The clarinet and trumpet’s C notes traveled up Junior Tiona Merritte’s headphones and flooded her ears as “Broken Clocks” by SZA played its opening chords.
SZA is from St. Louis, and is the most nominated artist of the year. She was recently nominated for nine Grammys: Record Of The Year, Album Of The
Year, Song Of The Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best R&B Performance, Best Traditional R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, Best Progressive R&B Album and Best Melodic Rap Performance.
“I have a lot of artists from St. Louis that I just adore and it just warms my heart because it’s like it’s so nice to know that such talented people are from here,” Merritte said.
Merritte started listening to SZA in fifth grade after first moving to the district. She said she discovered SZA from the song “Broken Clocks,” which became her go-to song.
One thing Merritte said stands out to her about SZA is how relatable her songs are.
“It’s like every single song, I feel like I can relate to her,” Merritte said. “And I just felt the emotions that she sings about, and it’s so crazy because it feels like she’s my brain.”
Merritte said not only is she honored to originate from the same place as SZA, but she is also proud of SZA’s accomplishments, not only with her Grammy nominations but also her growth in popularity with the release of her album “SOS” in December, 2022.
“She’s gained so much popularity and she gets to share her emotions with the world and I think it’s so beautiful,” Merritte said. “Especially because I feel like she was a really good outlet for young Black girls.”
AJ Hirang, junior, said something special about SZA is her popularity among men, not just women, Hirang attended her concert on Wednesday, Oct. 11, and said he was excited because he figured SZA would do something special being in her hometown.
During the concert, she played an extra song, “20 Something” from her “Ctrl” album, which is one of Hirang’s favorite songs. SZA wasn’t the only St. Louis-born artist up for Grammys, as Metro Boomin is a St. Louis artist up for Best Rap Album and Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical.
Metro Boomin has stayed connected with his home city, as the word “metro” in his name comes from the St. Louis bus line.
Many in the community are connected to the big-time producer, even before they knew the fame he would reach.
Nicole Scherder, language arts teacher, was a student teacher at Metro Boomin’s alma mater, Parkway North High School, where she helped out in his freshman language arts class.
She had seen Facebook posts about his popularity before but realized his fame at a Cardinals Game.
“There was a picture of him and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I know him like that was my student,’ Scherder said.
After seeing this, she said she felt excited because as a teacher she’s had many students with big aspirations and felt proud that he was able to reach his goals, especially now with his Grammy nominations. She also said it’s clear how hardworking he is, as he followed his dreams without sacrificing his education.
“This is just evidence that if you truly want something and want to work for it, you can make it happen,” Scherder said.
Raj Gudavalli, junior, became a fan of Metro Boomin while attending Parkway North Middle School. Gudavalli went to his concert in March, and once the concert was over, Gudavalli said he and his friends ran to catch up with him.
“Seeing him in the flesh was surreal at the moment,” Gudavalli said.
Gudavalli said that he feels Metro Boomin deserves his nominations and that it’s great to watch him succeed.
“He just produces music that I feel like other producers just can’t reach,” Gudavalli said. “Just the skill and talent he has, you can just tell it’s gonna be a good song when he produces something.”
