The cchampion of this year’s nominations turns out to be a semi-unknown outside of United States: Jon Batiste, bearer of the Afro-American musical tradition from his native New Orleans (and of nice hits like ‘Freedom’ and ‘I need you’), with a total of 11 credits. But it remains to be seen if the sharks of the pop placed at his side, including Justin Bieber, HER and Doja Cat, with 8, as well as the young veteran (20 years) Billie Eilish, and the even more tender (19) Olivia Rodrigo, with 7. Without overlooking heavyweight contenders who stand to hit some of the jackpots, including Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s partnership), Taylor Swift and Kanye West. The Grammy they return this Sunday (at two in the morning, Spanish time) with all its pomp restored. After the virtual format of 2021, and the postponement of this 64th edition due to the omicron wave (it was to be held on January 31), it returns with its face-to-face gala, its red carpet laid out at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, and a show hosted by the South African ‘entertainer’ Trevor Noah in which there will be twenty performances of artists like J. Balvin, John Legend or Billie Eilish herself.
Spanish options
The number of categories rises to 86, of which five point to Latin music. There they are located the only two Spanish candidates: C. Tanganawho after scoring three Gammy Latinos last November with ‘El madrileño’, is now up for the award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, and Pablo Alboran, selected in the category of Best Latin Pop Album. Both will compete with figures such as the Argentine, based in Barcelona, Nathy Peluso, or the Colombians Juanes, Camilo and Bomba Estéreo.
But the measurement of success will be given by the chosen ones in those four categories known as the ‘big four’, those related to Recording of the Year, Album, Song and New Artist. Jon Batiste enters the scene in the first two, an artist who has been billing records since 2005, who in 2020 won an Oscar for the soundtrack of ‘Soul’ (along with the other two participants in the ‘score’, Trent Reznor, from Nine Inch Nails, and Atticus Ross), and whose album ‘We are’ presents a dynamic combination of r’n’b with gospel choirs, jazz strokes and rapping bursts with an ideological substrate akin to ‘black lives matter’. In addition to opting for these generalist awards, Batiste sneaks into the lists of r’n’b, jazz, ‘American roots’ and even classical.
Repetidora Taylor Swift
The hyper-presence of the sniper Batiste runs into full-fledged stars: from the very veteran Abba (for the reunion track ‘I still have faith in you’, not for the album) and Tony Bennett (his new American standards ’round’ with Lady Gaga) to the swords of pop and urban musiclike Justin Bieber, Doja Cat or Lil Nas X. Billie Eilish, Kanye West and the rampant Olivia Rodrigo (this one, measuring herself with the consecrated ones and also opting for the award for Best New Artist), while Taylor Swift, winner of the Grammy 2021 with ‘Folklore’, now repeats with its immediate sequel, ‘Evermore’, which came out just four months later (thus narrowly surpassing the temporary cut of the awards as it was published after September 1, 2020).
And in the great bacchanal of popa few seniors from rock are confined to their sectoral categories: AC/DC, with three nominations, in contention with Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Black Pumas and the ill-fated Chris Cornell with his posthumous album, or Jackson Browne, John Hiatt, Los Lobos, Allison Russell and Yola , competing in the section of the best album of ‘Americana’. Some time ago rock became an honorable alternative music.