UPDATE (Feb. 10): Winners are indicated below in italics.
The list of nominees for the 50th annual Grammy Awards in the 3 dance-music categories—Best Dance Recording, Best Remixed Recording (Non-Classical) and Best Electronic/Dance Album—includes both the usual stadium-filling suspects and those with far less commercial appeal.
Justin Timberlake continues his Timbaland-fueled reign with a nomination for “LoveStoned/I Think She Knows,” from the Timbaland-produced FutureSex/LoveSounds album. (“SexyBack,” another single from the album, won Best Dance Recording 2006.) Individually, Timberlake and Timbaland each have 5 2007 Grammy nominations.
Also no great surprise among the nominations is Rihanna, whose chart-topping “Umbrella” was the tune on everyone’s lips this summer; the song has numerous Grammy nominations. Her latest dance-music hit, “Don’t Stop the Music,” will be in direct competition with JT’s in the Best Dance Recording category.
The Chemical Brothers, darlings of the dance-music world for more than a decade, make an appearance with “ Do It Again,” along with the Freddie Mercury would-be, Mika, and the French electropop (and Christian music) outfit, Justice.
The remixer category is the most interesting of the lot, with the otherwise completely ignored minimal house genre getting a nod in the form of Carl Craig. Each of the mixes in this category has its own style and audience, so it should be really informative to see who takes home the trophy.
For best album, the dark-horse candidates seem to be Shiny Toy Guns. They have pretty stiff competition in The Chemical Brothers, Justice, Tiësto and LCD Soundsystem, and their inclusion on the list in lieu of better known and in some cases higher-charting groups like The Klaxons, The Teenagers, Combichrist, even Mika, is a bit of a stretch.
Songs that should have been recognized at this year’s Grammy Awards: Shackleton - Blood on My Hands (Ricardo Villalobos Apocalypso Now mix), The Decembrists - Perfect Crime (Diplo’s Doing Time remix); Mark Ronson ft. Daniel Merriweather - Stop Me (Chicken Lips remix).
The 50th annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast on Feb. 8, 2008 from Los Angeles. The dance music nominees follow (click links to hear songs).
Best Dance Recording Nominees
- The Chemical Brothers - Do It Again
- Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
- Mika - Love Today
- Rihanna - Don’t Stop the Music
- * Justin Timberlake - LoveStoned/I Think She Knows
Suite101 Winner Prediction: The Chemical Brothers - Do It Again
Rationale: Rihanna and Justin Timberlake are nominated in other categories, so presumably the judges can afford to give this to someone more exclusively representative of the dance-music category; Mika and Justice don’t yet seem to have the sweeping judge-friendly appeal that longtime players The Chemical Brothers do.
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
- Andy Moor Full Length Mix - Angelicus (Delerium Featuring Isabel Bayrakdarian)
- * Benny Benassi Sfaction Remix - Bring the Noise (Public Enemy)
- Carl Craig Remix - Like a Child (Junior Boys)
- Eric Prydz Club Mix (Radio Edit) - Proper Education (Eric Prydz vs. Pink Floyd’s “Brick in the Wall”)
- Dirty South Mix - Sorry (Kaskade)
Suite101 Prediction: Proper Education - Eric Prydz
Rationale: This category is really anyone’s to win, but Grammy judges’ penchant for giving it up for the old-school rockers suggests that Pink Floyd in the mix might be enough to give this one an edge.
Best Electronic/Dance Album
- * The Chemical Brothers - We Are the Night
- Justice - †
- LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
- Shiny Toy Guns - We Are Pilots
- Tiësto - Elements of Life
Suite101 Prediction: Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem
Rationale: This has consistently proven to be among the best-reviewed albums of the year, and such a potent mix of artistry and emotion that it is practically a shoe-in. The competition just isn’t at the same level in terms of critical response.
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