Black experience

NEW YORK - with police brutality continuing to devastate Black families and the coronavirus ravishing Black America disproportionately, the world was driven to the significance of this year's luneteenth more than ever before.

And Beyoncé knew she wanted to release a song on that momentous day - so she dropped "Black Parade," an anthemic jam where she proudly sings about her heritage, hometown and returning to her African roots.

Months later, the song - and others focused on protesting, police brutality and the overall Black experience - are taking center stage at the 2021 Grammy Awards.

Beyoncé's "Black Parade" scored nominations for two of the top awards: song of the year and record of the year. The track will also compete for best R&B song and best R&B performance.

"There could have been a different approach as far as releasing the record and capitalizing off of timings of other things, but we really wanted to get it out during a time where we could all remember the feeling and the energy," Derek Dixie, a longtime collaborator of Beyoncé's who co-wrote the song with the pop star, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"It's not always about the money and about catching streaming numbers and things like that. Sometimes it's just about what it is - which was making our people proud."

"Black Parade" helped Beyoncé land nine nominations, making her the overall top...