Beyoncé & JAY-Z
Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
list
Some of music's biggest power couples have made sweet music together — and subsequently, earned GRAMMY nominations. As Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn and Maren Morris & Ryan Hurd celebrate 2022 nominations, take a look at eight other GRAMMY-worthy pairings.
Carena Liptak
|GRAMMYs/Mar 17, 2022 - 10:48 pm
From modern-day country music fairy tales to bona fide pop dynasties, several sets of lovebirds have earned GRAMMY nods — and even trophies — together.
While many have proven to be superstars in their own right, their GRAMMY prowess has been amplified by coming together with a musical partner. JAY-Z and Beyoncé are perhaps the prime example of that, putting the "power" in "power couple": As JAY-Z adds three more nominations in 2022, they're officially the most-nominated couple in GRAMMY history with 162 combined nods.
Though Bey and Jay aren't nominated together this year, there are a handful of couples who are, including Taylor Swift and her actor beau, Joe Alwyn. The pair collaborated on Swift's evermore, which is up for Album Of The Year — an award they won together for folklore last year.
There's even one 2022 GRAMMY nominee who famously found musical success while romantically linked: ABBA. Though their romantic relationships didn't work out, the '70s group earned their first-ever GRAMMY nomination for a project they released after a four-decade break.
Below, get to know some of the couples who have won or been nominated for GRAMMYs.
JAY-Z & Beyoncé
JAY-Z and Beyoncé's love story is one for the musical history books. From being "Crazy in Love" to confronting cheating rumors in their respective projects 4:44 and Lemonade, the music monoliths have been through just about every up and down of love (and fame) since they were first linked in 2001.
Even despite their public struggles, the couple have kept plenty of their life together private. Through it all, they've braided their personal love story with their art.
Their musical pairing started when JAY-Z recruited Beyoncé for his 2002 single "'03 Bonnie & Clyde." But their status as one of music's most powerful couples came with Beyoncé's 2003 smash "Crazy In Love," a duet with JAY-Z that won the duo their first GRAMMYs together (for Best R&B Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration).
They've since gone on to earn 13 total nominations together, winning five. Their hit collab "Drunk In Love" won Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance in 2015, and their collaborative album, Everything is Love (which they released as The Carters), won Best Urban Contemporary Album in 2019.
Separately, Beyoncé and Jay-Z hold two GRAMMY records. Beyoncé has won more GRAMMYs than any other female artist, bringing home 28 in total. JAY-Z has 83 total nominations — including three this year — making him the most-nominated artist of all time. (He has won 23.)
Johnny Cash & June Carter
Arguably the greatest country music love story of all time, Johnny Cash and June Carter's romance began backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in 1956. At the time, Carter — who was born into the legendary Carter family, and had been performing since the age of 10 — was singing backup for Elvis Presley.
Songs like "I Walk the Line" and "Ring of Fire," both of which have since been inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, immortalize their fiery early attraction and enduring devotion to each other. Still, it took some time (and several proposals) for Carter to agree to marry Cash. They were married for 35 years, up until Carter's death in 2003, and during that time, Carter helped Cash overcome his chronic struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. They were parents to one son, John Carter Cash.
They were also an iconic musical duo. Cash, who has received 13 GRAMMY trophies and 35 nominations, won his very first GRAMMY Award in 1968 thanks to "Jackson," one of his most well-known collaborations with Carter. The duo were nominated for four GRAMMYs together, sharing one more win in 1971 for their hit "If I Were A Carpenter," which took home Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group.
Carter also won three GRAMMYs for her own music, winning Best Traditional Folk Album for her solo albums Press On and Wildwood Flower — the latter of which also earned her a Best Female Country Vocal Performance gramophone for "Keep On The Sunny Side."
Taylor Swift & Joe Alwyn
Taylor Swift and her "London Boy," actor Joe Alwyn, may keep much of their relationship away from the spotlight. But in the last couple of years, they've teamed up in the studio — and have seen GRAMMY-winning results.
Alwyn served as a co-producer on Swift's folklore, which won Album of the Year at the 2021 GRAMMYs. Like much of their life together, Alwyn's participation in folklore was a bit shrouded in mystery. But Alwyn's contributions were revealed in Swift's film about the album, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, as the singer confirmed that William Bowery — a co-writer on two of the tracks — was actually a pseudonym for Alwyn. Alwyn also co-produced six songs on the project, Swift revealed when his producer credit became public.
The actor returned for folklore's sister record, evermore, co-writing three songs (including the album's title track). The project's December 2020 release made it eligible for the 2022 GRAMMYS, where it earned Swift and Alwyn another joint Album Of The Year nod.
The couple began dating in late 2016, according to diary entries dated from early January 2017 that Swift would later release as part of the album notes to her Lover album. They've remained fiercely private, though they are occasionally spotted together at events, on red carpets and in each other's social media pictures.
Cardi B & Offset
While Cardi B and Offset's path to wedded bliss has been anything but smooth — the couple has surmounted cheating scandals, a divorce filing, public breakups and equally public reconciliation efforts — they've proven to be great partners in the studio.
The two rappers first started dating in early 2017, teaming up for "Lick" before they were even publicly a couple. Later that year, Cardi hopped on "Motorsport" with Offset and his Migos bandmates, and Offset proposed to Cardi during their first performance of the song.
Migos featured on Cardi B's GRAMMY-winning album, 2019's Invasion Of Privacy, but Offset and Cardi first celebrated a GRAMMY nomination together with "Clout," a track from his solo debut, Father of 4. Cardi has nine GRAMMY nods to date, and Offset has three nominations in total.
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
From their first meeting at a Nashville country radio event to their recent co-starring roles on the Yellowstone prequel,1883, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have grown and changed throughout their 25-year marriage. But they've always remained devoted to each other.
Their story began after McGraw invited Hill to be an opening act on his tour in 1996, quickly falling in love and marrying the same year. The following year, they released "It's Your Love" — not only the first of many duets, but the first of six GRAMMY nominations they would eventually earn together.
Hill and McGraw celebrated their first GRAMMY win in 2001, when their power ballad, "Let's Make Love." They took home another gramophone five years later thanks to their hit "Like We Never Loved At All" (ironically, a breakup song).
The country stars have continued to find ways to be together: Long before they teamed up to star on the same TV show, they embarked on a series of joint tours (titled Soul2Soul) in 2000, 2006 and 2017/2018. They've also joined forces for a number of other duets, including "It's Your Love" and "The Rest of Our Life" — the title track to their 2017 joint album.
Maren Morris & Ryan Hurd
This modern-day Nashville fairy tale began when Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd were both up-and-coming songwriters who were paired together for a co-writing session in 2013. The result? A song called "Last Turn Home" that wound up on Tim McGraw's 2014 album, Sundown Heaven Town.
Morris and Hurd stayed friends for a couple of years, but in 2015, their relationship turned romantic — and like any songwriting couple, they detailed their love story in their songs. Hurd's "Love in a Bar" and "Diamonds or Twine" were inspired by Morris, while Morris' "To Hell & Back" is a love letter to Hurd.
The pair married in 2018, and welcomed their son, Hayes, in 2020. Music is still the foundation of their relationship — and it's proving to be more impactful than ever. They earned their first No. 1 country radio hit (via Mediabase) together with 2021's "Chasing After You," a song that also earned them a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance this year.
Julia Michaels & JP Saxe
Singer/songwriters Julia Michaels and JP Saxe have a love story that's truly built on their shared passion for music. They met for the first time when they wrote "If the World Was Ending," which Saxe released in 2019 as the lead single off his Hold it Together EP.
Not only did the song bring the lovebirds together, but it helped earn the pair a GRAMMY nomination for Song Of The Year in 2021. The nom was Saxe's first and Michaels' third; Michaels has an Album Of The Year nod at the 2022 GRAMMYs thanks to her contributions on H.E.R.'s album, Back Of My Mind.
Saxe and Michaels officially confirmed their relationship in January of 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic made "If the World Was Ending" take on a whole new life. The pair even released a star-studded charity video that benefitted Doctors Without Borders.
As their romance has bloomed, both Michaels and Saxe have continued to musically influence each other. In separate 2021 interviews with People, they each revealed that their respective projects — Michaels' Not In Chronological Order and Saxe's Dangerous Levels of Introspection — were inspired by their relationship.
Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi
Banjo player and singer/songwriter Rhiannon Giddens has been collaborating for much of her career. Perhaps best known as a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Giddens was also a member of the roots outfit Our Native Daughters. What's more, she dueted with country star Eric Church on his 2016 single "Kill a Word."
But in 2019, her love for collaboration resulted in real love: Giddens made her 2019 album, there is no Other, with her then-relatively new partner, Italian jazz player Francesco Turrisi. The project was as complex and multifaceted as the pair's own musical backgrounds, and amalgamation of Giddens' old-time musical roots with songs like "Wayfaring Stranger" and Turrisi's European influence with songs like "Pizzica di San Vito."
The couple's second collaborative album, They're Calling Me Home, resulted in two nominations at the 2022 GRAMMYs: Best Folk Album, and Best American Roots Song for the track "Avalon."
Laura Sullivan & Eric Sullivan
While Laura and Eric Sullivan's love story might not be as high-profile as some of the other GRAMMY-nominated couples, they are prolific, classically-informed New Age musicians with a lengthy history of being partners in both music and in life.
A pianist and composer, Laura makes music that bridges genres: You can hear her compositions on TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance and 48 Hours, but her style also extends into World Music, Native American Music and classical music. Meanwhile, her husband, Eric, is her producer and talent manager.
He's also the co-owner of Sentient Spirit Records, the label behind much of Laura's work. Her new album, Pieces of Forever, is currently up for Best New Age Album at the 2022 GRAMMY Awards.
If they win, Eric and Laura will share the award, since Eric produced the project. It's the second album to take them to the GRAMMYs; Eric produced Laura's 2013 album, Love's River, which won Best New Age Album in 2014.
ABBA
Though there aren't technically any current couples in ABBA, there are a couple of exes. Upon their 1972 formation, the Swedish pop quartet consisted of one married couple — Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus, who'd gotten married a year prior — and another pair, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who would eventually marry in 1978.
Neither marriage lasted: By 1981, both sets of couples had called it quits. The group dissolved the following year, and it seemed as if their musical partnership had soured as quickly as their romantic relationships.
However, after a staggering four-decade break between albums, ABBA made a triumphant return in 2021. Releasing the album Voyage in November 2021, the project both served as the band's highest-charting album and earned ABBA their first-ever GRAMMY nomination (the appropriately titled single, "I Still Have Faith In You," is up for Record Of The Year).
While the bandmates never found romantic reconciliation, they arguably found something better: The power of lasting friendship and musical camaraderie.
Jay Park
Photo: MORE VISION
feature
The K-pop idol and former industry "bad boy" details the road to 'The One You Wanted,' his first album in five years. The 20-track R&B album features Ty Dolla $ign and a host of other collaborators.
Hannah Abraham
|GRAMMYs/Oct 8, 2024 - 03:58 pm
At 37 years old, the heavily tattooed, free-speaking Jay Park doesn’t exactly fit the cookie-cutter K-pop idol mold.
Sixteen years into his career — which included a stint as the fan-voted leader of hip-hop group 2PM in the 2000s, an infamous departure, and equally incredible comeback in the 2010s — Jay Park is one of the few K-pop artists who have managed to stay relevant in an increasingly saturated industry.
Now, Park is back to dispel any doubts about his longevity with The One You Wanted. Out Oct. 8, the 20-track, collab-rich R&B album is his first in five years and the result of an even longer period of creativity.
"In Korea when people hear a song, they say, 'Oh, this sounds like Jay Park.' It’s like my music has become a genre by itself," he tells GRAMMY.com.
Much like his persona, Jay Park's road to K-pop stardom has been unorthodox. Born Park Jaebom to Korean immigrant parents, Park was raised in Seattle and never felt like he fully fit into the multiple cultures he was brought up around.
He never aimed to become an artist; it was initially just a way for him to express himself. "Hip hop and R&B just became where I found my identity," he adds, citing a deep admiration for artists like Michael Jackson, Usher, and Drake.
Once he began breakdancing, rapping, and battling his friends, his mother pushed him to try out at a locally advertised talent audition. "At that time, it was just me, and mom and my brother, having money problems. We couldn’t pay the electric and water bill," he told CNN, explaining why he went for it at all. He got through, after auditioning with a rap he wrote himself (and recalled word-for-word over video call). Unbeknownst to him, the audition was for K-pop juggernaut JYP entertainment.
For a while, it seemed like Park had made it — he debuted in 2008 as the leader and main rapper of heartthrob hip-hop group 2PM. The seven-member 2PM are credited with originating a particularly masculine image in K-pop, a break from the softer "flower boy" image that other boy groups held at the time. They released two mini-albums in 2009 and were preparing for a full-length release. Things were looking good.
Exactly a year after his debut, however, Park’s star trajectory came to a screeching standstill. Moving to Korea from the US as a 17-year-old had been difficult on Park, who wasn’t fluent in the language or expectations of him as an idol. Eagle-eyed netizens spotted comments from his old Myspace posts disparaging Korea and its idol system, and in 2009, before the group released their first LP, Jay Park left 2PM.
His departure split K-pop fandoms down the middle, with large swathes defending his perspective while others decided he no longer deserved to represent Korea in a cultural space. Online searches for Jay Park exploded in the next few months, his name even topping the 2010 Oscars to take the No.1 on Twitter’s trending list in March.
Park shies away from talking about that time in his life, simply repeating over the years that he had made mistakes. "I was very ignorant and not very open-minded," he says. "I was also young, you know? It was hard, but I'm glad I went through all those periods now because it taught me a lot."
Moving back to the US, Park decided to take some time for himself. A family friend gave him a job at his tire shop, which, though a far cry from his idol days, helped him recoup after igniting endless conversations about the expectations placed on idols.
While Park was laying low, the tide had turned in Korea; the majority of K-pop fans now felt that he was too harshly judged. Fans organized silent protests and boycotted products endorsed by 2PM members. Some reportedly paid for a plane to drag a banner with the words, "J, what time is it now?" across the Seattle skies, in a reference to his band name 2PM.
Others found his church address, and started sending him gifts — including a laptop, which he used to start a YouTube channel. Park chuckles at the full circle fan moment in our interview.
His first cover in 2010 — a take on B.o.B and Bruno Mars’ "Nothing on You" recorded in his bathroom — went viral, garnering more than 2 million hits on YouTube in 24 hours. The song got so popular that B.o.B re-released the song in Korea with Park’s vocals instead of Mars’. Korean news agency Yonhap reported the song sold 5 million copies in Korea.
The cover gave Park’s music career a new lease on life, and his return to Korea in 2010 was greeted by thousands of cheering fans at Incheon airport.
It is rare in K-pop that an artist makes a comeback after leaving a company as major as JYP Entertainment. "I faced a lot of backlash," Park said in a 2023 AFP interview, adding he was once "kind of blacklisted from the industry."
Park pressed on, releasing his first EP as a soloist in 2010, which included a rearranged Korean version of "Nothin’ On You." As a solo artist, Park could now move on from his pop image towards an edgier hip-hop sound. The transition came with "a lot of trial and error," Park recalls.
"I look back on my lyrics from 2010 to about 2013, I cringe so hard sometimes," he says with a laugh. "I wasn’t great at translating my English thoughts to Korean, so some lyrics have become memes now." He also felt taken advantage of as a newcomer. "I didn't know anything about how the industry worked, and I was young and naive and didn’t have any proper representation," he says. "So many times, people came to me claiming to work at wherever or represent whoever, and I would just believe them."
Still, Park's music was taking off again. Take A Deeper Look, Park’s rap-heavy first solo Korean mini-album, debuted at No. 3 in the Billboard World Album Charts in 2011. Park established his own record label, AOMG, in 2013 and a second, H1ghr Music, in 2017.
"The reason why I made my own labels is because I wish I had someone to share these experiences or lend a helping hand or guide me to ... what I need to do with this type of fame or when stuff goes wrong," he told USA Today.
The labels house mainly hip-hop artists like pH1, Sik-K, Loco, Ugly Duck, Hoody, and former GOT7 member Yugyeom. Together, the two companies have been widely credited for leading the hip-hop presence in an otherwise pop-dominated K-pop industry.
In the meanwhile, Park’s increasingly adult-themed releases like the trap inspired, sensual "Mommaev and the more mellow, groove-centered "All I Wanna Do" racked up hundreds of millions of views, further propelling him to the forefront of K-pop’s hip-hop and R&B scene.
His rapport was only getting better internationally as well. In 2017, Park became the first Asian American to sign with Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation.
In 2018, Park's first English-language EP under Roc Nation, Ask About Me, showcased his ability to move fluidly between genres, from the trap-inspired party anthem "Soju" featuring 2Chainz to the tropical house, R&B, and trap blend "Yacht."
In 2021, Park officially stepped down from both AOMG and H1ghr Music, and established a third label called MORE VISION, representing Korean artists like Chungha and Honey J. The process took longer than expected, he says, which is why The One You Wanted is his first full-length album in five years. (Park released an introspective and uncharacteristically vulnerable The Road Less Traveled in 2019 and a mini-album titled Jay Park: Season 2 earlier this year.)
It seems as if Park has taken the whole of his experience and channeled it into The One You Wanted. Park describes the 20-track album as "easy listening" and return to his R&B roots with features from Ty Dolla Sign, Chungha, IU and Hwasa. For Park, it’s a solidification of his self-styled genre.
Although far less reflective than his last full album, The One You Wanted still showcases his progression. "Some songs are from six years ago and others I wrote just this year," he says. "You can definitely sense how the sound is different, and my voice is different."
Park hinted at retiring in 2022, but seems in no hurry to do so now. "I’ve been wanting to retire since 2012," he laughs. "When I went solo, I had to hustle a lot to survive in this cutthroat industry. To try to find out what people are into without selling myself short, it was very strenuous."
"But right now, I feel like I’m still needed in the industry."
He is not talking just about his own music or his first world tour in six years — his label MORE VISION is also planning to debut two new K-pop groups by 2026.
For Park, it’s an opportunity to hand down wisdom from everything he’s learned since that fateful JYP audition. "Getting all that attention, getting criticized all the time or getting compliments all the time, it's not normal," he says. "I just gotta make sure while [the trainees] still think I'm cool, I can get them in the right mindset and the right balance of life."
The jury’s still out on the trainees’ opinions, but based on The One You Wanted, Jay Park is set to remain cool for a long time.
Latest News & Exclusive Videos
(From left) JRich, Offset, SheShe Pendelton and Southside
Photo: Derek White/Getty Images
feature
At GRAMMY U's Unwrapped event in Atlanta, Offset and his creative team detailed the creation behind 'SET IT OFF.' The rapper shared how trust and honesty were key throughout the recording process and shaped the project's storytelling.
Izzy Hory
|GRAMMYs/Sep 30, 2024 - 06:23 pm
On Sept. 20, GRAMMY U members had the opportunity to learn from GRAMMY-nominated rapper Offset, who shared insights into his creative process behind his sophomore album, SET IT OFF.
The second-ever GRAMMY U Unwrapped event was held in Offset's Atlanta hometown, and the rapper was joined by several collaborators. Featured in the exclusive panel discussion were recording engineer and GRAMMY U alum JRich, producer/songwriter/rapper, and co-founder of the 808 Mafia collective Southside, and moderator by SheShe Pendelton, the creative and fashion director for SET IT OFF.
Nearly a year after the release of his sophomore album, SET IT OFF, the three-time GRAMMY nominee emphasized the importance of trust and honesty with contributors throughout the album's creation. Step inside the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and read on for insights from all four creatives. GRAMMY U's Unwrapped was held in collaboration with the Recording Academy’s Atlanta Chapter and Black Music Collective, and made possible by participating sponsors Amazon Music and Mastercard.
Real Talk Begets Real Music
When Offset first played his album for Southside, Southside pointed out that while everything sounded great, there was no real intro. This surprised Offset, who had spent two years working on the album and thought it was nearly complete. That feedback was crucial, and led to the creation of "ON THE RIVER" as the opening track.
As soon as Offset heard the beats from Southside, he knew the opening track needed to convey a more serious and vulnerable tone, rather than the high-energy and "turnt" vibe he’s known for. Offset and Southside's sessions are built on brutally honest feedback and a friendship that fosters strong creative trust. Once again, that relationship created powerful music.
Engineer JRich provided a glimpse into their recording routine for "ON THE RIVER" and the larger album, noting that he's always prepared to capture Offset's spontaneous ideas. JRich noted that they keep the music going, aiming to capture the "full vibe" of the experience with minimal technical interruptions. Since Offset does not write down his lyrics, this approach allows them to always be able to reference earlier ideas.
JRich offered a crucial piece of advice from the engineering perspective: never delete anything in a recording session. You'll never know which parts may become valuable to the artist later on. Offset praised JRich for his dedication.
Let The Moment Shape The Art
Producer JRich ┃ Derek White/Getty Images
The music video for "SAY MY GRACE" was filmed in Thailand and envisioned as a fast-paced and aggressive contrast to Offset's emotions. Featuring Travis Scott — whom Offset described as "always on the move" — Offset opted for a low-budget approach, capturing the stunning scenery with a simple camera setup.
The song reflects on Offset's loss of his grandmother, noting that he continues to persevere despite all of the "losses [he's] taking." He told the GRAMMY U audience that he's proud of the song's success on streaming platforms, considering it was one of the most difficult tracks for him to make.
JRich added that making this song was a unique experience, because Scott has a very different style of recording. In fact, Scott's verse in "SAY MY GRACE" differs from the original version because of a last-minute change Scott wanted to make.
Making that change to the verse was only possible because JRich's album deadline was eight days away, giving them time to re-work the track. But deadlines can be tricky for Offset; as someone who creates a lot, he doesn't know how many songs he'll make in a recording session. Deadlines, for Offset and many other artists, make it hard to guess how many tracks will come out of the studio.
Listening Is Always Worth It
Southside and Offset pose┃Derek White/Getty Images
"WORTH IT" was born from an unused sample from Don Toliver's producer. During a session together, Don Toliver played the sample, and Offset immediately liked the beat and vibe, which was different from his usual style.
Offset shared that sometimes artists can get caught up in perfectionism and overlook the potential in sounds they're not initially drawn to. While Toliver was a bit hesitant to release Offset's take on the track, "WORTH IT" ended up doing really well.
This concept can also apply to being open to changes suggested by producers. On "WORTH IT" Southside suggested that Offset change a couple of the verses. Since Offset trusts Southside's judgment, he took the advice.
Similarly, on "Clout" (featuring Cardi B), a song off of Offset’s first solo album, Southside recommended repeating "Do anything for clout" in the chorus instead of rapping straight through. That repetition became a defining feature of the song's success.
Southside added that he employs a philosophy of "simplicity always wins," and being communicative and open to feedback during the music creation process is essential.
Innovation Over Investment
Offset asked his sister to help with the music video for "DON'T YOU LIE," and with only spending $2,000–$3,000, it became one of his most popular videos on YouTube. This experience was a major learning moment for Offset, showing him that a successful music video doesn't require a huge budget. The video, filmed at his house, drew viewers in with its lifestyle focus.
Much like the "homey" vibe of the music video, Southside created the beat for "DON'T YOU LIE"' while just hanging out with Offset. Their collaboration, which dates back to 2014, thrives on their shared energy, making the creative process feel entirely natural — especially with this track.
JRich shared that he was given more creative freedom with "DON’T YOU LIE", adding drops to the track. Just as Southside has built a trusting relationship with Offset, he too has confidence in JRich to bring his vision to life. When offering advice to the audience and fellow engineers, JRich emphasizes that engineers can do more than just handle artist vocals; they can be creative with beats as long as they don’t overdo it and establish trust within the studio.
Trust Your Instincts & Create For Yourself
"I gave it my all," Offset said, reflecting on making the "FAN" music video, which took 26 hours to film at the Paramount Studios Lot in New York. SheShe Pendleton, who played a key role in the creative direction, called it her favorite project. The video features high-energy scenes that shift from Offset watching a movie in a theater to crashing cars in the street, performing on stage (a tribute to Michael Jackson), dreaming in bed, and even transforming into a werewolf.
Offset had a clear vision for the video, and despite some people telling him he was going overboard, he trusted both his instincts and his team. Offset invested in the cameras and choreography, with the support of Michael Jackson's family. In fact, much of SET IT OFF was inspired by Jackson, and thanks to Offset's connection with the family, he even wore one of Jackson's original jackets in the video.
By the time Offset was recording "FAN," he realized the project was deeply personal. If people liked it, great; if not, that was okay, too. He created "FAN" with the mindset that it was something he made purely for himself.
He shared that he doesn't like being boxed into one category and that it's important for creatives to explore different subjects and avenues in the industry. This mentality led to SheShe's transition from being Offset's personal shopper to his creative director, manager, and much more.
Be Passionate And Persistent
Offset┃Derek White/Getty Images
The panelists also offered some words of encouragement to the audience of aspiring music industry professionals and creatives:
"You just have to be creative. Money doesn't determine how far you go," Offset said. "All of us up here started with zero... Believe in your heart... and find people to help you complete your puzzle because you can't do everything alone. Also, never give up because it takes time to be great."
Southside encouraged the audience to keep moving. "You should never stop. Dream big and go for it."
Offset concluded the panel humbly, thanking his panelists and partners.: "A lot of hard work goes into creating an album from the lyrics to the visuals to picking the beats to the fashion," he said. After thanking GRAMMY U, the Recording Academy and the BMC for "giving me a platform to put on for Atlanta," Offset noted that "the kids here are the future and I wanna inspire the next generation."
Learn More About GRAMMY U
Offset
Photo: Motown Records
interview
Before Offset returns to Atlanta for a special GRAMMY U “Unwrapped” event, the rapper breaks down how Takeoff, "Bad and Boujee," and superstar collaborators like Travis Scott and Future inspired some of his best bars.
Megan Armstrong
|GRAMMYs/Sep 16, 2024 - 08:18 pm
Offset understands the weight he shoulders as a former member of Migos, the eternally influential hip-hop trio that made Atlanta trap a global phenomenon. He carries his past with pride, even as he works relentlessly to define his artistry outside of Migos' shadow.
"People always relate back to my group, and I'm putting so much into my creativity to be a standout artist," Offset tells GRAMMY.com. "Carrying the legacy of that is a challenge, too. [Migos] was big — massive — so I'm just trying to make it as big as possible on my own. I want to get to the point where Offset is selling out arenas. That's a dream of mine, so the next album has to be an arena album."
Offset has steadily built toward an arena-ready album. With Migos, the three-time GRAMMY nominee delivered the "Bad and Boujee" hook heard around the world, setting the bar for Migos' world-beating Culture trilogy. His clever wordplay and infectious flow yielded anthemic results outside of Migos, including the six-time-platinum-certified "Ric Flair Drip" from Without Warning, his collaborative album with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin, and the GRAMMY-nominated Cardi B team-up, "Clout," from his 2019 solo debut, LP Father Of 4.
Still, Offset didn't feel like he'd come into his own until SET IT OFF, his sophomore solo LP that he released in October 2023. He developed a mood board around Michael Jackson, even cosplaying the late pop icon on the album's cover and in his self-directed video for "FAN." His hands-on approach to video direction and creating a bold aesthetic bled into autonomous lyricism. The album opens with "ON THE RIVER," where Offset showcases his signature bravado and proclaims his solo star power. But with the album closer "HEALTHY," he isn't afraid to admit that he's still human, and striking out on his own is scary.
"That was my statement to let people know — and let myself know, too — I'm here to stay," the 32-year-old polymath says of the LP. "For my next album, I'm thinking about naming it Kiari, my real name, so I can break barriers and say things that I haven't spoken on before."
SET IT OFF opened the door to bottomless vulnerability. While he didn't specifically mention Takeoff, who was fatally shot on Nov. 1, 2022, Offset alluded to his former Migos groupmate and the trauma from his death on tracks like "SAY MY GRACE" (which features Travis Scott), "DON'T YOU LIE," and "HEALTHY." Writing about his suppressed emotions reminded Offset why he committed his life to music in the first place.
"I'm back to enjoying making music," he says. "I've pushed through so much hardship. I feel more confident — like I can breathe."
On Sept. 20, Offset will return to his native Atlanta for a special GRAMMY U "Unwrapped" event in collaboration with the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter and the Black Music Collective, as well as participating sponsors Amazon Music and Mastercard. The panel will see the rapper go in-depth about the creative process behind SET IT OFF and offer tips to aspiring artists.
Ahead of the event, Offset sat down with GRAMMY.com to reminisce on his favorite memories with the late Takeoff and dissect some of his favorite verses from SET IT OFF and his latest release, “STYLE RARE” with Gunna. Below, in his own words, the rapper details the stories behind lines in "SAY MY GRACE," "WORTH IT," and more.
"ON THE RIVER"
"I had got off the juice / Then the money start blowing up out of the roof / I'm telling the truth, I became the one when I got out the group"
People be taking s— wrong. I ain't want them to flip it as if I was saying something negative about [my time with Migos], but "I became the one" is like I found myself. I found myself when I stepped out and could be myself fully, and I could have control of everything around me. I feel like I'm going to hold the [Migos'] legacy down at the same time.
When I started making my own songs, I think I was just more confident. After "Bad and Boujee," I was real confident because I had finally brought something to the table. People didn't think about it, but the whole time [in Migos], I was like, Damn, I haven't brought no hit yet to the group. I did that with "Bad and Boujee." Following that, I did "Ric Flair Drip." Finally, after "Clout," it was right there for me to go grab and reach at it. I wouldn't have been able to write "I became the one" if I didn't do those songs.
"SAY MY GRACE" (feat. Travis Scott)
"Had to part ways with the sad vibes, bad guy / You might be a villain today / Ask God, 'Why I didn't get an answer? / Why I lose my brother to bullets? / Why I lose my grandma to cancer? / Why mе, God? I need answers / Why a young n***a straight out Atlanta? / Why the judge and thе cops tryna jam us? / Why I keep gettin' all of these chances? / Why me, God? I need answers' / Speak your mind and you might get canceled"
When I was working on the hook, I was just thinking, Say my grace / Made room on my plate. was like I'm asking questions to God. These are real questions. I felt like losing my brother and losing my grandmother — it's like, you get big blessings, and then you get big losses. I was just questioning a lot of things that happened. Why did it have to go like that?
I will never get the answer, but it was just me speaking out loud on it instead of holding it in, because I'd been holding it in for so long. For that record to touch a lot of people was fire, too, because it was a hard song for me to make, even though it seems energetic. When I perform that song, it's like a mosh pit. But I'm saying some real things that I feel like would relate to someone that took a loss. When it be so big of a loss, you're asking, "Why?" You might not get an answer.
I wrote this in June 2023. I was in Cabo. I never wanted to speak on that s— publicly or make songs about it. It was so personal to me that I was going to hold it tight, but it was just like, I need to get this out. I didn't feel no type of relief — still don't have relief.
Shout out to my boy Travis. He always supports me. Bro just pulled up on me at Paramount Recording Studios, and I'm like, "I'm gonna play you the album." It wasn't a session for us to get on music. It was, like, two months after I'd made the song.
I always want to get an outside person that ain't my core or around me every single day. Travis is my boy. I trust his ear, so he be knowing s— is fire. I was playing the album, and, you know, he's crazy. He was like, "Yo! What the f— is this?! Pull it up! I'm going to do it now." Usually, he don't do verses right then and there. I guess it just touched him. We just locked in. The beat just sounded like an anthem. Stadium music.
"DON'T YOU LIE"
"Where would I be if I didn't have Atlanta?"
[This song] came down the line in September, right before I dropped the album. I don't be in Atlanta a lot, you know? I'm in New York because of family. I'm in Los Angeles for business. I just wanted to tell those people I wouldn't be as big — or where I'm at, period — without their support. It's not like me being from Atlanta; it's Atlanta supporting the culture and the music scene in Atlanta that brought me into the doors. I never want to forget that. I don't know where I'd be without Atlanta.
The line came about because it rhymed, to be honest. And it was just a great statement. I did the song in Atlanta, too. "Don't You Lie," even when I performed it at my concerts, that song and this line really made me go down memory lane.
I was thinking about Takeoff, honestly, and the greatest times we ever had. Me and him playing basketball. We sucked. Our jump shots were bricks, and he'd be laughing about it.
He'd sleep late, no matter what. Times when we was smoking and s—, laughing at jokes and what we'd seen online. He always put me on some good movies I'd never heard of or seen. Sci-fi movies. It'd be a good-ass movie every time. He's like 100-for-100 on movie [recommendations].
He'd also humble you. He's so down-to-earth that he'll make you feel like you're not being down-to-earth. He'd be like, "What you got to do, bro? You always got to do something. Just sit down, smoke, watch the movies, and laugh." And then just [remembering] how great of a human being he is. Bro is non-problematic. He says what's right, what's true, and what's real. There ain't no human like him because he's so soulful. Even if you had the right to be mad at something, he'd be like, "Bro, just let that go."
I felt like the production was kind of soulful, where you should be talking about real s—. It wasn't a beat that you should be having fun on.
"WORTH IT" (feat. Don Toliver)
"I'm watchin' on your 'Gram, you givin' them angles / I'm payin' for it, you ain't never gotta stress about no landlord / You ain't never gotta ask me, 'What you plan for?' / Private jet, we're puttin' stamps all on your passport / I got plans for it, leave your man for it"
I'm talking about things that women always talk about online — like the supportive man who makes sure he's taking care of the bills. You ain't never gotta ask me, "What you plan for?"
"Worth It" was a very special record to me because it's timeless music. Fifteen, 20 years from now, you could play that, and it's a vibe. Also, I wanted to show people that I can get into that bag. Everything ain't just rah-rah-rah. It was a really musical record for me. We even broke down the stems of the beat. Like, "These levels need to be a little lower because the instrumental of the beat is just beautiful."
[Don and I] were already cooking. Every time he'd be in L.A. or I'd be in L.A., we'd pull up on each other. We've got like five joints. We picked that one because, to me, that one got your ear immediately as soon as the beat plays. Before a word is even said. That guitar. It's off-rip.
Actually, here's a funny story. Don hated the song, bro. He did not like his parts. He tried to change some s— and send me some new s—. I'm like, "Hell nah!" We went back and forth about it. To this day, every time he sees me, he'll be like, "Bro, you were right! That s— crazy!"
Something about my boy Don Toliver's voice is a different vibe. It sounds old, but it sounds new. When I heard him do that "Ooo" in the hook, I was like, "Oh, my god. This is it." I told him, "This is how you came in, bro. This is the bag you came in on." He was like, "I'm on some new s— now, bro."
I told him this had to go on the album, and he [begged] to send me something else. No, sir. It's over with. We were doing this one. He was like, "Alright, bro. If it don't do nothing, I told you so." It was out for about a week, and he said, "I ain't gonna lie, OG, you got us one!" He performed it on tour in Europe. After he performed it, he called me, like, "Bro, they know it!" I'm like, "I told you."
"BROAD DAY" (feat. Future)
"Money bring a lot of power till the money go down / I was knockin' at the door, and then I kicked the door down"
When I say, "Money bring a lot of power till the money go down," it's like you're powerful when you got the money, but when you're broke, people treat you that way. Now, your ideas are not that good. People just turn their backs on you.
You know how some people may think in the beginning you don't have money, then you get it? I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about after you become successful, and then you lose it. It's just not respected. And so, I said that as a message to try to stay at the top. Save your money. Make sure you don't fall off or fall down because when you do, people will let you know that consistently.
And then, when I say, "I was knocking at the door, and then I kicked the door down," it's like, before I dropped my album, letting people know I'm going solo. I'm doing this on my own. SET IT OFF was me kicking the door down. I'm here. Let me in now.
"Broad Day" was a fun record for me. I was going for the do-it-for-the-city vibe. My boy Nick Papz made that beat, which he's a low-key producer. He came up with some fire. I thought, I hear Future on this s—. I know he's gonna go crazy. I sent it to Future. He called me and said, "This s— hard. I'm already at the studio." Future knocked it out in one day. That's how he do. He don't play. When I perform the song, they go crazy for it.
"HEALTHY"
"Praying for a sign, Lord, can You help me? / Keeping all of this to myself, oh, no, no"
This is me saying I'm a little scared and insecure about going solo at first. Help me to be able to do it. It ain't easy coming behind something so big. I know all the eyes are gonna be judging. It's not like being a new artist. You have an expectation. I had a little fear of that — just being honest, being the creative music man, especially in this time. You never know how shit will go.
It was a heartfelt record. I wasn't even going to put it on the album. I knew it wouldn't be the biggest record, but I felt like maybe I should put it on there so people could hear me in a melodic way talking about myself being solo. I made it the last song because I wanted to be a little vulnerable at the end of the album.
I was actually in Cabo making this one, too. It was nighttime. I had just walked on the beach by myself, smoking a blunt real quick — just thinking. I had a couple of shots in me, too, so I was a little lit when I made the song. I always listen to the production. The guitar on that was just so beautiful. I was like, "I'm just gonna be vulnerable." I was out in Cabo. Just me and my engineer. Nobody else.
It gave me more confidence to be in that bag. To be in that pocket of sound with the autotune because I'm not a big autotune person. That wasn't my expertise. I started to play with it. When you have those types of records, and you got the tempo, and the template must be changed, then you have to learn which key matches the beat so that the tune doesn't skip or sound off-balance. The production put me into different settings on my vocals.
"STYLE RARE" (with Gunna)
"Flow like a butterfly, Lambo' the V"
"Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee" is a known term that Muhammad Ali said, so I caught people's ears immediately. It's the first thing I say [on the song]. I made it "Flow like a butterfly" because of my flow. When I get on the song, it's smooth as a butterfly flying.
I was in Miami around this May. I don't know why this line hit me, either. I swear I don't even have a reason. I freestyle all my music, so sometimes, it's in my head. I'm just listening to the beat. I usually start off mumbling to see the cadence I'm gonna use for the beat, and then I feel out the words.
[Gunna and I] were just f—ing around, cooking up, and working a lot. It was in the same session in L.A. When I lock in, especially with somebody from Atlanta, we're gonna lock in. When you go in the studio like that, you're competitive. We're going back and forth. I hate saying I'm competing with people, so I don't even want to say that. It's like a fun collaboration. You're good, and I'm good. We're both from the A. I've been rocking with him since his first album.
The fans like it when we do songs together. We made some hard s— with "Prada Dem," and then we made this. We were in a confident bag. We both fly, you know what I'm saying?
The video was more of a fashion film vibe. That's why there weren't so many scenes or activity; it was more placements, colorations, and settings. I went crazy on that motherf—er.
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Jack Antonoff
Photo: Alex Lockett
interview
Jack Antonoff has a simple wish: to "write and produce things and play live." The GRAMMY-winning producer is living his dream, and discusses his roster of all-star collabs, creating studio vibes, and the importance of looking back.
Ana Monroy Yglesias
|GRAMMYs/Sep 11, 2024 - 02:08 pm
"I think collaboration boils down to the core belief that something can work," Jack Antonoff recently told GRAMMY.com. "When I make an album with someone, I'm filled with faith that much more in my life or the universe can work, which is definitely a reason why I do this."
The 11-time GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter and producer has worked with many of the biggest modern pop stars — from Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Lorde, to St. Vincent and Sabrina Carpenter — but his core focus has never changed. Antonoff simply wants to make music he loves with people he loves, and perform it live.
Antonoff not only holds many peoples' dream job of being Swift's go-to collaborator, but he's been having a banner year filled with notable creative projects and big wins. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, he won Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for the third year in a row. He also earned two more GRAMMYs that night, sharing Best Pop Vocal Album and Album Of The Year with Swift for his extensive production work, co-writing and instrumentation on Midnights. In March, he released his fourth album as Bleachers and launched a lengthy world tour with the band, which will wrap with their biggest-ever (sold-out) gig at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 4.
His 2024 production credits include Swift's The Tortured Poets Department, four of breakout star Carpenter's Short n' Sweet tracks including No. 1 hit "Please Please Please," and even one of Kendrick Lamar's Drake diss tracks, "6:16 in LA." He also curated and produced the soundtrack for Apple TV's WWII couture period drama "The New Look," featuring modern renditions of classics by Lana Del Rey, Florence Welch, Nick Cave and others. He was also tapped by Tony-winning director Sam Gold to create the soundtrack for a modern reimagining of "Romeo and Juliet," debuting on Broadway later this month.
Before Antonoff became one of the most in-demand producers in pop, he spent his time in bands. As a high school senior in 2002, he formed indie rock outfit Steel Train with several classmates, who'd have a decade-long run playing big festivals including Bonnaroo, SXSW, Warped Tour and Lollapalooza. Afterwards, he played guitar in the power pop trio fun. with whom he earned his first six GRAMMY nods and won his first two in 2013, for Best New Artist and Song of the Year for their anthemic hit "We Are Young" featuring Janelle Monáe.
2013 was a pivotal year for the "Tiny Moves" artist, as it also marked his first time he worked with Swift, who then enlisted him to support her transition away from country music on Album Of The Year winner 1989. Antonoff has said that she was the first artist to trust him as a producer, and that their work together, understandably, opened many other doors for him.
GRAMMY.com recently caught up with the prolific producer and artist for a dive deep into his collaborative magic, the latest Bleachers album, and why he thinks pop is whatever you want it to be.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
There's a lot to talk about just from this year, it's pretty crazy.
When the Bleachers album came out and I was starting to do interviews, I had this really weird experience. Interviews recap things that have happened, so [they make me] realize how little I think about the past. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.
I think it's a symptom of how much my life is future-focused — which is something I really like and fear about my life at the same time. The studio is such a forward place. You're thinking about the next thing, how to find this next feeling in literal and esoteric ways. [Being on] the road is one of the most literally forward places — every day you're somewhere new and you're thinking about the next day and the tour.
I feel like I'm trapped in the future. It's nice and I've designed it that way. But sometimes I get a little scattered or emotional when I talk about things that have happened because I'm thinking about them for the first time. I don't have canned answers.
You're often called a super-producer, which is valid; you've worked with so many big artists and on so much music that everyone hears. But what are you desiring as an artist and a producer lately?
The grand desire that I have has never changed, because it's so much bigger than any amount of success. That desire is to write and produce things and play live. That's a big part of why I love this work so much is because nothing can really help you with that besides your soul. You could be in the most expensive studio in the world with all the best engineers, but there's no proof that [that setting] equals a better song than just sitting in your room.
That fleeting feeling of knowing that it comes and it goes, and you just have to be there to grab it, is such a deep connected-to-the-cosmos feeling.
When you're working on music, at what point do you get excited about a song or know that it's going in the right direction?
When it does happen is when I start to push it forward in a real way. There's an amazing amount of f—king around in search of that feeling, and you never know where you're going to get it. It's sometimes just moving around instruments or lyrics or thoughts with no direction until one thing feels exciting, and then you follow that thing.
It's a really fun process, and it can be anxiety-producing. It's a different kind of fun when you do it with someone else, because you're on this weird adventure together. When you're in a room with other people and everyone has that feeling off of one idea or one sound, it's a very connecting feeling.
When you're working on your own music, particularly with Bleachers, it's mostly just you in the studio, right?
Yes. But the Bleachers process is oddly similar [to my producing], just sort of flipped. I work with producers on Bleachers because I need it sometimes. I've always had these two sides of writing my music and having my own band and needing help with that in various ways. I've learned so much on either side.
Being on the road with Bleachers, remarkably, keeps me connected to everything that matters the most when I'm making records with other artists because I can very easily visualize real fans, the people who live and die by this music. To be acquainted with them every night is a very powerful experience. It always just reminds me who I'm in conversation with, because I think it's easier than ever to get lost.
You've had a busy summer on the road with the Bleachers. How has it felt performing this album live?
It's really my favorite ever. It's the first album I've made with Bleachers that feels like a response to this thing that happens at the shows. Somewhere during the Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night [tour in 2021], the shows got really crazy and loose and kind of off the wall. There was something about it where I was kinda like, Okay, you want to play chicken? [Laughs.] I went into the studio and I tried to one up them. I never felt that before. This time I was talking right at [my fans], which is a luxury of being known by them.**
The first song we ever released was "I Wanna Get Better," which is almost a Wikipedia page of my life, it rattles through everything I'm going to be talking about [forever]. It feels like now I can wax on about something, and they know what I'm talking about.
Is that why you decided to self-title this album?
The actual decision to self-title is a gut feeling. But the real reason is it felt like an earned moment, like we had arrived somewhere where everything had completely formed.
Every reference point [while] making this album became about our own history and our own mythology. In the past, I would have said, Make it like a Mick Fleetwood or Ringo kind of feel. Now the reference point would be Play it like you do at this point in the set when the wheels have blown out for you. You tour and spend enough time with people where it becomes almost like conversations with your best friends, the reference points become your own shared history.
What called you back into the studio to make your own music?
I never know. My life is a lot less structured than people would think. The way I make Bleachers records — and even in everything I make with other people — there's a real looseness to it because I like to be [in the studio] when I feel incredibly excited to be there. I schedule things, just not terribly far out.
For example, Lana and I or Taylor and I have never once been like, "Let's book out a month here." It's sort of like, "What are you doing today? I got this idea, come over." And then if that's feeling good, it's like, "What are you doing tomorrow? Let's keep this going." It's very [much] catching it when it's happening. Some days I'm in the studio for an hour, some days for 16 hours; it's all based on how I feel.
Are you always working on music or ideas — is there always something that's coming out of you?
Lately — the past couple years — I've been feeling the need to create a lot. I feel connected to something, and I feel a lot of joy and that good buzzy anxiety of having these ideas and wanting to hear them, which reminds me of my earliest memories of writing and producing music. When you hear the thing in reality — you can press play on a thing that was a thought — it's the most incredible experience.
"Alma Mater" is such a poetic way to refer to an ex. How did that track come together? Did you have Lana del Rey in mind for it?
No, we were just f—ing around. I think a lot about where you put people [when listening to a song]. On that song, I wanted to put you in a room with me and her, so I left a lot of the elements of us being in the room writing it, messing around. We kept singing back and forth like, "She's my alma mater, f— Balenciaga." [Chuckles.] The lyrics were just making us smile.
As it started to come together, this idea of referring to an old relationship as an alma mater, that excited me and made me want to write that story. That's kind of what an old relationship is: a school that you go to where there's a whole set of friends, and a whole culture, and when it's over, poof, it's gone.
Obviously, you worked with Sabrina Carpenter on some of her new music…
How brilliant is she?
Read more: How Sabrina Carpenter Became A Pop Queen: Tracing Her Journey To 'Short N' Sweet'
She's around the same age Taylor Swift was when you started working with her. Do you see any parallels with Sabrina where Taylor was at then? Sabrina has said it was a really big deal to get to work with you. What was it like working with her?
It was a big deal for me to get to work with her. The great parallel is brilliant writing and being able to write about one's life in the most vulnerable and powerful way. It sounds so simple, but it's the rarest thing to be able to write about your life and to be able to make it so specific and also so poetic. You know it as soon as you hear it.
Can you talk a little bit about the sonic landscape on "Please Please Please"?
We were thinking a lot about joy and the kind of fantastical nature of ABBA, Dolly [Parton] and ELO that I felt would fit her voice and lyrics so well. She [does] this quick vacillation between really cheeky then really emotional, back to really sarcastic, and then she smacks you over the head with something so serious and real that you're stunned. It's my favorite kind of music.
One of the reasons it's so thrilling to me that so many people have responded to it is because it doesn't sound like anything that's going on at all, it almost sounds like the opposite of everything going on. Those are my favorite moments; when something out of left field grabs everyone's attention.
Those bubbly sounds right when "Please Please Please" comes in are not in time. You have a LinnDrum ['80s drum machine] and a live drum playing this tight beat and these country-picking acoustic guitars. Then you have these wobbling synths that, in my head, I'm playing the same way someone would play it when it was first invented because you're just playing along to the track, you're not locking it to any MIDI or anything. I was thinking a lot about that time period — I think about [it] all the time — when I was with Sabrina.
How has your creative partnership with Taylor Swift and your trust in each other evolved in the decade-plus you've been working together? And what has been the coolest thing for you to see in your ongoing work?
As far as evolution, we just have our own language. I saw her play last night [at Wembley Stadium in London], and actually played some songs there too. Most of the time when we work it's just her and I in a room, usually my apartment or Electric Lady [Studios]. To see [the songs] in literally the biggest spaces and retain all of [their] importance and soul and feeling like it's that for every single person in that crowd, it's like the absolute coolest.
She's the absolute greatest of all time, with a never-ending hunger to push forward.
You and Taylor both have such an affinity for witty, nerdy, literary references, and poetic phrasing. How do you pull that out in a way that makes sense in a pop song structure?
I think that tendency is just inherent in both of us. But I think the concept of pop structure is whatever the hell we want it to be. The worst of pop music is ambulance-chasing. The real inspiration is to be your own loud light-up machine shooting down the street. The things I've loved about pop music have just invigorated me to believe that pop music is whatever the hell the person making it says it is, and then everyone else gets to argue if it is or isn't.
I don't sit around and think about genre, placement, or who they're going to satisfy. All those thoughts are not just the death of making things. It's pretty easy for me to only consider that gut feeling. I'm just fascinated by how people hear things. There's no genre of music that I think is better or worse than any other one.
What can you tell us about the upcoming Romeo + Juliet Broadway show you soundtracked? Was it a different creative exercise for you to score such a well-known text; how so?
It was a very different process which is exactly why I wanted to do it. Credit to [director] Sam Gold who really let me fly out to left field and back. I'm about 50 percent through it and I'm going to finish it when I'm home from this tour. It's been something that has opened my world in many ways, to a whole new side of scoring and writing for a musical.
You have a lot of GRAMMYs, 11 of them —
People always ask me if it gets normal. No, it doesn't get normal! It's crazy.
One, where do you keep them?
That's one thing I've never really figured out, they kind of move around. Everything in my life moves around a lot, so I don't have a satisfying answer for that one.
And going back to 2013 when you won your first GRAMMYs with fun., how did you feel that day?
F—ing shocked. As I was saying, I don't really sit around thinking about the past because it's the opposite of the job. What's so shocking about those moments is you're surrounded by family and the people you love and work with, and it's this huge moment to think about how you got to that point.
My biggest takeaway of these experiences that force you to stop and think about the road behind is just how heavy they are. All of us are held up by really special people, whether it's partners or parents or siblings, fans, engineers, managers, loved ones. If you have amazing people around you, it's the best feeling in the world. That's my favorite part about any award, it feels like it's for everyone that got you there.