Hey all. It’s that time of year again. The time for all of us music nerds to hope and pray for our favorites to walk away with a Grammy, only to be disappointed and complain on social media. Here, I cover the main four general categories in broad detail and categories in Pop, Rap, Rock and Alternative in a more abbreviated manner.  Enjoy. If you make it to the end, thank you. 

General

Record Of The Year 

  • “Black Parade”- Beyoncé 
  • “Colors”- Black Pumas
  • “Rockstar”- DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch 
  • “Say So”- Doja Cat
  • “Everything I Wanted”- Billie Eilish 
  • “Don’t Start Now”- Dua Lipa
  • “Circles”- Post Malone 
  • “Savage”- Megan Thee Stallion 

Man, I really wish “Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande and “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd were here. Not sure how you overlook songs like that, the latter of which could have easily taken it home, but I digress. 

Is there any feasible way to deny Beyoncé this time? It would be absurd. Not to say that she doesn’t have competition, because you have a song like “Circles” that has had incredible staying power as well as something like “Don’t Start Now,” which had a slow but gradual build to the top. Normally, I’d be all for “Don’t Start Now” taking it, following in the footsteps of another big dance track like “Uptown Funk” a few years ago, but there’s a lot to think about here. 

“Say So” just shot Doja Cat out of a cannon. Same with “Savage” for Megan Thee Stallion, though I cannot fathom how the Beyoncé remix wasn’t the version nominated (yes, even with Beyoncé nominated for her own song). Both “Savage” and “Say So” are excellent the way they are, but both Doja and Megan have proven that they can peel open layers to those songs that didn’t even know were there. 

DaBaby had a huge year, but I’m not sure “Rockstar” is a contender. Same for “Colors” by Black Pumas, but I can absolutely see this propelling the duo to new levels. “everything I wanted” by Billie Eilish could be the sleeper here. She’s still fresh in the minds of everyone who voted for her to sweep the big four last year, so she could very well snag it again. 

At the end of the day though, I think it needs to go to “Black Parade.” How do you continue to deny the artist that has delivered the caliber of work she has over the last seven years this one feather in her cap? Especially for a song like this, in a year so full of violence and pain and voices struggling to be heard? 

Prediction: “Black Parade” – Beyoncé 

Album Of The Year

  • Chilombo- Jhene Aiko 
  • Black Pumas- Black Pumas
  • Everyday Life- Coldplay 
  • Djesse Vol. 3- Jacob Collier 
  • Women In Music Pt. III- HAIM 
  • Future Nostalgia- Dua Lipa
  • Hollywood’s Bleeding- Post Malone 
  • Folklore- Taylor Swift 

This is easily the most interesting and competitive category of the big four. There is not one album here that does not deserve to be and the same can be said for the individual artists themselves. 

I think you can write off Everyday Life from the word go. It’s a solid record but it did not have the longevity that mostly every Coldplay album before it has had. “Arabesque” is still one of my favorites of 2019, though. Chilombo is a fantastic choice. A complete 360 turn for Jhene Aiko after 2017’s Trip but one that worked incredibly in her favor. The whole thing is as relaxing and tranquil as laying on the beach with a drink in your hand but songs like “10K Hours” with Nas, “Born Tired” and “Triggered” are masterful. Djesse Vol. 3 being included is overdue acknowledgement for Jacob Collier being, quite literally, the best musician in the industry right now. That musicianship is evident in the musically chaotic “In My Bones” featuring Kimbra and Tank and the Bangas and “All I Need” featuring Mahalia and Ty Dolla $ign as well as the more lowkey “Running Outta Love” featuring Tori Kelly. Can’t see either Chilombo or Djesse taking it, but Aiko and Collier are more than deserving 

Post Malone played it safe on Hollywood’s Bleeding. There’s no question about it. Does it matter? No, it does not. Post is at the height of his powers right now with “Circles” still charting high after a year and a half proving that, like with The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” longevity is still very much possible for individual songs in this era. “Take What You Want” featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott is absolutely sublime, but, other than that, nothing else on the record feels as grandiose or as risky. Black

Pumas’ self-titled/debut record is the odd one out of the bunch, but was plucked out from obscurity for a reason. It’s a star-making effort. 

The real battle here, I think, is between folklore and Future Nostalgia. folklore is a career-defining pivot for Swift into, arguably, legendary singer-songwriter status with stellar cuts like “the 1”, “exile” with Bon Iver, “this is me trying”, “my tears ricochet” and more. Future Nostalgia on the other hand cements Dua Lipa as not just a bonafide hitmaker in modern standards but as both a mainstay and a top name in the mainstream. The disco-inspired record is short and sweet but packed with gems like “Physical,” “Levitating” and “Cool”. 

So, how do you go about this? I would really love for HAIM to take it home, but Swift absolutely gave us a classic with folklore. To have been able to see the state of the world at that time and create a record with such complexity and emotional heft seemingly inspired by that fear and uncertainty is an incredible feat. I’m not sure if there’s anything more deserving.

Prediction: folklore- Taylor Swift 

Song Of The Year

  • “Black Parade”- Beyoncé 
  • “The Box”- Roddy Ricch 
  • “Cardigan”- Taylor Swift 
  • “Circles”- Post Malone
  • “Don’t Start Now”- Dua Lipa
  • “Everything I Wanted”- Billie Eilish 
  • “I Can’t Breathe”- H.E.R
  • “If The World Was Ending”- Julia Michaels and JP Saxe 

This category focuses more on the song itself than the actual recording and goes to the songwriter, not necessarily the performer. That being said, that doesn’t mean it won’t go to the biggest hit, or one of the biggest hits, as proven with Billie Eilish’s win last year with “bad guy” or Adele’s win for “Hello.” If that is the case, it could easily go to “Circles” or even “Don’t Start Now.” “I Can’t Breathe” is still incredibly relevant with the trial for George Floyd’s killer just beginning to get under way this week, but may still be too obscure for Grammy voters to get behind. Same with “If The World Was Ending.”

“The Box” is an odd choice, but “Cardigan” is not, though I would have loved it if Swift’s “The Last Great American Dynasty” had gotten the nomination instead. I’m not sure the Grammys need to focus on the biggest songs all the time in cases like this, but rather the ones with the best lyrics and storytelling. 

A victory for “everything I wanted” would be a feather in the cap for Billie Eilish right as her new era is seemingly about to begin. After sweeping the big four categories last year, it is definitely possible that she could walk away with another Grammy for a song that may have not had the chart success of “bad guy” but definitely received the same amount, if not more, critical praise. 

“Black Parade” is a viable contender if the Grammys choose to go the similar route they have in the past of throwing every award at one artist or song. It doesn’t have the mass appeal that Lemonade had as a whole or that “Formation” had individually, but it is as topical and current as anything. Beyoncé may finally get her due. If she’s able to nab both Record and Song Of The Year for this, she will have earned it. 

Prediction: “Black Parade”- Beyoncé

Best New Artist 

  • Ingrid Andress
  • Phoebe Bridgers 
  • Noah Cyrus 
  • Chika
  • D Smoke 
  • Doja Kat
  • Kaytranada 
  • Megan The Stallion 

For Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion, this would be nothing more than a consolation prize if they win nothing else. How do you deny either of these two this, though? And how do you deny Phoebe Bridgers, who had one of the best records of the year with “Punisher”? To have Phoebe competing with Doja and Megan is just a crime. 

Noah Cyrus’ nomination is yet another head-scratcher for the Best New Artist category. Did “Make Me (Cry)” with Labrinth not definitively establish her as an artist in the eyes of the general public a few years ago? Sure, she has made MASSIVE progress since, but I just always thought of her as “established.” Chika, Kaytranada and D Smoke are strong voices in hip-hop and R&B while Ingrid Andress is sure to make waves in country music, but this category is very clearly between Doja and Megan. 

These two literally wrote the book on how to have a breakout year in music. However, if I had to choose, I’d pick Megan. Especially considering Beyoncé’s stamp of approval, sprinkled in doses of brilliance from start to finish on the “Savage” remix really just set the tone for Megan going forward. She is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with. 

Prediction: Megan Thee Stallion

Pop

Best Pop Solo Performance 

  • “Yummy”- Justin Bieber
  • “Say So”- Doja Cat
  • “Everything I Wanted”- Billie Eilish 
  • “Don’t Start Now”- Dua Lipa 
  • “Watermelon Sugar”- Harry Styles 
  • “Cardigan”- Taylor Swift 

Why it isn’t “Adore You” here in place of “Watermelon Sugar,” I’ll never know, but I’m a fan of the former. It took me a minute, but I warmed up to it. “Yummy” by Justin Bieber is here, too. A miscalculation of a lead single for Bieber that has continued to spark intense debate on Twitter. I’m happy to see him included, but I can’t see it walking away with the win.

Poor Doja Cat would probably love nothing more than to put “Say So” behind her, despite some EXCELLENT reimagined live performances of the track like the rock version at the EMA’s. A win with it here might finally allow her to do that, but it would be tough. “Cardigan” and “everything I wanted” are similar to me here. Strong songs but not necessarily the typical favorite for a category like this. 

If there was any category Dua Lipa should win for “Don’t Start Now,” it’s this one. Just a really, REALLY good song that had an organic build and has maintained its popularity even after the album drop and other singles have taken priority. 

Prediction: “Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance 

  • “Un Dia (One Day)”- J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny and Tainy 
  • “Intentions”- Justin Bieber featuring Quavo 
  • “Dynamite”- BTS
  • “Rain On Me”- Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande 
  • “Exile”- Taylor Swift featuring Bon Iver 

Intentions” being here irks me, even as a devout fan of Justin Bieber. While the track was definitely a surprise runaway hit on the charts for a long while, it is not Bieber at his best. “Exile” is a gorgeous cut from folklore and is, in my opinion, a career highlight for Swift, while “Rain On Me,” despite hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, could have reinvigorated Gaga’s career as a dominating force in pop had it been released at the right time. The song hit #1 just at the start of the George Floyd protests, so it was barely acknowledged and soon lost momentum. 

“Un Dia” is, like DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki” and other similar world hits, one of those ensemble tracks that don’t necessarily hold up in America but sustain popularity internationally. Not sure if it has much of a chance here, but it’s a solid hit. Is it even possible to deny BTS this time? “Dynamite” is superb. The boys really proved their worth with this one, really putting in the work, during the pandemic, to keep it afloat. 

Prediction: “Dynamite” – BTS

Best Pop Vocal Album 

  • Changes- Justin Bieber 
  • Chromatica- Lady Gaga 
  • Future Nostalgia– Dua Lipa
  • Fine Line- Harry Styles
  • Folklore- Taylor Swift 

These album categories are so exciting this year. Absolutely thrilled to see Fine Line recognized in its entirety here. Harry Styles cemented his place in both the pop and adult contemporary markets with this record, with songs like “Golden,” “Falling,” “Treat People With Kindness” and both “She” and “Fine Line,” which are incredibly underrated. Future Nostalgia and folklore are here as well. Two strong contenders despite not being the typical definition of a standout “vocal” album in terms of the actual singing. 

Both Changes and Chromatica are solid records for both Bieber and Gaga respectively, but neither got to really bask in the glory that albums by artists of that caliber normally would. The latter was released at the height of COVID lockdown while the former is, essentially, an intimate snapshot of Bieber’s newfound love and was certainly not made in an attempt to recreate the success of Purpose, his record-breaking album from 2016. Chromatica is a return to form for Gaga after Joanne, with tracks like “Babylon,” “Sine From Above” with Elton John, “Alice” and “Free Woman” all proving to be standouts in Gaga’s discography and the same can be said for, arguably, the entire first half of Changes for Bieber. “Habitual,” “All Around Me,” “Forever” with Post Malone and Clever and “At Least For Now” are fantastic. 

I can see it realistically coming down to Gaga and Styles, but Dua Lipa could easily walk away with it too. 

Prediction: Future Nostalgia- Dua Lipa 

Rock 

Best Rock Performance 

  • “The Steps”- HAIM
  • “Stay High”- Brittany Howard
  • “Not”- Big Thief 
  • “Shameika”- Fiona Apple 
  • “Kyoto”- Phoebe Bridgers
  • “Daylight”- Grace Potter 

Genuinely all great choices. However, it HAS to be between “Kyoto” and “Shameika” with the latter ultimately coming out on top to make up for the travesty that is Apple’s record Fetch The Bolt Cutters being excluded from the Album Of The Year category. 

Prediction: “Shameika” – Fiona Apple 

Best Rock Song 

  • “Kyoto”- Phoebe Bridgers 
  • “Lost In Yesterday”- Tame Impala 
  • “Not”- Big Thief
  • “Shameika”- Fiona Apple 
  • “Stay High”- Brittany Howard 

It’d be so easy to just give this to “Shameika” as well, should they go that route, but why not give it to Bridgers for “Kyoto”? Share the wealth a little bit. Her SNL performance of it was badass, if you haven’t seen it. 

Prediction: “Kyoto” – Phoebe Bridgers 

Best Rock Album

  • A Hero’s Death- Fontaines D.C
  • Kiwanuka- Michael Kiwanuka  
  • Daylight- Grace Potter
  • Sound & Fury- Sturgill Simpson  
  • The New Abnormal- The Strokes

Gonna be honest, I’m not familiar with those first two, but I mean…..The Strokes. Come on now. Incredible record and more than deserving. 

Prediction: The New Abnormal – The Strokes

Alternative 

Best Alternative Music Album 

  • Fetch The Bolt Cutters- Fiona Apple 
  • Hyperspace- Beck
  • Punisher- Phoebe Bridgers
  • Jaime- Brittany Howard
  • The Slow Rush- Tame Impala

Yet another tough album category. Genuinely, some of my favorite artists are here. I can see it going to Tame Impala due to Kevin Parker’s major contributions to a plethora of other artists, but Phoebe Bridgers’ record is just sublime. A career-defining effort from her while Fetch The Bolt Cutters serves as a late-career gem and yet another critical darling for Fiona Apple. It’s a tough category and there’s no wrong winner here. 

Prediction: Fetch The Bolt Cutters – Fiona Apple 

R&B 

Best Progressive R&B Album 

  • Chilombo- Jhene Aiko 
  • Ungodly Hour- Chloe x Halle 
  • Free Nationals-  Free Nationals 
  • F*** Yo Feelings- Robert Glasper 
  • It Is What It Is- Thundercat 

ANOTHER amazing album category. You have breakout performances from Chloe x Halle and Thundercat, who has come a long way from when I listened to him perform at SUNY Purchase’s spring festival from my third-floor dorm room a few years ago. Incredible musician. 

The Free Nationals are here for their excellent solo project without Anderson. Paak and Jhene Aiko for the stunning Chilombo. Not familiar with that Glasper record, so I’ll need to check it out. 

Prediction: It Is What It Is – Thundercat 

Rap 

Best Rap Performance 

  • “Deep Reverence”- Big Sean featuring Nipsey Hussle  
  • “Bop”- DaBaby
  • “What’s Poppin”- Jack Harlow
  • “The Bigger Picture”- Lil Baby
  • “Savage”- Megan The Stallion featuring Beyonce 
  • “Dior”- Pop Smoke

Where the hell was that Beyoncé remix of “Savage” in the general categories? That track being included is making it really hard for me to say that I want “The Bigger Picture” to win. In all seriousness, not one bad pick here. Jack Harlow’s breakout hit is a strong contender, but something tells me it’ll be down to “Dior” or, more realistically, “Deep Reverence”. Not to undermine the passing for Pop Smoke, but Nipsey Hussle’s death was, seemingly, as deeply felt by the rap community as Mac Miller’s was. 

Prediction: “Deep Reverence” – Big Sean featuring Nipsey Hussle  

Best Melodic Rap Performance 

  • “Rockstar”- DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch 
  • “Laugh Now Cry Later”- Drake featuring Lil Durk 
  • “Lockdown”- Anderson. Paak 
  • “The Box”- Roddy Ricch 
  • “Highest In The Room”- Travis Scott 

Does the industry have the gall to give the award to Drake over Travis Scott AGAIN?? Probably….it’s Drake. With Certified Lover Boy set for release this year, does Drake really need a win for this? He’ll likely be nominated 10 or more times next year. If the Grammy’s are really feeling frisky, they could give it to “Lockdown” and make all of us music nerds happy. However, it’s doubtful. Also, “The Box” shouldn’t be overlooked. Roddy Ricch really struck lightning in a bottle with that. 

Prediction: “The Box” – Roddy Ricch 

Best Rap Song 

  • “The Bigger Picture”- Lil Baby 
  • “The Box”- Roddy Ricch 
  • “Laugh Now Cry Later”- Drake featuring Lil Durk 
  • “Rockstar”- DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch 
  • “Savage”- Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé 

“The Bigger Picture” is one of the most important songs released in ANY genre of the last year, if not longer. I’m serious about that. Coming from the guy behind “Drip Too Hard” with Gunna, this was a complete shock. The best kind of shock. As much as I want “Savage” to be recognized, and I really, REALLY do, it HAS to go to Lil Baby. Prediction: “The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby

The 63rd annual GRAMMY Awards will air March 14 at 8pm on CBS.