Lalah Hathaway on Grammy nominations: 'I'm just starting to hit my stride'

Lalah Hathaway may be a five-time Grammy Award winner, but the singer-songwriter says Bulletin board that becoming a candidate again never loses its luster.

“I never take it for granted,” Hathaway says. It received two nominations in the R&B category: Best R&B album (Vantablack) and Best Traditional R&B Performance (“No Lie,” featuring Michael McDonald).

“But it's always my intention to do the best job I can and speak to the legacy I'm working on,” continues Hathaway, who says she woke up five minutes before the awards ceremony was due to begin. “I couldn't find my glasses,” she adds with a laugh. “It's so nice to be recognized by my peers and music professionals. And it's always like Christmas—and not just for me. It's also exciting to see how many of the musicians I work with hopefully get recognized for their work.”

Story: Mad Skillz's Seven Number Onenominated in the Best Spoken Word Poetry album category. Hathaway, by the way, appears on the album track “Music.”

Hathaway, the daughter of soul legend Donny Hathaway, is carving out her own remarkable legacy. The candidates Vantablack marks her eighth studio album and her first new project since 2017 Honest. In addition to the aforementioned McDonald, guests on the 16-track set include Common, Rapsody, MC Lyte and Willow. Vantablack released this summer through Hathaway Entertainment in association with SRG-ILS Group (Virgin Music Group). Hathaway's most recent win was for her performance of Anita Baker's hit “Angel” for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2016.

“Working with SRG-ILS was critical to being able to present the visuals I had in mind for the album and really hone the music,” says Hathaway. “I'm so proud of all the effort we all put into the whole project: the art, the merchandise, and the tour, which we just wrapped up a few weeks ago. It was terrible. I feel like I'm just starting to hit my stride.”