The music industry will gather in New York on January 28 at the 60th Grammy Awards to celebrate the biggest hits of the past year. From hip-hop heavyweights Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z, to pop stars like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, to less heralded performers like Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell, here’s a look back on The Ringer’s coverage of this year’s nominees—and a whole lotta Cardi B.
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Everything You Need to Know About the 2018 Grammy Awards
Sit down, hold up, and enjoy all of our coverage on the artists, songs, and albums featured in music’s most prestigious awards show
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January 29, 2018
We Will Remember Kesha Long After We Forget the 2018 Grammys
The Grammys went long and felt out of step with the times, largely ignoring female artists. But one transcendent performance from Kesha, and a few of her famous friends, will resonate for years to come.
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January 29, 2018
Sting vs. Bono Was the Most Washed Battle of Grammys Night
Which aging rocker clocked the most airtime at the awards ceremony? And wouldn’t it have made more sense to feature, you know, actual nominees?
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January 28, 2018
Kesha Performs “Praying” at the Grammys in Support of #MeToo
The 30-year-old pop star gave voice to the recording industry’s movement to end abuse
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January 28, 2018
Kendrick Lamar Opened the Grammys With a Bang
The rapper, whose April 2017 album ‘Damn.’ was nominated for seven awards on Sunday, put on a breathtaking, powerful performance
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January 26, 2018
Cardi B Is Already Everyone’s Favorite Pop Star—So What Does She Do Now?
The rapper’s Grammys appearance will be her highest-profile performance to date. Where does her career go next?
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January 25, 2018
An Ode to Soy Bomb, History’s Most Enduring Reminder That the Grammys Are Absurd
In 1998, Bob Dylan and the world met Soy Bomb. Twenty years later, we’re still not the same.
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December 28, 2017
The Year in Music With Lindsay Zoladz
Plus: ‘The Watch’ mailbag, answering listener questions about the year in culture
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December 21, 2017
Which Rap Albums in 2017 Were Good and Which Ones Were Bad?
Two Ringer staffers boil their opinions down to one-word verdicts on releases from Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, and Cardi B and the rest of the year’s big hip-hop LPs
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December 21, 2017
The Power of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Damn.’ From Back to Front
The deluxe edition of King Kendrick’s 2017 album has a lot to teach us, even in reverse
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December 21, 2017
How the Playlist Finally Usurped the Album
In 2017, Spotify and Apple Music prized curation above all else.That may have not been a great thing for listeners and the music industry at large.
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December 6, 2017
The Most Underrated—and Fascinating—Album of 2017
Jay-Z’s ‘4:44’ was supposed to be another corporate affair. Instead, it’s the best album of the year.
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December 4, 2017
The Best Songs of the Year Were the Unlikeliest
From Cardi B to Lil Uzi Vert, the sounds of 2017 were defined by surprise—and were often the year’s only good surprises
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November 30, 2017
How Jack Antonoff Became the Most Important Producer in Pop
After a successful year working with Taylor Swift, Pink, Lorde, and St. Vincent, the producer and part-time rock star has claimed the ground once owned by the disgraced Dr. Luke—with a considerably different approach
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November 28, 2017
The Winners and Losers of the 2018 Grammy Nominations
Congratulations to Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and everyone who is opposed to Ed Sheeran
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November 28, 2017
The 2018 Field of Grammy Nominees Is Led by Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar
The artists received a combined 15 nominations, while Childish Gambino grabbed five for his turn toward R&B
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November 27, 2017
Chris Stapleton Is the King of Country Music
The chart-topping repeat CMA winner has managed to take over the Nashville establishment—while still sounding like himself
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November 16, 2017
Has Pop Music Failed Us?
In the past decade, critics and listeners have embraced mainstream pop music—from Beyoncé, to Katy Perry, to Kanye West, to yes, Taylor Swift—as a genre worthy of serious thought and debate. Was 2017 just a disappointing year for pop music? Or has the poptimism bubble burst?
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October 19, 2017
Margo Price Is the Real Country Music Deal
Her second record, ‘All American Made,’ is one of the best albums of the year
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October 17, 2017
Beck’s Cool-Dad Phase Has Only Just Begun
On the vibrant, loopy, not totally necessary new album, ‘Colors’
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September 21, 2017
The Fairy-Tale Come-up of Cardi B
As "Bodak Yellow" soars on the charts, the former reality show star has emerged as one of the great rap success stories of the decade. Here’s how it happened.
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August 31, 2017
LCD Soundsystem Are Back, Older, and Somehow Still Cool
‘American Dream’ is a great album unconcerned with trying to sound like a classic
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August 25, 2017
Sam Hunt Is the Future of Country Music
The Nashville superstar has managed to cultivate bro-country success and "Real Country" respect. The question is: Can he have both at the same time?
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August 16, 2017
LCD Soundsystem’s Latest Single Takes Their Sound Back to the Beginning
“Tonite” is James Murphy and Co. at their cheeky, self-referential best
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August 14, 2017
Kesha and the End of the Dr. Luke Era
The Svengali producer and the singer have officially severed ties after a messy legal imbroglio. Kesha is soaring with a new album, ‘Rainbow,’ while Dr. Luke is merely a sound of the past.
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August 9, 2017
The True Grit of Glen Campbell
A tribute to the trailblazing country music icon (and TV host, and actor), who died Tuesday at 81