Beyoncé is not any stranger to the Grammys.
In an influential profession that spans over two-decades, the worldwide icon has 23 trophies in her possession. Having gained three awards as a member of Future’s Baby and one as The Carters along with her husband JAY Z, a lot of Beyoncé’s rightfully earned statues have been for her Dangerously in Love debut album (46th Grammy Awards in 2004) and her third album I Am…Sasha Fierce (52nd Grammy Awards in 2010). On the latter ceremony, she made historical past as the primary girl to earn six Grammys in a single night.
With 4 nominations this 12 months for her executive-produced The Lion King: The Reward album and the Homecoming: The Reside Album, Beyoncé extends her reign as probably the most nominated feminine artist in Grammy historical past.
Whereas her many musical contributions have been thought of (and have gained) in varied coveted album fields, together with Album of the Yr, Greatest City Up to date, R&B, and Encompass Sound, she is noticeably absent in main classes this 12 months – even with two correct albums launched in 2019.
Regardless of being shut out, Beyoncé might need a shot at turning into the gold commonplace within the Greatest Pop Vocal Album class. This nod, a profession first for the entertainer on this album race, is for the LP she topped a “love letter to Africa.”
That stated, if she will edge out her pop contemporaries (Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran), this win may acknowledge her as the primary Black feminine solo act to take this prized Grammy.
There are two alarming questions, although: Why is that this Beyoncé’s first nomination on this class? And, why hasn’t a Black feminine solo performer gained this award?
Nicely, the pop album class has solely been round for 26 years. It was launched as Greatest Up to date Album in 1968, with The Beatles prevailing for his or her Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band album. A 12 months later, the award was discontinued and stayed the best way for 27 years, earlier than it was revived as Greatest Pop Album in 1995. This honor obtained its present identify change in 2001 on the 43rd Grammy Awards.
Through the years, 12 white feminine solo artists have gained this award. Kelly Clarkson, an American Idol winner, has obtained probably the most nominations, with 5 complete. She together with Adele are the highest winners, with two wins every.
One of many important causes Beyoncé and different girls of shade aren’t saluted as Greatest Pop Vocal Album winners is because of the important distinction within the nominations ratio.
Within the 26-year award existence, moreover Beyoncé, solely 5 different feminine Black solo acts — Mariah Carey (Daydream, 1996), Toni Braxton (Secrets and techniques, 1997), Janet Jackson (All for You, 2002), Leona Lewis (Spirit, 2009), and Rihanna (Loud, 2012) — have been nominated. On high of that, all have solely been nominated as soon as, not like their white counterparts who’ve largely seen two or extra nominations on this class.
This general lack of true illustration for ladies of shade is sort of puzzling contemplating an artist like Carey, who has been closely part of the up to date pop sector with most of her work.
Take Daydream, her fifth studio album and one of the vital critically-acclaimed releases of 1995. The album scored her six nominations on the 38th Grammy Awards in distinct classes, together with Greatest Pop Album. Nonetheless, she was robbed at making this golden second occur for ladies of shade after she misplaced to music legend Joni Mitchell.
She additionally left the ceremony with zero trophies, inflicting many critics’ untimely predictions to fall flat to the Recording Academy’s eyebrow-raising determination.
Carey’s last two albums of the ‘90s (Butterfly, Rainbow) by no means had an opportunity at successful this class (or for any), as they weren’t nominated, which is an much more disturbing snub. Even years later, the elusive chanteuse continues to have her our bodies of labor neglected by the Recording Academy.
For instance, why is Carey’s 2018 Warning album her fourth ignored launch previously 10 years? Is it the Greatest New Artist jinx or are we lacking one thing? However that’s a deeper dialog.
Oddly sufficient, Beyoncé has obtained the identical destiny on this race. What’s completely different about her omission is that the fabric is commonly miscategorized, and despatched to compete within the R&B subject. I Am.. Sasha Fierce was way more pop-oriented, particularly the A-side that featured soft-rock requirements, to be nominated for Greatest Up to date R&B Album.
If the grand ballad “Halo” may win Greatest Feminine Pop Vocal Efficiency, why is it a stretch for the album to be nominated for Greatest Pop Vocal Album and truly win over The Black Eyed Peas, Pink, and Kelly Clarkson?
Going past Black feminine solo artists, Black solo acts generally have not often been acknowledged on this class. Seal, CeeLo Inexperienced, and Ray Charles, who gained the award in 2005, contribute to a complete of 9 Black artists having their solo albums thought of right here. 9.
What this ethnic range drought suggests to shoppers and the music business is that Black performers can create well-liked music with industrial enchantment, but it surely simply can’t be labeled something however R&B.
So the query turns into, what are pop vocals? In response to AllMusic, pop is outlined as “any music primarily based on memorable melodies, repeated sections (often, however not all the time verses and choruses), and a decent, concise construction that retains the listener’s concentrate on these parts.” The outlet additionally talked about that the musical artwork kind is influenced by R&B and grownup up to date.
Very like Carey’s Daydream album, Brandy’s By no means Say By no means has sturdy grownup up to date parts that may be stylized as pop-driven music. But, the Vocal Bible’s sophomore LP was positioned within the Greatest R&B Album class in 1999. What made this work a candidate for the latter class? The soulful belting? Or her microbraids?
This not solely occurs for Black feminine solo artists, however to teams as nicely. Have a look at TLC, whose FanMail album contended for Greatest R&B Album in 2000. Their first primary album on the Billboard 200 most likely may have been challengers for Greatest Pop Album towards Backstreet and Ricky Martin, who each had chart-topping hits on the Scorching 100 and different respective Billboard charts that catered to their industrial sounds.
TLC’s empowering hit “Unpretty” gained for Greatest Pop Efficiency by a Duo or Group with Vocals. So, why not Fanmail within the pop album class? If correctly submitted by LaFace and Arista Data and the nod entry rigorously reviewed by the Recording Academy, this different transfer might have given Greatest R&B Album contenders that 12 months like Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight their finest likelihood at an R&B win.
As mainstream feminine artists like Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift proceed to make inroads on pop charts with their frequent dips within the various pond of genres, significantly R&B, the Recording Academy ought to strongly think about rebranding the Greatest Pop Vocal Album class to its authentic identify: Greatest Up to date Album.
The sound of The Lion King: The Reward, which encompasses a host of common music A-listers, is described by Beyonce as a “sonic cinema.” She famous that this assortment of songs is a “combination of genres and collaboration that isn’t one sound. It’s influenced by the whole lot from R&B, pop, hip-hop, and Afrobeat.”
Contemplating the soundscape of The Reward doesn’t present up on one broad music rubric, an replace to the pop album class’s present identify and outline may give Beyoncé and different girls of shade the overdue consideration they rightfully deserve as main forces on this business.
That manner, strolling the nice of pop and concrete sounds is now not a tightrope with regards to them being nominated in addition to winners.
To seek out out if Beyoncé has sufficient roar for The Lion King: The Reward to win Greatest Pop Vocal Album, ensure to look at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Alicia Keys, on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, at eight p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST on CBS.
Do you assume Beyoncé can maintain off her fellow pop titians and take residence this Grammy on Sunday? Tweet Antwane at @9thwonderofPR.