Regardless of robust competitors from Bruce Springsteen’s 9/11-inspired album The Rising and Eminem’s blockbuster The Eminem Present, it was Norah Jones who dominated the 2003 Grammys. The then-23-year-old newcomer swept the night time’s massive 4 classes (Album of the 12 months, Document of the 12 months, Music of the 12 months, and Finest New Artist), because of her breakout single “Don’t Know Why” and her ubiquitous debut album, Come Away With Me, which earned eight awards complete that night time.

Wanting again on it 20 years later, Jones admits, “It looks like one other life.” And but, that was solely the start of her ongoing relationship with the Grammy Awards—this 12 months, she nabbed her nineteenth nomination for I Dream of Christmas (Prolonged), up for Finest Conventional Pop Vocal Album. She remembered to vote this 12 months (one thing she’s often “slacked on”); she’s planning on attending the ceremony (the place she’ll have a household reunion together with her half-sister Anoushka Shankar, a nominee for Finest World Music Efficiency); and he or she’s excited to return to the Grammys with a lot fewer expectations than in ’03—and hopefully with extra meals in her abdomen this time round.

This Sunday’s ceremony can even give Jones, 43, the prospect to meet up with a few of her business friends in particular person, although she’s been doing a stellar job of doing that over the previous a number of months together with her podcast Norah Jones Is Taking part in Alongside. Every episode finds her welcoming a unique musical visitor to speak and play songs collectively; thus far, she’s had everybody from Mavis Staples to Logic to Jeff Tweedy on the present.

The Every day Beast caught up with Jones over Zoom, to revisit her epic Grammys sweep and talk about her foray into the podcasting world.

There was a full 12 months between if you launched Come Away With Me and when the Grammys really occurred.

Yeah, it was an extended, gradual rise.

When did the thought of profitable the Grammys begin to enter your thoughts? Was it in the course of the launch of the album, or solely after you have been nominated?

I don’t assume that was one thing that I ever thought of. After I was 20, profitable a bunch of Grammys was the very last thing I assumed was gonna occur. Because the 12 months began going and going, it wasn’t actually on my thoughts as a result of we have been so busy working. We have been using a wave. And I say “we” as a result of my band on the time, we have been all very shut, and I felt like I used to be using this wave with my pals. By the point the Grammy stuff occurred, I don’t even assume I used to be within the States. I don’t even keep in mind the place I used to be once I acquired the phrase that I used to be nominated. That is how fast every part was occurring.

After which, when it got here right down to it, it was Simply the craziest night time. I used to be ravenous the entire time. That’s all I keep in mind, I used to be ravenous. After which by the tip, I used to be embarrassed that I stored going up there, and I felt like folks have been irritated with me. These are the 2 issues I keep in mind essentially the most, being ravenous and being embarrassed by the tip.

Yeah, I assume they don’t feed you on the Grammys, do they?

No, I didn’t get fed! I imply in hindsight, after all I used to be so grateful and excited and it felt actually good to have the album acknowledged and really feel like folks appreciated what I did. That’s the very best feeling. To have Aretha Franklin within the first row, bopping alongside once we’re singing “Don’t Know Why,” I imply, I keep in mind that so vividly. It was only a wild night time.

Norah Jones accepts her Grammy for file of the 12 months in the course of the forty fifth Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Sq. Backyard on February 23, 2003 in New York Metropolis.

Frank Micelotta/Getty

I used to be wanting up YouTube clips from that night time, and it was Aretha and Bonnie Raitt who offered the Document of the 12 months award to you. That will need to have been a pinch-me second.

Oh, yeah. I imply, idols. I used to be so glad to get the award and say thanks, however I actually simply needed to hang around with them and speak to them. However yeah, not all people will get to try this.

I do know you stated you don’t keep in mind the place you have been when information of the nominations occurred. However sooner or later, did you might have folks telling you that you simply have been the frontrunner or favourite to win? Did you’re feeling in any manner ready for the chance that you simply may win all 4 of the main awards?

Not likely. I don’t assume my label or administration and I talked about stuff in that manner at the moment. I feel we have been already so forward of the place we thought we’d be; the album was already turning into a lot larger than we imagined. I feel that complete 12 months, there wasn’t plenty of scheming or wanting forward. We have been doing a radio tour, I keep in mind, that December, the place we’d be on a aircraft at six within the morning day by day, doing a radio present by 9, plenty of early mornings. I used to be exhausted. So I keep in mind simply taking issues someday at a time.

So does that imply you didn’t put together any acceptance speeches?

I imply, I feel I had an inventory in my head of everybody who performed on the file, and I needed to thank the label.

That’s good, since you hear horror tales from people who find themselves like, “I forgot to thank my partner!” as a result of they’re so overwhelmed and attempting to recollect folks.

I feel I stated “shit” on reside tv. I keep in mind getting some emails from pals like, “You stated shit! That was superior!” I feel that’s earlier than the five-second delay began occurring. However yeah, I simply keep in mind by the tip feeling actually redundant and undecided what I used to be going to say if I received a fifth award at that time, or a fourth award, or [however] many it was. I keep in mind the final one feeling like, “Oh God, they’re so sick of listening to from me! What am I gonna say?”

It was humorous wanting again on the different massive nominees that night time: Eminem, Bruce Springsteen, The Chicks, Nelly… it actually ran the gamut. That being stated, you have been positively extra the brand new child on the block. How did that really feel?

It felt bizarre. I positively thought Bruce Springsteen was gonna win every part. I simply felt like an imposter, and I feel that’s a fairly regular feeling. I feel plenty of artists really feel that manner, even profitable ones. I positively had plenty of that.

“

I positively thought Bruce Springsteen was gonna win every part. I simply felt like an imposter.

”

Do you keep in mind anybody else who you met or talked with that night time? Any of these nominees?

I don’t. I don’t keep in mind in any respect. I solely keep in mind assembly Bonnie and Aretha on stage. I feel Justin Timberlake gave me one of many awards. However I don’t actually know what else. I feel it’s only a blur. A hangry blur!

I hope you bought meals afterward, no less than.

Oh, I ate a lot. I keep in mind going to the large EMI celebration, and all I needed was a martini and meals. And I acquired a martini, however I didn’t even discover any meals there. I feel that they had some sushi going round, however I didn’t actually get sufficient. And so I keep in mind at 4 within the morning, my boyfriend and I—he performed in my band and wrote a bunch of songs on that album—we have been staying on the W Lodge that week. And I’ll always remember, we went to this 24-hour French bistro that we like referred to as L’Categorical, and I ate the very best cheeseburger of my life at 4 within the morning. And we simply have been like, “What the hell simply occurred?!” We have been decompressing and consuming a cheeseburger, and similar to, “Wow, that was loopy!” And I feel we watched the solar come up again on the lodge after our burger feast.

That feels like an important night time, really.

Yeah, that half was actually enjoyable. It was simply the 2 of us, and no one bothered me. No one observed me. That was the bizarre factor—the web was already massive and there have been plenty of message boards and stuff, but it surely was pre-intense social media. I keep in mind taking an extended stroll both the following day or the day after in SoHo to see a buddy at a studio, and no one even gave me a re-evaluation. I imply, it’s New York Metropolis!

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty

That have to be actually trippy, although. You simply had the largest night time at “music’s greatest night time,” after which the following day, it’s again to common life.

Yeah. I used to be on the quilt of the New York Put up the following day, they usually put in an image of my crappy condo, and I couldn’t return there after that as a result of then bizarre, random folks knew the place I lived, which was type of crappy of them. But it surely was only a totally different time, the place you could possibly nonetheless be a little bit nameless. I even have at all times been capable of fly like that a little bit bit, which is nice. However yeah, it was a visit for certain.

You have been so younger on the time, and within the years since, we’ve watched an artist like Billie Eilish even have an enormous, awards-sweeping night time on the Grammys after her debut album. Do you see any of your self in somebody like her, who’s topped the following massive factor at such a younger age?

I do really feel a little bit little bit of relation to these massive nights for these artists, even when the music may be very totally different from mine. And likewise, I get actually excited to see somebody like Billie Eilish. I can’t wait to see what she goes to do. She’s already performed actually nice issues musically, and I feel she’s simply gonna do extra nice issues. It’s insane to consider someone… wasn’t she 17 when she made that file? Think about when she’s 25, think about when she’s 35. If she will keep tapped into her creativity the best way she has been, it’s simply gonna be wonderful to observe.

I even really feel that manner about somebody like Miley Cyrus, or Taylor Swift, who got here out once they have been very younger and have come to only develop as an artist. I feel that’s actually fascinating and enjoyable to observe. I really like seeing folks come into themselves and alter and do various things and go in numerous instructions than you assume they’re gonna go. And also you simply hope that the world doesn’t beat the creativity out of those folks, as a result of that does occur too. However I’m simply excited to see the place folks go. I feel it’s enjoyable to observe folks keep artistic.

Norah Jones performs in the course of the forty fifth Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Sq. Backyard on February 23, 2003 in New York Metropolis.

Frank Micelotta/Getty

There’s additionally the “Finest New Artist curse” that some folks have talked about with the Grammys, the place the artists who win that award need to reside as much as the expectations that comply with. There may even be backlash typically, if folks really feel just like the flawed particular person received. Did you expertise something like that after the Grammys? Both feeling such as you wanted to show that you simply earned it, or feeling any strain in your subsequent file?

I feel there’s a bizarre factor. You both let that get in your head otherwise you don’t, and I feel for me at the moment, I actually didn’t need it to get in my head. So I went within the studio within the woods, and we began engaged on the second album. After which I got here to the belief that nothing I used to be gonna do would in all probability ever be as massive as my first file. I simply type of knew it. I imply, the file was big. It was a bizarre phenomena that occurred. Do I feel I deserved it? Do I feel I’m proficient? Certain! And I labored laborious and all these issues. But it surely nonetheless was the celebs aligning, and one thing loopy occurred there. And I can’t take credit score, you recognize what I imply? I noticed that and I assumed, nicely, I’m gonna trip this wave, however I’m solely gonna do it and revel in myself and revel in making music.

I additionally actually didn’t wish to make the identical file once more. I imply, I used to be 23. So I used to be already rising in exponential methods creatively, being turned on to various things that I didn’t know existed, getting actually impressed by individuals who I hadn’t even listened to 2 years earlier than. So I used to be simply attempting to seize what was inspiring me essentially the most on the time, and I used to be actually targeted on songwriting, and I type of was obsessive about Dolly Parton, and that’s why my second album has a little bit bit extra of a rustic vibe to it. It’s simply one other step on the journey, and… I don’t know why I used to be capable of see it that manner, as a result of I really feel like that’s a fortunate factor for me to not get hung up on the success matching. But it surely simply felt like one other step. And I knew that I needed to take this step, I knew it was going to be an enormous deal. I knew that it wasn’t gonna be any simpler the longer I waited. So I simply tried to remain artistic and simply pull the Band-Assist off and do it.

“

I got here to the belief that nothing I used to be gonna do would in all probability ever be as massive as my first file. … Do I feel I deserved it? Do I feel I’m proficient? Certain! And I labored laborious and all these issues. But it surely nonetheless was the celebs aligning.

”

That feels like a very wholesome and mature manner to take a look at it, particularly contemplating you have been so younger. And also you have been again on the Grammys the following 12 months, so clearly one thing clicked.

Yeah, I agree, it was a really wholesome manner to take a look at it. And I do not know the place I acquired that as a result of I haven’t at all times performed wholesome decision-making in my life. However that was a fortunate factor.

Is there anything you keep in mind from that first Grammys that stands proud to you now?

It’s humorous to assume that my album was within the pop music class that 12 months. I feel that that was as a result of it was simply so standard—it was literal. However if you consider my music, I don’t know the way you’d categorize it. I don’t even know the way I might categorize it. However I’ve been fortunate to be nominated within the Americana class, and now it’s, like, Conventional Pop. I simply assume the classes are humorous, and I don’t know who decides them, however I feel it’s at all times enjoyable to see the place folks pop up.

I wish to ask you about your podcast, as a result of I really like how adventurous it’s from a style perspective. I might think about that having these sorts of conversations and attending to play with artists from all totally different backgrounds have to be invigorating for you as a musician.

It’s endlessly inspiring. After my second file, I acquired actually into songwriting and I needed to put in writing extra. As a result of on my first file, I solely wrote two or two and a half songs on that file; many of the songs have been by members of my band. And I actually felt like I may write songs, however I wasn’t certain, and I used to be nonetheless a little bit timid about it. I acquired into a little bit little bit of a author’s block and I’ve discovered the right way to push ahead over time. However the final 5 years or so, I’ve been doing extra collaborations, attempting to place out singles with different folks, and simply attempt to hold myself busy like that in a enjoyable manner. And that, plus doing these podcasts, I’ve been extra impressed within the final 5 years and written greater than I ever have.

You positively really feel that power after an episode just like the one with Logic. I might have by no means considered you two collectively, however you sounded nice collectively.

He’s so candy. We had a lot enjoyable, and I felt plenty of mutual respect there. I feel you’ll be able to have that with somebody who you don’t essentially utterly perceive how they do what they do, they usually don’t actually perceive the way you do what you do. You may nonetheless meet someplace within the center, and I like that. If you happen to’re open, which I really feel like most individuals are.

Who’s in your want checklist for a future podcast visitor?

I imply, there’s an inventory of like 1,000 folks. Dolly Parton can be unimaginable. Billie Eilish can be unimaginable. I would like it to be versatile, and I simply wish to play with folks. I really feel like I’m versatile sufficient to the place there’s not a lot I don’t really feel like I may bounce into with an open thoughts and musicality.

Perhaps you’ll do some schmoozing on the Grammys this 12 months and recruit some visitors.

Oh, yeah, it’s like a haven for recruiting. That’s simply what all people needs, is me being like, “Hey, you wanna be on my podcast?!” Elegant. Let’s get right down to enterprise!

The post 20 Years Later, Norah Jones Seems Again on Her Epic Grammys Sweep: ‘a Hangry Blur’ first appeared on Raw News.