GRAMMY WATCH – R&B Music Categories: My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions in the R&B Music categories for The 58^th Annual Grammy Awards.

Best R&B Performance
• If I Don't Have You
      Tamar Braxton
      Track from: Calling All Lovers
      [Epic Records]

• Rise Up
      Andra Day
      Track from: Cheers To The Fall
      [Warner Bros. Records]

• Breathing Underwater
      Hiatus Kaiyote
      Track from: Choose Your Weapon
      [Flying Buddha / Sony Masterworks]

• Planes
      Jeremih Featuring J. Cole
      [Def Jam Recordings]

• Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
      The Weeknd
      Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
      [Universal Studios/Republic Records]

My Pick and Prediction: EARNED IT (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) – The Weeknd has had quite a freshman year and he will be rewarded greatly.

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Best Traditional R&B Performance
• He Is
      Faith Evans
      Track from: Incomparable
      [Prolific Music Group/BMG]

• Little Ghetto Boy
      Lalah Hathaway
      [Entertainment One/8Th Floor]

• Let It Burn
      Jazmine Sullivan
      Track from: Reality Show
      [RCA Records]

• Shame
      Tyrese
      [Voltron Recordz]

• My Favorite Part Of You
      Charlie Wilson
      Track from: Forever Charlie
      [RCA Records]

My Pick and Prediction: MY FAVORITE PART OF YOU – Charlie Wilson is like fine wine; he just gets better with each album. Though, Tyrese may give him a run.

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Best R&B Song
• Coffee
      Brook Davis & Miguel Pimentel, songwriters (Miguel)
      Track from: Wildheart
      [RCA Records/ByStorm Entertainment; Publisher(s): Art Dealer Chic, Pop Killer/Dleaurean]

• Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
      Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville & Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd)
      Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
      [Universal Studios/Republic Records; Publisher(s): SONGS Music Publishing, LLC, o/b/o Songs Of SMP, Songs Of Universal, Inc. and Sing Little Penguin, Universal Music Corp, CP Music Group, Inc., Universal Pictures Music and UPG Music Publishing]

• Let It Burn
      Kenny B. Edmonds, Jazmine Sullivan & Dwane M. Weir II, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)
      Track from: Reality Show
      [RCA Records; Publisher(s): JazLady Publishing, Dwane M. Weir II/Sean Michael Anderson Music LLC/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Sony/ATV Songs LLC]

• Really Love
      D'Angelo & Kendra Foster, songwriters (D'Angelo And The Vanguard)
      Track from: Black Messiah
      [RCA Records; Publisher(s): Ah Choo Music Publishing/12:00 AM Music admin. by Universal Polygram International Publishing, Ear Kandy Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.]

• Shame
      Warryn Campbell, Tyrese Gibson & DJ Rogers Jr, songwriters (Tyrese)
      [Voltron Recordz; Publisher(s): Peer Music/Sounds From The Soul/Campbell Kids Music/Warner Chappell/@PenTorious D.J. Rogers Jr. Sounds From The Soul/Gibson & Gibson Music Publishing]

My Pick and Prediction: EARNED IT (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) – for me, it is between this one and REALLY LOVE, but this one is nominated in a few more cats and has an Oscar nod to boot.  It just seems that the momentum should go this way.

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Best Urban Contemporary Album
• Ego Death
      The Internet
      [Odd Future/Columbia]

• You Should Be Here
      Kehlani
      [Tsunami Mob/Atlantic]

• Blood
     Lianne La Havas
      [Nonesuch]

• Wildheart
      Miguel
      [RCA Records/ByStorm Entertainment]

• Beauty Behind The Madness
      The Weeknd
      [Republic]

My Pick: WILDHEART – I REALLY want Miguel to win.

My Prediction: BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS – Again, The Weeknd had a very strong year and will rise to the top here as well, though I hope Miguel pulls it out.

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Best R&B Album
• Coming Home
      Leon Bridges
      [Columbia Records]

• Black Messiah
      D'Angelo And The Vanguard
      [RCA Records]

• Cheers To The Fall
      Andra Day
      [Warner Bros. Records]

• Reality Show
      Jazmine Sullivan
      [RCA Records]

• Forever Charlie
      Charlie Wilson
      [RCA Records]

My Pick: FOREVER CHARLIE – Awesome showcase and very deserving.

My Prediction: BLACK MESSIAH – D’Angelo’s masterpiece.

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

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