Stephen Thompson on the biggest surprises, trends and questions to be found in the Grammy nominations, plus the most interesting stories to be found beyond the major categories.
From Billie Eilish to Bad Bunny, JT to J.Lo, boygenius to Ice Spice, here they are: the home-run performances, the solid base hits and the outright whiffs.
The British singer Dua Lipa has become one of the world's biggest pop stars. Now, she's back with Radical Optimism, a sort of concept record about moving through life with a more mature and constructive attitude. But it's also a pretty straightforward collection of grievance-free, hyper-catchy bangers.
President Bajram Begaj recognized Lipa, the daughter of Albanian immigrants, for her musical talents and contribution to spreading international awareness of Albania.
The pop star is returning to stages two years after releasing an acclaimed second album, Future Nostalgia, and being forced like everyone else to hunker down for the long chill.
