Known as a music lover’s Superbowl, the Grammy Awards will recognize music excellence within the past year in 95 categories on Feb. 1. As the years have gone on, I have progressively become more invested. In the months leading up to the awards, I pay attention to who submits their work and who ends up getting nominated.
On the day of, I try to schedule my plans around the Grammys so I can watch the awards coverage all the way from the red-carpet walks to the after party. This year I’m prepared with predictions for who will win in the big four award categories, along with who I think deserves it.
To start, the Record of the Year award focuses on the overall recording, performance, production and engineering of a song.
This year I predict Billie Eilish will win Record of the Year with her song “WILDFLOWER” because of its stripped-back nature. Although the production is not as flashy as some of her other songs like “Bad Guy,” a lot of work goes into making a beautifully simplistic, soft song like this interesting and exciting for the listener.
Eilish is no stranger to The Grammys, especially when she famously swept the big four categories in 2020.While I do love the song and Eilish as an artist, and I think she has the best chance of winning, I would rather see Lady Gaga take home this award for “Abracadabra.”
The interesting production combined with Gaga’s powerful vocal delivery makes “Abracadabra” so fun and reminds me of her old music that I grew up listening to. There are very distinct sections and a variety of sounds throughout the song that all blend together very well.
Next up, the Album of the Year award considers the quality and artistry of the collection of tracks as a whole. I am predicting Tyler, The Creator’s album “CHROMAKOPIA” will win this award, and I think it deserves to.
“CHROMAKOPIA” has a very distinctive sound and a very clear creative direction. While this album sounds deliberately messy at some points, it feels more cohesive in comparison to the other albums nominated for this award.
Throughout the album there’s an overarching theme of Tyler, the Creator’s experiences growing up, and a narration done by his mother. Because of the clear creative direction of the entire project and the generally well received nature of it, I am expecting a deserving win.
The Song of the Year award recognizes the composition (a combination of lyrics and melody) of a song and is awarded to the songwriters. This year, I’m predicting Bad Bunny and the songwriters for “DtMF” to win the award.
The melody of “DtMF” is relaxing and almost dreamlike before it picks up in the chorus. Meanwhile, the lyrics portray how Bad Bunny wishes he had taken more time to appreciate someone who used to be in his life. Even though the lyrics are in Spanish, which is not the first language of many Grammy voters, the message behind this song is universal.
Another song with relatable lyrics and broad appeal is “Golden” from the film “KPop Demon Hunters.” This is the song I personally think should win the award.
The “Golden” melody is so catchy, and I find myself humming it all the time. The message behind the lyrics is also uplifting, showing listeners how coming together as a team is sometimes more powerful than facing things alone, which is an important quality for a song targeted at kids. Because it appeals to so many people through its catchy lyrics and melody, I am really hoping “Golden” will win instead.
Lastly, the Best New Artist award is to an artist who has gained recognition and impacted the musical landscape over the past year. Artists can be nominated even if they have released multiple albums, just as long as most of their breakthroughs happened in the past year.
The past eight Best New Artist Grammys have been taken home by female artists, but I think the tides are turning. This year, I’m convinced Alex Warren will win.
Warren has been inescapable; even if people are not seeking out his music, they have likely heard it on advertisements and TV broadcasts. He has had multiple big hits in the past two years, including songs like “Ordinary” and “Bloodline.” Additionally, he has an interesting backstory and online presence that might entice voters.
I wouldn’t be disappointed if Warren won this category. Although I don’t listen to much of his music, I think he’s deserving of the award based on his performance this past year.
Like every annual Grammy season, I’m ready to pull for certain artists, get overly excited at the performances and try to get all my friends as invested as I am.
