The 68th edition of the Grammy Awards, the most important music awards in the United States, will take place on Sunday and will bring to the stage three top artists from very different musical genres: Kendrick Lamar (rap), Bad Bunny (reggaeton) and Lady Gaga (pop).
Among the favorites is K-pop, thanks to the international success of the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters”, whose hit “Golden” is nominated for song of the year.
Kendrick Lamar, last year’s big winner with five awards for “Not Like Us,” leads the nominations with 9 honors. At 38 years old, with 22 Grammys already won, the Californian artist, the first Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, aims for album of the year for the first time with “GNX”. Also, the song “Luther”, performed with SZA, is considered a serious contender for the record of the year.
Lady Gaga, with 7 nominations for the album “Mayhem” and the single “Abracadabra”, and Bad Bunny, with 6 for “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” and the song “DtMF”, are also competing for the big prizes, both getting their first real chance to win album of the year.
For Bad Bunny, success at the Grammys would underscore the growing influence of Latin American cultures in the American music industry. The Puerto Rican artist, known for his social involvement and opposition to Donald Trump’s immigration policy, will also be the star of the Super Bowl halftime show, just one week after the Grammys.
Lady Gaga, 39, returns to her electropop roots with ‘Mayhem’, supported by a spectacular tour, and has already won 14 Grammys and an Oscar for ‘Shallow’ from the A Star Is Born soundtrack.
Other artists in the running for album of the year include Justin Bieber (“Swag”) and new pop star Sabrina Carpenter (“Man’s Best Friend”). Plus, R&B returns to the fore with Leon Thomas and Olivia Dean. Record of the Year favorites include works by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Doechii.
According to musicologist Lauron Kehrer, the presence of genres such as rap, reggaeton or K-pop in the main categories reflects the adaptation of the Grammys to the current diversity of the music industry, rather than a forced change strategy. The Recording Academy added 3,800 new members, mostly young and 58% black, to reflect the vibrancy of the contemporary music scene.
The gala will be presented by Trevor Noah in Los Angeles and will start at 17:00 local time (Monday 01:00 GMT) on Sunday. The 95 awards will be handed out throughout the day, many of them in the afternoon of the same day.
