From Brooklyn slack rockers to a Jamaican reggae group, the Grammys aren’t just about pop stars.
Anderson .Paak
Anderson .Paak might not have the same name recognition as fellow Best New Artist nominees Chance The Rapper and The Chainsmokers, but his artistry is just as — if not more — masterful.
His critically acclaimed 2016 effort Malibu, which is also nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album, hits all of the feels: the singer/rapper talks about enduring a trying childhood over a toe-tapping beat on "The Bird," an all-encompassing love interest on the visceral "Heart Don’t Stand A Chance" and dancing around the clock on the grooving "Am I Wrong" (feat. ScHoolboy Q).
Brandy Clark
An underdog in the Best Country Album category, Brandy Clark’s Big Day In A Small Town solidified the Nashville-based singer/songwriter as a country musician on the rise.
Clark’s vocals shine across the album, which tells tales of rural middle-aged women living ordinary lives. But that’s not to say that it’s boring: heart-on-your-sleeve tunes like the Best Country Solo Performance-nominated song "Love Can Go To Hell" as well as "Girl Next Door" and "Drinkin’ Smokin’ Cheatin’" can stand up next to any song on country radio.
