The Los Angeles wildfires could have muted the music enterprise’ traditional weeklong celebration resulting in the 67th annual Grammy Awards, however possibly that’s served to shine a brighter highlight on music’s greatest evening and its nominated artists? In any case, this 12 months’s competitors is (Sasha) fierce! When Beyoncé struts into the Crypto.com Area on Feb. 2, she does so with probably the most nominations, 11, together with three within the prime normal classes — album, file and track of the 12 months — a feat shared by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter (the final two are additionally up for greatest new artist). Will Beyoncé lastly win album and/or file, two trophies she doesn’t but have in her case, regardless of being the winningest artist in Grammy historical past? Will Swift add a back-to-back AOTY to her assortment (this could be her fifth!)? Or will Charli XCX have everybody seeing lime inexperienced? Our predictions for who’ll take the gold dwelling …
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Nominees: New Blue Solar by André 3000; Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé; Brief n’ Candy by Sabrina Carpenter; Brat by Charli XCX; Djesse Vol. 4 by Jacob Collier; Hit Me Onerous and Gentle by Billie Eilish; The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan; The Tortured Poets Division by Taylor Swift
You didn’t assume Beyoncé premiered eight Cowboy Carter songs dwell on Netflix, thumbing her nostril on the Tremendous Bowl with an NFL Christmas Gameday spectacle that actually had her singing from the rafters, as a result of she’s a Texans fan, did you? Extra possible: 9 months after dropping the album that made her the primary Black girl to prime Billboard’s nation album chart, launched the world to Shaboozey and rewrote “Jolene” as a warning shot for the titular adulteress, Bey knew the Recording Academy might use reminding — throughout voting season, ‘natch — that she doesn’t simply make music, she makes historical past. They wouldn’t dare deny her once more … would they?
WINNER Beyoncé
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Nominees: “Now and Then” by The Beatles; “Texas Maintain ‘Em” by Beyoncé; “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter; “360” by Charli XCX; “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish; “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar; “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan; “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift that includes Publish Malone
Ringo Starr stated he’d “like to win a Grammy” for “the final monitor ever by the boys” — one which took a long time to finish. But when The Beatles couldn’t land file of the 12 months for “I Wanna Maintain Your Hand,” “Hey Jude” (!) or “Let It Be” (!!), Starr and Paul McCartney — the one band members nominated for “Now and Then” — gained’t get one for resurrecting John Lennon with AI. Plus, the Recording Academy likes its ROTYs to be smash hits (assume: Daft Punk’s “Get Fortunate” or Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers”), which is why Eilish and her brother, Finneas (ROTY acknowledges the artist, producer and engineer), will prevail. Grammy darlings, they’ve gained this twice prior to now 5 years (in 2020 for “Unhealthy Man” and ’21 for “Every part I Needed” — offered by Starr!), and “Birds of a Feather” is their greatest, most ubiquitous file but.
WINNER Billie Eilish
SONG OF THE YEAR
Nominees: “A Bar Track (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey; “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish; “Die With a Smile” by Woman Gaga & Bruno Mars; “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift that includes Publish Malone; “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan; “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar; “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter
Eilish (with Finneas) has additionally gained track of the 12 months twice — in 2020 for “Unhealthy Man,” and simply final 12 months for the Oscar winner from Barbie, “What Was I Made For?” Can she rating a SOTY hat trick? No different artist in historical past has, however right here’s why she’s going to: Track of the 12 months acknowledges the songwriter for a piece’s composition, lyrics and melody. “Birds of a Feather” is a cross-generational gem due to the uplifting melody juxtaposed with Eilish’s weak, non-clichéd lyrics that specific a deep love and a want for it to final “‘Til I rot away, lifeless and buried / ‘Til I’m within the casket you carry.”
WINNER Billie Eilish
BEST NEW ARTIST
Nominees: Benson Boone; Sabrina Carpenter; Doechii; Khruangbin; Raye; Chappell Roan; Shaboozey; Teddy Swims
Finest new artist nominees don’t need to be, effectively, new. As Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. not too long ago instructed THR, “For me, what it comes all the way down to is when an artist rises to nationwide or worldwide prominence. It might be their first file; it might be their sixth.” None of those nominees are right here on the power of their debut, however Disney star Carpenter is a half-dozen albums in, having had modest success earlier than her newest, the AOTY-nominated smash Brief n’ Candy and its ROTY hopeful, “Espresso” (i.e., Spotify’s second-most-streamed track of 2024). However good luck, babe — Carpenter will want it to beat Roan. In mere months, the latter morphed from digital unknown right into a “Femininomenon,” with memorable performances at Governors Ball, Lollapalooza and on Saturday Night time Reside. Plus, she’s an artist’s artist, having already jammed with Joni Mitchell, Elton John and Brandi Carlile — Grammys‘ sort of firm.
WINNER Chappell Roan
This story appeared within the Jan. 29 difficulty of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click on right here to subscribe.
