Innholdsfortegnelse for January 4, 2014 i Billboard Magazine

As we head into the home stretch of what is sure to be another very strong broadcast for the Grammy Awards, I fnd myself dwelling on one of music’s last big televised shows, the American Music Awards. A strange pairing, perhaps, but bear with me a minute here. I was on standby the night of the AMAs. A handful of morning news and entertainment shows let me know that they might tape segments with me discussing the show, depending on how it went. And this is how it went: There were many really strong performances. Jennifer Lopez amazed with a tribute to Celia Cruz. Rihanna, now an elder stateswoman after seven albums, was presented with an icon award—just 25, she recently tied Michael Jackson with her 13th No. 1 on…

“WONDERFUL WORLD” Sam Cooke Label: Keen Records Year of release: 1960 “Wonderful World,” Sam Cooke’s paean to romance trumping formal education, might have never seen the light of day were it not for a tangle of lawsuits and buyouts among labels and publishers. Lou Adler, one of Cooke’s closest friends in the late ’50s, and Herb Alpert wrote the song with Cooke, and recorded a demo version just fve days after fnishing a Billie Holiday tribute project. At the time, Cooke was recording for Keen Records, forming his own gospel label, SAR, and excising himself from his relationship with Specialty Records. Adler and Alpert disassociated themselves with Keen frst, according to Peter Guralnick’s book, “Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke.” By the end of 1959, Cooke had left Keen…

Just Give Me a Reason SONGWRITERS: Jeff Bhasker, P!nk, Nate Ruess PERFORMERS: P!nk featuring Nate Ruess PUBLISHERS: EMI Blackwood Music, P!nk Inside Publishing, Way Above Music, Sony/ATV Songs, WB Music, FBR Music, Bearvon Music FROM: The Truth About Love LABEL: RCA Records Billboard’s Woman of the Year got her fourth No. 1 single and one of the biggest hits of her 14-year career with power ballad “Just Give Me a Reason,” a duet with fun. lead singer Nate Ruess. Co-written by fun. producer/songwriter Jef Bhasker, the track spent three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and has sold 4.3 million downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “Just Give Me a Reason”— which is also nominated for best pop duo/group performance—is P!nk’s second-biggest-selling digital song behind “So What,” which has sold 4.7…

BEST RAP ALBUM Nothing Was the Same DRAKE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Aubrey Drake Graham, Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter, Ronald “Slim” Williams, Bryan “Baby” Williams, Noah “40” Shebib, Oliver El-Khatib, Jas Prince, J. Prince PRODUCERS: Noah Shebib, Marvin Thomas, Mike Zombie, DJ Dahi, Majid Jordan, Nineteen85, Boi-1da, Sampha, Jordan Evans, Key Wane ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Noah Shebib, Noel Cadastre, Noel Campbell, Detail, Travis Sewchan, Finis White, Rob Kinelski LABELS: Young Money/Cash Money/Republic Records Can Drake make it two in a row? The rapper won best rap album last year for Take Care while notching nominations as well for best rap performance (“HYFR [Hell Ya F***ing Right]”) and best rap song (“The Motto”). Featuring guest cameos by Jay Z, Jhené Aiko, Majid Jordan, Detail, 2 Chainz and Big Sean, Nothing Was the Same is platinumselling…

BEST ROCK ALBUM 13 BLACK SABBATH PRODUCER: Rick Rubin ENGINEERS: Mike Exeter, Greg Fidelman, Dana Nielsen LABEL: Republic Records The 19th studio album by heavy metal legend Black Sabbath, 13 marks the of cial return of inimitable frontman Ozzy Osbourne to the band after a 35-year exile. Bassist Geezer Butler, who decamped after 1994’s Cross Purposes, also made his return. Their highly anticipated reunion album, produced by seven-time Grammy Award winner Rick Rubin, sent expectations through the roof. Released in June, 13 gave Sabbath its biggest sales week and f rst Billboard 200 No. 1, selling 155,000 copies in its f rst week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Next Day DAVID BOWIE PRODUCERS: David Bowie, Tony Visconti ENGINEERS: Mario McNulty, Tony Visconti LABEL: ISO/Columbia Long presumed to have retired after…

RECORD OF THE YEAR Get Lucky DAFT PUNK & PHARRELL WILLIAMS PRODUCERS: Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta and Daniel Lerner MASTERING ENGINEER: Bob Ludwig FROM: Random Access Memories Columbia Records Radioactive IMAGINE DRAGONS PRODUCER: Alex Da Kid ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Manny Marroquin and Josh Mosser MASTERING ENGINEER: Joe LaPorta FROM: Night Visions Kidinakorner/Interscope Royals LORDE PRODUCER: Joel Little ENGINEER/MIXER: Joel Little MASTERING ENGINEER: Stuart Hawkes FROM: Pure Heroine Universal Music Locked out of Heaven BRUNO MARS PRODUCERS: Jef Bhasker, Emile Haynie, Mark Ronson and the Smeezingtons ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Alalal, Josh Blair, Wayne Gordon, Ari Levine, Manny Marroquin and Mark Ronson MASTERiNG ENGiNEER: David Kutch FROM: Unorthodox Jukebox Atlantic Blurred Lines RoBiN THickE fEATURiNG T.i. & PHARRELL PRODUCER: Pharrell ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Andrew Coleman and Tony Maserati MASTERING…

Without music educators, “we probably wouldn’t have anything close to the kind of artistry we have,” Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow says. “They certainly nurture, develop and encourage young people to perfect their craft.” In recognition of the positive infuence of music teachers on their students, the Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation partnered to create the frst Music Educator Award, which was announced on last year’s telecast by Portnow, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Seacrest. “As I said then, ‘I never became a guitar god, but he certainly changed my life forever,’” Portnow says, referring to his teacher Stan Solow, who introduced him to such guitar greats as Wes Montgomery and Andres Segovia. Following the announcement, about 32,000 music educators from kindergarten through college (in public and private schools) were…

“The atmosphere is like a giant kegger,” Paramount Pictures president of motion picture music Randy Spendlove says of what’s become the pre-Grammy Awards golden ticket—the Friends N Family party. If you haven’t scored an invitation to this yearly extravaganza, try to. “It’s always been a party for the people in the trenches, the heart and soul of the music industry,” Spendlove adds. “It’s a must-stop for record presidents, artists, A&Rs—everybody comes through once a year.” And that’s no understatement. The list of party co-hosts is a who’s who of music-biz major domos: Dr. Luke; Jermaine Dupri; RCA president/COO Tom Corson and CEO Peter Edge; Universal Music Group East Coast Labels chairman/CEO Barry Weiss; Sony Music president/CEO Edgar Berger; Electronic Arts worldwide executive of music and music marketing Steve Schnur; Warner/Chappell…

There’s kinetic energy onstage at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre for rehearsals of the opening number of “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!”: three dancers with shopping carts, a half-dozen horn players amid racks of mismatched clothing, a couple of drummers, a choreographer, and several technicians fne-tuning audio and lights. Bur one body, positioned front and center facing the stage, stands still, watching while Macklemore and singer Wanz tear into “Thrift Shop,” the No. 1 song on the 2013 year-end Billboard Hot 100. The track finishes and that motionless fgure, Ken Ehrlich, fnally stirs, huddling with the Seattle rapper and a few others involved in the staging. Another new run-through starts—this time outside in the L.A. Live plaza. Macklemore, producer Ryan Lewis, Wanz and a trumpeter begin there, then bound down the…

The Blessed Unrest SARA BAREiLLES PRODUCERS: sara Bareilles, Mark Endert, John O’Mahony ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Jeremy Darby, Mark endert, John O’Mahony MASTERING ENGINEER: Greg Calbi LABEL: epic Records Bareilles’ 2010 album, Kaleidoscope Heart, helped prove she wasn’t a pop personality to underestimate. But for the California native’s third studio release, The Blessed Unrest, the singer/songwriter decided to start anew by moving to New York and leaning more on co-writers, including fun.’s Jack Antonof. The lyrically daring and serious-sounding set debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and has sold 209,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Bareilles is also nominated for best pop performance for the single “Brave,” which reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Random Access Memories DAFT PUNK PRODUCERS: thomas Bangalter, Julian casablancas, guy-Manuel de Homem-christo, DJ Falcon,…

Kacey Musgraves After displaying her songwriting chops by co-penning Miranda Lambert’s hit “Mama’s Broken Heart” (nominated for best country solo performance), Kacey Musgraves stepped into the spotlight with her debut single “Merry Go ’Round,” which peaked at No. 14 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The latter track’s combination of immediate hooks and sly storytelling that isn’t afraid to confront uncomfortable truths also carried the Texas native’s debut full-length, Same Trailer Diferent Park (Mercury Nashville), to a No. 2 debut on the Billboard 200 upon its release in March. The remainder of the 25-year-old country artist’s year was composed of touring behind the 12-song collection—including an opening slot on Kenny Chesney’s summer tour—and pushing the much talked-about follow-up single “Follow Your Arrow,” which provoked discussion with its mentions of same-sex…

Brave SARA BAREILLES SONGWRITERS: Sara Bareilles, Jack Antonoff PUBLISHERS: Ducky Donath Music/Sony-ATV Songs/Sony-ATV Tunes/Tiny Bear Music FROM: The Blessed Unrest LABEL: Epic “Brave” has slowly but surely won over top 40 radio since hitting digital retailers last April, reaching a new peak at No. 26 in its 25th week on the Billboard Hot 100. The hit single, inspired by a gay friend of Bareilles’ who was struggling with coming out, was co-written with fun.’s Jack Antonof after he was introduced to Bareilles by Sara Quin of Tegan & Sara. Along with the nomination of “Brave” in the best pop solo performance category, Bareilles is vying for album of the year with her third studio ef ort, The Blessed Unrest. Bareilles’ breakout single, “Love Song,” was nominated for song of the…

BEST COUNTRY SONG Begin Again SONGWRITER: Taylor Swift ARTIST: Taylor Swift PUBLISHERS: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, Taylor Swift Music FROM: Red LABEL: Big Machine Much has been made of Taylor Swift’s proclivity for writing songs post-breakup. Guitar-driven ballad “Begin Again”—which peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold 923,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan— follows suit, detailing many of her ex’s f aws. But this is no revenge song. Instead, it’s the f rst step in regeneration as she puts the hurt behind her. “Begin Again” was the follow-up single to Swift’s f rst Hot 100 No. 1, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” The two hits have helped her fourth studio album, Red, sell 3.9 million copies. I…

THE POP STAR Michael Bolton “Even though I signed with Epic Records when I was 16, I didn’t have my frst hit until I was 34. So that makes for an 18-year overnight success. In those years, I’d had nine albums and quite a few diferent record labels. We kept hearing that success was around the corner, but the Grammy nomination was that sense of validation for me— that the people inside the business were saying, ‘Yeah, you’ve done something really great here.’ After I won best male vocal [in 1990], it took awhile for it to sink in. It wasn’t until [then-label executive] Don Ienner called me the next week at my apartment in New York and said, ‘I wanted to be the frst one to tell you that…

Tuesday 21 PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING EVENT CELEBRATION Honoree: neil Young The Village 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Producers & Engineers Wing/The Recording Academy This seventh annual Grammy Week event pays tribute to two-time Grammy Award winner Neil Young for his commitment to excellence and ongoing support for the art and craft of recorded music. Past honorees include Quincy Jones, Al Schmitt and Jimmy Iovine. Wednesday 22 GRAMMY CAMP: BASIC TRAINING University of Southern California 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The Grammy Foundation Top music professionals from all walks of the industry share the realities of the business and talk careers in music with Los Angeles-area high school students. GRAMMY CONNECT YouTube Space La 5 p.m.-8 p.m. The Recording Academy Grammy Connect is the new moniker for the Academy’s annual Social Media Rock Stars…

Not every meal can be at the Four Seasons, particularly when your stomach’s growling louder than Metallica because you’ve just emerged from a marathon Grammys telecast with nary a pretzel bite. That’s why some pack a survival kit. “I bring my own snacks and sippy cup,” Beggars Group/Matador Records senior VP Miwa Okumura says. And others plan ahead. “I make sure to chow down before going to the show, and then just nosh all night,” says Lia Vollack, Sony Pictures Entertainment president of worldwide music/executive VP of theatrical. But usually the road between Los Angeles’ Staples Center and that hot Grammy after-party is paved with golden arches and other sources of instant culinary gratification. IN-N-OUT BURGER, 1111 S. Figueroa St. Beyoncé and Jay Z have been spotted munching post-Grammys at…

One of the more beloved Grammy Week events has undergone a name change. But its mission remains the same: to celebrate music’s evolution and its infuencers on American culture. The Grammy Foundation’s Music Preservation Project has been rechristened the Grammy Foundation Legacy Concert. The 16th annual soiree, presented by Seagate, will take place Jan. 23 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. And in keeping with the event’s continuing mission, the 2014 theme revolves around the invaluable contributions of songwriters, under the tag line “A Song Is Born.” The following evening, sister foundation MusiCares will honor singer/songwriter Carole King. Featuring a mix of Grammy Award winners, legends and newcomers, the “A Song Is Born” lineup includes singer/songwriters Skylar Grey and Kris Kristoferson, Goo Goo Dolls’ John Rzeznik, songwriter Allen…

Get Lucky DAFT PUNK FEATURING PHARRELL WILLIAMS PRODUCERS: Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta, Daniel Lerner FROM: Random Access Memories LABEL: Daft Life/Columbia Daft Punk frst teased its longawaited fourth album, Random Access Memories, by playing snippets of lead single “Get Lucky” on “Saturday Night Live” and at the Coachella festival last spring. When the full single was released April 19, pop fans got to soak in Nile Rodgers’ disco-funk guitar, Pharrell Williams’ sinuous vocal performance and Daft Punk’s delirious robo-breakdown in full—and “Get Lucky” promptly became one of the year’s most inescapable hits. The mysterious French duo’s groove-flled electronica has been recognized by the Grammy Awards previously, with early singles like “Da Funk” and “Around the World” earning best dance recording nods and…

BEST R&B ALBUM Love and War TAMAR BRAXTON EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Vincent Herbert, Antonio “L.A.” Reid PRODUCERS: K.E. on the Track, Da Internz, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, Reverse, DJ Camper, the Underdogs, Diplo, Angela Hunte, Derek “DJA” Allen, Kyle “K2” Stewart II, Bryan-Michael Cox,@SCMG , Kendrick Dean, Tec Beatz , Patrick “J.Que” Smith, Troy Oliver, Tiyon “TC” Mack, Rico Beats, Eric Mobley, Tramaine “Young Frye” Winfrey ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Mike Donaldson, Brian “B-Luv” Thomas, Andrew Hey, Dabid Boy, Harvey Mason Jr., Paul Foley, Jaycen Joshua, Jeff Edwards, Kendrick Dean, M. Bass, BMC, Jean Marie Horvat, Bryan-Michael Cox, Clifford “Wiz” Henson LABELS: Streamline Records/Epic Records There’s no denying that 2013 was Tamar Braxton’s comeback year. After a 13-year recording hiatus, the singer/songwriter parlayed her stint on WE TV’s popular “Braxton Family Values” reality show into…

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM Random Access Memories DAFT PUNK LABEL: Columbia Records Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter—otherwise known as the robots, or Daft Punk— came to Columbia with a fnished album and fully formed marketing plan, both of which harked back to the golden age of the LP. Captured live in legendary recording studios around the globe (except for just two samples), Random Access Memories wasn’t what anyone, let alone the EDM generation, might have expected. Sure, there was Pharrell and Nile Rodgers getting jiggy on instant global hit “Get Lucky”—but there was also 73-year-old Paul Williams warbling through psychedelic show tune “Touch,” Julian Casablancas giving it all up to a Vocoder on “Instant Crush” and fights of cinematic fancy like “Motherboard.” Internet pundits shrieked in pain and love, but…

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM Faith, Hope y Amor FRANKIE J PRODUCERS: Maffio Alkatraks, Armando Avila, Francisco Bautista, Fabian Buch, Charles Chavez, Manuel Corao, DJ Buddha, Frankie J, Emile Ghantous, Anthony Kronfle, Noah Lifschey, Wilberto Madera, Danny Mercer, Greg Pagani, Benny Steele ENGINEERS/MIXERS: Armando Avila, Emile Ghantous, Anthony Kronfle, Noah Lifschey, Wilberto Madera, Manny Marroquin, Francisco Oroz, Israel Palma, Greg Pagani, Sean Phelan, Benny Steele LABEL: Universal Music Latino Soulful singer Frankie J was born in Mexico and raised in San Diego. In the late ’90s, after releasing several singles, he became a member of the Kumbia Kings. Now solo for more than a decade, the crooner has transformed into a mature artist with a fresh sound and vocals that shine on pop power ballads with an R&B edge. Faith, Hope…

HOTELS WITH BENEFITS Most luxury resorts offer plenty of perks for award season, but these hotels go beyond the call of duty with style exclusives. • The Peninsula Beverly Hills offers a best of Neiman Marcus package, which includes a personal shopper, a beauty makeover, lunch and a few other VIP services, starting at $595 if you book a superior room. On Grammy night, stop by the Peninsula spa and salon for a blowout or updo ($80-$150), or makeup with lashes ($140). For $20 extra, you can get room service. • The Montage Beverly Hills is powered with two inhouse glam gurus: Kim Vo, whose salon is conveniently located there, and fashion stylist/ABC red-carpet correspondent Joe Katz, who’s on hand to either stock your closet before you check in ($1,500…

“I’ll never forget Mark Beaven’s introductory speech at the first Friends N Family dinner. He explained why he started the event, and how important it is to support our community in the music industry, and you could really feel Mark’s passion in his words. His soul was just pouring out of him—it reminded me why people get into this business in the first place.”—TOM WHALLEY, CEO, Loma Vista Recordings “In the early days, there were 300 people standing around, drinking out of Dixie cups—there wasn’t even a proper bar. But there was something unique going on there: You knew you were in a cool place.”—LIA VOLLACK, president of worldwide music/executive VP of theatrical, Sony Pictures Entertainment “In 2010 at Paramount, I had to sneak Tom Whalley in around the police.…

It wasn’t really a case of life imitating art, but more of a flm forecasting life in this still from “A Star Is Born” (right) that shows Barbra Streisand accepting a Grammy Award accompanied by co-star Kris Kristoferson as Rita Coolidge stands by. In real life, Streisand won her ffth and sixth Grammys for music from the flm in 1978. “Evergreen (Love Theme From ‘A Star Is Born’)” won best pop vocal performance, female, and Streisand shared song of the year with co-writer Paul Williams (who’s up for album of the year this year for his work on Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories). “It wasn’t hard to imagine that she was getting a Grammy,” Kristoferson says of shooting the scene. “I just tried to play it as honest as I…