海角大神

With police brutality continuing to devastate Black families and the coronavirus ravishing Black America disproportionately, the world was driven to the significance of this year鈥檚 Juneteenth more than ever before.

And Beyonc茅 knew she wanted to release a song on that momentous day, so she dropped 鈥淏lack Parade,鈥� an anthemic jam where she proudly sings about her heritage, hometown, and returning to her African roots.

Months later, the song 鈥� and others focused on protesting, police brutality, and the overall Black experience 鈥� are taking center stage at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

Beyonc茅鈥檚 鈥淏lack Parade鈥� scored nominations for two of the top awards: song of the year and record of the year. The track will also compete for best RB song and best RB performance.

鈥淭here could have been a different approach as far as releasing the record and capitalizing off of timings of other things, but we really wanted to get it out during a time where we could all remember the feeling and the energy,鈥� Derek Dixie, a longtime collaborator of Beyonc茅鈥檚 who co-wrote the song with the pop star, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not always about the money and about catching streaming numbers and things like that. Sometimes it鈥檚 just about what it is 鈥� which was making our people proud.鈥�

鈥淏lack Parade鈥� helped Beyonc茅 land nine nominations, making her the overall top Grammy contender. Mr. Dixie earned three Grammy nominations for co-writing and co-producing the song.

For song of the year, 鈥淏lack Parade鈥� will compete with H.E.R.鈥檚 鈥淚 Can鈥檛 Breathe,鈥� the RB singer鈥檚 track about police brutality.

Lil Baby鈥檚 鈥淭he Bigger Picture,鈥� a protest song he created in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, scored nominations for best rap song and best rap performance. Proceeds from the song will support the Black Lives Matter movement, Breonna Taylor鈥檚 attorney, The Bail Project, and the National Association of Black Journalists.

Anderson.Paak also released a song on Juneteenth 鈥� the holiday that commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free 鈥� and it鈥檚 competing for two awards. 鈥淟ockdown鈥� is nominated for best rap performance and best music video.

Country singer Mickey Guyton wrote the track 鈥淏lack Like Me鈥� a year ago but released it this year because she felt it was extremely relevant. Now, it鈥檚 nominated for best country solo performance, giving the performer her first-ever Grammy nomination.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been so hard in the country music community, and trying to get country music to even support my music 鈥� and for me to get a Grammy [nomination], it just goes to show that writing your truth is just the way to go,鈥� Ms. Guyton told the AP on Tuesday. 鈥淎nd not only writing your truth, but really bringing your brothers and sisters up with you.鈥�

But Ms. Guyton admits that everyone鈥檚 response to her song wasn鈥檛 warm. It features the lyrics, 鈥淚f you think we live in the land of the free/You should try to be Black like me.鈥�

鈥淚 released it and I did get people that were very angry. There were even radio stations that people were like, 鈥楪et this [expletive] off of my radio station,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚 would get people writing me messages like, 鈥榃ell, if you don鈥檛 like it here then leave.鈥� And I鈥檓 like, 鈥榃ell, it鈥檚 just as much my country as it is yours.鈥欌��

Ms. Guyton added that some 鈥渞adio stations were scared to play [鈥楤lack Like Me鈥橾 because they were [angering] their listeners, because their listeners didn鈥檛 want to hear that.鈥�

Apart from 鈥淏lack Parade,鈥� Beyonc茅 also earned nominations for her film honoring Black art and Black history, 鈥淏lack Is King,鈥� as well as her ode to dark- and brown-skinned women, 鈥淏rown Skin Girl.鈥�

Mr. Dixie, who has worked as Beyonc茅鈥檚 music director and has produced, engineered, and arranged songs for the singer, said he鈥檚 grateful he鈥檚 working with an artist who boldly speaks about Black pride in her music.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just good to see that she鈥檚 willing to put that type of energy out and not necessarily be thinking about: 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going to guarantee me a No. 1? What鈥檚 going to guarantee me this?鈥� It鈥檚 a part of our conversation, it鈥檚 a part of the process, but when it鈥檚 necessary to put that art out there, to put that energy out there, she鈥檚 usually ... leading the pack in that regard,鈥� Mr. Dixie said. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 grateful to be associated with her on that path.鈥�

Ms. Guyton added that it鈥檚 comforting to see some many Black musicians reflect the current times in their music, and she鈥檚 grateful to the Grammys for acknowledging those kinds of songs.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so important because so often Black people, and Black women especially, are getting overlooked. ... And you鈥檙e constantly just trying to get people to remember that you鈥檙e there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t feels like we鈥檙e seen, and I don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e always felt seen.鈥�

鈥淚 use this scenario of going into any grocery store 鈥� if you go to any grocery store ... and you look for hair products for someone who is ethnic and ... you see an entire aisle full of every and any hair product you can possibly think for someone that is not Black. But whenever it comes to finding hair products for a Black person, we鈥檙e designated a shelf. And today, it doesn鈥檛 feel like we鈥檙e designated a shelf.鈥�

The 2021 Grammy Awards will air live on Jan. 31.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.