Spring Strings
Grammys 2021
&
Country
Lil
100
The iconic opening allegro introduces buoyant, characterful strings, individually instructed by the composer himself to mimic buzzing insects, barking dogs and other characterful, springtime creatures. This composer was an early pioneer of the use of narrative in music, with each of his four seasons being published with a poem. From ‘Spring’:
Spring has arrived with joy
Welcomed by the birds with happy songs
And the brooks, amidst gentle breezes
Murmur sweetly as they flow
"Spring" from the Four Seasons
Vivaldi
100
Record of the Year
"Everything I Wanted"
Billie Eilish
100
"It's a great song, simple as that. Good songs are good songs. They stand on their own, they can be stripped away of the production. A song is what happens when a writer sits down on their individual instrument and creates something out of nothing."
"You Make My Dreams Come True"
Hall & Oats
100
Our ?-?-?-?-?-?-? becomes final today
"D-I-V-O-R-C-E"
Tammy Wynette
100
This song features two rappers, one with the given name Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.
"Mr. Carter"
Lil Wayne and Jay-Z
200
"At its heart is one chord which is so the essence, not only of "Appalachian Spring," but in my mind Copland's entire vision of America. And it's right at the very beginning and it's this simple chord. That, to me, is the genesis of the whole piece. And what's so interesting is it's very close to something very simple."
"Appalachian Spring"
Aaron Copland
200
Album of the Year
"Folklore"
Taylor Swift
200
French house pioneers who created the mindmeld of disco-pop-dance-house-synth-funk, wearing space helmets to keep the focus on the music.
"Around the World"
Daft Punk
200
"The mystery masked man was smart
He got himself a_______
'Cause Tonto did the_________"
"The mystery masked man was smart
He got himself a Tonto
'Cause Tonto did the dirty work for free"
"If I Had a Boat" by Lyle Lovett
200
Song with XXXTentacion
"Falling Down"
Lil Peep and XXXTentacion
300
This composer was a master of musical symbolism: he paints the picture of a faun prancing in amongst budding flowers in a lush, green meadow. The flute, representing the flute of the faun, swoops and dives over swirling, sun-soaked strings, magical harp and woodwind swells. Close your eyes and let it construct this fantastical, rustic scene around you.
"L’Apres-midi d’Une Faune"
Claude Debussy
300
Best R&B Performance
"Black Parade"
Beyonce
300
Beyonce’s Protégés
Chloe X Halle
“Being in the midst of having such a beautiful mentor like her, we were allowed to explore with our creativity, and we’re so thankful to her for providing her platform and always reminding us that you don’t have to dumb down your art for the world — you can keep creating new, innovative things and let the world catch up to you."
300
After this song became a #1 Country hit for four weeks, this artist started regularly performing in jails, doing about 12 shows a year - for free - mostly in Folsom and San Quentin. "I don't see anything good come out of prison. You put them in like animals and tear out the souls and guts of them, and let them out worse than they went in."
"Folsom Prison Blues"
Johnny Cash
300
From the 2020 Album "Eternal Atake"
"P2"
Lil Uzie Vert
400
This picturesque piano miniature from Norwegian composer encapsulates both the delicate, almost fragile nature of spring as well as the excitement of bold new beginnings that the seasons offers. The opening section is dainty, featuring a tumbling melody in the upper register with soft, ringing chimes. Moving down the piano to the richer, lower register, the middle section becomes braver, before opening back up into the first theme with flowing accompaniment.
"To Spring" from Lyric Pieces
Edvard Grieg
400
Best Latin Pop or Urban Album
"YHLQMDLG"
Bad Bunny
400
American folk-rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul and singer Art.
"Mrs. Robinson"
Simon & Garfunkel
400
"Even if [people] don't agree with the girls-kissing-girls thing or even the drug reference," this country artist said about her breakthrough song, "I would hope that they would agree that no matter what, we all should be able to love who we want to love and live how we want to live."
"Follow Your Arrow"
Kacey Musgraves
400
Merged the pastoral tones of country with hip-hop, putting a spin on a subgenre dubbed country-trap.
"Old Town Road"
Lil Nas X
500
This Paris premiere caused a stir, about an ancient Russian tribe of pagans performing a ritual of dance and sacrifice to the gods.
"Rite of Spring"
Igor Stravinsky
500
Best Pop Vocal Album
"Future Nostalgia"
Dua Lipa
500
Actual brothers Don and Phil grew up harmonizing together in Iowa, and Tennessee. Their harmonic style took over the airwaves in the Fifties.
"All I Have to Do Is Dream"
Everly Brothers
500
"It's got Baptists and Holiness and Methodists singing in it and Scotch bagpipe and the old Southern blues… It really touches your heart, and it's a good, clean music."
"Blue Moon of Kentucky"
Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys
500
"Yeah, I know you wanna FaceTime, baby, I have Samsung”
"Walk Away as the Door Slams"
Lil Tracy, Lil Peep