Brandi Carlile Says Having 'Right on Time' Shifted to the Grammys' Pop Category 'Pissed Me Off'
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lia clay miller Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile is opening up about having her music reassigned to the Grammys' pop category.
In a new cover story interview with Billboard, Carlile elaborated on her thoughts regarding the Recording Academy's October 2021 decision to nominate her song "Right on Time" in the pop category at the 2022 Grammy Awards — rather than the American Roots category, where it was submitted.
After years of mainly earning both awards and nominations in the Grammys' Americana, American roots, and country categories, the 41-year-old "The Joke" singer previously said she was "surprised and disappointed" to see "Right on Time" in the best pop performance category when the nominations were announced for the 2022 ceremony.
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Speaking to Billboard, Carlile acknowledged her admiration for the award show before discussing her music's category shift. "The Grammys changed my life. They gave me the most life-changing opportunity, not just for me but for a lot of people," said the musician, who's earned six awards at previous Grammys ceremonies.
Getting moved out of the Americana genre, however, "pissed me off," she told the outlet.
"I can't even begin to express how important it is to me to stay with [the Americana community]," explained Carlile, "even if it means levels of success that I'll never reach."
lia clay miller Brandi Carlile
An advocate for social causes both within and outside of her artistry, the singer-songwriter said it's far more important to create change in the music industry than to achieve pop success — which is part of the reason she was disappointed to see herself in the pop categories.
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"When the Grammys made that decision for me, it felt like I had been taken out of my space that I wanted to be in," said Carlile.
lia clay miller Brandi Carlile
At the same time, the "Broken Horses" performer considers the Grammys' decision "a great compliment."
"I had to look at the juxtaposition of those two issues and come to a peaceful place with it," she detailed, noting it felt cool to be "in pop with all them kids" including the best pop performance category's 2022 winner, Olivia Rodrigo.
"Communities are so important," Carlile told Billboard. "You should be able to choose which one you're a part of."
lia clay miller Brandi Carlile
Upon the announcement of the 2022 Grammy nominations, the Highwomen member released a statement about her placement in the pop categories.
"While I'm incredibly flattered to be considered 'pop' as a 40-year-old crooning lesbian mother," she said in October 2021, "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."
"Being recognized by the Grammys — in any form — is a great honor. I just want folks to know this wasn't my decision," continued her statement. "Regardless, it doesn't change who I am or what my Americana community continues to mean to me."
lia clay miller Brandi Carlile
At the 2019 Grammy Awards, Carlile's album By the Way, I Forgive You took home the award for best Americana album, while "The Joke" won for both best American Roots performance and song. ("The Joke" was also up for record and song of the year that year.)
And at both the 2020 and 2021 Grammys, she took home the award for best country song for co-writing Tanya Tucker's "Bring My Flowers Now" and The Highwomen's "Crowded Table," respectively. She also won best country album for her production work on Tucker's While I'm Livin' in 2020. (Carlile was first nominated in 2016 for The Firewatcher's Daughter in the best Americana album category.)
