As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours navigating the labyrinthine world of music awards, I must say this Tyla debacle feels like a glitch in the matrix. The Recording Academy seems to have misplaced her album in a genre it doesn’t belong, and that’s a bit like finding a medieval knight in a first-person shooter game – out of place and confusing!
Earlier this year, Tyla earned the inaugural Grammy for the best African music performance, however, her initial album is set to contend in the pop category at the Grammys of 2025.
Originally titled “Tyla,” Tyla’s album was initially proposed for the Best R&B Album category, but it was moved to the Best Pop Vocal Album by the Recording Academy’s R&B selection panel. This committee is not composed of regular academy staff members, but rather artists, producers, songwriters, and other professionals who are recognized experts in the R&B genre. If Tyla’s album were to be nominated in the pop category—a highly competitive field—it would face off against albums such as Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short N’ Sweet,” Ariana Grande’s “Eternal Sunshine,” and Chappell Roan’s “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
Listening to Tyla’s album took me by surprise as it delves deep into the unique blend of Amapiano, Afrobeats, and R&B genres from Southern Africa. Rather than being confined to the pop realm, her project deserves recognition in the Best Progressive R&B Album category – an award category specifically established to celebrate R&B albums that incorporate other musical influences, ranging from rap to dance to pop. SZA’s SOS was the recent winner in this category earlier this year.
Six songs from the album Tyla have made it onto Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs list, with the popular track “Water” reaching the top spot. Notably, “Water” climbed to No. 7 on the overall Hot 100 chart and stayed atop the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for an impressive 51 weeks.
In February, “Water” took home the award for the Best African Music Performance at the Grammys. However, if Tyla had been submitted elsewhere, it might have been in the category of Best World Music Album – a place where many Afrobeats artists like Burna Boy, Tems and Ayra Starr have placed their albums. But sonically speaking, Best Progressive R&B Album seems to be the most fitting category for Tyla’s project. This album includes collaborations with Travis Scott, Tems, Gunna, Becky G, and Skillibeng.
In 2020, it was surprising when Lizzo’s album “Cuz I Love You,” which blended pop with elements of R&B, dance, and rap, won the award for best progressive R&B album (previously known as best urban contemporary album) at the Grammys. Additionally, despite being submitted to the rap categories this year, Tommy Richman’s TikTok hit “Million Dollar Baby,” which is not a rap song, was still classified as rap by the Grammys. This decision sparked criticism on social media, particularly since Richman is a singer and stated he isn’t a hip-hop artist, although he later clarified his comments.
Last week, the initial round of voting for the 2025 Grammys concluded. The nominations are set to be revealed on November 8, and the final round of voting takes place between December 12 and January 3. The live event will broadcast from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2.
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2024-10-21 17:24