2017 Grammy Nominees is a varied mix of the best releases of 2016, culled from the main nomination categories. From the Beyonce/Jack White collaboration "Don't Hurt Yourself" – her first nomination in the Best Rock Performance category – to darkhorse Sturgill Simpson's "Brace for Impact (Live a Little)," the selections on this 21-track compilation include a full range of genres. Kelsea Ballerini and Maren Morris represent the new generation of country singer/songwriters, while R&B newcomer Anderson.Paak and earnest Danish outfit Lukas Graham cover the pop-oriented end of the class of 2016. Ubiquitous hits from Twenty One Pilots, Sia, Drake, Adele, Justin Bieber, and the Chainsmokers are also included. The collection debuted in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200.
The seventh studio album from the Damon Albarn-fronted virtual band Gorillaz, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez pulls together the group's series of "Song Machine" singles. With a heavy focus on collaboration, the project offers feature work from artists including Elton John, Beck, Kano, and St. Vincent, dipping into genres from punk to hip-hop over its 42-minute runtime.
The album's title is a reference to the mixtape AmeriKKKan Korruption by his late friend and Pro Era cohort Capital STEEZ and it will be released on the 5-year anniversary of the project. The titles of both projects contain a reference to the debut studio album by Los Angeles-based gangsta rapper Ice Cube "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" that intentionally misspelled the word "America" with three Ks alluding to the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan.
Gorillaz started the year with Episode 1 - ‘Momentary Bliss ft. slowthai and Slaves’ - of Song Machine, a whole new concept from one of the most innovative bands around. Now, six episodes in, Noodle, 2D, Murdoc and Russel have visited Morocco and Paris, London and Lake Como, as well as travelling all the way to the moon, and Gorillaz is ready to bring you the full collection titled Song Machine: Season One - Strange Timez, out on 23rd October 2020.