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Alessia Cara 

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Up Close & Personal With Alessia Cara close-personal-alessia-cara-talks-giving-back-summer-live-floor-willoughbys-more

Up Close & Personal: Alessia Cara Talks Giving Back, 'This Summer: Live Off The Floor', 'The Willoughbys' & More

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The Best New Artist GRAMMY winner also talks about finding inspiration for her next album and how her new puppy, Cleo, is helping her cope with the COVID era
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Sep 1, 2020 - 12:47 pm

Alessia Cara is finding new ways to let creativity flow as she starts work on her third studio album in a world that, at the moment, feels a little isolated. 

"It's challenging, definitely, just because you're kind of stuck at home and there are lack of experiences. I'm not meeting any people. I'm not really doing anything." the Best New Artist GRAMMY winner says in our latest Up Close & Personal interview. 

Up Close & Personal: Alessia Cara

But that doesn't mean the "Ready" singer is not excited to find new inspiration in the unknown. "But I think within being isolated, there is a lot of inspiration, just with your thoughts," she adds.

For now, fans can enjoy the recently released This Summer: Live Off The Floor, which features live versions from her 2019 This Summer EP and more of her biggest hits. 

Cara is also donating her share of royalties to Save the Children for 21 years. The idea came as she began to learn about some of the challenges children face around the world. 

For her, becoming aware of things going on in the world is important—even if it makes her uncomfortable.

"It's overwhelming for everyone and it is challenging because all this information is just coming in at once and it's hard to know what to make of it but every time I think that, I always revert back to thinking all of my discomfort doesn't come close to the pain and discomfort and sadness and struggles that the people we're reading about have to deal with."

Watch the latest episode of Up Close & Personal to learn more about the making of This Summer: Live Off The Floor, Cara's thoughts on inspiration for her next album, how she feels about lending her voice to The Willoughbys, and how her new puppy, Cleo, is helping her through our new post-COVID-19 world. 

Dua Lipa Talks 'Club Future Nostalgia,' Working With Madonna And How She's Navigating The Music Industry In The COVID-19 Era

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Machine Gun Kelly

Photo: Sam Cahill

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Machine Gun Kelly On Working With Travis Barker machine-gun-kelly-tickets-my-downfall-video-interview-travis-barker-up-close-personal

Up Close & Personal: Machine Gun Kelly On Working With Travis Barker & Influencing The Next Decade Of Music

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In the newest episode of Up Close & Personal, Machine Gun Kelly predicts the sounds that will rule the next decade of music, raves about his artistic connection with drummer, producer and BFF Travis Barker, and reflects on 'Tickets to My Downfall'
Taj Mayfield
GRAMMYs
Oct 19, 2021 - 7:42 pm

Machine Gun Kelly does a bit of everything: he raps, he plays multiple instruments, he sings, and he even acts. Perhaps that's why he’s able to look ahead to the future and confidently assert what will happen next in music and culture.

"Music to me goes in 10-year cycles. Hip-hop ruled the last 10 years, and I was honored to be a part of that,” Machine Gun Kelly explains in the latest edition of Up Close & Personal. “With [Tickets to My Downfall], it feels like that showed us as an industry what the next 10 years is going to look like: a lot of guitar music, live instruments, and young musicians coming to the forefront."

Watch below to hear the rapper-turned-pop-punk-star break down his prediction of the next decade in music.

Machine Gun Kelly On Working With Travis Barker

In the clip, Machine Gun Kelly also goes in-depth on his relationship with drummer/producer/artist/BFF Travis Barker, who produced and drummed on all of MGK's 2020 album Tickets to My Downfall.

"I talked to Trav earlier today. He’s one of my best friends. He's a brother," MGK expresses. "Every single time we step in to work with each other, we come out with something better than what we had just done."

Get Up Close & Personal with Machine Gun Kelly in the full video above and explore more episodes of the entertaining interview series below.

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Machine Gun Kelly
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Machine Gun Kelly On Working With Travis Barker

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María Zardoya On Cinema And Embracing Her Duality

DJ Khaled poses in front of palm trees wearing colorful shirt & shades from his Dolce & Gabbana collab
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DJ Khaled On 'KHALED KHALED,' JAY-Z & Nas Collab

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Lizzo On Standing Out In Music Biz With GRAMMY U

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Jhené Aiko 

Up Close & Personal: Jhené Aiko

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Polo G

Up Close & Personal: Polo G

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David Guetta

Up Close & Personal | David Guetta

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Alessia Cara 

Up Close & Personal With Alessia Cara

SHAED
 SHAED
Photo: Andrew Lee

SHAED On New Music, Allyship & Sting

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WATT

Up Close & Personal | WATT

Dermot Kennedy
Dermot Kennedy
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Dermot Kennedy On 'Without Fear,' Bon Iver & More

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Alejandra Guzman

Alejandra Guzman On Her Live Rock Tribute Album

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Up Close & Personal: Cuco

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Omar Apollo On Being Latinx | Up Close & Personal

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Up Close & Personal: Ashton Travis

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Up Close & Personal: Leikeli47

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Kiana Ledé 

Up Close & Personal: Kiana Ledé

Duckwrth
Duckwrth

Duckwrth On 'SuperGood,' "Insecure" & More

James Bay
James Bay

James Bay Talks "Chew On My Heart," New LP & More

Ashanti
Ashanti
Photo: Recording Academy

Ashanti On "Getting Back To R&B Roots" On New EP

Blackbear Talks New EP Misery Lake, Dream Collab With BTS, Making Music For His Mental Health & Fatherhood

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SHAED

 SHAED

Photo: Andrew Lee

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SHAED On New Music, Allyship & Sting close-personal-shaed-talk-new-music-allyship-collabs-zayn-sting-steve-aoki

Up Close & Personal: SHAED Talk New Music, Allyship & Collabs With ZAYN, Sting & Steve Aoki

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The "Melt" band reveal how fun it was working with Sting and Steve Aoki on the dance producer's 2019's track "2 In A Million"
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 22, 2020 - 12:27 pm

Alt-pop trio SHAED consisting of twin brothers Max and Spencer Ernst and Chelsea Lee (who is married to Spencer), had their big break in summer 2018 with their infectious hit "Trampoline." It was followed by a whirlwind 2019, where they played major festivals and shows around the world and dropped some big collabs, including a ZAYN remix of "Trampoline," whose vocals brought new life—and his massive fan base—to it.

Like so many other artists, COVID-19 put a sudden halt on their packed, globe-trotting schedule. The pause and new perspective have proven productive for them, and resulted in a lot of new, yet-to-be-released music.

"We had a group of songs before this whole quarantine situation and we kind of took a deep listen and realized that we wanted to change it up a bit," Chelsea told us. "Most of the songs we've written for this album, we wrote during these crazy months, so it definitely reflects, emotionally and mentally, what we were feeling. These songs really hit home for us and we're super excited to release them."

SHAED On New Music, Allyship & Collabs

Read: Aminé Talks New Album 'Limbo,' Portland Protests And Black Lives Matter

We catch up with the Washington D.C.-based group for the latest episode of GRAMMY.com Up Close & Personal interview video series to learn what they've been up to during quarantine—in addition to creating a new album, they've also protesting with local Black Lives Matter marches and been relaxing in their backyard.

Sharing what he learned about being an ally to the Black community, Max said, "I think it's important to listen. There's all these kind of sub-movements within the Black Lives Matter movement that are really important. Black Trans lives Matter, is super important… I think it's important that all these communities within Black Lives Matter, their voices are being elevated."

The "Melt" band also reveal how fun it was like working with Sting and Steve Aoki on the dance producer's 2019's track "2 In A Million." Watch the full conversation above!

"Chelsea loves Sting," Spencer said, smiling. "Steve Aoki is a fan of ours, and he reached out and said he'd love for us to feature on a song. So we were listening to some demos and trying to figure out which one made sense. And then he said, 'Hey, actually hold on, I got a song with Sting.' And that's when Chelsea was like 'We're doing this right away!'"

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Remembered By Barack Obama, Janet Mock, Jennifer Lopez, Elton John & More

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James Bay

James Bay

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James Bay Talks "Chew On My Heart," New LP & More close-personal-james-bay-talks-chew-my-heart-new-album-jamming-eric-clapton-more

Up Close & Personal: James Bay Talks "Chew On My Heart," New Album, Jamming With Eric Clapton & More

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The U.K. singer/guitarist tells GRAMMY.com how his upcoming third album "is maybe the most positive, but also the most personal music I've ever written"
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 28, 2020 - 5:23 pm

In 2015, British singer/songwriter James Bay swiftly made his mark on the music world with the release of his debut album, Chaos And The Calm, whose emotive mix of melancholic ballads and powerhouse pop/rock earned him fans across the globe. It also snagged him three GRAMMY nominations at the 58th GRAMMY Awards—Best New Artist, Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song, for its hit single "Hold Back The River." With his rich vocals, dexterous lyricism and life-long love of guitars, the 29-year-old has a lot more in store for us.

"[On each project,] I want to push a boundary somewhere, somehow. You know, my first EP I released was an acoustic thing, and I knew that I wanted drums and bass and some sort of band sound on the full album. So that happened, and that for me was a small pushing of a boundary," Bay tells GRAMMY.com.

James Bay On "Chew On My Heart" & New Album

Watch: Saweetie Talks Debut Album, Aaliyah, Beyoncé & More | Up Close & Personal

"On the second record, I really pushed the sonic boundaries for myself as an artist. Suddenly there were synthesizers involved and this, that. I even sort of pushed for what I thought were just more kind of exciting and out-there song titles…[like] 'Sugar Drunk High,' or 'Pink Lemonade,' or 'Wild Love.'"

"On the [upcoming] third record, I've realized...Lyrics was the boundary pushed the most. Like I said about 'Chew On My Heart,' I'll say about the whole record, this is maybe the most positive, but also the most personal music I've ever written," he continues.

Above, GRAMMY.com resumes their Up Close & Personal interview series (via Zoom!), kicking things off with Bay. Watch the full conversation above, in which he dives deep into his latest single, "Chew On My Heart," and his upcoming third studio album, which the legendary GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Cobb worked on. The "Let It Go" singer also shares the story of performing with his idol Eric Clapton at the 2019 Crossroads Guitar Festival and more.

Read: Quarantine Diaries: Liza Anne Is Spending Time At The Beach & Hanging With Her Cat, Ralphie

The title and release date of Bay's third studio album are yet to be revealed—follow him on Instagram to stay on the loop on his latest, including his ongoing live guitar lessons.

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The Naked And Famous Talk New Album 'Recover,' Covering The Weeknd & Allyship With The Black Community

BANKS

BANKS

Photo: Recording Academy

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BANKS Talks 'III,' Loving Fiona Apple & More banks-talks-iii-exploring-lifes-messiness-music-loving-fiona-apple-close-personal

BANKS Talks 'III,' Exploring Life's Messiness In Music & Loving Fiona Apple | Up Close & Personal

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The "Gimme" singer stopped by the Recording Academy headquarters to discuss her latest album and the themes and sounds behind it
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 11, 2019 - 11:45 am

L.A. native Jillian Banks, a.k.a. ethereal pop singer/songwriter/producer BANKS, is a creative force of nature. In 2014, she confidently asserted her presence with the first major dose of her sultry voice and trippy beats on her debut album, Goddess. Earlier this year, on July 12, she dropped another powerful project, with a big dose of empowerment; her third studio album, III.

BANKS On 'III,' "Contaminated" & More

Before she finished the U.S. leg of her III Tour, the "Gimme" singer stopped by the Recording Academy headquarters for our latest episode of Up Close & Personal to talk about the new album and the intricacies within. She also shared what she's most looking forward to on tour, which artists drew her in at a young age and more. You can watch part of the conversation above and read the full interview below. You can also visit our YouTube page for a longer version of the video, as well as for other recent episodes.

You released III not long ago. How are you feeling about having this project out in the world?

I feel amazing. I was writing it for two-and-a-half years and so it feels exciting, scary, liberating. I'm just excited to tour it and perform it and all that stuff.

What are you most looking forward to about sharing the songs in that element?

I don't know. The more you perform songs, the more personality they all have. There's a different vibe to each one, and so I'm kind of just excited to get in the groove of each vibe and each world of each song. It's fun to see the reactions of the crowd, which ones resonate the most. I have a lot of movement in my show, so it's going to be fun.

Watch: Omar Apollo Talks Being Young, Indie & Latinx | Up Close & Personal

The album, to me, feels very powerful and bold, and also very vulnerable and honest. Can you tell us about some of the overarching emotions and themes that you explored on it?

Wow, that's a big question. It's a lot of self-love, learning that life is not just black and white. There's a messiness in there, very messy. Perfectionism. Trying to be okay with not being a perfectionist. I have been one and it's been quite painful at certain times in my life. Yeah, owning everything. Owning yourself, what your desires are, who you are, what you stand for, your body, everything. It's just [about] being a woman, I guess. But that's kind of awkward because it's not really just for women. So, being a human.

||| out now pic.twitter.com/XtdQI08L51

— BANKS (@hernameisBANKS) July 12, 2019

There's a lot of really great sonic texture across the album, which you executive produced with BJ Burton. What was it like working together on the production aspect of it?

Yeah, it was really fun just because I have so many layers to who I am, and each song kind of tapped into a different part of who I was. Certain songs, I felt like, needed a lot of grit and distortion and stuff like that, songs like "Stroke." Then there's a lot of songs that feel, I wanted it to be very stripped back, like "If We Were Made Of Water," "What About Love." There's an innocence that I wanted to capture on a lot of it sonically, because a lot of what this album is about is going from this innocent person, like a child turning into an adult. It's like you go from being really quite naive, but maybe in a romantic and a really positive way, you're not jaded or bitter or anything, and then you go through heartache and all that stuff for the first time. Coming out the other side but maintaining that innocence, I think, is really important.

I feel like I captured a lot of that. "Alaska" is a very sassy song, but it has that playfulness to it. Yeah, every song is different, it was fun. Each album I do, I don't really work with a big group of people just because it's almost like therapy sessions every [studio] session. It was pretty much just, I had a few people, and me and BJ went in on every song, and made sure they all flowed.

One song that I want to look at specifically is "Contaminated." Can you talk a little bit about that song?

That song is like a hard lesson in being an adult. It's funny because this album is a lot about how things are not black and white and how things can be messy, and opening your mind and allowing to understand things in a different way. But then there are certain things in life that you wish were not black and white. Like usually the things that you want to be black and white, good or bad, are just really messy and gray and confusing. Then there are certain things that you want to be really gray and confusing, but they're just black and white. "Contaminated" is a song about a relationship that is just toxic and it's bad for you. That's it, it's a black and white thing, and you don't want it to be bad for you.

Because when you want something to continue, it's like you're addicted to it, so it's like you want to find the gray in there. But there are certain things that are not gray, they are black and white, and you have to kind of be a savage about it. And so with that type of situation, I had to be, and I wrote about it.

And then can you speak to the "Contaminated" lyric video?

I think that there's beauty in learning and pain. I guess it sounds kind of cheesy, but the video, it's very human, but it's painted in a million colors. You go through life and you're just this body, and you're just a human, and you have all these emotions and you go through all these experiences that are really beautiful. But they can hurt you, and it could be colored dark and it could be colored light. That video is about showing the earth, but contaminating it in certain ways. So there's the body with paint moving around, and these may be really beautiful ways and there's also really contorted ways. It's a little bit like the graphic part of life. I've always had a lot of black and white in my visuals, so it's been really fun on this album to have a lot of colors, in my own way.

A poem from “Generations of Women From the Moon”
You can order my poetry book now on my website https://t.co/1gvLoNppOz pic.twitter.com/VtGQJqKnRp

— BANKS (@hernameisBANKS) August 22, 2019

You recently published a poetry book, Generations Of Women From The Moon, which is so cool. Were you working on that while you were working on the album? What's the story behind it?

Well, every song is kind of like a poem, and I've always written poems. Before I even got into songwriting, it was more of just this stream of consciousness thing that turned into to having melodic chants behind it, and just turned into a song. But with poetry, I just got really into writing and there's definitely a theme to my poems.

It's funny, writing music and writing poetry comes from, it fulfills the same need in me, but they come from different voices. Sometimes, I feel like my music is about the nitty gritties of life, different dynamics and relationships and stuff like that. And then my poetry feels like it's bigger concepts, like speaking from this wise woman voice that I have in my stomach. There's a lot of moon imagery in my poetry that I didn't even plan on. The first poem in the book is called "Generations Of Women From The Moon." It's a two-part poem.

When do you tend to feel most creatively inspired?

God, I don't know. For me, creativity just comes. There's not really a setting. I mean, I do like to have a nice couch in a studio, a really comfortable zone to get in there. But, I mean, any time of day, it's more whenever a certain mood hits.

When you were younger, were there any artists that you admired that made you think, I want to go into music or I want to make something like they're making?

Anybody with a voice that didn't feel perfectly trained, but you felt their soul in, that was for me growing up, any voice that I heard that had that grit, and lyrics that weren't just—you can tell when an artist writes their own music. For me, that's what it's always been about. Fiona Apple was somebody that I always loved. Ben Harper, I used to listen to all the time. Tracy Chapman. And Brandy's voice kills me, still kills me. It's like butter. My dad would play a lot of Peter Gabriel, which is always amazing. Yeah, I'm really into atmospheres as well, so a lot of stuff that just took you into another world but maybe didn't even have lyrics.

Fiona Apple Pledges Two Years Of "Criminal" Royalties To Immigrant Resource Fund

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy and its Affiliates. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy and its Affiliates lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy and its Affiliates.