GRAMMYAWARDS
H.E.R., David “Swagg R’Celious” Harris, I Used To Know HerENGINEER/MWalter Jones, Jeff RobinsonPRODUCERSH.E.R.IXER
David “Swagg R’Celious” Harris, H.E.R.Sam Ashworth, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, MASTERING ENGINEERSONGWColin LeonardMiki TsutsumiRITERS
Last year, R&B singer-songwriter Gabriella Was H.E.R., grabbed a surprising ilson, better known MBK/RCALABEL
nomination for album of the year with her self-titled full-length that included songs from two previ-ously released EPs. Now, H.E.R. has entered the album-of-the-year race again with another soulful, expertly
arranged compilation. Know Herreleased across a pair of 2018 EPs and adds five more, including the introspective “21” and the crackling YBN Cordae collaboration “Racks.” combines the 14 songs I Used to
MPlace” will compete for both record and song of the year, and the Bryson Tiller duet “Could’ve Been” is up for both best R&B performance and best R&B song. After earning the eanwhile, the searing “Hard
first two Grammys of her career at the 2019 ceremony (best R&B album, best R&B performance), H.E.R. is eyeing another big night in 2020 thanks to the multiple high-lights on I Used to Know Her.
MASTERING ENGINEERMontero Lamar HillSONGWLil Nas XEric Lagg^7 RITER
In the middle of the record-breaking 19-week Hot 100 run of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” the ColumbiaLABELgenre-blending rapper unveiled an eight-song EP, cheekily titled (^7) includes both the original ver-sion of “Old Town Road,” and the mega-selling remix featuring Billy. The 18-minute debut project
Ray Cyrus, along with an array of ideas across its lean running time: “Panini” reimagines the melody of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” as the anchor of a sleek trap single, while “F9mily (You & Me),” featuring
Blink-182’s Travis Barker, is a brash pop-rock track beamed in from an alternate-reality Wnomination of a second consecutive appearance in the album of the year category: 7 also gives Cardi B arped Tour. The
After her solo debut, Privacythe hip-hop phenom guested on “Rodeo” from Lil Nas X’s debut., received a nod last year, Invasion of
Manny Marroquin, Ethan ShumakerENGINEERS/MCuz I Love YouPRODUCERRicky ReedLizzo IXERS
Eric Frederic, Melissa JeffersonMASTERING ENGINEERNice Life/Atlantic/AGSONGWChris GehringerLABELRITERS
Lizzo’s signature hits from 2019 did not initially appear on her now nominated for album of the year, full-length. “Truth Hurts” reached the top of the Hot 100 after its initial release in 2017, and “Good
As Hell,” issued in 2016, followed into the chart’s top five. But even without these slow-building hits, included only on the deluxe edition of version showcases Lizzo’s undeni-Cuz I Love You, the standard
able personality on every track. The flutist-singer-rapper offers R&B-based dance music built around self-respect, sex positivity and inspirational messages, with guest stars Gucci Mane and Missy Elliott
invited to her party, and producer Ricky Reed providing much of the sonic blueprint. The album-of-the-year Grammy nod is one of eight for Lizzo this year; along with Billie Eilish, she is nominated in all four
of the general categories.
John DeBold, Chris Kasych, Takemasa Father Of The BrideEzra Koenig, Ariel RechtshaidENGINEERS/MVampire WPRODUCERSeekendIXERS
Kosaka, Ariel Rechtshaid, Hiroya TakayamaMASTERING ENGINEERSONGWEzra KoenigEmily LazarLABELRITER
Vampire Win six years doubles as the long-running indie-rock group’s debut Spring Snow/Columbiaeekend’s first album
in the Big Four Grammy catego-ries, after winning best alterna-tive music album for its previous full-length, the Cityproduced by Rostam Batmanglij,. That album was largely Modern Vampires of
who left the band’s core lineup in 2016; wider palette of production work from Ariel Rechtshaid, DJ Dahi and BloodPop, among others. Yet the soul of the band remains Father of the Bride features a
the prodding lyricism of front-man Ezra Koenig, who wrote on all 18 tracks of the group’s fourth album, exploring themes of aging, romantic complacency and politi-cal uncertainty. Father of the Bride
reached the top of Billboard 200 albums upon its release in Mand “Harmony Hall,” one of two songs featuring production work from Batmanglij, hit the top five of Hot Rock Songs. ay,
Album Of The Year
58 BILLBOARD • DECEMBER 7, 2019