The 2023 Grammy Awards will take place this Sunday, February 5, in Los Angeles, California. Comedian Trevoh Noah will return as the ceremony’s host, many music lovers are curious about this year’s attendees. While superstar Adele ensures she will indeed be attending the event, other stars have kept their RSVP status a secret.
Well, given people that are on the fence about tuning into this year’s broadcast, the Recording Academy has released the first wave of featured presenters. The list includes multiple Grammy Award winners, Olivia Rodrigo, and Shania Twain. Despite being after to submit her smash single “WAP” for this year’s ceremony, Cardi B will also present at this year’s ceremony. Also, current Best Musical Theater Album nominee actor Billy Crystal will present.
Non-musical figures set to present during this year’s ceremony include First Lady Jill Biden, actor Dwayne Johnson, The Late Late Show host James Corden, and actress Viola Davis, who is nominated for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording for her memoir, Finding Me.
If that isn’t enough, they’ve also shared a list of confirmed performers for the evening. Musicians Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Kim Petras, and Sam Smith will take over the stage for a performance of one of their songs.
The 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5, 2023. The ceremony will be broadcasted live on the CBS Television Network and streamed live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
We are now just days away from the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 5. (Here’s how to watch the show, in case you didn’t know, and here’s the full list of this year’s nominees.) The Recording Academy’s picks for who is going to win what awards are in, and all that’s left to do is wait and see who will be cement themselves in music history and take a golden gramophone trophy home.
Actually, there’s another thing left to do, not a requirement but a fun thought exercise: make picks for who the Academy has likely chosen for the four major awards (Best New Artist, Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year) and who we think should win them.
Make your own selections if you’d like, but if you wouldn’t mind hearing another perspective before you do, I’ve come up with some predictions and opinions. It wasn’t easy, because New Artist, Song, Record, and Album categories are stacked this year; A lot of new artists made an immediate impact on the music landscape, a number of songs are already being hailed as classics, and some albums on this year’s list are all-timers (at least one is if you ask Questlove, anyway).
So, before the 2023 Grammys officially kick off, let’s take a look at who probably will win the big four awards and who probably should get them.
Best New Artist
Anitta
Domi & JD Beck
Latto
Måneskin
Molly Tuttle
Muni Long
Omar Apollo
Samara Joy
Tobe Nwigwe
Wet Leg
Who will win: Anitta
Who should win: Anitta
Really, it’s hard to call Anitta new. It’s been nearly a decade since the Brazilian superstar released her 2013 self-titled debut album, which went No. 1 in her home country. In recent times, though, she has profoundly broken out on a broader international level. Her 2022 album Versions Of Me was her first on Warner (previous releases came out via Warner Music Brasil) and its biggest single, “Envolver,” was a global hit: It’s her first solo track to place on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (after the Cardi B and Myke Towers collab “Me Gusta” in 2020), it became a TikTok sensation, and it was the first song by a Brazilian artist to rank No. 1 on the daily Spotify Global Chart. Between all that and other viral moments, Anitta is currently the best version of herself and is only getting better. While the crop of Best New Artist nominees is strong, none of the others have yet reached Anitta-level success.
Song Of The Year
Adele — “Easy On Me”
Beyoncé — “Break My Soul”
Bonnie Raitt — “Just Like That”
DJ Khaled — “God Did” Feat. Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend, and Fridayy
Gayle — “ABCDEFU”
Harry Styles — “As It Was”
Kendrick Lamar — “The Heart Part 5”
Lizzo — “About Damn Time”
Steve Lacy — “Bad Habit”
Taylor Swift — “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
Who will win: Adele — “Easy On Me”
Who should win: Taylor Swift — “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)”
The new expanded version of “All Too Well” quickly became one of the most storied songs in Swift’s discography, an oeuvre that has not been wanting of praise. Rolling Stone‘s Rob Sheffield proclaimed the tune “sums up Swift at her absolute best,” and in the age of allegedly waning attention spans, fans have streamed the lengthy song over 450 million times on Spotify and made it the longest No. 1 song in Billboard Hot 100 history. There’s a problem, though: The Grammys honor new music (relatively new, anyway; “ABCDEFU” came out in August 2021). “All Too Well,” which originates from 2012’s Red, isn’t exactly a brand new track. That may dissuade Grammy voters from giving it the trophy, but it also wouldn’t be a crime if Adele’s “Easy On Me,” another powerfully evocative former No. 1 single, ended up winning. Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” is also worth noting here, as it’s far from a pop tune but has nonetheless had pop tune success and acclaim.
Record Of The Year
ABBA — “Don’t Shut Me Down”
Adele — “Easy On Me”
Beyoncé — “Break My Soul”
Brandi Carlile Featuring Lucius — “You And Me On The Rock”
Doja Cat — “Woman”
Harry Styles — “As It Was”
Kendrick Lamar — “The Heart Part 5”
Lizzo — “About Damn Time”
Mary J. Blige — “Good Morning Gorgeous”
Steve Lacy — “Bad Habit”
Who will win: Adele — “Easy On Me”
Who should win: Harry Styles — “As It Was”
First, an important note: The Recording Academy previously explained, “Record Of The Year deals with a specific recording of a song and recognizes the artists, producers and engineers who contribute to that recording, while Song Of The Year deals with the composition of a song and recognizes the songwriters who wrote the song.”
So, broadly, Song is about songwriting and Record is about the finished recording. That said, Harry Styles’ “As It Was” is a gorgeously executed recording deserving of the Record Of The Year title. At its core, it’s a summery pop-rock song that sounds a lot like some beach-faring indie music from years back. But, that aesthetic has been revived and refreshed just enough for modern day, yielding a tune that sounds warmly and breezily nostalgic while also slotting nicely into the current pop landscape. Headphone listeners are rewarded with the one, too, as there are a lot of production treats and intricacies that are hard to appreciate on an iPhone speaker but that give the song new dimension when you pay attention to them. The results really speak for themselves: “As It Was” is the longest-running No. 1 song by a solo artist in Hot 100 history and it appears not too long from now, it’ll become the first song from 2022 to eclipse 2 billion Spotify streams.
Album Of The Year
ABBA — Voyage
Adele — 30
Bad Bunny — Un Verano Sin Ti
Beyoncé — Renaissance
Brandi Carlile — In These Silent Days
Coldplay — Music Of The Spheres
Harry Styles — Harry’s House
Kendrick Lamar — Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Lizzo — Special
Mary J. Blige — Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)
Who will win: Adele — 30
Who should win: Beyoncé — Renaissance
Like many Grammy categories, pitting the nominees against each other is like comparing apples and oranges… and hammers and beach balls and secret family recipes. By what metrics do you measure products as wildly different as Album Of The Year nominees from Brandi Carlile, Adele, Coldplay, and Kendrick Lamar when they’re all up for the same award? It’s a task so impossible, it’s a wonder the Recording Academy is able to come to a decision at all year after year.
Annually, though, they do come up with a pick, one that makes fans mad regardless of who won. However, Beyoncé’s Renaissance would be a hard (but not impossible, as haters will prove should the album win) pick to hate, no matter your disposition. The LP has elements of dance, house, disco, pop, R&B, and probably dozens of other musical styles too numerous to mention here, all delivered by the incomparably confident, capable, and charismatic Beyoncé. Even putting her star power aside, Renaissance is a spectrum-spanning album that is full of mind-blowing musical moments. Here’s something that’s hard to make an argument against: Renaissance defined music in 2022 (and more importantly, during this year’s eligibility window from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022). That sounds like the Album Of The Year to me.
We are just days away from the 2023 Grammy Awards, and while we’re still not sure who’s performing, we can still expect to see some of our favorite artists at the ceremony. Today, the Recording Academy has revealed some of the presenters.
Olivia Rodrigo, who won the Best New Artist Grammy last year, as well as the Best Pop Vocal Album award for her debut album, Sour, and Best Pop Solo Performance for her breakthrough hit, “Drivers License,” is one of the artists scheduled to present an award on Sunday night. Cardi B, who won the Best Rap Album Grammy in 2019 for her debut album, Invasion Of Privacy, is also among the presenters for the awards show. Five-time Grammy winner Shania Twain will also present an award this Sunday.
In addition to some of our favorite artists, some notable figures will also deliver music’s highest honor. First Lady Jill Biden will be in attendance to present awards. Actor Billy Crystal, who is currently nominated for Best Musical Theater Album for his work in Mr. Saturday Night, and actress Viola Davis, who is nominated for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording for her memoir, Finding Me, are also set to present.
Also among this year’s presenters are The Late Late Show host James Corden, who hosted the Grammys back in 2017, as well as actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The Grammys will air on Sunday, February 5 beginning at 8 p.m. EST on CBS. The ceremony will also be available for streaming on Paramount+.
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in February. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.
Friday, February 3
2KBABY — Scared 2 Love (Warner)
Acid Arab — Trois (Versatile Records)
Amtrac — Extra Time (Openers)
Best Fern — Earth Then Air (Bkwrd)
Colony House — The Cannonballers (Descendant/RCA)
Ellie Goulding — Higher Than Heaven (Polydor Records)
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has announced their nominees for the upcoming 2023 induction.
Among this year’s nominees are Kate Bush, whose song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” saw a resurgence in popularity last year after it was featured prominently throughout the fourth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things. This is Bush’s fourth time being nominated, as she was also nominated in 2018, 2021, and 2022. and Iron Maiden, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest, Rage Against The Machine, and The Spinners are also among the repeat nominees. This is also the fourth time The Spinners have been nominated, having been previously nominated in 2012, 2015, and 2016. This year marks Rage Against The Machine’s fifth time being nominated.
The inductees will be chosen from this list of nominees, and will be announced in May. The chosen artists will later be inducted during a ceremony in the fall.
Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of new vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of the best vinyl releases of January below.
Bob Dylan — Fragments – Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series Vol. 17
Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings
Over the decades, Bob Dylan has been generous with pulling back the curtain on parts of his career via his Bootleg Series releases (as evidenced by the fact that this new one is Vol. 17). This effort focuses on Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out Of Mind, and aside from all the extras, the base album has been given a new remix that promises to sound “more like how the songs came across when the musicians originally played them in the room.”
On Gloria, Sam Smith reaches a new career peak thanks to “Unholy” hitting No. 1 on the singles chart. Now the full album is out and it’s a work worth enjoying in its entirety, especially when you can get it on striking gold-colored vinyl.
Last year, Uproxx’s Steven Hyden declared that Wilco’s new album Cruel Country is the band’s “best in more than a decade.” Now they’re finally giving it a physical release, which includes the lovely blue and red vinyl pressing seen above. They’re going on tour, too.
Diamonds & Dancefloors leaked months ago (much to the upset of Ava Max), but now it’s officially out. The vinyl edition comes with alternate cover artwork with a bold red vinyl pressing that brings out the art’s highlights.
In a recent interview with Uproxx, White Reaper’s Tony Esposito explained what the band learned while making their latest album, “That we just have to persevere. That was the main thing, because there were definitely lots of times when I was like, ‘What’s the point of even doing this?’ Like, as soon as we make a decision, we’re going to get some email that’s going to blow everything up and push it back another month. And that just happened time and time again. Like I said, it was dark times there for a minute, but I’m glad that we stuck it out and finished, because it feels great now.”
In 1997, just a few years removed from their 1994 breakout album Dookie, Green Day dropped Nimrod, the parent album of one of their most recognizable songs, “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life).” That was a bit over 25 years ago now, so the band is celebrating with reissues, the vinyl version of which features demos and a full “Live At The Electric Factory 1997” performance.
This one is still a bit of a mystery. What we do know about whatever Parton and Vinyl Me, Please have planned here is what VMP says of it: “Get ready to immerse yourself in Vinyl Me, Parton – the first of its kind, limited edition monthly record club curated with and dedicated to Dolly Parton herself. There will only be a limited amount of spots available. Join the interest list today and be one of the first notified when pre-orders open in February.”
Black Nasty — Talking To The People (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
Vinyl Me, Please
There was so much superlative funk that dropped in the ’70s, and among those release is the underappreciated Talking To The People by Stax Records act Black Nasty. Vinyl Me, Please is giving the LP its flowers with a new pressing featuring audio remastered from the original master tapes.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s 2011 self-titled debut album was beloved, so following it had to be tough. Admirably, though, the band came through with 2013’s II, a strong sophomore effort that was also well-received. Now that it turns a decade old this year, Secretly Society has given it an exclusive reissue pressed on “strawberry shortcake splash” vinyl.
Cloud Nothings — Attack On Memory (10th Anniversary Edition)
Carpark Records
Attack On Memory was the album that put Cloud Nothings on a lot of now-fans’ radars, and it turned ten years old last year. Now it’s getting a fresh reissue with a particularly enticing goodie: two bonus flexi 7-inch records that feature two previously unreleased songs from the original album sessions: “You Will Turn” and “Jambalaya.”
While the next week will rightfully see plenty of focus on the upcoming Grammy Awards, our neighbors up north have announced the nominees for their equivalent, the Junos. Sorry Canadians, but “Canadian Grammys” is pretty much the most convenient metaphor to get Americans to grasp the importance of the Junos — blame G.W. Bush.
The field is led (again) this year by Canada’s number-one pop export, The Weeknd, who’s nominated for Album Of The Year, Artist Of The Year, Pop Album Of The Year, Juno Fan Choice, Single Of The Year for “Sacrifice,” and Songwriter Of The Year awards. Meanwhile, resurgent rocker Avril Lavigne and pop neophyte Tate McRae follow with five apiece. They’re followed by Preston Pablo and The Reklaws, with three nominations each.
Lavigne’s nominations include Juno Fan Choice, Single Of The Year (“Bite Me”), Album Of The Year, Artist Of The Year, and Pop Album Of The Year. McRae is up for the same awards, with “She’s All I Wanna Be” nominated for Single Of The Year.
The Junos will be held on March 13 and broadcast live from Rogers Place in Edmonton on CBC Television, hosted by back-to-back emcee Simu Liu. You can check out the full list of nominees on JunoAwards.CA.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Boygenius, LCD Soundsystem, and Steve Lacy are attempting to fulfill the fan demand for shows this summer by headlining the very unique new Re:SET Tour, created by AEG. The current plan is for the three acts to take turns playing in outdoor venues in three cities each weekend.
The current map is Pasadena, San Diego, and Stanford on June 2-4; in New Orleans, Dallas, and Atlanta on June 9-11; in New York City, Boston, and Washington D.C. on June 16-18; and Chicago, Nashville, and Columbus on June 23-24.
Each headliner has also chosen opening acts that will join them on the tour. Boygenius are bringing Clairo, Dijon, and Bartees Strange. Steve Lacy’s acts are James Blake, Toro Y Moi, and Foushee. And LCD Soundsystem is including Jamie XX; Big Freedia, or L’Rain, “depending on dates,” per Variety. More acts are being announced soon.
“We challenged ourselves to conceive an event that would give both the artists and the fans a different experience,” AEG Presents’ Global Touring President, Gary Gersh, shared. “At the end of the day, they both want the same thing: great locations, incredible sound, fantastic sightlines, and the best local options for food and drinks. Re:SET is a very fairly priced, artist-driven weekend where you can hang with friends and enjoy an evening of amazing music.”
Presale registration is currently open now and available here. There will be both an artist presale on February 7 at 10 a.m. local time and a “local presale” on February 9 at the same time. General tickets for the Re:SET Tour go on sale on February 10.
More information, along with the specific city lineups for the tour, is available through their official website.
Yves Tumor has announced his new album, which has the long title Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds).
The album is set to arrive this spring, after Yves dropped the grungy, existential track “God Is A Circle” last November.
Ahead of Hot Between Worlds, Yves has dropped a new single, “Echolalia,” a dreamy, psychedelic track on which he recalls an intoxicating love. In the song’s accompanying visual, he is seen confronting different versions of himself, in various frightening situations.
According to a release accompanied by the album announcement, the upcoming album is Yves’ “most intimate and personal statement to date, guiding the listener through a conceptually manifold spiritual journey — circuitously weaving darkness to light, pop to innovation, cacophony to church-like calm.” The album features production by Noah Goldstein and was mixed by Alan Moulder.
The album will be supported by an international tour, for which you can buy tickets here beginning Wednesday, February 1.
You can see the video for “Echolalia” above and the album artwork and full list of tour dates below.
Warp Records
04/25 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee^
04/27 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live^
04/28 – Austin, TX @ Austin Psych Fest
04/29 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory^
05/01 – New Orleans, LA @ The Joy Theater ^
05/02 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern^
05/04 – Washington DC @ Echostage Washington*
05/05 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall*
05/06 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom*
05/07 – Montreal, QC @ MTelus*
05/09 – Toronto, ON @ History%
05/10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic%
05/12 – Chicago, IL @ The Riviera%
05/13 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave%
05/15 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre%
05/17 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House
05/18 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theatre #
05/20 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo#
05/21 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater #
05/23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield #
06/02 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/04 – Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz
06/07 – Madrid, ES @ Shoko
06/09 – Madrid, ES @ Primavera Sound Madrid
06/10 – Porto, PT @ NOS Primavera Sound
11/07 – Prague, CZ @ Roxy%
11/09 – Warsaw, PL @ Progresja%
11/11 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan%
11/12 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega%
11/14 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso%
11/17 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys%
11/21 – Paris, FR @ Elysee Montmartre%
11/24 – Manchester UK @ New Century Hall%
11/26 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy Glasgow%
11/27 – Dublin, IE @ 3Olympia%
^ with Izzy Spears
* with Frost Children
% with Nation
# with Evanora Unlimited
Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is out 3/17 via Warp Records. Pre-save it here.
The honorees for the annual Billboard Women In Music Awards have been announced, as a new class of women celebrate a year of making their mark on the music industry. Set for March 1, 2023, at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, and hosted by Quinta Brunson — who’s making quite the mark of her own in television — the Women In Music Awards acknowledge the artists who have had an outstanding year.
This year’s honorees include Latin music star Becky G, who will receive the Impact Award; genre-breaking rapper Doechii, who will receive the Rising Star Award; reggaeton pioneer Ivy Queen, who will receive the Icon Award; pop singer Kim Petras, who will receive the Chartbreaker Award; Atlanta rap hitmaker Latto, who will receive the Powerhouse Award; country music rising star Lainey Wilson, who will receive the Rulebreaker Award; Lana Del Rey, who will receive the Visionary Award; and K-pop girl group TWICE, who will receive the Breakthrough Award. The night’s performers will be announced at a later date.
Previous recipients of Women In Music honors include Doja Cat, HER, and Saweetie, all of whom performed at least year’s show. Tickets will be open to the public, with an American Express member-exclusive presale on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 31 and February 1, and the general sale Friday, February 3 at 10 am PT. You can learn more at billboardwomeninmusic.com.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
