The Download
SZA, Ariana Grande and ‘Insecure’: Everyone Wants a Piece of Producer Leon Thomas
Ariana Grande’s 2013 debut album, Yours Truly, not only marked a seminal breakthrough for the former Nickelodeon actress, but it also helped launch the careers of its creators behind the scenes. A decade later, two of those acts are taking center stage at the Grammy Awards. Victoria Monét co-wrote two songs on Grande’s debut and […]
- By
How Boygenius Music Producer Catherine Marks Is Crashing the Boys’ Club
Catherine Marks had just graduated with her master’s degree in architecture, but before launching that career she wanted to take a stab at another passion: music. So the Australian took off for six months, moved to London and got a job at a recording studio. “I started making tea there,” she says with a light […]
- By
Why Girl Power Will Dominate the 2024 Grammys
In the history of the Grammys, first presented in 1959, female acts have counted for less than one-third of the winners in the coveted album of the year category — but things look different this year. Women or female acts should comprise the majority of the eight nominees in the top category, with albums like […]
- By
With So Many Hits, How Will ‘Barbie’ Songs Compete at the Oscars?
“Who is your favorite child?” is a question most parents know they can’t, well, shouldn’t, answer. “Which songs from the Barbie soundtrack will you submit to the Academy Awards?” might be a similarly tough question for its producers to respond to. Barbie: The Album has been a triumphant, chart-topping, multi-hit success since the soundtrack was released […]
- By
Tupac, Biggie and Jay-Z’s Emmy Nods: “You Never Thought Hip-Hop Would Take It This Far”
Dig through the 120-plus Emmy categories and you’ll discover more than double-digit nominations for Succession and Ted Lasso. You’ll also uncover the indisputable influence of hip-hop. The ever-growing television medium is keeping the legacies of two of the most important figures in rap — and overall pop culture — alive, and now the projects are […]
- By
Latin Songs Are Popular AF, So Why Don’t They Get Their Due at the Grammys?
When the nominees for last year’s Latin Grammy Awards were announced, no one was surprised that Bad Bunny led with a whopping 10 nominations. He not only was the year’s most successful Latin artist — he was the pop star of the year. On Billboard’s year-end chart for 2022, he was named top artist, while […]
- By
How to Get an Old-Ass Song Nominated for a Grammy
It’s a hot summer day, the car AC is on turbo and the radio is blasting Miguel’s “Sure Thing.” My 8-year-old nephew is singing along happily — until I tell him the song is older than he is. He’s extremely puzzled. But it’s true. “Sure Thing” was released in 2010 and was named Billboard’s No. […]
- By