Brandi Carlile Shares Why ‘The Joke’ Is an ‘Important Song’ to Perform at 2019 Grammy Awards
Brandi Carlile spoke backstage with Grammy.com after her rehearsal for her Grammy performance on Friday (Feb.8), confirming that she'll perform her nominated song, "The Joke," on the live broadcast on Sunday (Feb. 10).
Carlile is not only performing, she's also nominated for six awards. "The Joke" is nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance, while her album, By the Way, I Forgive You, is up for Album of the Year and Best Americana album. She is the most-nominated female artist in the 2019 Grammy Awards..
"It just feels amazing," she says. "I've been at it for a really long time and I'm just filled with gratitude for the accolades and the acknowledgment."
Carlile spoke on what the nominations mean to her personally and professionally. "The Grammys to me means that I've been seen and acknowledged by my peers in the music industry from every level, from the concert industry to recording engineers to producers to musicians and to, you know, front people and entertainers as well. That's like an unbelievable feeling to me."
She thinks "The Joke" bears a timely message.
"I chose "The Joke" because I just feel like it's an important song at this time and in this country," she states, "and I think that that song's success says more about our nation's willingness to receive it than it does actually what I'm saying and what I'm doing."
She adds, "It's music with a message, and it's a harsh message; you know, it's a message about needing to do better and about the plight of the displaced peoples in this world. Refugees, asylum seekers, economic migrants, and also about gender dysphoria and its place in our country and our need for understanding and acceptance."
The 2019 Grammy Awards are set to broadcast live on CBS on Sunday (Feb. 10), hosted by Alicia Keys.
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