The 2015 Grammy nominations for the Best R&B Album represent a wide rang of styles and performers, including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aloe Blacc, The Robert Glasper Experiment, Toni Braxton and Babyface, and the first non-American nominee ever: Bernhoft.
Nominees:
Islander by Bernhoft
Lift Your Spirit by Aloe Blacc
Love, Marriage & Divorce by Toni Braxton & Babyface
Black Radio 2 by the Robert Glasper Experiment
Give The People What They Want by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
WHO SHOULD WIN: Love, Marriage & Divorce by Toni Braxton & Babyface
The 2014 calendar year was a great one for R&B. Before D'Angelo and Mary J. Blige made it a November to remember (too late for the current round of nominations but they'll presumably be honored at 2016's event) one album had stood out since its Februrary release: Love, Marriage & Divorce by Toni Braxton and Babyface.
The pair don't waste too much time on the first two nouns in the title-after all, most R&B already deals with the subject of love. They get right down into the nitty-gritty of divorce, a process both have undergone and have the background to write about. Braxton and Babyface play estranged wife and husband respectively in one of the year's finer concept albums (of any genre), unfolding a tale of tears and heartbreak, with hints of brief bursts of sentiment woven in. A sad story but one a relatable one as so many listeners will have dealt with divorce from some angle.
Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings have been the it-group of soul since the turn of the century so color us surprised that their nomination for Give The People What They Want was her first Grammy nomination. If the group capitalizes on the nomination, the people will most certainly be pleased. Robert Glasper put out another good record with Black Radio 2 but it doesn't have the same appeal as the first Black Radio, which won this award during 2013, due to a less exciting guest list on the pianist's new album.
Aloe Blacc deserved a nomination but it was for Best R&B Performance with his hits "The Man" and "Wake Me Up" if anything. Lift Your Spirit hasn't quite got what it takes to grapple with the more solid albums listed above. Many may have seen Sam Smith as European earning a potential Best R&B Album nomination but the honor surprisingly went to Swedish crooner Bernhoft, making him the first non-American in the award's 20 year history to get a nod. That fact will have to suffice for him.
WHO WILL WIN: Give The People What They Want by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
As we mentioned before, we were shocked that Jones and her crew hadn't earned a nomination before this one, and the Recording Academy loves recognizing older members of the music community. It's like the Rolling Stone of music awards. Not only does Jones offer a great album, the year leading up to its release was a tough one: The vocalist underwent treatment for bile-duct cancer, an unfortunate diagnosis that led to the delayed release of Give The People What They Want. Voters also love a story of overcoming adversity.
The "elder statesmen" factor applies to Braxton and Babyface as well (sorry guys, it's a relative term sometimes) but that pair is rolling in Grammy wins already: Toni has six wins throughout her career and Babyface a mind-boggling nine wins. Expect the Academy to shine its good graces on another deserving candidate this year.
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