Seven Takeaways from the 2020 Grammy Nominations Announcement

Nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards were announced on Wednesday morning (11/20).  Leading the pack is Lizzo, who is up for eight awards. She is followed by Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X with six nods a piece, and Ariana Grande and H.E.R. with five nods a piece. A full list of nominees can be found here. The Grammy Awards telecast is set to take place January 26.

With the announcement of this year’s Grammy nominees list, VinylBay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a closer look at some of its highlights and lowlights. Here are seven things we took away from this year’s announcement.

1.       Women are dominating the big four categories: The Grammys have been in hot water for the last few years about how women have been represented in their nominations and winners lists. Tides seem to be changing though. As Billboard points out, this is the second year in a row where five of the eight nominees for Album of the Year and Best New Artist are women. Seven of the eight Song of the Year nominees are performed by female artists.

2.       But not rap: While the bigger categories seem to be getting more diverse, the genre categories are still lacking that same diversity, and in some senses falling backward. That is what seems to have happened in the rap category this year. Rolling Stone pointed out that there are no women nominated for any of the rap categories despite many very eligible artists who are having a moment right now. Megan Thee Stallion released her debut this year, not to mention had one of the songs of the summer with “Hot Girl Summer.” Lizzo wasn’t included in the rap category either, instead putting her in the more female-friendly R&B categories. The only female artist on the nominations list is Cardi B, who featured on husband Offset’s single “Clout.” Even the notoriously male-dominated rock and alternative categories had a few women getting nods for songs they had top-billing on (Karen O, Brittney Howard, The Cranberries), so this is a head-scratcher.

3.       Newcomers are reigning king: This seems to be one of the first years in a while where new artists are dominating the big four categories. The three top-nominated artists have never been nominated for a Grammy before. Lizzo and Billie Eilish’s nominations in all four of those major categories also marks the first time two artists have achieved that feat in the same year, not to mention they are only the 11^th and 12^th artists to ever do so.

4.       The Grammys still haven’t figured out what K-Pop is: Considering that K-Pop has exploded in popularity lately, it seems odd that there are no artists in the genre nominated for an award, not even in the international categories (which other award shows have done). With BTS breaking all sorts of chart records with April’s ‘Map Of The World: Persona,’ this seems like a bigger than usual snub.

5.       Latin is getting another boost: While the Recording Academy’s knowledge of K-Pop might be weak, Latin music’s popularity continues to shine. Rosalia has become the first Spanish-language artist to be nominated for Best New Artist. Unfortunately, this is Latin’s only mainstream spot this year. All other tracks are only being honored in the Latin categories.

6.       Posthumous awards: Nipsey Hustle dominated the rap categories this year. He got Best Rap Performance and Song nods for his single “Racks In The Middle,” which was released just weeks before he was fatally shot, as well as a Best Rap/Sung Performance nod for his featured spot on DJ Khaled’s single “Higher.” The Recording Academy also nominated The Cranberries ‘In The End’ for Best Rock Album, honoring her nearly two years after frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan’s untimely passing.

7.       Popularity Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Getting the Nomination: Ultimately, popularity doesn’t seem to be the deciding factor when it comes to nominations. In the last decade especially, there have been a lot of head-scratching inclusions on the nominations lists, most notably and controversially with the big four categories. Bon Iver makes that list again as his album ‘I,I’ was nominated for Album of the Year and its single “Hey Ma” was nominated for Record of the Year seemingly out of the blue. The album wasn’t necessarily a big hit overall, topping out at 26 on the Billboard 200 and “Hey Ma” not even charting on the Hot 100. Bon Iver was in a similar spot in 2012 when he won Best New Artist over Nicki Minaj. Other odd inclusions for 2020 include Black Pumas and Tank And The Bangas, who were both nominated for Best New Artist even though neither one have spent much time on the charts, or appear anywhere else in the nominations.

The 2020 Grammy nominations list may have its ups and downs, especially when it comes to inclusion. However, there is no denying that this year’s awards will be an interesting night of music and firsts.

---

Find music from this years and past Grammy-winning artists at Vinyl Bay 777. As Long Island’s top new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres to choose from. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Five Trends in Music Reflected in the 2019 MTV VMA Nominations

MTV Logo. Found on Wikimedia Commons.

Nominations for the 2019 MTV VMAs were announced on Tuesday (7/23), celebrating the music videos and artists that dominated over the last year. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Halsey and Cardi B are the year’s most decorated nominees, earning upwards of six nods a piece. The ceremony is slated to take place August 26 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

This year’s VMAs provide an interesting look into what is going on in music culture right now. From the female dominated nominees list to the heightened inclusion of Latin and K-Pop artists and more, diversity and progression are definitely being highlighted this year.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the highlights from this year’s VMA nominations. Here are five noteworthy trends reflected on the list.

1.       Girl Power: Female artists have hit a new renaissance over the last couple of years and that really shows in the 2019 nominees list. Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift have the most nominations of any artist this year with 10 a piece, followed by Billie Eilish with 9. Out of six nominees for Best New Artist, five are women. Four out of Six R&B nominees are female as well. The only category that doesn’t feature any female nominees is Best Rock.

2.       K-Pop: New this year is a Best K-Pop category, making the VMA’s the first award show to create an entire category for the genre. While shows like the People’s Choice Awards and the Grammys were starting to take notice of artists like BTS last year, the genre has been growing in the United States exponentially. BTS, Blackpink, Monsta X, Tomorrow X Together, NCT 127 and Exo are all up for the award in its inaugural year. BTS is also up for two categories outside of their genre, including Best Collaboration, Best Art Direction and Best Choreography for the Halsey-featuring “Boy With Luv.”

3.       Latin: Latin music is at its most active in the US since the late 1990s when Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias were big. After not having the Best Latin category in 2017 when Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” was tearing things up, MTV brought it back last year and again for 2019. Daddy Yankee, J Balvin and Maluma return to the Best Latin category this year with newcomers like Anuel AA, Karol G, Bad Bunny, Benny Blanco and Rosalia joining in on the mix. Rosalia continues her domination outside of the category with a Best New Artist nod, as well as Best Choreography for her J Balvin collaboration, “Con Altura.”  

4.       Lil Nas X: As the VMAs come before any of the other music award shows, they are the first to be able to give Lil Nas X due credit for his breakout song “Old Town Road.” The song’s remix with Billy Ray Cyrus has racked up 16 weeks at number one, tying the record for most weeks at number one with Mariah Carey & Boys II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” and is possibly set to break it next week. The rap-country crossover got Lil Nas X eight nominations, the fourth highest behind Grande, Swift and Eilish, including Video of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Even his recent coming out hasn’t stopped his growing popularity like it has other artists in the past, which is pretty progressive. (Because of Lil’ Nas X’s remix, country mainstay Billy Ray Cyrus has also earned his first VMA nominations.)

5.       Videos “Doing Good”: Though MTV has done similar categories in years past, the new Video for Good category is a great way to honor the recent resurgence of videos for a cause. Right now you have a lot of big name artists taking a stand against injustice and merging it into their art. Taylor Swift, John Legend, The Killers and Halsey are all nominated. Nominations were also given to newcomers Lil Dicky and Jamie N Commons & Skylar Grey, whose videos would likely have gone under the radar without the category.

The nominations for this year’s MTV VMAs are fairly reflective of where music culture is right now. It’s a list that expands on trends highlighting women in music, global influence, inclusion and more. The full list of nominees and online voting can be found on the MTV website.

---

Find music from VMA nominees past and present at Vinyl Bay 777. As Long Island’s top new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Grammy Awards 2018 Nominees Announced: Six Takeaways

The nominations for the 2018 Grammy Awards were announced Tuesday morning. Now in its 60^th year, the show is slated to air January 28 on CBS.

The Grammy Awards has been honoring the best in all genres of music for six decades now. Leading the pack in nominations this year is Jay-Z, whose new album, ‘4:44,’ received a total of eight nods. Following close behind are Kendrick Lamar with seven and Childish Gambino and Bruno Mars with five each.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a closer look at some of this year’s Grammy nominees. From diversity to posthumous awards and history-making nominations, here are six interesting takeaways from this year’s list.

1.       Rap was very popular this year: In recent years, the Grammys has been plagued by criticism over the lack of diversity in their nominees. That gap decreases slightly this year, as hip-hop and R&B are finally getting their due. As stated previously, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino and Bruno Mars are all dominating the nominees list. Rap also fills the New Artists category this year with Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert and SZA all vying for the award.

2.       The lines of dance and alternative were blurred: There are always a couple of head-scratchers when it comes to nominations. The one that sticks out this year is the nomination of Gorillaz and LCD Soundsystem for Best Dance Recording. While Gorillaz did make an album this year with electronic leanings, both are a big surprise to find in this category. Both are also nominated in the Best Alternative Album category as well, which seems more understandable.

3.       Posthumous rock nods: The rock world lost a lot of icons this year and the Grammys are recognizing a few of them. Leonard Cohen, whose final album ‘You Want It Darker’ was released in October 2016, three weeks after the eligibility cut-off for last year’s ceremony, is nominated in the Best Rock Performance category this year for the album’s haunting title track, as well as in Best American Roots Performance for the non-single “Steer Your Way.” Late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell is also nominated for Rock Performance, picking up a solo nod for his one-off single “The Promise,” which was released as a charity single benefiting the International Rescue Committee. Finally, Gregg Allman is up for two awards: Best Americana Album for ‘Southern Blood’ and Best American Roots Song for “My Only True Friend.”

4.       ‘La La Land’ continues to shine: There is no doubt that ‘La La Land’ was a huge success when it came out in December of 2016. The film won six of its 14 Oscar nods and dominated the Golden Globes. Apparently the film is still riding high because it is nominated for four awards, including all three Visual Media categories and a composition award for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals.

5.       “Despacito” is the first Latin track in a while to be nominated for the big awards: It was very hard to escape the sound of “Despacito” coming out of every speaker over the last year. The break-out crossover single from Luis Fonsi was everywhere and the Grammys are giving it its due. The song is nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, as well as Pop Duo/Group Performance. According to Billboard, the last time a Latin crossover song took the English-speaking world like this was in 2000 when Ricky Martin’s “Living La Vida Loca” was blowing up.

6.       Kesha got her first Grammy nods: Over the last seven years, Kesha has been a pop powerhouse with a handful of top 10 singles and two top 10 albums to her name. But in all that time, she has never received a Grammy nomination. That is until now. Her latest album, ‘Rainbow,’ has produced two nominations for her, one for Best Pop Vocal Album and one for Best Pop Solo Performance for the beautiful and powerful “Praying.”

With the announcement of the 2018 Grammy nominees this morning, the Recording Academy continues to honor some of the best music of the year. Honoring a more diverse group of artists this year, as well as artists who truly had banner years in their careers, the award show’s 60^th year is looking to be a good one.

---

Find award-winning music from these artists and more at Long Island’s top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have thousands of titles to choose from in a wide variety of genres. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or shop online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

American Music Awards 2017: Six Interesting Facts about This Year’s Event

The 45^th annual American Music Awards (AMAs) are happening this Sunday, November 19. This year’s event will be broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California starting at 8PM Eastern Time on ABC.

Hosting this year’s show is ‘Black-ish’ actress Tracee Ellis Ross and will feature performances from Selena Gomez, BTS, Portugal. The Man, Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Florida Georgia Line, Niall Horan, Nick Jonas, Alessia Cara and Zedd, Hailee Steinfeld and Alesso, Demi Lovado, P!nk, Shawn Mendez and more. There will also be a rare performance from Diana Ross, who will be getting the Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as a tribute to Whitney Houston and ‘The Bodyguard’ by Christina Aguilera.

As the American Music Awards approach, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at some of the more interesting aspects of this year’s broadcast. From world-premiere performances to where and how to watch to voting for more than just that evening’s winners, here are six facts about the 2017 AMAs.

1.       BTS will be making American television history: K-Pop has become a huge phenomenon stateside, but it hasn’t really broke into the mainstream yet. That could all change when BTS, one of the genre’s most popular artists, take the stage Sunday night, making their US television debut. The group is set to perform their latest single, “DNA,” for the first time in the US.

2.       This year’s show will reach global audiences: The AMAs will be broadcast outside the United States for the first time this year. Since BTS will be performing, Mnet will be carrying the show live in Korea starting at 10AM on November 20.

3.       ‘American Idol’ will make its comeback that night: While the premiere of ABC’s ‘American Idol’ revival won’t happen until March, viewers will get a preview of some of the talent they can expect during Sunday’s broadcast. Judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie chose a few aspiring artists who didn’t make it to round two to re-audition and have America vote during the broadcast on who they want to see move on to the Hollywood round. Then, Richie will present the results during ‘Dancing with the Stars’ the next night.

4.       You can still vote for some awards: While most of the voting categories closed on Monday, you can still vote for certain awards. Voting for Artist of the Year ends Thursday evening at midnight Eastern Time. The Best New Artist and Best Collaboration awards can both be voted on until 9PM Eastern Time November 19.

5.       The red carpet is being streamed live again: Last year, the AMAs broadcast their pre-show red carpet on Facebook. This year, the pre-show will be streamed again, this time on Twitter. Viewers will be able to participate in real time with the stream by tweeting questions for the stars with the hashtag “AskAMAs.”

6.       The show is being streamed live too: If you can’t get to a television to watch the AMAs this year (or don’t have one), there will be other ways to see the show. Besides the award show streaming on ABC’s own app, people who subscribe to Hulu, Playstation Vue and Sling’s Broadcast Extra service will also be able to watch the show live.

The 2017 Music Awards will be packed with the hottest talent on the mainstream music scene right now. Between the world-premiere performances, tributes and fan-voted awards, this is sure to be a big night for music.

---

Find music from American Music Award nominees and performers past and present at Vinyl Bay 777. Long Island’s top new independent record shop has thousands of titles to choose from in an array of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location during our new winter hours or shop online from the comfort of your own home anytime at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.