Brandi Carlile Expresses Disappointment at Grammys New Decision of Putting Her Music in the Pop Category
Brandi Carlile has been on cloud nine this past October: Her seventh studio album, In These Silent Days, was released, and she made her debut performance on Saturday Night Live. After a magical few weeks, the loud and proud female Americana/American Roots singer turned her attention to the Grammys for making a shocking and upsetting decision: removing her hit single “Right On Time” out of her favorite genre and into the Pop Category.
On October 25, preliminary ballots went out to Grammy voters. Carlile took to Instagram just one day later to express a lengthy, heartfelt message to her beloved fans after such a surprising decision. The singer starts by saying that the genre of Americana/American Roots is far more than just a genre of music. Americana, according to Carlile, “represents my community, my family, my friends, and my beautiful island of misfits. She goes on to say that the genre “represents a great number of people actively WORKING to platform marginalized people – LGBTQIA, women, and people of color (who, of course, actually built the genre).”
Although her album In These Silent Days is ineligible for awards this Grammys season, “Right on Time” is eligible. The hit single had been submitted for contention this year. While initially cast in the Americana genre, the Recording Academy decided to shift her single into the Pop Category, surprising and disappointing Carlile. She writes in her post, “While I’m incredibly flattered to be considered “pop” as a 40-year-old crooning lesbian mother, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit surprised and disappointed to learn the Recording Academy decided to move “Right On Time” out of the American Roots genre and into the pop category.” Fans of Carlile’s were shocked by the news as well.
brandi carlile and kacey musgraves are apparently pop now, is the recording academy doing ok????
— Grace Givertz (@gracegivertz) October 26, 2021
The Grammys making Brandi Carlile ineligible for the Americana categories is one of the most confusing things I’ve heard in a long time
— Lorie Liebig (@lorieliebig) October 26, 2021
Although the Pop Category was not what Carlile intended, she still is honored to be recognized by the Grammys for her fantastic work. Despite the category shift, there is still much to celebrate. Fans of Carlile can stream her album, In These Silent Days, on all major music platforms.
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