Grammy Family Week ‘19 | Best R&B Song & Best Country Song
Oh, it can’t be — GT, my GRAMMY Family! Back like we never ever left! You know what it is — let’s goooo!
Now that my heart rate has eclipsed Bruno Mars’ on cocaína, welcome to GRAMMY Family Week. We are just five days from the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards that are being hosted by homewrecker Alicia Keys for some reason. We teamed up from across the globe (Dayo — NYC, Kenny — Dallas, Maegan — Who The Fuck Knows) to tell you who’s hot, who’s not, to tell you who rock and who sell out the stores. Yvonne thinks she is bigger than GeniusTalk (the Justin Timberlake of this group) so she won’t be joining. I will be no one’s JC damn it.
Tuesday through Thursday of this week, the three of us will review and predict a category we (allegedly) know well and a category we (definitely) know nothing about. Friday, we’ll give our GRAMMY picks for Best New Artist & Record of the Year. Get it? Got it? Good.
Predicted winners in bold.
Best R&B Song
Feels Like Summer — Childish Gambino
I wish it felt like summer because it’s brick as fuck right now in my apartment as I type this. This has to be the most fucking meta song to ever get nominated in this category. On one hand, you can look into your girlfriend’s eyes and tell her she feels like summer and mostly mean it. On the other hand, this song is lowkey about all the terrible shit happening in this world. With that said, this song really does something to my spirit. Makes me feel…free. Like ‘just walked out of jail for a crime I didn’t commit’ free. Clearly not your traditional R&B record, but a chune nonetheless.
Come Through & Chill — Miguel (feat. J. Cole & Salaam Remi)
Miguel & J. Cole are the auditory version of these guys. This song is the auditory version of ‘make pasta, rent a movie, invite hoes over’. A la Post Malone to Spotify’s Top Chart lists, they do not miss. I really wanna know what women think we they hear their song. Like they must have known this is just game we’ve been spittin’ all this time, right? Here I was. 21 years old. Thinking I’m hella smooth with it. Meanwhile, shorty was probably already on her way while I was still in persuasion mode. Cole needs to go back to a Caesar, but no criticisms otherwise. (Sidebar. I hate that [REDACTED SUBSET OF PEOPLE] have ruined the phrase ‘Netflix & Chill’ as a saying. Honorable mentions: Bae, Twerk, Fuckboy, Bye Felicia, basically anything black women started saying first.)
Long As I Live — Toni Braxton
Let me start off by saying that this song is off her latest album called Sex & Cigarettes. I can’t tell if I’m more surprised that she named her album that or that no other album in the history of albums had already taken that name. Even more of a shock to me, I was a few months late to ‘Toni Braxton is engaged to Birdman’ party. Unfortunately, it is looks like those crazy kids don’t have a forever love. If they can’t find love, then who can? Who are our #goals now? Back to this song. It’s cool or whatever. The hook is what I imagine all my exes singing to themselves.
Focus — H.E.R.
Breh, the harp intro is fucking angelic. Here’s Rihanna listening to it. “But I feel alone even when I’m alone.” I FELT THAT SHIT. Sometimes, we take these queens for granted and don’t give them that tender love and attention they deserve. Focus on your queen fellas. I really love everything about her sound. I feel like the term “soul” doesn’t do it enough justice. There’s a word for the type of music she makes and I’m too lazy and old to do the Googles to get the answer. Speaking of old, H.E.R. only being 21 makes me feel some type of way, though she beeeeen a prodigy. A true Black-Filipino icon. In any other year, this woulda been my winner, however…
Boo’d Up — Ella Mai
“Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeelings”. I’m a big fan of songs that’s most memorable part isn’t the chorus (ie. Niggas in Paris // “marry Kate & Ashley”). If you think this song is overplayed or overhyped, please come through and catch these hands. In 2019, we live in a contrarian culture. There’s a backlash to mainstream things. Counterpoint: when a large group of people like something, it is for a fucking reason. It’s OK to enjoy a bop. And a bop this is. If you’re trying to cuff at a house party, is there another out song you’d rather have come on than this song? You can’t slow grind to Mo Bamba. You can’t cut the rug to no Ariana Grande. But this shit right here? Fuck it upppp. You know I love Brits bruv. This is no exception.
Best Country Song
Break Up In The End — Cole Swindell
I think this is the country equivalent to a simp anthem. Ya boy is in his feelings right now. Tears in his Bud Light and shit. On some, “I would date you again even if I knew for sure we’d break up again.” Nah. Couldn’t be me. With that said, this song isn’t terrible. It’s not really a chune per se, but I can understand being having those Drake In My Feelings moments every once in a while. Also, I’m taken aback by this dude rockin’ the fitted and bomber jacket on his cover art. I’m not saying I know for sure he’s had relations with women of color, but I’m also not not saying that.
Dear Hate — Maren Morris (feat. Vince Gill)
This is a name I actually recognize. For two reasons. One — I may or may not have perused her Instagram before because she type aight. Two — she sings that In The Middle song which everyone who entered a mall in 2018 has heard. In all seriousness, this is a heavy song as it was released to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. I appreciate musicians and artists who use their platform to try and bring us together. Ultimately, it’s not gonna do anything, because half this country are idiots and/or exploit said idiots. No one is going to hear this song and suddenly not become hateful. But still, A for effort.
I Lived It — Blake Shelton
Well, well, well. If it isn’t Mr. Gwen Stefani himself. I didn’t even know dude was still putting out music. How many bags do you need? Is The Voice check not cutting it? This track has your quintessential country feel to it. When I say all country music songs the same, this is the shit I’m talking about. Which brings me to a larger question. Country fellas? Country bumpkins? Country boys? Unsure how you all like to be addressed. When your girlfriends drag you to a Countryfest, do you sing along with the words to? Or y’all just let her have her moment? Like I refuse to believe y’all be getting lit to this. Songs like Blake’s clearly show off vocal range, but holy shit, this is a snoozefest. My apologies to the entire state of Tennessee.
Space Cowboy — Kacey Musgraves
The title of this song really bothers me. Not because it’s called Space Cowboy which is objectively ridiculous. But because as you listen to this song, you realized there should be a FUCKING COMMA between Space and Cowboy. I mean, this is Grammar 101 shit. The pregnant pause is as clear as day. This strikes me as a song that would be flames if a Billie Eilish or Halsey type stole the melody and rewrote this. Like it has all the bones of being a good song except the being a good song part, which is pretty important I’d say.
When Someone Stops Loving You — Little Big Town
These boys are still outchea?? [Following a Google search, I’ve realized I thought this was Big & Rich from Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy fame. Whoops.] These boys and girls are still outchea?? A la City HIgh, I don’t think there are nearly enough male-female hybrid music acts. I lowkey fuck with this song. I feel the hurt in the crooning, but appreciate the realistic perspective. Shit hurts, but the world ain’t gon stop for you. This song is the audio version of the meme. As an African who grew up in a non-affectionate household, life to me is really about smiling through the pain. Respect Little Big Town.
Tequila — Dan + Shay
I was predisposed to love this song once I read that Shay was once signed to T-Pain’s Nappy Boy Entertainment label. Independent of that, this is still my favorite jawn of the bunch. Ya boys can drink any elixir and be gucci, but when that tequila’s in the system, ain’t no telling. They could be dippin’ in something new every week, hit bae’s old stomping grounds and be good. But one sip of Casamigos and it’s time for a feel trip. Which begs many questions. Is the ex an alcoholic? Is the ex of Mexican descent? Is the ex just really really into limes? Is the ex Sandra Bullock? I need answers.
Come back Wednesday for Part Deux of GRAMMY Family Week. Holla atcha boyyyyyyyy.
