The winners of the 64th GRAMMY Awards have been announced in an in-person live broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with South Africa’s Disk Jockey, Black Coffee, winning the Best Dance/Electronic Album for his 2021 LP ‘Subconsciously’. This marks his first win in the category and first GRAMMY win overall.
Illenium (Fallen Embers), Major Lazer (Music Is the Weapon (Reloaded)), Marshmello (Shockwave), Sylvan Esso (Free Love), and Ten City (Judgement) were the other albums nominated in the category.
An album named Subconsciously, the seventh studio album from South African DJ, producer, and artist is one created with a clear purpose in mind: freedom. Through open, stripped-back productions where lyrics and mood take center stage, he weaves his way out of traditional dance and electronic artist expectations—and even those of an African artist—into a space that’s more melody- and mood-driven than any of his previous LPs.
The album broke Apple Music and Spotify 2021 records for highest streams, with 100 million streams. Reviewing the album for Pitchfork, Tarisai Ngangura stated, “Subconsciously isn’t the type of album that offers bangers through and through, but the standout tracks are compelling enough to stay the course”.