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Nicki Minaj Is Still Mad About The ‘White Man Bon Iver’ Taking Her Best New Artist Grammy

Getty Image While some debated this year’s batch, Mrs. Petty re-aired old grievances. …

With the Recording Academy releasing its nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards today, the reactions have been flying thick and fast on Twitter about the respective merits of the nominees, the mysterious absence of The Weeknd, and the most egregious snubs. However, rather than addressing this year’s batch of nominees, one person used the opportunity to revive an old grievance against the Academy. Nicki Minaj reminded her fans that she was once nominated for Best New Artist in 2012, but lost to Bon Iver.

“Never forget the Grammys didn’t give me my best new artist award when I had 7 songs simultaneously charting on billboard & bigger first week than any female rapper in the last decade- went on to inspire a generation,” she wrote. “They gave it to the white man Bon Iver.” As usual, there’s a point to her pettiness — pun intended. The Grammys have long had a history of overlooking and underrating accomplished artists in traditionally Black genres like rap and R&B — especially women, who have rarely won albums of the year in either category and are even more seldom even nominated for general categories like Album Of The Year.

In fact, this year, there are no women nominated in the Rap category at all and only Jhene Aiko and Chloe X Halle are nominated in the new spinoff R&B category, Best Progressive R&B. Also, remember the year they gave Best Rap Album to Macklemore despite Kendrick Lamar being nominated for Good Kid, MAAD City?

So this time, we have to side with Nicki. Incidentally, though, the Academy does have the chance to clean up that eight-year-old mistake; this year’s Best New Artist category includes Chika, the breakout Alabama rapper who starred on Netflix’s Project Power and collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Doja Cat, the compelling R&B/hip-hop hybrid who racked up a No. 1 with Nicki earlier this year, and Megan Thee Stallion, who garnered two No. 1s with Beyonce and Cardi B, competing against a field that includes D Smoke, Ingrid Andress, Kaytranada, Noah Cyrus, and Phoebe Bridgers.

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Artist Spotlight

Sean MacLeod unveils a danceable rhythm with latest release “Inside Out (Radio Edit)”

Sean MacLeod

Sean MacLeod‘s latest release, “Inside Out (Radio Edit)” is a fun, accessible tune that draws from the best of alternative rock, Britpop, and classic rock influences. There is an immediate sense of movement to the song, with guitars, bass, and drums forming a solid rhythmic foundation, while the tambourine adds extra brightness to the arrangement. Danceable, the track is light and energetic without veering too far from its rock identity.

MacLeod’s delivery on the song is very pleasant, his voice sits well over the instrumentation and keeps the melody front and center. “Inside Out (Radio Edit)” has a simple musical appeal, with vocals and a guitar-led arrangement, but the rhythm keeps the song moving from section to section.

The lyrical imagery of something shifting from nourishing to hard introduces a sense of tension and contrast. There is this idea of looking inside or outside that keeps coming up, adding another layer to the song’s point of view and suggesting a theme of awareness and how situations can appear from different directions.

Sean MacLeod keeps the production artistically focused on the familiar rock ingredients instead of overcrowding the arrangement. Cool guitar licks, a steady rhythm section, and tasteful percussion add character to the song, while the vocal delivery keeps it approachable. In the end, “Inside Out (Radio Edit)” finds MacLeod comfortably straddling the lines between alternative rock and pop-friendly turf, with an arrangement that emphasizes rhythm, melody, and an easy sense of forward motion.

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Artist Spotlight

THROES NYC unveils romance and tension on latest EP “The Wires Out EP”

THROES NYC

THROES NYC’s latest EP, “The Wires Out,” a two-track EP, melds dark alt-pop, trip-hop, and electronic textures with a more melodic, pop-oriented sensibility. The release is a reflection of the creative connection of two Queens, New York natives, multi-instrumentalist/producer Michael Bozzo and vocalist Courtney Leo, who have been making music together since childhood. The project benefits from a natural sense of cohesion, thanks to their shared history, and the production keeps its focus on atmosphere and mood.

The EP begins withAlways, Babyand is rooted in a world of beautiful ambient synths and late-night textures. The track is romantic, but it still retains the project’s darker undertones. Courtney Leo’s voice adds warmth to the electronic surroundings, giving the song a sense of intimacy and dreamy feelings.

Something Chemicalcontinues the shift in emotional temperature, reinforcing the EP’s themes of tension, attraction, and complicated feelings. The production remains spacious and electronic-driven, which gives the two-track release a deep character without overwhelming its melodic path.

The strength in the record lies in the chemistry between Bozzo’s instrumental and production work and Leo’s vocal contribution, generating a sound that feels equally suited to headphones, nighttime listening, and reflective moments. THROES NYC is a project with a distinct sense of atmosphere, melody, and the long-lasting appeal of New York’s alternative music legacy.

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