Grammy nominations preview
By Kevin C. Johnson
Post-Dispatch Pop Music Critic
12/04/2004

When the 47th annual Grammy Awards are presented Feb. 13, two heavily honored Grammy princesses - Alicia Keys and Norah Jones - are likely to duke it out for the coveted album of the year.

And they won't be the only ones wearing boxing gloves. Chances are that they'll face formidable competition from a pair of princes - the new prince of R&B (Usher) and the plain old Prince - and a country queen making a startling return to the scene (Loretta Lynn), a Beach Boy tying up loose ends (Brian Wilson) and a rapper-producer with a big ego (Kanye West).

But the real spoiler could be a departed "Genius," Ray Charles.

All those artists are expected to do well on Tuesday morning, when West, Nelly, Anita Baker, Gretchen Wilson, Mark McGrath and Hoobastank read the nominations for this year's Grammys.

Area natives could also fare nicely. One clue: Artists asked to read nominations nearly always walk away with nods of their own. So Nelly, who now must view Grammys as old hat, is sure to lock down a nomination or two for his "Suit" CD and "My Place" single. And Wilson will continue to make Pocahontas, Ill., proud. She's a lock for a nomination as best new artist and should earn additional nods for best country album for "Here for the Party" and best female country vocal and best country song for "Redneck Woman."

Of course, there's no sure way to predict the votes of members of the Recording Academy, who vote for the Grammys. Nominations are typically a mixture of who was hot and who was good - not necessarily the same thing - during the eligibility year, which this time around is defined as Oct. 1, 2003-Sept. 30, 2004.

Last year, it was easy to predict OutKast as a favorite because "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" was the perfect mix of critical raves and blockbuster sales. The duo's nominations (and subsequent wins) were completely expected.

But who could have known that hip-hop in general would fare so well, making the most recent ceremony a near homage to the music, perfectly timed to the genre's 25th anniversary. Can hip-hop/R&B, which ruled much of the airwaves and sales charts in 2004, dominate nominations again? If urban music has another sweep on its hands, look for Usher, West, Keys and Jay-Z to benefit most heavily.

Keep in mind that predicting who will be the most-read names on Tuesday is a nonscientific sport that involves making educated guesses, spotting trends and weighing such variables as who's overdue and who's sold the most copies.

But at the risk of wearing an egg facial, here's a glimpse at who should fare well in major Grammy categories.

We'll keep a roll of paper towels nearby just in case things go hideously awry.


Album of the Year


Charles' final CD, "Genius Loves Company," released posthumously, looks like a surefire nomination. It wasn't the best from the Grammy legend (he sounded physically weak during many of the duets), but there's a groundswell of support for Charles because of fresh memories of his death in June and continued accolades for the movie "Ray."

Another legend, Lynn, hooked up with the White Stripes' Jack White and got the raves of a lifetime for "Van Lear Rose."

Brian Wilson's "Smile" CD is widely considered a near-career best from the rock-pop veteran.

Prince staged a startling comeback, the type Grammy voters love. His "Musicology" CD, though not great, was his best in years, a respectable enough effort to nominate. The fact that Prince kicked off his comeback by opening the last Grammy ceremony proved he's in Grammy's favor.

Jones and Keys, previous big Grammy night winners, are strong contenders. Keys' second CD, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," is a much stronger effort than her "Songs in A Minor," just as Jones' "Feels Like Home" vastly improves on her "Come Away With Me."

Usher had the year's best-selling CD with "Confessions," which made him the first artist to top Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart for more than half a year. He's the favorite at music awards shows this season, and it'll be hard to ignore his presence on the music landscape. West could easily make an impression in this category. His CD was the best hip-hop had to offer.

Record of the Year/Song of the Year

Figuring out which songs will fill out these two categories presents the biggest challenge. But look for any combination that includes Usher's "Yeah/Confessions, Pt. 2," Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman," Maroon 5's "This Love," Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying," West's "Jesus Walks," Jones' "Sunrise," Linkin Park's "Breaking the Habit," Jay-Z's "99 Problems," Hoobastank's "The Reason," Keys' "You Don't Know My Name/If I Ain't Got You," R.E.M.'s "Leaving New York" and Twista's "Slow Jamz."

Best New Artist

West and Gretchen Wilson are guarantees, and their likely nominations come with fresh drama: West dissed Wilson when he lost to her at the American Music Awards last month. Joss Stone, Los Lonely Boys and Hoobastank could help fill out the category. And don't be surprised if Maroon 5 is nominated, even though its breakthrough CD was released in 2002 - the Grammys have played fast and loose with the rules in this category for years.

Best Pop Album

This category boasts a wealth of possibilities, most of them beautiful young women: Jones, Jessica Simpson ("In This Skin"), Ashlee Simpson ("Autobiography"), Avril Lavigne ("Under My Skin"), Pink ("Try This"), Britney Spears ("In the Zone") and Stone ("Mind, Body & Soul). Other possibilities: Charles, Josh Groban ("Closer"), Rod Stewart ("As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook Vol. II"), Ron Isley and Burt Bacharach ("Here I Am") and Sarah McLachlan ("Afterglow"). Smartest money is on Jones, Charles, Groban, Stone and Lavigne, with Maroon 5 ("Songs About Jane") looking good if that oldie is deemed eligible.

Best Rock Album/Best Alternative Rock Album

It's not entirely clear what makes an album rock vs. alternative rock. But rock nominees could be led by Wilson ("Smile"), Velvet Revolver ("Contraband"), R.E.M. ("Around the Sun"), Wilco ("A Ghost Is Born"), Lenny Kravitz ("Baptism"), Alanis Morissette ("So Called Chaos") and Hoobastank ("The Reason"). Dashboard Confessional ("A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar") and St. Louis' Story of the Year ("Page Avenue") are in the running.

The alternative-rock category, always one of the Grammy's coolest, should include Bjork ("Medulla"), the Hives ("Tyrannosaurus Hives"), the Von Bondies ("Pawn Shoppe Heart"), Modest Mouse ("Good News for People Who Love Bad News"), Death Cab for Cutie ("Transatlanticism"), Franz Ferdinand ("Franz Ferdinand") and the Polyphonic Spree ("Together We're Heavy"). But that list sounds too good to be true.

Straddling these two categories are Green Day's "American Idiot" and Blink-182's self-titled album.

Best Country Album

A good year for the country-music industry has led to a strong slate of potential nominees. Lynn and Wilson are obvious nominees and would make for an interesting race. Big & Rich ("Horse of a Different Color"), McGraw ("Live Like You Were Dying"), Rascal Flatts ("Feels Like Today"), Kenny Chesney ("When the Sun Goes Down"), Toby Keith ("Shock'n Y'all") and Travis Tritt ("My Honky Tonk History") would also make solid nominees.

Best Rap Album

Likely nominee West should compete against several artists he helped produce: Jay-Z ("The Black Album"), Twista ("Kamikaze") and Ludacris ("Chicken N Beer"). Nelly ("Suit," not "Sweat"), Beastie Boys ("To the 5 Boroughs") and Missy Elliott ("This Is Not a Test") look strong as well. Jadakiss ("Kiss of Death"), Terror Squad ("True Story"), G-Unit ("Beg for Mercy"), LL Cool J ("The DEFinition"), the Roots ("The Tipping Point") and Mase ("Welcome Back") can't be counted out.

Best Contemporary R&B Album/Best Traditional R&B Album

Usher, Keys and Prince are obvious nominees for best contemporary R&B album, a category that otherwise isn't exactly an embarrassment of riches. R. Kelly ("Happy People/U Saved Me") and Mario Winans ("Hurt No More") should also make the cut. Anita Baker ("My Everything"), Teena Marie ("La Dona"), Patti LaBelle ("Timeless Journey"), Aretha Franklin ("So Damn Happy") and Al Green ("I Can't Stop") should have no trouble earning nominations for best traditional R&B album.

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
The Grammy twins
By JIM FARBER
Sunday, December 5th, 2004

A dead legend. A ruler of radio. A hip-hop visionary.
Which of these three artists will likely dominate the year's Grammy nominations when they're announced tomorrow?

They're Ray Charles, Usher and Kanye West, respectively and these are the names you're going to hear early and often. The awards themselves will be forked over Feb. 13.

Charles seems to be the guy to beat in the album category. Consider his triple threat:


He died in June at age 73 after establishing a legacy as one of the most towering figures in 20th- century music.

He's currently riding the charts with his biggest-selling album in four decades, the multi-platinum "Genius Loves Company."

He's simultaneously being heard on the soundtrack to the film about his life, "Ray," whose star, Jamie Foxx, happens to rank as the odds-on winner of this year's Best Actor Oscar for playing the man himself.
It doesn't even matter that "Genius Loves Company" isn't a particularly good album. It captures a weakened Charles in the last year of his life, and pairs him in drowsy duets with a predictable parade of stars from Elton John to B.B. King.

Come to think of it, that last part may actually help.

Usher, the man with the hardest-working abs in show business, is nearly as strong a contender. He racked up no fewer than four major hits in the last 10 months, a feat of "Thriller"-like proportions.

The R&B hottie's "Confessions" is the year's top selling CD, his single "Yeah!!!" is the most pervasive song of 2004. One caution: They're both pretty fluffy by Grammy's middle-brow standards.

Kanye West has the critics and the hipsters behind him for his "College Dropout" debut. The disc also sold more than 2.5 million copies. Together, that could make him this year's Outkast.

But a fourth contender is hovering on the horizon — Gretchen Wilson, the barmaid made good, and erstwhile anti-Shania.

Not only did Wilson challenge the slick role of Nashville women this year, she ushered in a new outlaw movement in country, along with friends and fellow-hit makers Big & Rich.

And don't forget Prince. He pulled off a major comeback with "Musicology." It's his biggest selling album in over a decade, even if he did give away half the copies at live shows to get his numbers up. The formerly unnameable one may lose points for operating largely outside the industry.

This year's wild card is Brian Wilson. He finally saw his legendary "lost" album "Smile" released in August. Though key tracks had came out on earlier releases, in this form it's essentially a new work and thus eligible for Best Album consideration — even if it would be 40 years late.


Here's a stab at all those most likely to get shout-outs in the big four categories:


BEST NEW ARTIST

• Velvet Revolver
The biggest "new" rock band of the year, even if it does feature mainly old dogs from Stone Temple Pilots and Guns 'N Roses.

• Gretchen Wilson
Country's new queen.

• Big & Rich
The pioneers of country-rap, among other things.

• Kanye West
The best-selling, best-reviewed, hip-hop debut artist of the year.

• Los Lonely Boys
They had the best back story, as a Mexican-American family that rode the blues to gold.


ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• "Los Lonely Boys," Los Lonely Boys.

• "Genius Loves Company," Ray Charles.

• "Smile," Brian Wilson.

• "Confessions," Usher.

• "Here for the Party," Gretchen Wilson.

• "College Dropout," Kanye West.

• "Musicology," Prince

• "Van Lear Rose," Loretta Lynn.

• "Feels Like Home," Norah Jones.

• "The Black Album," Jay-Z.

• "The Girl In the Other Room," Diana Krall.

• "American Idiot," Green Day.


RECORD OF THE YEAR

• "Heaven," Los Lonely Boys.

• ""Redneck Woman,"" Gretchen Wilson.

• "Yeah!!!" Usher.

• "99 Problems," Jay-Z: A perfect rock/rap amalgam.

• "My Ain True Love," Alison Krauss. Grammy voters would go for Krauss even if she released a record of burps.

• "My Boo," Usher and Alicia Keys. Not only a hit on radio, a No. 1 Ringtone choice!


SONG OF THE YEAR

• "Heaven," Los Lonely Boys.

• "Redneck Woman," Gretchen Wilson.

• "Yeah!!!" Usher.

• "My Boo," Usher and Alicia Keys.

• "The Reason," Hoobastank: The year's big rock song that doubled as a housewife sing-along.

• "If I Ain't Got You," Alicia Keys: The best R&B song of 2004, and one that sounds soulful enough to have been written in 1974.

Usher, Kanye West and Ray Charles among potential Grammy nominees

Nekesa Mumbi Moody
Canadian Press

Monday, December 06, 2004

NEW YORK (AP) - With the year's top album and single, Usher doesn't have to worry about getting left out when Grammy nominees are announced Tuesday. The question simply is how many nominations the R&B crooner will get. But it won't be a one-man show when the nominations are announced by the Recording Academy in Los Angeles.

Among others expected to get multiple nods: 2002's Grammy darling, Alicia Keys; rap innovator and newcomer Kanye West; country's self-proclaimed "redneck woman," Gretchen Wilson; and Ray Charles, who died in June.

Usher's megahit Yeah! is likely to receive record and song of the year nominations, and Confessions, which has sold more than seven million copies and spawned four hit singles, seems a lock for album of the year.

But he's also likely to be nominated in the pop and R&B categories for his performances on songs such as Confessions and Burn, and could get other nominations for his collaborations with Alicia Keys on My Boo, his current big hit, and Ludacris and Lil Jon on Yeah!

"His music was everywhere this year, and he's having his fourth big record from the album this year," Rick Krim, executive vice-president of talent and programming on VH1, said Monday. "He's the biggest artist of the year."

Ray Charles' posthumous album, Genius Loves Company, has become the biggest-selling record of his decades-long career, and he's the subject of the critically acclaimed movie Ray.

"There's always the sentimental factor with the Grammys, and my guess this year is it will be Ray Charles," said Krim.

Keys' multiplatinum debut album, Songs in A Minor, netted her five Grammys, including song of the year for Fallin'. Keys has two songs from her follow-up, The Diary of Alicia Keys, that could qualify for that honour this year: You Don't Know My Name and If I Ain't Got You, both retro-soul ballads that were top 10 hits. The album might also make it for album of the year.

"When you have a history of having a successful Grammy run, it certainly helps your case. The same could probably be said for Norah Jones," said Krim.

Jones is a possibility for album of the year. Her debut disc, the phenomenally successful Come Away With Me, won eight Grammys in 2003, and Feels Like Home, released in February, has enjoyed commercial and critical success.

Another likely contender for album of the year is West's innovative debut, The College Dropout. West became an unlikely rap superstar by eschewing typical rapspeak about sex, money and gangsta life and offering prose about atypical subjects (Jesus Walks).

Other album of the year nominees could include Prince's Musicology.

One of the biggest questions will be whether Ashlee Simpson gets a nod; although her debut album, Autobiography, was among the year's biggest hits, her lip-synching on Saturday Night Live may have left some Grammy voters wary.

The Grammys will be doled out Feb. 13 in Los Angeles, and telecast on CBS.

am i the only person who doesn't understand the Thriller/Confessions comparisons? One was a groundbreaking album that revolutionized pop music, the other is a by-the-numbers r&b album that Ginuwine or countless other male r&b artists could record.

I mean, maybe I'm a little biased because I grew up during the era of MJ. but come on... Billie Jean? Beat It? these songs are classic hits of iconic proportions, giving Michael Jackson a larger than life presence, ranking him up alongside Elvis and The Beatles. Yeah was a VERY catchy song, I give Usher that, but at the same time, Burn and Confessions were both quite forgettable and I don't think either song will be remembered in 10 years. Even The Girl Is Mine is more memorable than those two songs.

MJ was this larger than life icon in his day, he had this universal appeal to everyone. Young, old, white, black, male, female, gay, straight, five years old, eighty years old. Usher certainly does have appeal, but I don't think he quite has "it", I don't see what seperates him from many of the other male r&b vocalists out right now. He is popular and I admit it, but I don't think he has what it takes to become an icon. MJ's music crossed boundaries and everything, Usher's basically just making standard no frills r&b, and there are many others doing the same thing BETTER IMO.

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
am i the only person who doesn't understand the Thriller/Confessions comparisons?

The comparisons probably come from the fact that it's sold incredibly well and has had the same type of chart impact that Thriller had. All four singles hit number one, and multiple weeks at number one for each. The same way MJ could do no wrong with anything he touched in '83, Usher has had the same type of year this year. I don't think anyone's claiming that Confessions is the same cultural type of landmark album Thriller was, but certainly in terms of how well it's done, Confessions is Usher's Thriller.

Originally posted by vashti1999
The comparisons probably come from the fact that it's sold incredibly well and has had the same type of chart impact that Thriller had. All four singles hit number one, and multiple weeks at number one for each. The same way MJ could do no wrong with anything he touched in '83, Usher has had the same type of year this year. I don't think anyone's claiming that Confessions is the same cultural type of landmark album Thriller was, but certainly in terms of how well it's done, Confessions is Usher's Thriller.

well, Confessions is very successful, but at the same time, I don't see what is so much better about Usher than say Ginuwine (who I think has much better singles) or Joe. There are so many artists who make the same type of music Usher does and many are better at it, but don't sell as well, yet Usher's being treated as this Michael Jackson status. Confessions is a huge selling album, and probably the biggest album Usher will release, but at the same time, I don't think the album has it. It's a successful album, but I don't think it is quite a Sgt. Pepper, Thriller, Dark Side Of The Moon, Nevermind, Joshua Tree, Purple Rain type of album that is both a huge seller but also is influencial, culturally significant, etc... I don't really think any more artists will be out in 15 years saying that Confessions was the album that changed their life than you see people quoting The Bodyguard soundtrack or Michael Bolton's Time Love And Tenderness today I know this is Usher's year, but the media's insisting on comparing him to Michael Jackson is kinda hard to fathom when I think an act like Creed or someone of that stature, who sold massive albums, but also didn't really change the face of music, would be a better analogy

Winners in bold:

Record of the Year
"Dancing in the Dark" - Bruce Springsteen
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper
"Hard Habit to Break" - Chicago
"The Heart of Rock and Roll" - Huey Lewis and the News
"What's Love Got To Do with It" - Tina Turner

Song of the Year
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" - Phil Collins
"Hello" - Lionel Richie
"I Just Called To Say I Love You" - Stevie Wonder
"Time after Time" - Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman
"What's Love Got To Do with It?" - Graham Lyle, Terry Britten

Album of the Year
Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
Can't Slow Down - Lionel Richie
Private Dancer - Tina Turner
Purple Rain - Prince and the Revolution
She's So Unusual - Cyndi Lauper

New Artist
Sheila E.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Corey Hart
The Judds
Cyndi Lauper

Pop Male Vocalist
Phil Collins - "Against All Odds (Take A Look at Me Now)"
Kenny Loggins - "Footloose"
Lionel Richie - "Hello"
John Waite - "Missing You"
Stevie Wonder - "I Just Called To Say I Love You"

Pop Female Vocalist
Sheila E. - "The Glamorous Life"
Sheena Easton - "Strut"
Cyndi Lauper - "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
Tina Turner - "What's Love Got to Do with It"
Deniece Williams - "Let's Hear It For the Boy"

Pop Vocal Group
The Cars - "Drive"
Chicago - "Hard Habit to Break"
The Pointer Sisters - "Jump (For My Love)"
Wham! - "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
Yes - "Owner of a Lonely Heart"

Rock Male Vocalist
David Bowie - "Blue Jean"
Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell"
Elton John - "Restless"
John Cougar Mellencamp - "Pink Houses"
Bruce Springsteen - "Dancing in the Dark"

Rock Female Vocalist
Lita Ford - Dancin' on the Edge
Tina Turner - "Better Be Good to Me"
Bonnie Tyler - "Here She Comes"
Wendy O. Williams - Wow
Pia Zadora - "Rock It Out"

Rock Vocal Group
The Cars - Heartbreak City
Genesis - Genesis
Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
Van Halen - "Jump"
Yes - 90125

Best Rhythm & Blues Song
"I Feel for You" - Prince
"Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" - Keith Diamond, Billy Ocean
"Dancing in the Streets" - Bill Wolfer, Dean Pitchford
"The Glamorous Life" - Sheila E.
"Yah Mo B There" - James Ingram, Michael McDonald, Rod Temperton, Quincy Jones

Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Male
Billy Ocean - "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)"
James Ingram - It's Your Night
Jeffrey Osborne - Don't Stop
Jeffrey Osborne - "In the Name of Love"
Stevie Wonder - "The Woman in Red"

Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance - Female
Chaka Khan - "I Feel for You"
Patti Austin - Patti Austin
Shannon - Let the Music Play
Tina Turner - "Let's Stay Together"
Deniece Williams - "Let's Hear It for the Boy"