and my nail line products that's coming, it's all going to come in perfect timing because everything's on God's timing.

It brings me joy to hear a young woman artist, especially a Black woman, discuss their plans on building their legacy and ensuring longevity for the duration of their career. I saw this in your decision to have Trendsetter Studios, your creative agency, direct the music video for "Players." Could you walk me through the decision making process to start your agency?

I started Trendsetter Studios because I have always been into content. I've always been the creator behind everything I do. They say that I'm big on TikTok and a lot of these platforms, which I am, and I take pride in it because I'm good at what I do.

I'm great at making content. I'm great in front of the camera. I love the camera. When I signed my deal, I invested in a lot of equipment because I knew this is something. When I want to do a video, I want to be able to just grab the camera whenever I want to. Be able to create my own thing.

There's so many music videos up that Trendsetter Studios produced. I'm very grateful for my team. We're still learning. We're still growing. 

It's still in development. The goal and the key is longevity, having access and being able to build, do what you want, when you want, and how you want it.

**When you look at the projects you have worked on in 2023, such as "Self-Love" on  Spiderman: Across The Spider-Verse soundtrack and your sophomore album, Coi. What are some lessons that you've learned from those projects that you're going to apply in 2024?**

I learned to have fun. This [past] year, I kind of got wrapped up in it. It's hard to not get wrapped up in the political stuff or the numbers or the fans. I don't pay attention to the negative comments and stuff like that. But, it was at a point where I was paying attention to what someone else wanted versus myself.

I realized, in 2024, I'm only catering to what I want to do. I'm going to live in my truth. I'm going to keep growing as a young lady, as a young woman. Do what I want to do, and keep making great music, and just have fun, not get too wrapped up in the other stuff.

I want to have fun. Life is about having fun, and I'm at an age where I need to have fun. In 2024, we're having fun, and I feel like everybody's gonna feel that in my music, in my videos, in my vlogs, and whatever it is I'm doing, they're gonna feel that energy, and I'm gonna make sure of that, because that's the goal.

It seems to be a trend that icons release self-titled albums. 2023 was the 10-year anniversary of Beyoncé's self-titled album. When you look back at Coi, an album that will always be synonymous with you, where do you place that album in your legacy as an artist? 

It's gonna be here forever. It's gonna be one of those records where people are gonna go back and they're going to be like "Yo, what the hell?!"and I know that because it's such an amazing body of work. 

I write through experience, so as I go through new experiences, as I learn new things in the studio or work with more amazing creatives — creatives in all aspects, whether they're producers, engineers, songwriters, videographers, directors, creative directors, labels. As I'm working with all those people. I'm learning and every single time I just end up scoring better.

My next body of work is always my best body of work, but that doesn't mean take away the greatness from that work. It just means that I've been elevating in every single way. Coi is one of those projects where I elevated it, it has amazing music just like Trendsetter.

The more I create and the bigger I get, the more people will go back, listen, and really appreciate the body of work for what it is.  

You have not only achieved success domestically, but internationally with high placements on the Global and K-Pop charts, as well as participating in Paris and Milan fashion weeks. You have crossed over to being a well-known performer across the world. You're a girl from Jersey who has received global recognition. How does that feel for you? 

Recognition is dope. When you go over to places like Australia and Paris, they treat you like a major star. The love over there is immaculate. I get really inspired overseas. There's so many great things.

For example, Paris has so many great music video directors. Their music videos are insane. I had to go out there to really understand that.

It made me want to be the voice that when I come to America, "I'm like, I want to use more videographers so people can see how amazing they are too." It's a blessing to be able to travel.

You mentioned a desire to work with music video directors in Paris and abroad. You have already worked with international talents such as David Guetta and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. It seems you are pivoting yourself as an entertainer who uses music to bridge the gap between these cultures. 

Well, David Guetta is an incredible artist.

He is a mastermind when it comes to the studio, and I want to continue to work with David. We have an incredible relationship, and amazing chemistry in the studio. He's one of the first DJs to bring hip-hop and EDM together. That's another life experience for me that I'm going to remember forever.

You know, being a young Black queen in the music industry and being able to have so much versatility, it allows me to collaborate with so many great artists. David Guetta, he's a mastermind. That's another way to educate the young kids on David Guetta too. I know he's already a major, but they don't know the history.

Some people might not know the history, and I feel like it's important. David Guetta getting nominated with me — I'm getting nominated with my rap song and the pop electronic recording record. It's just a dream come true, I'm telling you. 

**In your music video for "Wasted" with Taylor Hill from Blue Moon, you showed a side of you that is different from your previous works. The video displayed a tender and vulnerable side of you. Can we expect to see more of that from you in 2024?** 

I can admit that I haven't done my best at showing that side. I was under my rock a little bit, but I promised to myself that in 2024 I am going to show more of my process, bring people into my world, my fans, and I think I owe it to my fans 1000%. I think that they want to know Coi Leray outside of Instagram, The Shade Room, social media, and blogs.

I want them to also understand who I am as a woman, as a person. Music is important, but relationships are important. Just as much to me, and I admire that.

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Icons not only inspire us through music, but the way they invest in their community. In 2023, you organized a Thanksgiving Giveback in your hometown. What led you to start doing philanthropy efforts? I think people will always want to root for the girl who made it big and paid it forward.

That's why I started my Camp Courage World Foundation. I'm super excited to launch that at the top of 2024.

It's something I've wanted to do for a long time. I finally thought of an amazing name for it and I'm excited. We're focusing on mental health because I feel like that's something that I've dealt with my entire life, my childhood, growing up and now, and there's so many things that I do that I'm pretty sure that these girls would want to know and learn.

For example, just reading books and waking up every day, praying, finding my spirituality and sticking through it, staying consistent, going to church, even if they're not physical, online every Sunday, speaking to my pastors, my life coach, getting therapists, whatever it is that's going to make me better, that doesn't have me relate to anything that can self harm myself mentally, physically, financially, emotionally.

I'm excited for that launch because that's also going to be the next step in a big part of my career that I feel is one of the most important things. 

Having major records is cute. That's fire. Everybody wants a number one record, but with that number one record, you want to be able to give back and inspire because, at that point, what are you doing it for?

Since your debut, conversations about your body, your image, and your contributions to hip-hop have been a point of contention in the cultural zeitgeist. It seems you have decided to take control of the narrative in the media and the press. Whether it is through the development of your brands or the creation of your talent agency, do you feel as if you are on a path of reclamation? 

I'm taking control of it. I should be able to tell it. It's my life.  

I was sitting down talking to my people. I had told them. I said, "Yo. 2024. The future is so bright that the only thing that can stop me is me."

A lot of people don't know what I go through outside of this stuff. I go through a lot, you know what I mean? But going through what I went through, it taught me a lot about myself. 

I realized this year was all about self-awareness, and it prepped me for 2024. Like I said, I'm the only one that can get in my way. 

It's about just staying focused, staying level-headed, staying consistent. And staying prayed up. 

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Coco Jones is feeling more inspired than ever following a year of exciting surprises and breakthroughs. In 2023, the 25-year-old budding star celebrated her first Billboard Hot 100 entry thanks to her platinum-selling "ICU" single, embarked on her first headlining tour, and earned her first GRAMMY nominations.

"Being a GRAMMY-nominated artist changes everything. It's such a different creative mindset when the world says, 'You're good, we like what you do,'" Jones tells GRAMMY.com. "It's like a gold star. It makes you want to work harder, it makes you wanna continue to impress, and it makes you impressed with yourself, too."

Jones is nominated across five categories at the 2024 GRAMMYs: Her 2022 EP What I Didn't Tell You is up for Best R&B Album and its "ICU" will compete for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. Her feature on Babyface's "Simple" has received a nod for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Jones is also up for the coveted golden gramophone for Best New Artist.

In recent years, her vocal prowess has received praise from SZA, Janet Jackson, and Beyoncé, but anyone who's even remotely familiar with Jones' story knows that her newfound success is anything but overnight. Jones first found success at age 14, when she starred in the 2012 Disney movie musical Let It Shine. The Tennessee native faced colorism early on, which she addressed in a 2020 YouTube video that went viral.

"I always wanted that representation that my dreams were possible growing up," she shares. "I definitely was not based in reality of what the entertainment industry is. It's tough and it's challenging and sometimes it isn't fair and that is not what I was prepared for as a kid."

During the pandemic, Jones secured a spot in "Bel-Air" (Peacock's reimagining of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air") as the spoiled yet beloved Hilary Banks, but she never let go of her love of  music. Following her 2014 departure from Hollywood Records, Jones released music independently, including the ominous "Hollyweird" and "Depressed"; when Def Jam approached her in the summer of 2021, she was ready for her close-up.

Fast forward to present, and Jones is gearing up for one of the most pivotal nights of her blossoming career. But perhaps the most precious thing she's collected along the way is self-assurance. "I'm learning that I have to believe in my creative choices and that I shouldn't second guess what I feel because it does well," she says with a laugh.

Of her recent success, Jones says the back-to-back accolades shocked her, but like a true artist, she's already thinking ahead and manifesting an exciting first for 2024: "I want my debut album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart."

Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, Jones discusses the power of representation for dark-skinned Black women, why her mother is her biggest inspiration, and how joining forces with Babyface created momentum in her career.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

After finding out that you received five GRAMMY nominations, you posted an Instagram video showing you and your mother reveling in the excitement of it all. Tell me more about that moment and your mother's role in this journey.

I'm one of four children and my mom owned multiple businesses, but she made us all feel loved and supported while also being a boss. Watching her navigate the entertainment industry — which she had no prior experience with — was very inspiring. She took every challenge head-on and still managed to make time with all of her kids. 

She's always been a visionary, so I think for her, it's like, This is exactly what we worked for. The end goal is to be award-winning, to be show-stopping, to be classic, to be timeless. That's what she saw for me even when I was a little girl on stage singing Aretha Franklin.

There were times when it was hard for me to see what she saw in me, especially when you're dealing with the rejection that is the music industry. But she always knows the right thing to say to keep me going and to keep my faith. So, when it wasn't like how it is now, she was the entire team. She did anything she could to help me progress.

You retweeted a meet-and-greet with a fan, who donned your merch from 2018, which seemed to take you by surprise. It seems like your 2023 breakthrough was a win for not just yourself, but for those early supporters as well.

I would definitely say it's a win for my fans and my supporters, but also for young Black women who look like me and have big dreams and just want to see what they are dreaming about is possible. I know that I inspire so many young Black women — they tell me almost every day that seeing me win helps them believe in themselves winning.

My goal is to continue to break those barriers down for young Black women so that it's not such a surprise when we succeed.

In a 2022 interview, you said you wanted to experience the highs of being an entertainer and being on stage "even if it meant a lot of lows." Many creatives feel that way. Do you have any advice for struggling artists who feel like no one's paying attention?

You can make it this thing where you feel like you're running out of time, or you can make it feel like you're adjusting to time. Time is whatever you decide it is.

There were so many obstacles I didn't understand, but hindsight is 20/20. I needed the lessons that I learned, I needed the self-reliance, I needed the optimism and the faith. So, I think it was all very growing but still tough not knowing what was going to happen, not knowing if I was going to have that life-changing job, that life-changing song. 

I'm just grateful to God for protecting me through all the confusion and for not giving up. I had enough support around me and enough doors to open even though they felt far and few between to keep me sustained and pursuing this dream, even though I was pursuing it without any guarantees.

What I Didn't Tell You isn't the first EP you released, but it's the one that made you a first-time GRAMMY nominee. What was different this time around?

I was very supported; when Def Jam approached me, they seemed so understanding of my vision that I couldn't help but feel like we were already a team. They helped me put the pieces together. Before this, I was just on my own or it was me and my mom, so I felt more supported with this EP release. My label understands me and what I want to be, and there's no pushback against who I am and what I can naturally do. It's all about enhancing. 

As part of R&B's new class, what do you want to bring to the genre?

More uptempo! I want to be able to sing my heart out but make a bop that you wanna dance to. I love how Whitney Houston would do that with some of her songs like "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "How Will I Know."

Your breakthrough single, "ICU," is up for Best R&B Song, but what lesser-known song off What I Didn't Tell You (Deluxe) would you nominate in the same category if you could?

"Fallin'" because it's a sensual song, and I feel like it sits in a really cool, pretty place in my voice. It also tells a good story of the chaos that my life is while also starting to fall for somebody.

In 2022, you joined forces with R&B legend Babyface for his collaborative Girls Night Out project. Your "Simple" duet with him is nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Do you think collaborating with Babyface acted as a precursor for the incredible year you had?

When I learned Babyface wanted me on his album, I was beside myself. He was really one of the first legends to give me that stamp of approval. I definitely think the recognition I got from him was like a turning point in what was next for my life. The world started to notice around that time. 

When I interviewed Babyface soon after the release of Girls Night Out, he talked about doing his homework to better understand the differences in today's R&B. That was surprising to hear, because he's clearly an expert at writing hit songs but not above learning from others. What did you learn from his mentorship?

I just learned that you can be a legend and you can still be open to ideas, open to new talents, and open to suggestions. Just stay open to what’s new, who's new, and why they're doing well, and that's what will keep you legendary. 

I'm a big fan of studying music, so I will continue to be a student. Creating music and studying music are two different things to me. I study it and then I feel creative, so I think it's about separating them because sometimes if you're creating while studying, you just end up repeating exactly what somebody's doing and that doesn't feel authentic. It's more about getting inspired and then creating.

My love for music and being a creative is what keeps me going because it's not always fun, it's not always easy. Sometimes it's about business, sometimes it's about pushing past your exhaustion. I don't think I would do that, not for this long, if I didn't love the payoff of being a creative. 

How will you celebrate if you win a GRAMMY?

I haven't thought about how I'm gonna celebrate. I think my favorite type of celebrations are intimate. They're with people who are in the mud with me — my family, my team. I would probably just want to have a great dinner and think about how far we've come and what's next.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

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."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

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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Latin-infused dance music has started making waves around the world, bringing the musical subculture of Latin EDM into the mainstream. In the past few years, Latin acts in the U.S., Spain, and Latin America are remixing the sound of music in Spanish, creating hits like Farruko's "Pepas" and Bizarrap's "BZRP Music Sessions No. 52" with Quevedo.

Latin EDM first received a global boost in 2019 thanks to the Colombian guaracha of Víctor Cárdenas, who scored a No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart with "Baila Conmigo" after Jennifer Lopez covered it. Cárdenas then went on to produce Farruko's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart-topper "Pepas." Argentine producer Bizarrap soon followed in his footsteps with his viral BZRP Music Sessions on YouTube. He has seamlessly blended trap, reggaetón, and regional Mexican music with electronica in his recent hit collaborations with Shakira, Peso Pluma, and Villano Antillano.

EDM is more embedded in Latin music than ever before. Puerto Rican producers Tainy and Caleb Calloway have pushed reggaetón music into the future by putting elements of house music hits by Bad Bunny and Rauw Alejandro. Latin EDM is also permeating pop music: Dominican producer Kelman Duran worked on Beyoncé's Renaissance, which won the GRAMMY Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album. He added a bit of reggaetón bounce to her swaggering song "I’m That Girl." 

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, GRAMMY.com is putting the spotlight on seven Latin EDM acts.

Sinego

Hailing from Bogotá, Colombia, Sinego first made waves thanks to his house bolero songs. He breathed new life in the age-old Latin sound in his songs like "Verte Triste" and "No Soy De Aquí." Sinego has received co-signs from and worked with acts like Sofi Tukker and Bomba Estéreo.

Sinego is looking to push Latin EDM even further with his upcoming album Alterego, which will be released on Oct. 27. He traveled throughout Latin American and Spain to collaborate with local musicians. In addition to bolero, Sinego reimagines genres like cumbia, samba, tango, and mambo through house music. There will also be a “Noche” version of the LP that will explore techno influences.

"'Alterego' is more than just an album; it's a sonic journey that transcends borders and genres, weaving together the rich tapestry of Latin American musical traditions with the limitless possibilities of electronic music," he tells GRAMMY.com.

Gordo

Gordo is making waves in EDM in both the English and Spanish markets, bridging the gap between Latin artists and electronic music. After a decade in the game, the Guatemalan American producer was tapped by Drake last year to work on his album Honestly, Nevermind. Gordo helped the Canadian superstar get into the house groove in songs like "Massive" and "Sticky."

In his own singles, Gordo is returning Spanish tech house to its Latin roots. Last year, he teamed up with rising Colombian star Feid for the alluring "Hombres y Mujeres," combining reggaetón with booming house beats. Colombian superstar Maluma later teamed up with Gordo for the pulsating "Parcera." 

"What I want people to take away the most from the Feid song is that I did it and I’m Hispanic," he told Uproxx last year. "There’s so much [Hispanic] talent, so why not keep it all in the family?”

Arca

Arca has broken boundaries for Latin artists in EDM. She has especially pushed the envelope for the LGBTQIA+ community as a trans and non-binary artist in the genre. Thanks to her Kick album series, Arca has been nominated at both the GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Throughout the Kick albums, Arca has proudly explored her Latina roots in her genre-bending club bangers. In 2020, she teamed up with Spanish pop star Rosalía for the freaky "KLK," which blended glitchy reggaetón beats with flourishes of traditional Venezuelan gaita music. A year later, Lady Gaga tapped Arca for a remix of "Rain On Me." Arca transformed the song with a sample of the raptor house classic "Metelo Sacalo" by Venezuela's DJ Yirvin. 

"Part of the lifeblood that has nurtured me was music that I heard on the radio," Arca told GRAMMY.com in 2021 about her reggaetón influences. "Music that reached me, through not just academic and performance, in more of a popular sense."

Deorro

Deorro is seamlessly blending his bicultural roots in his music. The Mexican American DJ and producer has toured the world and performed at all the major music festivals like Tomorrowland, Coachella, and Lollapalooza. In his sets, Deorreo often mixes in Mexican classics like "La Chona" by Norteño band Los Tucanes de Tijuana.

Last year, Deorro released Orro, further embracing his Latinx roots. He put a house music spin on regional Mexican music in songs like "Yo Las Pongo" with Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Dime with cumbia group Los Ángeles Azules. At EDC Las Vegas in May, Deorro brought out Eslabon Armado as a surprise guest. The Mexican American band joined him to perform his remix of the global hit "Ella Baila Sola" featuring Peso Pluma. 

"One of the most important things about collaborating with other artists is that it opens a lot of avenues for both me and other artists," he told iEDM.com earlier this year. "It's so inspiring to [...] evolve new sounds with them."

Martox

The Dominican duo of producer Eduardo Baldera and singer Juan Martínez are showing a different side to music from the Caribbean. Since their 2019 debut, Martox has experimented with multiple genres, but they have really hit their stride in dance music.

An alternative act with R&B and pop-flavored tracks, Martoz have started adding elements of electronica to the mix in the Se Siente Diferente EP. The title translates to "It Feels Different" and Martox lived up to that with the tropical house of "No Es Normal" and the disco-influenced "Pausa" with Gian Rojas. The sunny "Solsticio" best reflects where Martox is at now with feel-good funk colliding with the Dominican soul in Martínez's voice. 

"All the elements [of 'Solsticio'] groove perfectly," Martox tells GRAMMY.com "Everything stays constant and familiar, while at the same time, the track evolves and keeps things interesting and fresh."

The Martinez Brothers

Born Chris and Steve Martinez, the Martinez Brothers grew up on dance music in the Bronx. The Puerto Rican duo started incorporating their Latinx roots into their club bangers.

The Martinez Brothers helped usher in reggaetón's house music era in 2020 when they collaborated with Rauw Alejandro and Mr. Naisgai in the genre-bending "Química." Since then, they have continued to bring Latin acts into their world, including Fuego and Dominican star Tokischa. She featured on the intoxicating house track "Kilo." Alongside Gordo, the duo recently tapped into the world of Afrobeats with Nigerian star Rema in "Rizzla."

"Black people and Latinos really created this music," Steve Martinez told mitú in 2021. "It comes from the inner cities of New York and Chicago from Black and Latino communities. That’s always something we try to bring forth in our music."

2DEEP

2DEEP is representing his Latinx roots in his music. Hailing from the Bronx, the DJ and producer of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent immerses his EDM in elements of reggaetón and guaracha.

2DEEP previously distributed his music through Mad Decent where he also collaborated with Diplo. In 2019, he signed with Steve Aoki's Latin label Dim Mak En Fuego. Since then, 2DEEP has combined his love of dance music with Colombian guaracha, which is a Latin take on tribal house music. He also launched the dance party Reggaetonlandia that hosts events across the west coast. 2DEEP often spins his hits like "Guaracha En Reggaetonlandia" and "Takataka" in perreo-ready sets. 

"In the world of EDM, there aren't many Latinos like me and I want to make sure that every kid like me knows that their dreams can come true," he told People last year. 

2023 Latin GRAMMYs: See The Complete Nominations List