Beyonce, Kanye West, Adele and other A-list music celebrities aren’t the only Grammy nominated artists this year. Each year, the Grammy committee nominates many artists across 84 categories from Album of the Year to Best Tropical Latin Album. We scoured through the dozens and dozens of artists to whom the committee gave a nod this year and found 8 particularly noteworthy under-the-radar artists that you may not have heard of, but should.
Parquet Courts
The Brooklyn-based slack rockers are the most unexpected artist on this list, especially considering that their 2016 album Human Performance received a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package of all things.
Over lead singer Andrew Savage’s characteristic sing-talk, Parquet Courts pare down their punk-laden guitar rock on their newest release. The title track and art-rocker "Berlin Got Blurry" are among the finest, but the entire album reminds us that dirty, noisy rock is still alive and well.
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.
BJ the Chicago Kid
"I want you to feel it," croons BJ The Chicago Kid on the sultry "Love Inside." That’s a fitting instruction for listening to the soulful singer-songwriter, nominated for Best R&B Performance (for "Turnin’ Me Up"), Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Woman’s World") and Best R&B Album (In My Mind), who hails from the South Side of Chicago.
The jazzy ditty "Turnin’ Me Up" showcases the retro vibes of the singer, who got his musical start as a backup vocalist for gospel star Mary Mary and a writer and guest for a variety of R&B and gospel artists including Stevie Wonder. He’s movin’ up: In My Mind, his 2016 debut album released on Motown, features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper and Big K.R.I.T.
D.R.A.M.
From just the intro of "Broccoli" — the high first piano notes and D.R.A.M.’s happy-go-lucky vocals ("Ain’t no tellin’ what I’m finna be on / I’m beyond all that fuck shit, hey") — it’s clear that we’re listening to a hit. The Grammy committee agrees, nominating the sunny ode to weed featuring fellow rap riser Lil Yachty for Best Rap/Sung Performance.
The tune, which also references the Virginia R&B riser’s life story, encapsulates his vibe with en pointe lyrics like "Couple summers later I got paper / I acquired taste for salmon on a bagel."
Raging Fyah
The Kingston, Jamaica-based reggae group remain true to the genre’s roots on Everlasting, which is nominated for Best Reggae Album.
Their breakout album grooves along on songs like the smooth, yearning title track and the rocksteady sing-along "Dash Wata." The record is also rich with empowering cuts like "Live Your Life" (feat. J Boog) and "Justice." Raging Fyah may not be innovating too much on Everlasting, but that’s not the point.
Jacob Collier
On "Flintstones," nominated for Best Instrument and Vocal Arrangement, Jacob Collier recorded an impressively over-the-top, flourish-heavy take on the iconic TV theme song featuring his voice harmonizing on six different recorded tracks.
The London-based jazz multi-instrumentalist got his start on YouTube, uploading similar videos of up to eight-part vocal harmonies composed of different takes of his voice. Now 22, Collier released his debut record In My Room featuring a soulful cover of Stevie Wonder’s "You and I" (which also received a Grammy nom, for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella) this year.
Sarah Jarosz
The 25 year-old singer-songwriter and mandolin player has become a household name in the roots and Americana circles, and now she’s on her way to wider acclaim. Her fourth full-length Undercurrent — a dark, lyrically-rich record of love and deep ponderings — intermingles her folksy tenor with blues and jazz tones.
A Best Folk Album and Best Non-Classical Engineered Album nominee, Undercurrent features the intricate, emotive "House Of Mercy," which garnered her a third nom for American Roots Performance.
See what else made it into our Top 8 by visiting its official page.
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