New York: Singer and rapper Lizzo scored eight Grammy nominations Wednesday to lead a field packed with newcomers, including pop iconoclast Billie Eilish and overnight sensation Lil Nas X, for music’s biggest honors.
The diverse slate of budding talent appeared to reflect the Recording Academy’s recent efforts to appease critics who have lambasted the show as too white, too male and too generous to music world mainstays.
Magnetic 31-year-old Lizzo debuted in 2013 but really burst into the public eye with her third studio album “Cuz I Love You,” which scored a nomination for the top Album of the Year prize at the January 26 ceremony in Los Angeles.
She has an adoring fanbase that favors her sassy, body-positive persona and unflinching messages of feminist empowerment, sexual freedom, and black pride.
“THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE YEAR FOR MUSIC AND IM JUST SO THANKFUL TO EVEN BE PART OF IT,” the artist tweeted upon learning of her nominations.
Eilish also nabbed a shot at the album for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” to bring her career nomination count to six — and, at 17, became the youngest person nominated in the top four categories.
Before her album’s release, the goth-leaning artist had already won a fervent online following for her bold, often haunting pop sound featuring heavy bass and tinges of trap and electronic dance music.
Her brother and main collaborator Finneas O’Connell, 22, is up for five awards for producing and songwriting contributions.
Saying he was “grateful” for the industry recognition, O’Connell tweeted that “most of all, I’m just grateful to Billie for making music with her big brother.”
Genre-bending meme king Lil Nas X, 20, rode the fame of his viral smash “Old Town Road” to also snag six chances at Grammy gold.
After grabbing attention on the video-sharing app TikTok, the artist born Montero Lamar Hill won the internet when the thumping bass and banjo twangs of his infectious single knocked Ariana Grande from the Billboard chart’s top spot — and stayed there for a record-breaking 19 weeks.
(Agencies)
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