The 2023 Grammys: What you need to know

Plus, this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees.

View this email online Feb. 4, 2023 by Marissa Lorusso This week, we’re sharing our predictions for the 65th Grammy Awards; plus, Black History Month at the Tiny Desk Carlijn Jacobs/Via Parkwood Entertainment The 65th Grammy Awards will take place tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 5 in Los Angeles — and this time, it’s Beyoncé’s year. Maybe. Bey is poised to make history: With the nine nominations she received this year, she’s now tied with her husband, Jay-Z, for the most Grammy nominations by any musician. And she needs just three more wins to match — or four to beat — the record set by classical conductor Georg Solti for the most Grammy wins overall. Beyoncé’s nominations include album, record and song of the year, plus nominations in the dance/electronic and R&B categories. But, of course, it’s possible some of these awards might go to other heavily nominated artists, like Kendrick Lamar (who has eight nominations); Adele and Brandi Carlile, who have seven each; or Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, Future and Harry Styles, who each have six. It wouldn’t be the first time — remember 2017, when Beyoncé’s game-changing Lemonade lost album of the year to Adele’s 25? Or how about 2015, when album of the year went not to Bey’s surprise self-titled album but instead to Beck’s Morning Phase? (Or even further back, when Taylor Swift’s Fearless won the award over Beyoncé’s I Am … Sasha Fierce?) My colleagues Nate Chinen, Sheldon Pearce, Ann Powers and Stephen Thompson haven’t forgotten — you can read their predictions about the potential surprises, snoozes and sweeps that might befall the biggest categories of the night in a long preview conversation. And while Beyoncé has been nominated many, many times before, we’re also keeping our eye on a few artists who are newer to music’s so-called “Biggest Night.” All Things Considered spoke to a handful of first-time nominees about the road to their nominations: best new artist nominee Omar Apollo, a singer-songwriter who has sold out stadiums worldwide and toured with SZA — but only a few years ago, was teaching himself to sing and play guitar by watching YouTube videos; bluegrass singer Molly Tuttle, who’s nominated for best new artist and best bluegrass album, and who is the first woman to have been named guitarist of the year by the International Bluegrass Music Association and R&B singer Muni Long, nominated for best R&B performance and best R&B song, whose recent viral TikTok hit is only one small element of a much longer path as a songwriter and performer.  On Sunday night, we’ll be keeping track of all the winners; plus, our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour will release a recap episode on Monday morning that focuses on key takeaways. And I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday with the most important storylines from the night. Newsletter continues after sponsor message More to read, watch and listen to Samara Joy was still a junior in college when she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition four years ago. Since then, she's made a whirlwind entrance into a musical tradition saturated with American history — signing to Verve Records, performing on stages that have hosted generations of jazz icons and even earning two Grammy nominations. She’s the featured guest on the first episode of the new season of Amplify with Lara Downes and sat down for a conversation about balancing the demands of a surging career and honoring the women artists who paved the way. And WRTI’s Nate Chinen wrote about the way Joy’s music has resonated across many different audiences, from traditional jazz fans to urban adult-alternative listeners to TikTok aficionados. On this week’s New Music Friday from All Songs Considered: the long-awaited debut from British singer RAYE, the soaring and devotional new release from SYML, the first new album from Shania Twain in six years and more great new releases out Feb. 3. hypochondriac, the meticulous new album from the experimental producer and songwriter brakence, channels heady metaphysics through familiar forms of pop music — albeit with structures and production that push the boundaries of what “pop” is. In an interview with NPR’s Mano Sundaresan, brakence spoke about his relationship to chronic pain, the “hyperpop” label that’s applied to his music and his interest in Eastern philosophy.  Last year alone, the prolific saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi released 19 albums spanning free jazz, ambient and metal. For decades, Shiroishi resisted his Japanese American heritage; now, he’s funneling that painful and triumphant personal history into his vital records, mining deep vulnerability in his expansive repertoire. Barrett Strong, one of Motown's founding artists and most gifted songwriters, died last week at age 81. Strong sang lead on the company's breakthrough single "Money (That's What I Want)" and later collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "War" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone.” The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced the nominees for its 2023 class this week, including Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Warren Zevon and more. This week, our friends at WNXP shared a video of indie rock singer-songwriter Samia performing live at the station’s Sonic Cathedral. Tiny Desk NPR The Tiny Desk team is celebrating Black History Month with a carefully crafted lineup spanning many genres, generations and walks of life. The first featured artist is Lady Wray, who brought the classic soul sound of her last two albums to the Tiny Desk and closed her set with a rearranged and emotional version of a song named for her daughter. Also this week: Hermanos Gutiérrez gave a performance that’s the perfect, slow-burning introduction to the duo’s intricate, playful music.  One More Thing Good luck out there, Renaissance fans. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. 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