Beyoncé, Shabouzie and Post Malone lead the country in 2024. How will Grammy voters react?

NEW YORK – Country music has become the dominant forcepenetrating the pop music mainstream. And artists who may not have previously been associated with the genre, such as Beyoncé and Post Malone, have recently released country albums.

They’ve been popular, but their Grammy prospects remain uncertain.

Beyoncé The iconic song “Cowboy Carter” once again placed black artists in the history of this music and made it first black woman to reach number one on the Billboard country albums chart.

Shabuzi “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is the biggest song of the year, spending more weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other song. It combines his tone with the familiar template of Jay Kwon’s 2004 rap hit “Tipsy.” »

This summer, he followed Beyoncé to become the second black artist ever to top the Billboard pop and country singles charts at the same time.

AND Post Malone transitioned effortlessly into the country world, spending time in Nashville playing the Grand Ole Opry and dominating the charts with “I Had Some Help,” a collaboration with Morgan Wallen.

Despite all the success, will these newcomers to the country be rewarded when Grammy Award will the nominations be announced next week? Here are some key things to know.

What are the Grammy Award Country Categories?

There are four main country music Grammy categories: Best Country Album, Best Country Solo, Best Country Duo/Group and Best Country Song. The latter is awarded to songwriters.

Five nominated entries are recognized in each category.

Who applied in the country categories?

Beyoncé, Shaboozey and Post Malone were represented in all four major country music categories, including country album of the year. “Cowboy Carter” “Where I was, I’m going to the wrong place” and “F-1 trillion” respectively. They are not guaranteed nominations, although they are each nominated in several other pop, R&B and Americana categories and are also vying for album, record and song of the year.

Beyoncé “Texas Hold’em” was submitted in the country song category. “16 Carriages” is up for country solo performance, and in the country duo/group category is “ll Most Wanted,” her duet with Miley Cyrus, was served.

In Shaboozey’s case, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” qualifies for the country song and country solo performance category. “My Fault” with Noah Cyrus will feature a country duo/group performance.

And finally for Post Malone: ​​​​”I Had Some Help” with Wallen will be performed in the style of a country song and performed by a country duo/group. “Yours” is his entry in the country solo category.

They’ll likely be up against some of the 2024 Country Music Association Awards nominees for Best Country Album, including Luke Combs’ “Fathers & Sons,” Cody Johnson’s “Leather” and “Deep Well” Kacey Musgraves and “Higher” by Chris Stapleton, as well as other stars who have released albums vying for Grammy nominations, “Whirlwind” Lainey Wilson among them.

Could Beyoncé be nominated for a Grammy in the country categories?

Beyoncé received no nominations for “Cowboy Carter” at the 2024 CMAs decision country star Mickey Guyton is called depressing and may reflect how the country music industry operates in Nashville. Could the same thing happen at the Grammys?

“A lot of times in country music, if you put out a country album, you need to (not necessarily, but it’s beneficial to you) invest in the community and really put yourself out there to that audience so that the community feels attached to you,” Guyton said. “Nashville is very, very, very — it’s almost a club, and it’s a community. And people… feel like they need to get to know you. And that was definitely a factor. That still doesn’t make it less than disappointing.”

If Beyoncé receives a Grammy nomination for best country album, she will become the second Black artist to do so—Guyton was the first with her 2022 debut. “Remember her name.”

Country musician BRELAND, who is both a CMA and Grammy voter, points out the differences between both awards ceremonies.

“Nashville as a whole is a community where when you come to town, you kind of pay your dues. And it seems to me that this is exactly how the system works. That’s how country radio works.” he explained. “You saw Post Malone really ingratiate himself with… the community here in Nashville, which I think contributed to him getting some of those looks. You know, Shaboosie was nominated (for the CMA), but you also saw him perform at the CMA festival and play at several country festivals.”

In Beyoncé’s case, “Her not being here (in Nashville) probably didn’t help her nomination,” he continued. “She’s done a really great job of helping change the narrative in country music, and I’d be surprised if she didn’t get some recognition at the Grammys. … Grammy voters will probably be a little more receptive to this than people on the CMA side.”

Maura Johnston independent music writer and adjunct professor at Boston College, said that Beyoncé “often falls victim to the tall poppy syndrome, when she’s so good and she’s so great and on a different level than everyone else,” the instinctive reaction is to “respect something different ” ” Race also matters, as black performers are rarely recognized in country categories.

“She should be nominated because it is such an artistic achievement. You know, it’s a way for people to get a crash course in American history,” she continues. “But I also know how the country treats outsiders.”

On the other hand, Johnston argued that Grammy voters could try to override the decision made by the CMA and ensure that she gets nominations. “It would be a good tip and a good realization that yes, the music business is quite big and we need to get rid of the narrow-mindedness that can dominate,” she said.

What are Post Malone’s prospects for the Grammys in the country categories?

“Just based on the response to him on country radio, I think he might have the best chance of the three,” Johnston said.

“Radio is a very important gatekeeper in the country music industry,” and Malone plays that game, she says. “The album… has so many cameos from everyone in country music,” she added. the likelihood that he will only be nominated by people with whom he has collaborated is very high.”

These include Hank Williams Jr. Tim McGraw Dolly Parton, Combs and Wilson. “I think it has a better chance of getting nominated for country album of the year.”

Johnston said she believed the inclusion of the song “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen could be a liability at the Grammys, where past behavior such as threw a chair off a Nashville roof next to two policemen and using racial slurs in the 2021 video – means “it’s still a little radioactive.”

Despite having some of the most popular songs and albums of the past few years, Wallen has never been nominated for a Grammy. (At the February show his single “Last Night” was nominated in the category “Best Country Song”, but did not win. Wallen wouldn’t have won the prize anyway; it’s only given to songwriters.)

Overall, she sees Malone as a candidate for some nominations, especially ones that don’t include Wallen.

What are Shabuzi’s chances at the Grammys?

As great as Shaboosie’s album is, it’s much more likely that the country star will gain recognition for his smash hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy.).”

“It’s kind of based on the premise “Old Town Road” Johnston says, pointing to Lil Nas X game changes single.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hit No. 1 on both the country and general genre charts, she notes. “It’s a cross-genre moment and just a good song. It’s also classic country.”

Shaboosie “was the first black male artist to hit number one on the country song charts and country radio airplay,” she told Johnston, “So I think it’s a good sign that, you know, radio has embraced him.”

Perhaps the Grammys will do the same.

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Gary Gerard Hamilton contributed to this report.