In May, the Academy announced a 16-member task force on diversity and female inclusion, led by Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff Tina Tchen and charged with locating “various barriers and unconscious biases faced by underrepresented communities throughout the music industry and, specifically, across Recording Academy operations and policies.” A few weeks later, Portnow, he of the “step up” quote, announced that he will step down, likely when his current deal runs out in July 2019. Maybe they’ll simply feel fooled one too many times by the Recording Academy to return.īut here’s the thing to remember: this won’t be the same Recording Academy that has jilted JAY and Bey in recent years. Vincent and Kacey Musgraves are among the current possible competition.) Even if Love enters the evening as the front-runner, imagine JAY-Z and Beyoncé’s faces in the front row if, say, Post Malone’s beerbongs & bentleys upends their joint effort for album of the year! Worse for the Grammys, the Carters could decide to make plans for next February and not show up even if they are nominated. (Albums by Taylor Swift, Janelle Monae, St. Everything Is Love could get nominated and not win, continuing a glaring winless streak for both superstars. There are some potential risks here, of course. Whereas most collaborative albums of this ilk don’t feel particularly vital, Everything Is Love is a lot more than a victory lap - and, as one of the best-reviewed and most enthusiastically received albums of the year, wouldn’t feel shoehorned in among the Grammy honorees. Is it a career peak for either? Not really, and that’s okay. The nine-song set overflows with widescreen musings from a power couple at peace songs like “Boss,” “Friends” and “713” extend the mythology of JAY and Bey while also offering insight into their ultra-private shared life. Although only released a few days ago, Everything Is Love is immediately a worthy addition to both artists’ canon, a testament to black opulence and resilience of love that finds Beyoncé and JAY-Z operating in their most confident respective modes. But Everything Is Love is not exactly the couple’s River: The Joni Letters. That’s not to say that JAY and Bey deserve a nod simply for being JAY and Bey the album of the year prize should never again function as a lifetime achievement award, as it did when post-prime artists like Steely Dan, Herbie Hancock and a deceased Ray Charles took home the award during ceremonies the 2000s. Throw in the fact that the couple’s involvement certainly would certainly help ratings - imagine an extended joint performance, following this year’s blockbuster On The Run II tour! - and including JAY and Bey seems like a no-brainer. The make-good angle is clear as day: neither Beyoncé nor JAY-Z has won an album of the year award, despite being two of the most lauded musical artists of this century, and Everything Is Love offers a way to right both wrongs in one fell swoop. We’re still a few months away from Grammys season, but Love has to immediately join the album of the year conversation, as both a deserving project and, for the Recording Academy, a strategic celebration of long-apparent artistry. What Everything Is Love represents, then, is an opportunity - not just for JAY and Beyoncé, the most powerful couple in popular culture, but for the Grammy Awards as an institution. Is it really that surprising to hear Jay take such a pointed shot the Grammys at this point? And then you remember that 4:44 was only the first album of the year nominee for one of the greatest recording artists in hip-hop history… who has also never taken home an award in any of the Big Four categories. But then you need to factor in wife Beyoncé’s history of major Grammy snubs - three album of the year nods, zero wins, to go along with an 0-for-5 record of the year showing. Sure, shutouts sometimes occur at the Grammys, and JAY-Z had the misfortune of running into Mars (six wins that night) and/or Lamar (five wins) in all eight of his categories.
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