meta-script"Stonewall Gives Back!" To Feature Cyndi Lauper, Troye Sivan, Kim Petras & More In Concert For The LGBTQ Nightlife Community | GRAMMY.com
"Stonewall Gives Back!" To Feature Cyndi Lauper, Troye Sivan, Kim Petras & More In Concert For The LGBTQ Nightlife Community

Cyndi Lauper

Photo: Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images

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"Stonewall Gives Back!" To Feature Cyndi Lauper, Troye Sivan, Kim Petras & More In Concert For The LGBTQ Nightlife Community

On Apr. 23, the one-night-only benefit livestream concert will raise funds to support the LGBTQ+ community during the pandemic

GRAMMYs/Apr 21, 2020 - 02:09 am

Cyndi Lauper, Troye Sivan, Kim Petras and many more are set to appear as part of "Stonewall Gives Back!," a livestream concert presented by World of Wonder to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community durning the pandemic. 

Scheduled to stream Apr. 23 at 8pm ET, the one-night-only livestream event will also feature VINCENT, Todrick Hall, Rufus Wainwright, Allie X, MUNA, Betty Who, Greyson Chance and more. "Rupaul's Drag Race" judge Michelle Visage and Tyler Oakley will serve as hosts.

“The Stonewall Inn in New York City has, for decades, served as a beacon of hope in the LGBTQ+ community,” said World of Wonder co-founders Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. “World of Wonder similarly strives to build opportunities and access for the community, while standing beside them and The Stonewall Inn in the struggle for equality. In that same spirit, we are thrilled to partner for this one-night-only concert to offer help and support to the LGBTQ+ community during this difficult time.”

All proceeds from the concert will go to a fund where industry professionals can apply for a grant, according to Variety.

“So many careers are built and sustained by the support of the LGBT nightlife community," added event co-producer Brett McLaughlin. "It’s our turn and duty to support them during this time of need. I’m so grateful that many of my friends jumped at the chance to give back when asked. This is going to be an incredibly special evening.”

Tune in for "Stonewall Gives Back!" on Thursday, Apr. 23 at 8pm ET on World Of Wonder's YouTube Channel.

Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More
Photo: Martin Philbey/Redferns

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8 Country Crossover Artists You Should Know: Ray Charles, The Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper & More

Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' is part of a proud lineage of artists, from Ringo Starr to Tina Turner, who have bravely taken a left turn into country's homespun, heart-on-sleeve aesthetic.

GRAMMYs/Mar 28, 2024 - 01:07 pm

When Beyoncé announced her upcoming album, Cowboy Carter, with the drop of two distinctly country tracks, she broke both genre and barriers. Not only did Queen Bey continue to prove she can do just about anything, but she joined a long tradition of country music crossover albums.

Country music is, like all genres, a construct, designed by marketing companies around the advent of widely-disseminated recorded music, to sell albums. But in the roughly 100 intervening years, genre has dictated much about the who and how of music making.

In the racially segregated America of the 1920s, music was no exception. Marketing companies began to distinguish between "race records" (blues, R&B, and gospel) intended for Black audiences and hillbilly music (country and Western), sold to white listeners. The decision still echoes through music genre stereotypes today.

But Black people have always been a part of country music, a message that's gained recognition in recent years — in part because of advocacy work by those like Rhiannon Giddens, who plays banjo and viola on "Texas Hold 'Em," one of two singles Beyoncé released in advance of Cowboy Carter.

And since rigid genre rules' inception, many artists from Lil Nas X to Bruce Springsteen have periodically dabbled in or even crossed over to country music.

In honor of Beyoncé's foray, here are eight times musicians from other genres tried out country music.

Ray Charles — Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962)

In 1962, the soul music pioneer crossed the genre divide to cut a swingin' two-volume, 14-track revue of country and western music.

Part history lesson and part demonstration of Charles' unparalleled musicianship, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music covers country songs by major country artists of the era, including Hank Williams, Don Gibson, and Eddy Arnold. An instant success, the record topped album sales charts and was Charles' first atop the Billboard Hot 200 charts.

Ringo Starr — Beaucoups of Blues (1970)

The Beatles' drummer loves country music. Ringo Starr cut this album, which sounds like something you'd two-step the night away to at a honky tonk, as his second solo project. He was inspired by pedal steel guitar player and producer Pete Drake, who worked on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.

With Drake's help, Starr draws out a classic honky tonk sound — pedal steel, country fiddle, and bar room piano — to round out the album.

Beaucoups includes a textbook country heartbreak song, "Fastest Growing Heartache in the West," a bluesy ramblin' man ballad, "$15 Draw," and a surprisingly sweet love song to a sex worker, "Woman Of The Night."

The Pointer Sisters — Fairytale (1974)

Remembered for their R&B hits like "I'm So Excited" and "Jump (For My Love)", the Pointer Sisters dropped "Fairytale," a classic country heartbreak song into the middle of their second studio album, That's A Plenty.

Full of honky tonk pedal steel and fiddle, the track earned the band a GRAMMY award for Country and Western Vocal Performance Group or Duo in 1975, beating out Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Bare, and the Statler Brothers; they were the first, and to date, only Black women to receive the award.

The same year the song came out, the Pointer Sisters also became the first Black group to play the Grand Ole Opry, arriving to find a group of protesters holding signs with messages like 'Keep country, country!'

Tina Turner Tina Turns the Country On! (1974)

Also in 1974, Tina Turner cut her first solo album, Tina Turns the Country On!, while she was still performing with then-husband Ike Turner as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

Containing the seeds of the powerful, riveting voice she'd fully let loose in her long solo career after separating from her abusive husband, the album presents a stripped down, mellow Turner.

She covers songs like Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and Bob Dylan's "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," and delivers a soaring rendition of Dolly Parton's "There Will Always Be Music."

Turner was nominated for a GRAMMY award for the album, but in Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female, category.

The Beastie Boys — Country Mike's Greatest Hits (1999)

This Beastie Boys cut only a few hundred copies (most reports say 300) of this spoof country album — reputedly conceived of as a Christmas present for friends and family, and never officially released.

Presenting the supposed greatest hits of a slightly dodgy, enigmatic character – Country Mike, who shares a name with band member "Mike D" Diamond — the album sounds like vintage steel guitar country. Think Hank Williams and Jimmy Rodgers with a dash of musical oddballs Louden Wainwright III and David Allen Coe's humor and funk.

Country Mike appears just briefly in the liner notes of the band's anthology album, The Sounds of Silence, (which also includes two of the album's tracks: "Railroad Blues" and "Country Mike's Theme"), as part of an alternate universe wherein Mike temporarily lost his memory when he was hit on the head.

"The psychologists told us that if we didn't play along with Mike's fantasy, he could be in grave danger," the notes read. "This song ('Railroad Blues') is one of the many that we made during that tragic period of time."

Cyndi Lauper — Detour (2016)

The "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" singer enjoyed herself thoroughly by deviating from her typical style with 2016's Detour.

Road tripping into country music land, Lauper covered country songs of the 1950s and 1960s, including Marty Robbins' "Begging You," Patsy Montana's "I Want to be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" and Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" with guest appearances by Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and Vince Gill.

Jaret Ray Reddick — Just Woke Up (2022)

It might be hard to imagine the Bowling for Soup frontman, known for teenage pop-punk angst hits like "Girl all the Bad Guys Want" and "Punk Rock 101" crooning country ballads.

But in 2022, under the name Jaret Ray Reddick, he cut his solo debut, Just Woke Up. Drawing inspiration from Reddick's native Texas, the steel guitar and twang driven album features duets with Uncle Cracker, Cody Canada, Frank Turner, and Stephen Egerton.

Self-effacing and personable as ever, Reddick heads off questions about the viability of his country music with the album's first track, "Way More Country," acknowledging the questions listeners might have:

"I sing in a punk rock band/ And I know every word to that Eminem song "Stan"/ And I've got about a hundred and ten tattoos / But I'm way more country than you."

Bing Crosby — "Pistol Packin' Mama" (Single, 1943)

Legendary crooner of classic Christmas Carols and American standards, Bing Crosby decided to try his hand at country music with his cover of Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama," the first country song to appear on Billboard's charts.

The song, which tells the story of a man begging his woman not to shoot him when she discovers him out on the town fooling around, has since also been covered by Willie Nelson, Hoyt Axton, and John Prine.

How Beyoncé Is Honoring Black Music History With "Texas Hold Em," 'Renaissance' & More

2024 GRAMMYs: Kylie Minogue Wins First-Ever GRAMMY For Best Pop Dance Recording For "Padam Padam"
Kylie Minogue attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards Pre-GRAMMY Gala

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images

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2024 GRAMMYs: Kylie Minogue Wins First-Ever GRAMMY For Best Pop Dance Recording For "Padam Padam"

Kylie Minogue beat out David Guetta, Anne-Marie, and Coi Leray; Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding; Bebe Rexha and David Guetta, and Troye Sivan. This is the first-ever win in this brand-new category.

GRAMMYs/Feb 4, 2024 - 09:02 pm

Kylie Minogue has taken home the golden gramophone for Best Pop Dance Recording — an all-new category — at the 2024 GRAMMYs, for "Padam Padam."

Minogue came ahead of of David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray ("Baby Don’t Hurt Me"); Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding ("Miracle"); Bebe Rexha and David Guetta ("One in a Million"); and Troye Sivan ("Rush").

The win marks Minogue’s second GRAMMY win after six career nominations. She had previously won Best Dance Recording for "Come Into My World."

The Australian pop star — along with producer Peter "Lostboy" Rycroft and mixing engineer Guy Massey — are the first-ever winners of the Best Pop/Dance Performance category. It was one of three new categories introduced at the 66th GRAMMYs; the other two are Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Best African Music Performance. 

Lostboy took the stage to accept the award on behalf of himself, Minogue, and Massey. 

"Padam Padam" charted at No. 7 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic chart; it was a much bigger hit in the UK, where it was a No. 1 hit. The song was embraced by the LGBTQ+ community on both sides of the Atlantic. 

"It's hugely important to me and so touching," said Minogue of her popularity with LGBTQ+ fans in an interview with GRAMMY.com earlier this year. "I hope that for that community and beyond, I just want to say I am open-minded and I want people to be happy in themselves. That community needed support and still needs support. I'm here. And they padamed for me."

Keep checking this space for more updates from Music’s Biggest Night!

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Troye Sivan On "Rush," The Importance Of Dance-Pop & The Spirituality Of Partying
Troye Sivan

Photo: Stuart Winecoff

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Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Troye Sivan On "Rush," The Importance Of Dance-Pop & The Spirituality Of Partying

With two nominations at the 2024 GRAMMYs, Troye Sivan's "Rush" is arguably the Australian pop star's magnum opus. But to Sivan, it's more than a smash hit — it's a creative and spiritual liberation.

GRAMMYs/Feb 1, 2024 - 04:11 pm

Troye Sivan didn't tell anyone about his alarm. But at 3 a.m. on Nov. 10, the pop star woke up to not just his alarm, but to dozens of notifications — he woke up a GRAMMY nominee.

"Normally with accolades, it doesn't actually make you feel any different. But this did," Sivan tells GRAMMY.com. "I was sort of floating for a few days and still kind of am… it's something that I've wanted in my entire life."

It's not every day that your love of partying earns you a GRAMMY nomination, but Sivan's passionate, party-starting single "Rush" scored him not one but two nods. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, the track is nominated in the new Best Pop Dance Recording Category, and its equally unapologetic music video is up for Best Music Video.

But despite its thumping beat and chanting chorus, "Rush" is more than an ode to late nights in Melbourne and acting on impulse; it's reverence for real connection. A euphoric representation of its parent album Something To Give Each Other, "Rush" is a catalyst as much as it is a release.

In its music video, striking choreography animates beautifully sweaty corners; "Rush" holds nothing back, spiritedly soundtracking everything from keg stands to glory holes. It ends with Sivan walking home on a bridge, with dawn as the backdrop of his widening, quiet smile to himself. As Berlin warmly unravels below Sivan, the video leaves viewers with the aftertaste of ecstasy — and reminds them of the gift of time and connection.

"Rush" marks a new era for Sivan, who has become dance-pop royalty since first building his fan base as a popular YouTube creator in the early 2010s. But while his latest music is a culmination of years of experimentation — from the darker indie pop of his 2015 debut album, Blue Neighborhood, to the crushing electropop of his 2020 EP In A Dream — the bliss of "Rush" unlocks a fearless part of Sivan's artistry that not only flaunts his creative genius, but his true self.

From his Melbourne home, Sivan sat down for a Zoom chat with GRAMMY.com about the thrill of his first-time GRAMMY nominations, the electricity that inspired "Rush," and how his art has unlocked a new sense of freedom.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Congrats on your nominations! How did you celebrate after hearing the news?

I didn't go back to sleep because I was too excited. I felt like I had taken this massive international flight and that the whole world was just sort of a big dream, and I just floated around Melbourne with my best friend, and we got our nails done, and I went for a walk, got food. It was a really, really surreal day for sure.

Let's talk about "Rush." Tell me about a moment when you were making that song and you knew you had something special.

I knew that there was a feeling that I had felt a lot over the last couple of years that I hadn't yet captured for the album. It was this feeling of electricity. It's this really kind of turbo feeling of being so hot and so sweaty — drenched in sweat on a dance floor — with hundreds of people that you don't know. 

When I close my eyes and really focus on the music, you can kind of feel the lights going by on your skin — that moment, it's so much more than just a party. It can actually be like a spiritual experience, and quite a meaningful one, especially coming out of these really intense COVID lockdowns. That feeling meant so much to me, and I just felt so connected to myself and to other people and to music and to sex and to dance music.

So I knew that I needed to capture that moment, and we tried so many times and never got that. Then finally, when "Rush" came, I sort of knew that that was it — when I listened to it, it felt like the feeling. It was one of the last songs that came together for the album, and then basically completed the album.

Who was the first person you showed "Rush" to?

I went away for the weekend with some friends… and I played it for my sister in the car. She was like, "Will you please, please, please play that song?" We had all been drinking and we were playing games and stuff like that, and they had a really good sound system, so I was like, "Okay, fine. Yes."

I played the song, which is really out of my character — I was definitely a few drinks in because I don't like listening to my own music. I remember I started playing it and everyone stood up and started dancing. We were already having a good time, so I didn't know what to make of that.

But by the end of the song, they were all kind of singing along with the chorus and it just created a feeling in the air in that room that I was like, Oh my God, I think maybe this is something really, really special. As soon as I got back to Melbourne, I went back like the next day and finished everything.

What was the first time you heard "Rush" in a club or at a party?

When it came out, we went out in West Hollywood and went for a walk down Santa Monica Boulevard where all the gay bars are. And I remember hearing it coming out of, like, four clubs as we were walking down the street. So that was also [when] I was like, I think this is working.

The first time I heard "Rush" at the club, I was in the Castro. Everyone was immediately up when it came on.

Really? I mean, really, it's written for the Castro, so I'm really glad to hear.

2024 GRAMMYs: Meet The Nominees

Your song captures a sense of liberation. When do you feel the most creatively free?

I think I feel the most creatively free when I am bored. I don't know if that's, like, the weirdest answer ever, sorry. [Laughs.]

But I just feel like I get reminded that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing when I have more than, like, three days off. Immediately I'll start tinkering with a music video concept or graphic design project or working on music or editing a video or whatever. 

I think my baseline when I have some time on my hands is to be creating something, and it's the thing that I love most in the world. Simultaneously it feels like a holiday when I'm doing it, and that's crazy because it's my job, you know?

Creative freedom can also come from playing with genre. "Rush" is nominated for Best Pop Dance Recording, which is one of the three new award Categories this year. How do you feel that pop dance has evolved in the last few years?

Oh, my gosh, I mean pop dance is such an important Category to me, and especially with this album because that's really what I wanted exactly to make. I love pop dance and I have grown up on pop dance. 

Also, to be nominated alongside someone like Kylie Minogue — just thinking about a song like "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" or these songs that really shaped me as not just a songwriter but as like a human being — it's really important to me, and I also think, in general, to queer people. Because dance music has been so unbelievably important to queer people, and so has pop. So this combination of the two, it's really like it's for us.

Exactly. I think my connection with music helped me realize that I was queer, even.

Yeah, it's definitely a queer-coded Category.

Going back to "Rush," I wanted to talk about the nominated music video. What did the vision board for the video look like?

It started with me and Gordon von Steiner, the director of the video, working together and me explaining to him that "Rush" is this daytime hot sweaty party. We started with so many references of just, like, sweaty skin that was shot on 35 millimeter film, and it was like this sort of deep grimy green. But then also, this warm orange that was really important to me. The clothing was like this burgundy and yellow.

The more we spoke about it, it was super clear to us exactly what this video needed to look like, but more importantly, what the video needed to feel like. And Gordon loves Berlin and partying, and I love partying and I love Berlin… [but] this was sort of more serious than just like a party video. It needed to have that element of rawness and vulnerability that I think comes with those moments. It had to be real.

We went to Berlin and we shot it across two days. Honestly, once we got there, it was like just having a party and filming it… Once the camera was rolling, whatever was happening was happening, and it was such an incredible couple days. 

The cast all knew each other from being queer and cool in Berlin and from partying together. They welcomed me with open arms, and we ended up going out together for real afterwards. It was just a really beautiful couple of days. I feel like you can feel all of that in the video.

Absolutely. What was it like to learn the choreography for the video? And how do you think Timothée's "SNL" choreo stacked up against yours?

I think he slayed it. [Laughs.] It's not easy, so I think he did a good job.

But for me, choreo was something that I have been terrified of my entire life. It was a really big deal for me because growing up in the closet, I used to sort of like make these changes to myself or my desires or the way that I kind of carried myself throughout the world to kind of protect myself. And one thing that I never allowed myself was dancing.

For me to finally allow myself to express myself in that way, it felt just like a big moment for me personally — and really scary, but something that I wanted to do my entire life. So I had the best time.

It was one of the greatest gifts that this album has given me, to find a new sort of expression at 28 that I really, really, really enjoy has been a beautiful thing. It's something that I want to keep doing probably for the rest of my life. It feels incredible, and it kind of gave me the confidence to keep going and dance. Choreography ended up becoming such an important part of the visual identity of the whole album.

You mentioned earlier that the music video's warm orange was important to you. That made me think of the album cover. What was the process like for actualizing the cover?

The album cover is one of my favorite photos ever. I had been at a record store in L.A. and I found this really old record that I haven't been able to even find on Google or Spotify. I took a picture of it, of this guy smiling really big, and I thought that that was the coolest thing in the world. I don't know why. 

I think it was because, normally, vanity is such an important part of what influences these decisions that we make as pop artists — you know, Do I look hot or not? And I thought that there was something so badass about being like, No, that is the least of my priorities. I'm trying to convey a feeling here. I'm trying to convey something real and meaningful. I've been making this album that was all about this like unbridled joy and liberation.

So I knew that I wanted to smile on the album cover, and then I loved the idea of sitting between someone's legs. It just felt so intimate to me and kind of like this implied sexuality. But another thing that I love is that you don't see who it is [behind me], and you just see me and you realize that this moment is about connection with someone, but it's really about connection with yourself and allowing yourself to enjoy life and your body and your sexuality.

When it came time to shoot it — I'm really bad at smiling for photos, and I think you can always tell when a smile is real and when it's not. We spent the whole day shooting and I didn't smile once. Then for this one frame, the guy who was sitting behind me kneeled down, and he tickled my ribs, and I threw my head back and I laughed and it was one frame. And that was the album cover, and I love it so, so, so much.

**It's also very different from the blurriness of In A Dream, or on Bloom, where you can't see your face. How does this latest cover represent the evolution of your music or yourself?**

This album was really about communication with the world. I feel like I wanted to scream from the rooftops about the message of this album. I wanted it to be in every single layer of it, whether it's the album cover or one of the videos or one of the songs. I wanted to show people exactly how I was feeling.

In the past, I've felt comfortable being a bit more mysterious, or making people intrigued and then having them listen to the album and take what they want from there. Whereas this time, I just felt so loudly proud of myself and the experiences that I was having and everything that I really just wanted to be a little bit more bold with it.

You've had such a loyal fan base from a relatively early age. How does it feel to have a lot of your supporters grow up alongside you and still be connecting to your music now?

I really do feel like the luckiest guy when it comes to the people that listen to my music. I think a really important part of us connecting is that it feels like these are people that I would want to be friends with if I knew them in real life. They're really funny, they're really smart. Nothing gets past them if it's not genuine — like, they know when something is real, when it's not. It's like I'm speaking to a friend.

[Albums are] kind of like these time capsules for me in my life of different chapters of my life. But it's also kind of like an update to everyone being like, "Oh, hey guys, what's up? This is what's been going on for the last couple years." It's just a very special relationship and I'm so thankful for them.

That makes me very excited to tour, to go out and see some familiar faces… I started making YouTube videos when I was 12 and I still meet people on the street or whatever that will be like, "I remember when you made this video" and it's, like, from literally 14 years ago.

Not too long ago, I was reading this interview with boygenius where they said that queerness is inherently creative, and it also involves creating a different future for yourself. That really stuck with me. What are your thoughts on that, and what do you want your future to look like in terms of that?

I definitely think that my queerness and my creativity are inextricably linked. I think that me being closeted, not 100 percent feeling like the real world was somewhere where I felt completely comfortable or seen, made me retreat to my bedroom and to my creativity in a way that was sort of my education on how to do everything. It's where I learned what I liked creatively, and I don't think I would have felt that way if I was, like, the sort of cool sports star at my school or whatever. I would have been too busy doing other things.

I'm really grateful for that time of introspection, and sometimes kind of loneliness, and just all those big feelings — and that sensitivity that I think came from being a queer kid. I think that really informs who I am today and everything that I do. That's really beautiful, and something that we can be really proud of.

Troye Sivan's Road To 'Something To Give Each Other': How Transparency & Exploration Led To His Most Euphoric Album Yet

Here Are The Nominees For Best Pop Dance Recording At The 2024 GRAMMYs
{From Left To Right] Bebe Rexha, Calvin Harris, Kylie Minogue, David Guetta, and Troye Sivan

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Here Are The Nominees For Best Pop Dance Recording At The 2024 GRAMMYs

Take a look at the inaugural list of nominees for Best Pop Dance Recording — one of three new categories at the 2024 GRAMMYs — which features hits from dance legends and pop superstars.

GRAMMYs/Nov 12, 2023 - 05:31 pm

One of three new categories debuting at the 2024 GRAMMYs, Best Pop Dance Recording will be hotly contested in its first year.

The inaugural round of Best Pop Dance Recording nominees features not one, but two [David Guetta](https://www.grammy.com/artists/david-guetta/12848) collaborations ("Baby Don’t Hurt Me" with Anne-Marie and Coi Leray, and "One In A Million" with Bebe Rexha), and the long-awaited reunion of [Calvin Harris](https://www.grammy.com/artists/calvin-harris/3679) and [Ellie Goulding](https://www.grammy.com/artists/ellie-goulding/19043) on "Miracle." The new category also features two earworms from Australian pop dance exports: [Kylie Minogue](https://www.grammy.com/artists/kylie-minogue/14940)’s "Padam Padam" and [Troye Sivan](https://www.grammy.com/news/troye-sivan-something-to-give-each-other-new-album-rush-road-to)’s "Rush." 

Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs on Feb. 4, 2024, get to know the five nominees in this newly minted category.

David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray -"Baby Don't Hurt Me"

In a year defined by dance producers putting a modern spin on dance music’s past, David Guetta reached back to 1993 to interpolate Haddaway’s dance-pop hit, "What Is Love," for "Baby Don’t Hurt Me." The song is a fitting follow-up to Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s 2022 hit, "I’m Good (Blue)", which winkingly rekindled Eiffel 65’s Eurodance anthem, "Blue (Da Ba Dee)".

"Baby Don’t Hurt Me" brings Haddaway’s irresistible hook into 2023 with distinctive verses from British vocalist Anne-Marie (who memorably joined Marshmello on 2018’s smash  "Friends") and fast-rising Boston rapper Coi Leray. 

Paired with a video that references ‘90s clubbing and cult movie A Night at the Roxbury, "Baby Don’t Hurt Me" is a familiar sugar rush that plays to the individual strengths of its perhaps unlikely trio. 

**Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding - "Miracle"**

Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding are a dance music dream team, having previously released "I Need Your Love" (2012) and "Outside" (2014). After waiting almost a full decade to reunite, the pair returned in 2023 with their third collaboration, "Miracle."

An out-and-out trance-meets-Eurodance throwback (think inspirations like Robert Miles' "Children"), "Miracle" aims straight for the nostalgic pleasure centers. Harris told Apple Music that he needed Goulding's "angelic" vocal talents, and the British singer skillfully plays off the song's maximal production. Working alongside his longtime studio partner Burns, Harris packs the rave euphoria into a crisp three minutes, right through to the unexpected breakbeat outro. 

The non-album single signaled a new phase for Harris, and follows 2022's Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 as well as his ravier experiments as Love Regenerator. In July, Harris returned to the trance sounds of his teen years with "Desire" featuring Sam Smith, proving these faster tempos are not just a passing phase. 

**Kylie Minogue - "Padam Padam"** 

Now 16 albums into a glittering career, Kylie Minogue is a true icon of international pop. However, not even the most ardent Kylie fans could've predicted her 2023 glow-up, courtesy of viral sensation "Padam Padam." 

The song first came to Minogue in a demo version by Norwegian singer/songwriter Ina Wroldsen and UK producer Lostboy, which immediately caught her ear. "Straightaway, I was in," she recalled to GRAMMY.com, noting that she knew it was "perfect for me."

The first single from the Australian singer's latest album, Tension, the instantly danceable beat and one-word hook of "Padam Padam" inspired countless TikTok videos and memes. "I finally get TikTok. Yes, I've been slow but I finally am there," Minogue admitted upon Tension's release.

Minogue also celebrated the queer community and Gen Z's embrace of her runaway hit. "I hope to continue having fun with that," she added. "It was really organic. I don't think you can force that. It happened and I loved every second of it."

**Bebe Rexha & David Guetta - "One In A Million"**

Ever since co-writing Eminem and Rihanna's "The Monster" in 2013, Brooklyn-born Bebe Rexha has mastered the art of collaboration. Over a prolific decade, including three albums of her own, the pop singer/songwriter has teamed up with a diverse range of artists, including Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Florida Georgia Line and Dolly Parton, to feature on her songs.

In the pop dance world, French hitmaker David Guetta is Rexha's most reliable collaborator. After striking gold on 2022's "I'm Good (Blue)" — which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the top of 2023 — the pair returned with a new standalone single, "One In A Million."

With a piano line that evokes Guetta's own "When Love Takes Over," "One In A Million" channels the giddy feeling of new love over a racing beat. The song arrived in a typically whirlwind year of collaborations for Guetta, who also mined the past alongside Jason Derulo, Oliver Tree and Zara Larsson. 

**Troye Sivan - "Rush"**

After a long wait between solo releases, Australian pop chameleon Troye Sivan boldly announced a new era with "Rush." Released at the height of summer as the lead single from Sivan's third album, Something To Give Each Other, "Rush" instantly hit its mark as a celebration of queer pleasure-seeking. In a statement, Sivan described the single as an accumulation of "all of my experiences from a chapter where I feel confident, free and liberated."

The song's lusty bassline, exultant piano-house keys and chanted chorus perfectly play off Sivan's falsetto, creating a heady mood of dance floor abandon. (Fittingly, the Berlin-shot music video is a parade of sweaty bodies in motion.) A ready-made anthem, "Rush" set the stage perfectly for the assured and life-affirming *Something To Give Each Other*, leaving no doubt that Sivan is thriving in 2023. 

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.

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2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Winners & Nominees List