The Grammy Awards bring together singers, songwriters, and performers for the year’s most anticipated night of music. This year’s big nominees are Kendrick Lamar, with his jazz-inspired magnum opus (to date), To Pimp a Butterfly, and Taylor Swift, still riding the wave of her enormously popular album, 1989.
Music is an important element of any creative project, whether it’s the music filtered through headphones as inspiration for an illustration or the music chosen for the soundtrack of a major motion picture. We looked to the Shutterstock Music collection for sounds and songs inspired by some of this year’s Grammy nominees, collecting everything from charming 1950’s twee tracks to high energy electro-pop. Read on for our 10 favorite, plus photos from the 2016 Grammys.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has taken bubblegum pop to a new, sophisticated level, combining danceable synth beats and deep bass to make her sing-along songs club-appropriate, too. If you’re a fan of Taylor’s bright pop music, check out
“It’s For You” by Hartley.
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar’s ambitious and musically rich sophomore album, To Pimp a Butterfly, is critically acclaimed on every side of the musical spectrum. The album balances its heavily jazz-influenced core with historical samples, funky rhythms, and a sharply political narrative. “Comin’ to Getcha’” by The Upstroke plays out a jazz melody in the vein of Lamar’s music.
Alabama Shakes
The Alabama Shakes have allowed their roots to grow far beyond the sound of their blues-influenced freshman album. This time around, with Sound & Color, they have an equally slow-dance-worthy and hip-moving mix of soul, punk, garage rock, and blues. “Team Relax” by Good News Tunes combines a twangy guitar with upbeat percussion for a song that’s alive with rhythm, just like the Alabama Shakes.
Little Big Town
“Girl Crush,” by Little Big Town, is one of the nominated Records of the Year, bursting with the character of its country-doo-wop melody. For the same old-school-high-school dance sound, listen to “50’s Prom” by Young Presidents.
The Weeknd
The Weeknd’s falsetto register is deeply captivating as it sweeps across tender hip hop ballads to the simultaneously heavy and light-hearted “Can’t Feel My Face.” His Grammy-nominated album, Beauty Behind the Madness, is marked by slow tempos and an echoey quality, which can also be heard in “Gun Talk” by Good News Tunes.
Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding churns out electro-pop ballads at a remarkable rate. Her airy voice combined with addictive choruses are the building blocks of her songs, especially the Grammy-nominated “Love Me Like You Do.” Reminiscent of Goulding’s angelic tone is “Brighter Future” by Jack Catfish.
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Barnett has charmed audiences with prolific lyricism, crafting storybook-like songs. Her spoken-word style is hard to replicate, sounding distinct in tracks as divergent as the helter-skelter “Pedestrian at Best” and the longing, folksy “Depreston.” Either way, Barnett takes chick rock to an exciting new place; Churchyard Productions has a quality equally likable in their song, “The Bite.”
Leon Bridges
If there’s one word to describe Leon Bridges, it’s soulful. He has provided popular music with a sound that’s been sorely lacking since the days of Motown, improving dance floors worldwide since the release of his Grammy-nominated album, Coming Home. His music has unmistakable vintage vibes, easily recognizable in this molasses-slow jazz song, “Misty and Blue” by Cool Cat Music.
Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
Mark Ronson is no stranger to big band musical numbers, but when he teamed up with Bruno Mars for “Uptown Funk,” the danceability skyrocketed. The singer’s Michael Jackson-fueled song and dance are a total embodiment of the track’s title. If this truly funky hit is just your style, there’s more inspiration to be had from Stuart Geerts Entertainment’s raucous track, “Real Funk.”
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran, the reigning king of solo acoustic acts, makes audiences melt with his earnest voice and soft guitar chords. While “Let Me See You Again” by Bears is more lo-fi than Sheeran typically goes, it still champions the crooner-with-a-guitar category.
For more photos from the 2016 Grammy Awards, check out REX by Shutterstock. Follow @ShutterstockNow on Instagram and Twitter for images of today’s news, entertainment, and fashion.
Top image: Taylor Swift performs at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Photo by ddp USA/REX Shutterstock.