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Tomorrow could be a rare good day for Amy Winehouse. The nominees for this year's Grammys will be announced on Thursday, and Winehouse is all but certain to be a multiple nominee. In a time in which albums that are both critically-acclaimed and commercially successful are few and far-between, Amy's Back to Black stands out. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA and boasts a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic. Her appeal is vast - she gets airplay on adult contemporary, pop, R&B, and alternative stations, which is nearly unheard of in these niche-driven days. Grammy voters have surely taken notice.
But could Amy even challenge Michael Jackson's long-standing Grammy records? The Gloved One famously steamrolled the 1984 ceremony, garnering 12 nominations and 8 wins. It would be a stretch certainly, but Winehouse has the top four categories - Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Song of the Year - seemingly sewn up. If Grammy voters have trouble deciding if she's a pop or an R&B artist, she could find herself up for awards in both genres.
It will be interesting for her. While the Grammys are notoriously tin-eared and easily the worst of the major entertainment awards, they certainly have an impact on an artist's sales. Can Winehouse follow in the footsteps of Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, and Norah Jones, all of whom saw their fortunes rise after big wins? Only if the Grammy gods are smiling.
In other news:
- Amy Winehouse can't even go to the store for some Lucozade and ice lollies
without being photographed.
(Daily Mail)
- You can watch Amy's video for "Love Is a Losing Game" - which features her now-jailed husband Blake Fielder-Civil - over at NME.
- Have Mark Ronson and Lily Allen fallen out? Ronson says Lil's not returning
his calls.
(The Sun)
- Meanwhile, Lily has been spotted with James Blunt's manager.
(Mirror)
- The Daily Mail's Fay Weldon chides The Spice Girls for their ill effects on British society:
"Their singable, suggestive lyrics took away the innocence of the
playground - or at least what was left of it. And it's never coming back.
They turned difficult love into temporary sex and reduced female
aspiration to a series of consumer choices. They turned little girls into paedophile bait (!), and in doing so they helped
destroy our concept of childhood."
- The Spice Girls have tear-soaked reunions with their young children.
(The Sun)
- Did Mel B.'s husband storm out of the Spice Girls concert in Vancouver after Mel "picked a guy
from the crowd and began to writhe all over him"?
(Mirror)
- It's expensive for me to say I'm sorry: Robbie Williams apologizes to his
former Take That manager - and agrees to pay damages.
(BBC)
- Leona Lewis: "Americans love her clean image and big ballad vocals."
(The Sun)
- Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, and 400 other artists want part of the profits made from re-selling tickets online.
(Guardian)
- Last year, Morrissey was rumored to be doing it. Now word is that Jarvis Cocker wants to write Britain's next Eurovision entry?
(Contact Music)
- The Guardian's Steven Wells harshly criticizes Morrissey's comments about immigration.
- The English city of Brighton has banned all music that "incites hatred on religious, racial, or sexuality grounds" in public venues.
(Gigwise)
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I was sorry to hear about the recent passing of Anton Rogers at the age of 74. Years ago, I enjoyed watching him in Fresh (and French) Fields, May to December, and Noah's Ark. I don't know if any of these made it to PBS or BBCA, but I actually saw Noah's Ark on the now defunct American network--Trio.