meta-scriptPaloma Mami Is Putting Chile On The Map With Debut Album ‘Sueños de Dalí’ | GRAMMY.com
Paloma Mami Is Putting Chile On The Map With Debut Album ‘Sueños de Dalí’

Paloma Mami

news

Paloma Mami Is Putting Chile On The Map With Debut Album ‘Sueños de Dalí’

GRAMMY.com caught up with Paloma Mami to discuss 'Sueños de Dalí,' her idiosyncrasies as a Chilean-American and why she feels she's misunderstood

GRAMMYs/Apr 6, 2021 - 03:14 am

If there was one word to describe both Paloma Mami and her sound, it would be "suave"—in both the English and Spanish sense. The rising singer/songwriter is confident and bold—traits she has on full display all over her Instagram—but she’s also smooth and tender, something evident in her musical repertoire; In conversation with her, it is these characteristics that shine the most. A constant across her music is her velvety voice which imbues each piece with unique softness—regardless of subject matter. (She can switch from self-love anthems like
"Mami" to trap-infused ballads about heartbreak like “Fingías'' with ease.) Once you hear Paloma’s honeyed murmurs, it’s impossible to mistake her sound.

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lHPzUEuhB6k' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Born Paloma Rocío Castillo Astorga, the Chilean-American starlet chose her stage moniker when she was just getting started in the music industry and has since worn the latter part of her name as a breastplate. (Mami, an endearing term for mom in Spanish, has been popularized and most used as a slang term to compliment women.) "My name gives me a different type of personality, it makes me come out of my shell," the singer told Flaunt back in 2019. "My name turns me [into] a different person, an alter ego type thing. An empowered woman, not afraid of anything." 

It might have started as a façade, but she’s undoubtedly the mami in the Latin music industry now. The New York City-born, Santiago-based artist has been making ripples in the scene since her breakout single "Not Steady" was released in 2018. She became an instant sensation in her Chilean home turf thanks to its trappy hi-hat rhythms and her lulling vocals. As told to Genius, the song was the first she ever wrote and, with it, she became the first Chilean act to be signed under Sony. With each of her releases since then, those ripples have only expanded. In 2019, she returned with steady hits like "Don’t Talk About Me," "Fingías," and "No Te Debí Besar" alongside Spanish rapper C. Tangana. In 2020, she started to give her audience a taste of what was to come with songs like "For Ya" and "Goteo," a braggadocious track about her drip. Now, her debut album, Sueños de Dalí, is throwing listeners into the deep end. 

Inspired thematically and visually by the surrealist Spanish painter Salvador Dalí, Sueños de Dalí features 11 tracks that mix R&B, hip-hop and pop. The project is also laced with more than hints of reggaeton and even includes lullabies from Chilean folklore—as Latin music continues grabbing attention globally with its diversity of sounds, Paloma is seen as a part of its promising future. Putting songwriting at the forefront, she approaches music with artistry at heart, and it transcends. Equal parts personal and boppy, if her teenage offerings presented her to the world, Sueños de Dalí is her reintroduction—one with even more poise and calmness. "I feel like since the beginning of my career people just have not understood me," Paloma tells GRAMMY.com. "I don't think people ever will understand me, but hopefully more and more people will accept that."

GRAMMY.com caught up with Paloma Mami to discuss Sueños de Dalí, her idiosyncrasies as a Chilean-American and breaking into the U.S.

Before we get into the album, can you tell us a bit about growing up in New York and moving back to Chile in your teens? Why did you decide to move back? You live in Santiago now, right? 

I do live in Santiago but I'm currently in Puerto Rico. I think it was four or five years ago that my mom decided to move to Chile because I was rebelling, I guess you could say. We were living in New York and I stopped going to school. I just was not being obedient to her and she couldn't control me. It was just my mom and my sister and me. She was working every single day, and had no idea that I was skipping school. When she found out, she was so mad and was like, "Your punishment is you're going to have to go to Chile. That way I can look after you properly."

Did you see it as a punishment when it happened?

Oh yeah. When it first happened, I did. I was so upset, obviously. I mean, New York is like the best place ever. That's where I grew up. All my friends were. Everything that I loved was in New York. It was really sad for me to leave. I loved Chile because my family was there, but other than that I didn't like anything else from it. When I moved there and I think it was the first month where I just was like, "wow, it's actually really great here, I love it."

So, it was a blessing in disguise. It worked out in the end.

Yeah, exactly. It really was.

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/4cRMn1iecSU' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Sueños de Dalí is your first album and you likened the release to a timeless painting. Why a Dalí painting? Why a surrealist painting?

Well, Dalí for me was always a huge inspiration since I was little. I would always go to his exhibitions whenever I could in New York. I always felt [his work] looked [like] a dream. There were things [in a painting] that you wouldn't expect to see together. I love the thought of that. I love that it was just so, so crazy and just so different from everything else that I had seen. The fact that he had so much controversy with it, too; that so many people just didn't know what the hell he was talking about, what his paintings meant, and had so many people confused, I love that. 

I felt it was a great way to compare my work with Dalí's because I feel like since the beginning of my career people just have not understood me. I don't think people ever will understand me, but hopefully, more and more people accept that.

So is it a bad thing if people don't understand you?

No, I see that as a positive thing. It used to not be. I don't know if it ever happens to you, but you know when you love something and then later in life you realize why you love it so much? It kind of was like that with me and Salvador Dalí.

Since the beginning, I always loved his [uniqueness] and how weird he was to everybody. In the music industry and my country and everything, I'm looked at like that sometimes. And I get that as a compliment. People told me that this album of mine was weird and different, I was like, "Thank you so much." And I didn't even know if they were saying it [as] an insult or not.

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/piG9_LCazpQ' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

The full album just came out, but it includes songs like "Goteo," "Mami" and "For Ya," which you released in 2020. How long have you been working on the album? Did you go back and forth on your selection of songs or did you have a picture in mind?

It has been two years in the making, technically. Everything that we chose for the album was just natural. I would finish one song in the studio and I would be like, "Oh yeah, it was cool." But I didn't put in the album. When I would put songs in the album, I knew exactly which ones, I knew at that moment, I was like, "Yeah, this one's going in the album for sure. Like, I have a good feeling from it."

You mentioned that, for example, "Mami," you re-recorded a bunch of times. Did you feel any pressure with that one in particular because it’s an homage to Ivy Queen? Were there particular songs where you felt you had to really polish them before putting them in the album?

Well, actually I polished "Mami" so much just because I felt it was such an important song to me. I wanted it to express everything that I've always wanted to say. And I have so much to say sometimes that I had to redo it so many times. I was like, "Damn, but I wanted to mention this. So, let me change this line and put this instead." That's why I re-did it so much. The Ivy Queen idea was literally one of the last versions. I had thought of that in one of the last versions that we re-did again.

I guess you could say that you blew up almost immediately when you put out "Not Steady" on the Latin market, but you've been breaking into the U.S. market with your newest releases. Do you feel there any difference between the two markets? Have you dealt with any obstacles?

I feel there always is a difference between the two, just in general. The U.S. market is kind of just now taking in Latin. They're now accepting it a lot more, which is amazing. I have been around for a while in the U.S. market, but right now it's really been really starting to take off. And I am seeing the changes. The difference in radio play five years ago in the U.S. market is crazy. Now you hear so many more Spanish songs playing. That's the [main] thing.

They're starting to catch up. And I'm excited for that because I feel that, for me, that's always been my goal with my music – to be able to transcend between the two markets and not have a specific [label.] Things like, "Oh, she's a Latin artist." I want to be known as just an artist that makes Spanish and English music.

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Le-liq-wtZs' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

You've talked about this here, but as a Chilean-American, you've addressed this feeling of alienation from both sides at some points, and you mention it on "Que Wea," when you sing, "Es chilena solo cuando le conviene no más." Did you ever feel you had to change yourself to adjust and cater to the different audiences at all? How did you overcome that and learned to embrace your identity?

Honestly, yes. I felt like that in the beginning when I first started out being in the public eye immediately in Chile. It was on TV and on the radio, and it made me realize that no matter what, people definitely wanted me to change, people wanted me to act a certain way. "Oh, she's too this, she's too that." I felt like, "Wow, maybe I have to change. I guess people don't like me acting [like] this. I guess people don't like it when I mix English into my Spanish sentences."

People called me stupid for that, or people called me gringa – there's always negative things that come with it. In the beginning and I was like, "I guess I'm going to have to change my whole way, how I act, how I talk, my jokes. People don't understand me." And then I realized like, you know what? At the end of the day, I honestly shouldn't care this much. Why does it matter what these people I've never met before in my life think about me? It does not matter at all. It took me a while to figure it out, but once I did, I was like, "whatever, I don't care at all."

"Que Wea" struck me as one of the most personal ones on the album. Do you have a favorite song or a song that you feel particularly connected to?

I have a lot that I feel are super personal to me. I feel like there’s a couple that stand out. "Dreams" is one of my favorites, and "Mi Palomita" as well. I think those two are my absolute favorites because, for example, "Mi Palomita" is a song that my grandpa always sang to me. I grew up listening to it my whole entire life and it’s extremely special for me. "Dreams" as well is a touching song for me.

I know you asked on social media, but do you feel one of these will be the one to get a video next?

Well, I have videos for every single song on the album. Some are more for me, and some have a bigger production. Some I wanted to give it a kind of natural feel and kind of homey vibe with it. And "Dreams" is one of those. I feel the video really embodied everything that I was feeling and it's super mystical. I think a lot of people are going to like it.

So, you’re going for the full visual album.

Yeah.

Production-wise, you've worked with GRAMMY-nominated producers like Hit-Boy and El Guincho. How do you choose who you want to work with? 

Honestly, I've always been super metida en todo, [in everything]. I love seeing every producer. Whenever I like a song, I like to see who produced it. I'm always super interested in that because I like to work with people that I've never worked with, I've never heard of before, and people that have [a] sound just catches my attention. All the producers on my album honestly did that for me. All the producers that I’ve worked with, I knew of them before and I wanted to work with them and I'm still happy that I got to.  Hit-boy is one of the producers that I've always wanted to work with, and I was so excited when I got to work with him. El Guincho también,[too]. I loved his work with Rosalía. He has been in the industry for so long. I love his music.

<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PYi2Ef7b3Gk' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

You've said that performing is one of the aspects of being an artist that you enjoy most and that you obviously miss most because we're in a pandemic. Do you have any fun interactions planned, even if they're virtual, for 2021?

I'm trying to plan a live show! I'm excited for that. Honestly, I can't wait to sing these live because I feel that's where you really get to catch a vibe with every single song. I've been singing them in my shower and every day, and I'm so tired of doing that. So, I want to finally grab a microphone and be able to sing them and have people see me and hear me that.

You have 1 billion streams global, 2 million YouTube followers, you are the first Chilean to be signed to Sony, and the first Latina to make Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list… those are a lot of feats. Do any of these put any pressure on you? Do you pay attention to those numbers and titles at all?

Honestly, I do pay attention to the titles because they're all accomplishments to me. They're all blessings. I'm so blessed to have everything that happened to me the way that it did in my career. I feel it was just waiting for me to put the pieces in the puzzle and everything just took off like that. I'm so blessed that it happened the way it did. I've never felt any type of pressure or anything. It's always [about] accomplishments and hoping that I'm going to get more and that I'm going to break more records, and that I'm going to put Chile on the map even more.

You said you were in Puerto Rico right now. Are you working on music?

Actually, I am. I'm always working on music. Right now, I'm going to a studio in a couple of days, so I'm going to be excited about that. I was in Miami two weeks ago, and I was also in the studio. I'm always making music, I love what I do so whenever I get the chance to see a studio or go to a studio. And besides that, I'm always just making music in my head.

So, aside from that, how have you been spending your days? What are you looking forward to non-music-wise in 2021?

I'm looking forward to clothing. I'm super into fashion and I have something in the works as well...

Big Voices, Ballads and Blockbuster Hits: How 1996 Became The Year Of The Pop Diva

 
Benny The Butcher Is Ready To Rise On 'Everybody Can’t Go'
Benny The Butcher

Photo: Prince Williams/WireImage

interview

Benny The Butcher Is Ready To Rise On 'Everybody Can’t Go'

Benny The Butcher is growing even further in the game. Ahead of his debut album with Def Jam Recordings, the rapper discusses the key to his confidence, working with Griselda producers, and future collaborations with the "Queens of R&B and hip-hop."

GRAMMYs/Jan 25, 2024 - 02:13 pm

Benny The Butcher is prepared to spar with the biggest names in rap music to prove he’s one of the most prolific MCs in the industry. 

"My confidence comes from my talent, and my talent comes from my preparation," Benny tells GRAMMY.com. 

For the uninitiated, the East Buffalo rapper's brash delivery and unshakeable confidence could be perceived as arrogance. But for Benny and long-time fans of the Montana Avenue vet, he’s more than earned the distinction. 

"If you see these dudes, they’re not confident because they’re not prepared to talk that talk. We stand behind this music, man," he continues. "I’m only on this interview with you because I rap good. I’m not on this interview with you because I’m dating an R&B chick, or because I have a Rihanna feature.”

Benny The Butcher is just days ahead of releasing Everybody Can’t Go, his debut album with Def Jam Recordings. Out Jan. 26, Everybody is Benny's major label launch but it's far from his first foray.

Off the heels of his critically acclaimed album Tana Talk 4 in 2022 — which boasted the viral hit "Johnny P’s Caddy" featuring J. ColeBenny has kept a steady hand on the pulse of the rap game. Since then, he’s been heard on DJ Drama’s "Forever," G Herbo’s "Real Rap" and memorialized a Buffalo legend on the BSF project Long Live DJ Shay.  

In that time, Benny, born Jeremie Pennick, has fashioned himself as the proprietor of "caviar drug rap," and he’s not afraid to remind you, either. He’s confident the release of Everybody Can’t Go will showcase his evolution as an artist.

"I’m on a higher level than I was. Everybody gets to watch my career elevate and it’s right in front of me," he says. "From the mixtapes, from the freestyles, featuring on Westside Gunn and Conway The Machine’s s–, and people share that journey with me. It’s high-level drug rap."

After switching his moniker from "Benny" to "Benny The Butcher," he veered away from rapping over other artists’ beats and started working with in-house Griselda producers like Daringer to round out his nostalgic, boom-bap sound that’s become synonymous with the Griselda imprint. 

If the album’s lead singles "Bron," "Big Dog," and the title track are any indication, Benny isn’t deviating from the sound that made him. Tales of his past exploits are coated in Hit-Boy and Alchemist beats, with features from Griselda and BSF collaborators Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, 38 Spesh, Lil Wayne, and others. But the method behind the music, Benny says, was all the same. 

"I didn’t take no new approach, I just wanted to deliver some dope music and make sure I sounded how I felt," the 39-year-old MC says. "I feel like my sound is more refined and I switched my flow up."

To casual connoisseurs, Benny is a burgeoning star who’s aiming for wider success and acclaim. But for fans of the "Trade It All" lyricist, who saw his rise as the younger cousin of Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine on Griselda, he’s earned the right to share his vivid tales and signature brand of mafioso rap on a larger scale. And he’s already made good use of the label’s platform.

He’s rubbed shoulders with artists like J. Cole, connected with legends like Snoop Dogg for his Def Jam signing, and now has his sights on more R&B-oriented records. Benny wants to work with the "Queens of R&B and hip-hop," naming legends including SZA, Teyana Taylor, Coco Jones, Summer Walker, and others at the top of his list.  

With his ascension, Benny is continuing to discover the perils of fame. He admits it’s challenging to deal with trolls and faceless critics on X (formerly known as Twitter). "You have to remind yourself it’s only a fraction of the people. Their voice is so loud on social media that it tricks the artist into thinking that’s the general population that feels like that, but it’s not," Benny says.

He’s also accepted the fact that not everyone is meant to be a part of his journey. The sentiment inspired the new album title and is reflective of his new attitude: Whether friend or family, hindering his growth is too hefty a price tag. As his career continues to take flight, others will be left at the terminal. 

"Everybody Can’t Go is me realizing, Wow, it’s not for everybody even though I got this far to help provide opportunities," he said. "You could make someone the president or an A&R at Def Jam, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready for it. A lot of people don’t want to work, they just want what comes with the work —  the lifestyle, the fame, and the money."

After the project’s release, Benny intends to expand as a legitimate businessman and do more executive production, starting with his roster of BSF talent, which includes Rick Hyde, Heem B$F, ElCamino, LoveBoat Luciano, and other members. 

With Griselda, Benny already has his two cousins as counterparts, but Benny talked about having his daughter by his side during the album’s press run. He was impressed with her vocal ability and is open to exploring her musical side. "This is a family business," he says. "I encourage everybody to get into music because it’s therapeutic, it keeps you out of the way, and it’s lucrative if you do it right."

Of his growth as a solo artist, Benny says, "It feels like I’m on pace to keep doing great things." In the near-future, he's already making plans to dive into the film industry and drop another project to close out yet another big year in music. 

Westside Gunn On How Virgil Abloh & "Coming To The End" Of His Rap Career Inspired 'And Then You Pray For Me'

Pablo Alborán Reflects on His Latin GRAMMY History, Talismans & Lessons From 'La Cu4rta Hoja'
Pablo Alborán performs on stage at WiZink Center in Madrid, Spain.

Photo: Aldara Zarraoa / Redferns / GettyImages

news

Pablo Alborán Reflects on His Latin GRAMMY History, Talismans & Lessons From 'La Cu4rta Hoja'

Pablo Alborán discusses his emotional journey with the Latin GRAMMYs — a total of 29 nominations and no wins — as well as the process behind his GRAMMY-nominated album 'La Cu4rta Hoja.'

GRAMMYs/Jan 8, 2024 - 02:59 pm

Spanish singer/songwriter Pablo Alborán has a unique history with the Latin GRAMMYs. Although he receives a nomination for each album he releases, he has yet to win a golden gramophone. 

At the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, Alborán was the Spaniard with the most nominations. He received a total of five nominations, including Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, and Song Of The Year. Yet on the Biggest Night In Latin Music, none of the envelopes that announced the winner had Alborán's name. Since 2011, he has been nominated 29 times without a win; his most meaningful accomplishment, however, is the freedom to continue making music and having untiring support from his family, friends, and fans. 

"Refer to last year's #LatinGRAMMY post," Alborán wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), followed by a series of smiling emojis after the ceremony.

At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Alborán's 2022 album La Cu4rta Hoja is nominated for Best Latin Pop Album. The record competes against Don Juan by Maluma, A Ciegas from Paula Arena, Pedro Capó's La Neta, Gaby Moreno's X Mí (Vol. 1), and Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1 by AleMor.

During his Latin American tour, Alborán sat down with GRAMMY.com via Zoom to speak about the lessons from La Cu4rta Hoja, his history with the Latin GRAMMYs, and his return to the stages in the United States.

In 2011, you received your first Latin GRAMMY nominations for Best New Artist, Best Male Pop Vocal Album for his self-titled debut LP, and Song Of The Year for "Solamente tú." What do you remember from that ceremony?

When they told me about the Latin GRAMMYs; it was an enormous thrill. I wasn't familiar with the Latin GRAMMY because my career just started. They called me and said, 'Hey, Demi Lovato is going to sing with you,' which was also very intense. 

I remember taking my parents [to Las Vegas], which was the terrible part because they dressed formally. My mother looked like Cinderella, my father looked like a prince, my brother... They were all there and seated a little farther from us. When they announced the winners…I looked back, and my parents' faces, poor things, they looked as if I had been killed. [Laughs.]They were outraged, trying to pretend they were okay so I wouldn't see them upset. I had Sie7e and his wife sitting next to me, the happiness they felt when he won the Best New Artist award; I was shocked at how happy and excited they were. 

I was genuinely happy, suddenly seeing their happiness after so much work. I understand there's a competitive aspect; we're human beings, but I've been watching the Latin GRAMMYs for many years, living how it is, enjoying, learning to enjoy under pressure.

Unlike in the past, you had no talismans for the 24th Latin GRAMMYs ceremony. Although you did not use any at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, you often use talismans such as eagles, twins, and silver clothes for luck. When did this practice start? It appeared that it became an obsession, as you constantly searched for signs everywhere.

It was a way to protect myself and hang on to something and, of course, be able to let go of it as well. Thank goodness I didn't win the Latin GRAMMY when I had all the eagle signs; otherwise, my house would be filled with eagle talismans (laughs). I could see myself getting hooked on the eagle stuff. We must put everything into perspective and live the experience without overthinking. I try not to be too superstitious about anything, anyway, because it's a kind of slavery.

It has been a year since the release of La Cu4rta Hoja. What have you learned from the album and its 11 songs?

Each album is a journey; it is a new experience. Each album teaches you something different, and this one has taught me to live at the speed of musical consumption and not lose the essence in the middle of this journey. 

Being able to innovate while simultaneously maintaining your roots and supporting what you like in music —that balance will always be more challenging to maintain due to what surrounds you, the speed with which music is consumed, and the fact that millions of songs are released weekly. There are times when that effort is more challenging and other times, it is effortless. 

Touring gives me the illusion of seeing an audience that wants to feel the songs regardless of their style. People want to feel and want to see their feelings reflected in the lyrics and the music. And that reminds me why I make music and why I am here. 

Have you been surprised by reactions to any particular song from La Cu4rta Hoja?

"A Batir las Alas" surprised me a lot during concerts because it is a very personal song and, at the same time, a little strange… The lyrics, the way of singing it, the structure, and the response from the people in concerts were excellent. 

"Voraces" also surprised me a lot. It is the third song on the show's setlist. It amazes me that people sing and like it since it is a song that wasn't a single and has a strange concept; it's like a tanguillo [an upbeat and catchy flamenco palo] and, simultaneously, a chacarera [a polyrhythmic Argentinean folk subgenre].

You've always been involved with producing your albums, but you've taken a more prominent role in your last two albums. Why was that? 

In [2020's] Vértigo, I worked remotely, which was challenging. That album was very complicated to put together because I worked with Julio Reyes Copello from Miami, the strings were made in Prague, and my guitarists were in [Spain]. It was a fun process on the one hand but cold on the other. I felt like things were lost. I learned a lot on that album as well. In the end, you know how you want your song to sound, so you have to be very involved. 

On this last album, some songs didn't change much from the demo I produced at home. We wanted to stick with that first idea…playing it live and improving some things. But that production was already done. For example, "A Batir las Alas" worked with a guitar and a string, and there was not even a drum; there was barely a bass. It is a reasonably large ballad, yet we wanted to make it small. There are other times that the producer's work obviously, no matter how much I am involved, [is needed].

What do you like the most about producing?

The freedom. You feel an absence of judgment, an absence of limits. I can spend hours in the studio without eating, without seeing anyone, working with the musicians and the producers, or whoever is there. It feels like anything is possible — not because you know that the process can change suddenly, but because you know that what you produce, maybe you will hear again the next day, and it seems like a disaster, or it could be the best thing in the world.

So I really enjoyed it, knowing that moment was mine and that of those who were there, no one would hear it or give their opinion. Once it's finished, that song is no longer mine; it belongs to everyone. But it is enjoyable to feel that you are jumping into the void and that you are going to fall into the water.

La Cu4rta Hoja was created during your last tour. Has the album inspired you to create new songs?

There are ideas... When I'm on the plane, I spend hours listening to the voice notes on my phone, which are ideas [for] millions of songs I have. I'm in the hotel room, coming from a show or going to a show, and an idea comes to mind, and I record it and then review it. 

Silence is indeed necessary to create. So, I am very focused on giving 100 percent on this tour. There are many trips, many countries. It is the longest, almost the most extended tour we are doing, and then when I return home, and I am in that silence and in that tranquility, everything I am experiencing will explode. There are a lot of emotions and inputs that I'm receiving that I still can't capture because I'm non-stop.

This is the most extensive tour you will do in the United States. What is it like preparing for all those dates? You will go to cities you've never performed in before.

There's a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. We were already in the United States a few years ago, and it was necessary to come back, and the fact that people want it is a gift to me. 

Different things happen at each concert, the repertoire changes, and we let ourselves be carried away by what happens and the place we are in. We also sing versions, maybe a song by a local artist, and in the United States, I'm excited to do some covers of things I already have in mind.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

Here Are The Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical GRAMMY Nominees At The 2024 GRAMMYs
(From left) Jack Antonoff, Hit-Boy, D'Mile, Dan Nigro, Metro Boomin

Photos: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Steve Granitz/WireImage; ABC via Getty Images; Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Prince Williams/WireImage

list

Here Are The Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical GRAMMY Nominees At The 2024 GRAMMYs

The five nominees for Producer Of The Year at the 2024 GRAMMYs have been pivotal to the landscape of pop, rock and hip-hop. Read on for how Hit-Boy, Jack Antonoff, D'Mile, Metro Boomin and Daniel Nigro have raised the bar over the past year.

GRAMMYs/Nov 10, 2023 - 04:03 pm

The golden gramophone for Producer Of  The Year, Non-Classical is perhaps the ultimate accolade for anyone whose talents are best served behind a mixing desk. Phil Ramone, Rick Rubin, and Max Martin are just a few of the legendary behind-the-scenes names who've received the coveted award since it was added to the ceremony in 1975. But winners such as Pharrell Williams, Mark Ronson, and Stevie Wonder have also proven that the Recording Academy are open to honoring those who can take center stage, too.

This year's crop have undoubtedly all been pivotal to the pop, rock and hip-hop landscapes of the past 12 months. Two-time winner Jack Antonoff continued on his mission to conquer the charts for all of eternity by joining forces with two of his superstar regular cohorts, while first-time nominee Daniel Nigro helped not just one but two teen stars parlay their early success into adulthood.

Hit-Boy and Metro Boomin both vied for the title of hardest-working rap producer with an exhausting list of credits. At the other end of the scale, D'Mile, focused most of his attention on just one burgeoning talent.

Here's a closer look at the nominees for Producer Of The Year at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Jack Antonoff

Jack Antonoff will be hoping to replicate Babyface's mid-'90s dominance by becoming only the second-ever artist to win the Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical GRAMMY three times in a row. The pop maestro is on the cusp of history thanks to fruitful working relationships with two of the era's most prolific female singer-songwriters.

Antonoff has been recognized for co-producing the entirety of Taylor Swift's Midnights, the dreamlike concept album which spawned a record-breaking 10 U.S. Top 10 singles in the same week including Lana Del Rey collaboration "Snow on the Beach." The latter's equally alluring Did You Know There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd also benefited from Antonoff's magic touch on all but three of its 16 tracks including a guest appearance from his own alt-pop outfit Bleachers.

Antonoff's production empire further grew this year when he entered the studio with another Swift-adjacent (albeit briefly) act, The 1975, for their fifth LP, Being Funny In A Foreign Language. But despite his chart ubiquity, the New Jersey native insists he has little interest in courting the mainstream.

"I do think that there's a misconception about what I do and what pop music is," he told The Face in September. "There's a certain group of people who think it's about appealing to the masses, [which is] not how I feel. I've never made anything hoping that everyone would like it."

Alongside his own individual accolades, Antonoff has previously shared GRAMMYs with his first band fun. (Best New Artist, Song of the Year for "We Are Young") Swift (Album of the Year for both 1989 and Folklore), and St. Vincent (Best Rock Song for "Masseduction" and Best Alternative Music Album for Daddy's Home).

But proving that all the awards glory hasn't gone to his head, Antonoff dedicated much of his acceptance speech last year to the unsung hero who joined him on stage: "I sit in the studio all day with one person — this is Laura, who engineers and mixes the records with us. We just sit there all f—ing day. We were there yesterday, we'll be there tomorrow, and this is all completely for Laura."

Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II

While last year's nomination came for his work with a modern R&B legend, Mary J. Blige, this year's is courtesy of a relatively new diva on the block.

Dernst Emile II, a.k.a. R&B/hip-hop producer D'Mile took the production reins on 10 of the 11 tracks on Victoria Monét's long-awaited full-length debut Jaguar II. The lush melting pot of disco, dancehall, funk, and soul firmly established the Ariana Grande hitmaker as a star in her own right.

It certainly lived up to the expectations that D'Mile, who also worked on Monét's Jaguar EP, put forward to GRAMMY.com last year: "We dug a little deeper. She is an artist that I feel really comfortable with. There might be a couple of songs that you wouldn't expect from her, and then there are songs that are just incredible records."

Of course, D'Mile has already made GRAMMY history having become the first-ever songwriter to pick up consecutive Song Of The Year awards, first winning with H.E.R.'s "I Can't Breathe" and then with Silk Sonic's "Leave the Door Open."

D'Mile sadly didn't get to accept the former in person due to COVID-19 protocols. But thankfully, the hitmaker did get to join Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak on stage for the latter where he dedicated the award to his late Haitian vocalist mother Yanick Étienne (the same Philly soul throwback also picked up Record Of The Year and Best R&B Song).

When asked about his pioneering feat by Vulture, D’Mile still appeared to be in a state of shock: "Man, these past two — even three — years have been just a wild ride for me. I definitely didn't expect to set a record. Even when I heard that it was possible, I was like, Wow, really? No one's ever done that? It's just wild to me that I'm at the GRAMMYs, let alone winning..."

D'Mile better get used to the feeling. The New Yorker was also victorious at the 2022 GRAMMYs thanks to his contributions on Lucky Daye's Best Progressive R&B Album Table for Two. And this second consecutive nod suggests it's only a matter of time before Producer of the Year - Non-Classical is added to the trophy cabinet that also includes an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Hit-Boy

From Ty Dolla $ign and Big Sean to Travis Scott and ASAP Rocky — name pretty much any major hip-hop star of the last 20 years and there's a good chance Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr., a.k.a. Hit-Boy, has given them some audacious beats.

The Californian already has three GRAMMY Awards to his name, having co-produced Kanye West and Jay-Z's "N— in Paris," showcased his own lyrical flow on Nipsey Hussle's "Racks in the Middle," and worked on all 13 tracks on Nas' King's Disease.

Hit-Boy's prolific new partnership with the latter rap god has undoubtedly helped him pick up a second Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical GRAMMY nomination, specifically his work on the two Magic sequels and King's Disease III. Likewise, his production skills on Dreamville's "Just Face It" and Don Toliver's "Bus Stop."

But the aptly-named beatmaker has also been celebrated for his own headlining efforts, including the Surf and Drown mixtape, the Alchemist collaboration "Slipping Into Darkness," and the Victims and Villains LP recorded alongside nu-soul crooner Musiq Soulchild, all of which arrived within the space of just three months.

Hit-Boy's work schedule may sound truly exhausting, but as he told GRAMMY.com in 2020, the star thrives on keeping busy: "It's too many artists trying to tap in for me to just work on one thing at a time, but I still am able to give my focus. It's like quantity and quality. I don't know how to explain it right now."

And Hit-Boy will certainly be appreciative if it proves to be second time lucky. Discussing his first Producer of the Year nod, he told Variety, "It would definitely be a dream come true … Just to be recognized is amazing, but to win? That would be major, man. Just for the people that have followed my story and know how much I've stayed down, that would be major."

Metro Boomin

Perhaps surprisingly, considering he's been behind Hot 100 No.1s by Migos and The Weeknd, trap genius Metro Boomin is the only Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominee this year without a GRAMMY already to his name. In fact, he's only ever received one nomination — Album of the Year for his sole contribution to Coldplay's Music of the Spheres.

Could 2024 be the year this changes? Well, it wouldn't be for the want of trying. The man born Leland Tyler Wayne has laid down beats for everyone from Travis Scott ("Til Further Notice") and Lil Durk ("War Bout It") to Drake ("More M's") and Young Thug ("Oh U Went") over the period of eligibility.

And like his fellow studio wizard Hit-Boy, Metro Boomin has also been recognized for his own material including his Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse cuts "Am I Dreaming" and "Calling," and three tracks from his sophomore Heroes and Villains ("Creepin'," "Superhero," and "Trance"),

Luckily, the St. Louis native seems likely to take it in his stride if he once again misses out on a golden gramophone. Metro Boomin was seen as a shoo-in for the 2018 Producer Of The Year category but the award went to Greg Kurstin. The hitmaker told Billboard, "You know, we don't be tripping off stuff like that. We just keep it moving, man … I'm just here to service the people. As long as that happens what I do, that's really all that what matters to me."

That doesn't mean Boomin believes he's unworthy of the accolade, though, with the star recently telling Ebony, "I knew I was here to stay before I even really got here, because I knew how much time I was putting into this…..I'm always trying to outdo myself. This is one of the first times in my career that I can really feel the ascension; I can feel something happening, and I'm well aware of it."

Daniel Nigro

Mid-2000s emo rock outfit As Tall as Lions might not have got anywhere near the most prestigious night on the music industry calendar. But frontman Daniel Nigro is now racking up the GRAMMY nominations as one of the go-to guys for Gen-Z.

All four of the New Yorker's previous nods were for his work with Disney Channel graduate Olivia Rodrigo, including the Best Pop Album category in which Sour reigned supreme. But in his first Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical showing, Nigro has also been acknowledged for collaborating with some other cool names.

That includes Chappell Roan, the dark-pop singer-songwriter who called on Nigro to produce the entirety of her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Irish troubadour Dermot Kennedy ("Divide") and former Chairlift vocalist Caroline Polachek ("Welcome To My Island") have also helped the one-time jingle writer to build a GRAMMY-worthy discography over the past 12 months.

Of course, it's Nigro's second effort with Rodrigo, Guts, that may best put him in contention for the big prize. He produced and co-wrote all 12 tracks on the pop-punk chart-topper, a committed approach he told Billboard is far preferable to being a songwriter-for-hire: "I know I'm definitely a pop producer [now], but I think I struggled a long time with that whole, 'You're part of a record' … I never felt satisfied doing just a song or two with an artist. I always felt detached. I come from a world where when something happens I want to call you up and celebrate the wins and vent about the losses and be a part of it [all]."

Nigro seems keen to continue guiding the careers of those young enough to be his kids. "I think it's just about being honest and talking about what's going on in their lives," Nigro replied when asked by Vulture what he admires about artists such as Rodrigo and Conan Gray.

"I think in their generation, something that they gravitate towards is the specificity of lyrics and honesty, which is always interesting," he continued to Vulture. "Whereas our generation was much more about metaphor and vagueness in lyrics, something that's left for interpretation, you know? It seems this generation is much more into something that's right on the nose."

The 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, returns to Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, and will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT.

The Recording Academy and GRAMMY.com do not endorse any particular artist, submission or nominee over another. The results of the GRAMMY Awards, including winners and nominees, are solely dependent on the Recording Academy’s Voting Membership.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

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

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

video

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

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

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

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

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

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

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

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. 

10 Essential Facts To Know About GRAMMY-Winning Rapper J. Cole