As always, the results of the 65th Annual Grammy Awards brought on a variety of emotions: disappointment, shock, joy, and excitement. Yes, there are many awards that I wish had gone to another artist, but, instead of focusing on my disappointment, I’m using the Grammy outcomes to expand my music library. Every year there are countless talented artists who win that I’ve never listened to before, so this year I chose a few to explore further.
I had never heard of Samara Joy before the Grammy nominations, and I don’t usually listen to the type of lyrical jazz that she produces. This award tends to go to pop singers—past winners include Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Dua Lipa, therefore I was eager to listen to her music once I realized she was of a different genre. I tend to listen to this type of jazz only around the holidays, but I have been leaning more towards instrumental jazz as my new go-to study jam. Joy’s music is also good for studying and writing—I’m listening to her songs as I am writing now. Her smooth voice paired with her classic jazz beats put me in a pleasant mood to push through my work. I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear one of Joy’s songs in a rom-com in the next few years, specifically “Can’t Get Out of This Mood” and “Nostalgia (The Day I Knew).”
I don’t listen to R&B often, so I thought listening to the Best R&B Performance would help expand my musical taste. Muni Long was nominated for Best New Artist alongside Samara Joy, but ended up taking home the award for Best R&B Performance for her song “Hrs & Hrs.” Long showcases her strong vocal riff and run skills in this song, particularly in the outro. “Hrs & Hrs” has a whopping 150 million streams on Spotify, and Long’s other songs also hit the millions as well. After listening to her Grammy-winning song, I shuffled through her other music and found many other songs of hers I liked, such as “The Words” and “Time Machine.”
Bonnie Raitt was surprised when she won the Grammy’s Song of the Year for her song “Just Like That,” and honestly I am too. I love Raitt’s older music, such as “Thank You” and her “Angel From Montgomery” cover. While I do appreciate her voice and the guitar pattern in “Just Like That,” after listening to the song multiple times, I still can’t understand why it won over so many other strong songs. It’s not that I think the song is bad—I actually added it to one of my playlists on Spotify—I just think there were other nominees that produced more unique songs.
As much as I love Brandi Carlile’s old music, I haven’t had the chance to spend time listening to her newest album, In These Silent Days. Carlile took home three Grammys the other night, including Best Rock Song for “Broken Horses” off of her recent album. I was originally confused that this song was up for Rock instead of Country, but after listening to it a few times, I understand the elements of rock in her song, such as the heavy guitar solos. I usually lean towards Carlile’s more acoustic and softer-sounding songs, but this one showcases Carlile’s unique vocals. I’m eager to listen to more of her complete album, especially after it won Best Americana Album.
Overall, records and history were broken at this year’s Grammy’s, and so many artists I love brought home awards. While the Grammy’s aren’t always the most accurate representation of what was most popular during the past year in music, the Grammy’s always introduce me to artists I have not yet given a chance.