Last weekend’s Grammy Awards were relatively tame when it came to surprises, as most of the award winners didn’t seem completely unexpected. Of course, there was one major exception, as Jon Batiste’s We Are won Album Of The Year over projects by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, HER, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Kanye West. Batiste himself looked surprised when he won, holding a confused expression and a shrug for a good while before approaching the stage.
The Late Show bandleader returned to his show last night for the first time since the Grammys, where he broke down his response to his big win in a conversation with Stephen Colbert.
He started with context, noting the day was busy for him, since he was nominated for 11 awards, both during the pre-show and the televised ceremony. On top of that, he performed during the broadcast, too. So, by the time the show as coming to an end, Batiste said he was ready to just chill out.
Colbert showed the clip of Batiste’s reaction and commented, “The most surprised person in that room might be you.” Batiste responded, “Oh yeah.”
Batiste continued by noting the people seated at the tables around him, including Billie Eilish and Finneas, had a good supportive energy, saying, “Well, at least everybody’s going to be on a good vibe. Whoever wins, we’ll be all just clapping for this person. It won’t be me. And then they said, ‘We…’ And the people were so loud. It was so loud that I almost didn’t really know it was me because they didn’t say my name until after the title. I was like, ‘Maybe that’s somebody else’s album that sounds like We Are [laughs].”
Doja Cat’s streak of successful moments continued over the weekend thanks to the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. It was here that she, along with SZA, won the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award for their 2021 collaboration “Kiss Me More.” The track appeared on Doja’s third album Planet Her, which she released last year. The song did well on the charts as it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has also won Collaboration of the Year at the AMAs and Best Collaboration at the MTV VMAs. Doja was pushed to tears after learning she won her first Grammy, but that’s not all that happened at that moment.
During her acceptance speech, Doja revealed that she had to sprint from the bathroom in order to make it to the stage. Thanks to a video that was provided by someone in attendance at the Grammys, you can see Doja begin her sprint to the stage after hearing her name. Granted, her sprint was more of a shuffle as a result of her dress and heels, but she still made it to the stage in time to give a raw, emotional, and truly-Doja speech.
“I like to downplay sh*t, but this?” Doja said while fighting back tears. “It’s a big deal. Thank you, everybody.” She also made sure to shower SZA with praise. “SZA, you are everything to me,” Doja said. “You are the epitome of talent. You’re a lyricist. You’re everything.”
Hip-hop had its winners and losers on Grammy night. The culture shined with performances, awards, and appearances by meaningful artists, including Tyler The Creator, Nas, Little Nas X, and Jack Harlow. But the elephant in the room was who was not there – Kanye West, Drake, Nicki Minaj and the like who sat out the […]
Being at the forefront of R&B and comparable to legendary figures within the genre like Usher and Frank Ocean is not an easy title, but David Brown goes above and beyond, while being known for his charm. Professionally known as Lucky Daye, the artist has become a pinnacle of new age R&B that placed him in the hot seat for two 2022 Grammys, winning one.
Raised in New Orleans, Daye’s sound is inspired by his Southern roots, effortlessly mixing old school with contemporary soul to create experimental R&B. The definition of what modern R&B is supposed to sound like has been tipping the scales thanks to artists like Daye who have defied labels within the genre. Between soulful interludes and mesmerizing ballads of adoration, listeners are incapable of not falling for Daye’s charm and getting lost in his voice.
With the recent release of his second album Candydrip, the passionate offering derives from a place of emotion, which isn’t a new method for him. In 2019, his first album Painted was his debut into artistry as an up-and-coming musician and proved himself as a force to be reckoned with. In addition, the singer’s background as a songwriter for legends like Mary J. Blige and Ne-Yo gained his notoriety and led to him signing with BMI. But this is something that Daye’s number one fans — labeled his “Daye Ones” — would already be familiar with. Out of the 132 accounts that he follows on Instagram, one of the fortunate fan pages that happened to make the cut is @daye.ones. He’s deemed as a kind artist, often thanking his Daye Ones and leaving free concert tickets for them via a city-wide scavenger hunt.
Some would consider producer Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II a Daye One, since the artist has worked with him since Painted for his debut single “Roll Some Mo,” which was released in 2018. Nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance in 2020, the cannabis-inspired single describes Daye’s intimate smoking session with his girl as they’re mentally transported elsewhere while getting high. As the album continues, listeners are taken throughout Daye’s love story, including all of the highs and lows. The remaining 12 tracks keep the same energy as “Roll Some Mo” while exploring love, emotional attachments, and vulnerability. The success of this album led to Daye embarking on the Painted Tour across Canada and the US from September to October in 2019, including an appearance at AFROPUNK Atlanta.
Another highlight of Painted is Daye’s commentary on his religious upbringing, which is seen in songs like “Misunderstood.” Beyond musical inspiration, his stage name derived from fellow soul singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye when the New Orleans native chose to add an “e” to the end of Daye. Similar to Gaye, Daye’s upbringing in a Southern Christian church condemned secular music, therefore leading him to craft this religious trauma into creating his own melodies. Daye found a way to create music with essentially nothing but his voice and eventually ended up in season four of American Idol in 2005. Titled on YouTube as “David Brown audition,” the archaic footage of a twenty-something Daye singing “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke begs the question — why did it take nearly a decade for his music career to take off?
Clips like Daye’s 2019 NPR Music Tiny Desk appearance show he’s a performer at heart and has a knack for captivating an audience. Throughout the comment section of the YouTube video, fans complimented his vulnerability and flow while restating that Daye’s career in R&B has been long-awaited. His 2019 live rendition of “Buying Time” on the COLORS show is another example of the artist’s tasteful vocal ability to glide over instrumentals. Although his four previous Grammy nominations (“Roll Some Mo” for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance, “Real Games” for Best Traditional R&B Performance, and Painted for Best R&B Album) were to no avail, Daye’s Painted era was only the beginning of his career trajectory.
Prior to the beginning of the pandemic, Daye’s career knew zero boundaries as he was featured on the Robert Glasper-scored soundtrack for The Photograph alongside HER and Erykah Badu. Aimlessly watching the Black love story between Lakeith Stanfield and Issa Rae’s characters was already intoxicating enough, with the introduction to Daye’s “Fade Away” an added bonus. Then, 2020 was a busy year for the New Orleans native. Among collaborators like Kehlani, Jim-E Stack, Babyface, Buddy, KAYTRANADA, SG Lewis, KIRBY, Kiana Ledé and Leon Bridges, there wasn’t a moment to sleep on Daye’s features in between Painted and his next project.
Following his first tour, Daye’s successful track was cut short by quarantine, which led to intimate recording sessions for his EP, Table For Two. The critically acclaimed seven-track project is composed of duets with women of R&B like Mahalia, Yebba, Joyce Wrice, Ari Lennox, Queen Naija, and Tiana Major9. Keeping the contributors solely women wasn’t a thoughtless tactic, since Daye understood that the women in R&B deserved their flowers for their effortless talent. “I’ve been feeling like it’s time for women to take their rightful place in leadership roles,” Daye said in an interview with W Magazine. “It’s their time to shine. Women need to be seen and heard, and I want to be a part of that.” While singing about the uglier side of a relationship, Daye and his female contributors explored breakups, jealousy, miscommunication, and frustration on the duets project, which was a prequel to Candydrip.
The hype and mystery surrounding Daye’s second album ceased when the artist unveiled the first single “Over,” an electrifying standout track that sampled Musiq Soulchild’s “Halfcrazy” and accompanied a music video that featured Jordyn Woods as his leading lady. Among collaborations like “NWA” featuring Lil Durk, the Smino-assisted track “God Body,” and “Compassion” featuring Canadian soul duo Chiiild, Candydrip reflects Daye’s roots in the Crescent City and is an amalgamation of hip-hop, blues, soul and R&B. As he celebrates the success of Candydrip with his headlining sold-out tour with Joyce Wrice, award show season completed with his two nominations for Table For Two, and a win for Best Progressive R&B Album. To the artist that assumed no one would listen to Painted, turned his personal struggle into success, and sang his heart out onstage during American Idol, milestones such as collaborating with Earth, Wind & Fire are only the tip of the iceberg to what’s in store for his artistry.
Daye said it best during an interview with Harper’s Bazaar in 2021, “I think chemistry isn’t something that you create.” Although the artist is no chemist, he’s certainly correct. Among the love ballads, breakup songs, and quaint interludes dispersed throughout his catalog, the chemistry layered through his discography knows no bounds and leaves listeners with an organic love and understanding for Daye.
Last night’s Grammy Awards were supposed to be big for Lil Nas X. He was nominated for five awards including Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Music Video, and Best Melodic Rap Performance (the latter with Jack Harlow for “Industry Baby,” which they performed together at the awards show). But sweet Montero was shut out. A zero-for-five night for Lil Nas X seemed a bit of a travesty, considering what a massive year it was for the “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” singer. You’d think he could’ve at least claimed the Best Melodic Rap Performance award over Kanye West’s “Hurricane?” But I digress. Because it’s not about losing, it’s about how you lose.
The always unpredictable Lil Nas X took to his Instagram Story to sing a song he had written especially for this losing moment. Shirtless, he recorded himself singing into the mirror: “I ain’t win no Grammys, that sh*t hurt my feelings, that sh*t finna make me cryyyy,” the ditty begins. “I’m fittna cry. I didn’t win no Grammys. Zero-for-five Grammys. Zero out of five, that’s how many Grammys I won. I didn’t win no Grammys. That sh*t made me cry, that sh*t me cry. Ahhhhhh.”
A fan grabbed the video from Instagram, tweeted it, and Lil Nas X obliged with the retweet. Once you listen to the short impromptu number enough times in a row, it becomes rather hypnotic. Almost like it’s a mantra he might very well be singing to himself the next time he’s up for more Grammys. Because let’s face it, he’ll definitely be back. And even though he didn’t win last night, Lil Nas X was still all smiles.
Last year’s Grammy Awards ceremony wasn’t a major TV draw, or at least not as big as it has been in the past: The 2021 telecast had the lowest ratings in Grammys history. It turns out things weren’t much better this year, as the numbers were only a hair above last year’s dismal ratings.
Deadline reports Sunday’s broadcast, taking into account viewers on both CBS and those streaming on Paramount+, drew 8.93 million viewers, which is close to last year’s count of 8.8 million. Furthermore, The Hollywood Reporter notes these aren’t the final ratings, which will be out on Tuesday. CBS is expecting the final number to be at around 9.6 million viewers, just above last year’s 9.23 million.
For reference, all of these numbers are awful compared to just a few years ago: The 2020 show had 18.7 million viewers and the 2019 edition had 19.9 million. For further reference, Deadline notes that also last night, about 4.7 million people watched new episodes of both America’s Funniest Home Videos and American Idol.
Despite all this, last night’s broadcast had plenty of highlights and surprises, so check out our rundown of some of those most memorable moments here. Also find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees and winners here.
