It’s the sooooooul train! Kinda.
Did you know that the Best R&B Album category was not made official until the mid-Nineties? Think of all the great classic soul albums of the past, from What’s Going On and Superfly to Bobby Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel and Mary J.’s What’s the 411?. None of ’em ever had an opportunity to win a Best R&B album Grammy because the category didn’t exist!
Not that the National Arts of Recording Arts & Sciences has been slow to honor soul music in general. Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, among the architects of modern day soul music, have tons of Grammys. That said, there are also artists like Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and James Brown, who have been ignored. The three pillars of soul have a combined four Grammys between them. In other words, Christina Aguilera (talented as she is) has more Grammy Awards than James Brown. If that ain’t wrong…
Anyway, this year’s nominees are a little old school, a little new school. Check ’em out.
Category: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Nominees: Gone Already/Faith Evans
Bittersweet/Fantasia
Everything To Me/Monica
Tired/Kelly Price
Holding You Down (Going In Circles)/Jazmine Sullivan
Should Win: Interesting category, pitting four veteran divas against the relative neophyte in Jazmine Sullivan. Whoever wins in this category will be getting their just due after being fairly unrecognized (Monica & Faith Evans have one Grammy each-the rest have gone unrewarded). “Gone Already” was a sleeper (and one of the best songs on a very mediocre album). Based on the qualitative value of each song, I’d vote for Faith here.
Will Win: Monica made a pretty major comeback with “Everything to Me”, which topped the R&B charts. My gut tells me she’ll win the award…
…Although…Fantasia could come up aces here if Grammy voters feel for her recent personal troubles.
Category: Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Nominees: Second Chance/El DeBarge
Finding My Way Back/Jaheim
Why Would You Stay/Kem
We’re Still Friends/(Kirk Whalum &) Musiq Soulchild
There Goes My Baby/Usher
Should Win: El DeBarge’s comeback single was not only beautifully performed, but it pulled at the heartstrings. It shouldn’t even be a contest.
Will Win: It’s all about name recognition here, and for better or for worse, everyone knows who Usher is. Besides, his album sold more than the other four nominated projects combined…
…Although…El DeBarge was once a major star, and Grammy loves to award triumphs from adversity. Perhaps a Grammy win could keep El on the right track and breathe new life into his criminally overlooked album.
Category: Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Love/Chuck Brown, Jill Scott & Marcus Miller
Take My Time/Chris Brown & Tank
You’ve Got A Friend/Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin
Shine/John Legend & The Roots
Soldier Of Love/Sade
Should Win: A duet between Ronald Isley and Aretha Franklin was a LONG time coming. The pair took Carole King’s well-worn classic and breathed new life into it. In a very close race, this pairing wins by a nose.
Will Win: They have to give Sade something, right? I just don’t see them getting completely shut out…
…Although…John Legend is a Grammy favorite, the Wake Up! album was lauded, and it’s about time for The Roots to get their due. Don’t count them out.
Category: Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
When A Woman Loves/R. Kelly
Hang On In There/John Legend & The Roots
You’re So Amazing/Calvin Richardson
In Between/Ryan Shaw
Go [Live]/Betty Wright
Should Win: “When a Woman Loves” was good enough to get me back on Team Kellz, a feat that was damn near superhuman.
Will Win: John Legend & The Roots made a well-received album, they have name value, and they didn’t go to trial for child molestation…
…Although…R. Kelly could pull this one out, but I doubt it. The conservative Grammy bloc is gonna go for Legend all the way.
Best Urban/Alternative Performance
Nominees: Little One/Bilal
F*** You/Cee Lo Green
Orion/Carolyn Malachi
Tightrope/Janelle Monáe & Big Boi
Still/Eric Roberson
Should Win: Bilal’s Airtight’s Revenge was 2010’s Best R&B Album that not enough people heard. In a just world, he’d at least get a Grammy for his troubles.
Will Win: Does this category exist just so Cee-Lo can get a Grammy? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you! Just asking!…
…Although…Janelle Monae, who had probably last year’s best-reviewed R&B album, could sneak past with this one.
Category: Best R&B Song
Nominees: Bittersweet/Charles Harmon & Claude Kelly, songwriters
Finding My Way Back/Ivan “Orthodox” Barias, Curt Chambers, Carvin “Ransum” Haggins, Jaheim Hoagland & Miguel Jontel, songwriters
Second Chance/E. DeBarge & Mischke, songwriters
Shine/John Stephens, songwriter
Why Would You Stay/K. Owens, songwriter
Should Win: Have you people not been made aware of my rapturous praise of El DeBarge?
Will Win: John Legend. Name recognition, folks. Thank God Usher’s not nominated in this category…
…Although…Anyone’s a candidate here, with the exception of the Jaheim and Kem songs.
Category: Best R&B Album
Nominees: The Love & War Masterpeace/Raheem DeVaughn
Back To Me/Fantasia
Another Round/Jaheim
Wake Up!/John Legend & The Roots
Still Standing/Monica
Should Win: The line between what designates a “contemporary R&B” album vs. a regular old R&B album are probably paper thin. Shouldn’t we do away with one category or the other? At any rate, this lineup consists of 3 OK albums, one album that should have been much better than it was (I’m talking to you, Raheem) and one solid piece of work from John Legend & The Roots. You figure it out.
Will Win: No contest here. John Legend & The Roots take it…
…Although…although nothing. This is a fairly sure bet.
Category: Best Contemporary R&B Album
Nominees: Graffiti/Chris Brown
Untitled/R. Kelly
Transition/Ryan Leslie
The ArchAndroid/Janelle Monáe
Raymond V Raymond/Usher
Should Win: This is sort of a motley crew, isn’t it? Honestly, the best album of the five was R. Kelly’s surprisingly good 2009 project. Leslie and Monae turned in good efforts, as well.
Will Win: Usher’s the name most familiar to casual pop listeners for non-legal reasons. Raymond stunk to high heavens, but it sold. Usher takes it…
…Although…I wonder how unorthodox Grammy’s voting bloc might be. If so, Monae could be a sleeper.
11 comments
GG says:
Feb 11, 2011
If Usher has to win for something, I don’t mind it being for There Goes My Baby. That was a song good enough to hang with El and Legend.
blerd says:
Feb 11, 2011
Point taken. There Goes My Baby really isn’t a bad song. I guess I’m just looking at it in light of all the other craptacular songs on that album.
GG says:
Feb 11, 2011
If we’re talking R&B album of the year, I’m with you. He shouldn’t be anywhere near that award. Though, like you said, he’s the favorite because it’s a weak year in albums. I haven’t heard the Leslie album, will never listen to the Kells or Brown album, and I know that the Monae was probably way too weird to win.
blerd says:
Feb 11, 2011
The Ryan Leslie isn’t bad, kind of anonymous, but OK. He’s talented. The Kells album is surprisingly good, but yeah, I don’t see myself ever listening to a Chris Brown album again. They could’ve at least nominated Robin Thicke or somebody. Too bad Ne-Yo and El’s albums came out too late.
Tyler says:
Feb 11, 2011
I wonder what the racial and age makeup of the Grammy voters is. Because for about 15 years I’ve wanted them to either get some fuckin black people in their voting ranks or get the fuck out of the awarding music they clearly know absolutely nothing about business. These nominations are a fucking joke in every. single. way.
blerd says:
Feb 11, 2011
The people who choose the nominations in each genre are a cherry-picked group of tastemakers in said genre. So I would imagine that the people who choose the nominees in the R&B categories are a who’s who of black music execs, songwriters and artists. The old boy’s network is just as strong if not stronger in black corporate America than it is in white corporate America, and I would imagine much gladhanding and money-exchange takes place. The entire voting committee (I believe you have to have at least three album credits before you can be a member of NARAS) votes on the winners once the nominations are choosing. I would imagine-at this point-the racial and age makeup is all over the place.
Tyler says:
Feb 11, 2011
@GG Not really a weak year if you listen to more than what the majors are selling.
Tyler says:
Feb 11, 2011
@blerd
Ahh, thanks for the explanation.
GG says:
Feb 13, 2011
@Tyler
I didn’t mean in R&B music as a whole, just in what they selected. I don’t listen to enough R&B music to even make an authoritative pick of worthy albums. My thoughts were based on what they chose, and who I thought they’d pick, not even based on the music.
Can you choose Kelly or Brown at this moment? Maybe Kelly’s sort of forgiven? But no way with Brown.
blerd says:
Feb 13, 2011
I don’t forgive what he did…but when it comes to musicians, or artists in general it’s really about the art and not the personality. Or at least it should be.
GG says:
Feb 14, 2011
I am very much agree with that sentiment. But right at the time R started to get in trouble for peeing on little girls, his music became unlistenable to me. I haven’t been back. And I have never been a Chris Brown fan.