AH, PAIRS

There’s a reason we called Ken Ehrlich “The Collaborator” in the headline of Bud Scoppa’s in-depth conversation with the Grammys executive producer.

This morning, in its latest sequential reveal, the Recording Academy announced the pairings of Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Jessie J and Tom Jones (this one original busted out in a promo during the AFC Championship Game), Hozier and Annie Lennox, as well as Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani, our scoop from yesterday.

Ehrlich has been coming up with inspired collabs on the Grammys since he paired Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond on the latter’s “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” on his first telecast in 1980—a seemingly organic combination that in reality required a great deal of fancy footwork to pull off, as Ken explains in the Q&A.

There’s been no confirmation thus far on that anticipated three-way with Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney, but an unnamed source was quoted in U.K. paper The Sun as saying, “Rihanna's seriously pleased to have bagged a big slot at the Grammys and two huge names to kick off her comeback. Paul McCartney's a Grammys regular, and it will give Rihanna serious kudos to have a Beatle backing her on stage. It is going to be a huge Grammy Moment.”