The Grammys. The most prestigious award show in the music industry takes place on Sunday, February 2 at 7 p.m. CST. Where artists like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and many others will gather for a night of music performances and awards. With many artists up for different categories, a lot of them have had great success with their pieces of music. But only one can win, and after listening to each piece of music nominated, here is who I think should win.
First up are the nominations for Record of the Year.
- Now And Then – The Beatles
- Texas Hold ‘Em – Beyonce
- Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
- 360 – Charli XCX
- Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
- Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
- Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan
- Fortnight – Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone
Record of the Year deals with a specific recording of a song and recognizes the artists, producers, and engineers who contributed to that recording. It recognizes the performance and production of a song, rather than the songwriting and style of the next category. With all of this in mind and after listening to each of the nominated songs I believe that “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan should win. This song has a synth-pop sound and a catchy beat that pulls you in. The dancey bounce of this song creates a perfect pop song. Everything from the production, vocals, and sound of this song is perfect. Just at the end of the song, Roan is able to show her vocal ability by belting out a note not just once but twice at the end of the bridge. It has the performance and production aspect in it leading me to believe that it should win.
Next, Song of the Year. The nominations are:
- A Bar Song (Tipsy) – Shaboozey
- Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
- Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
- Fortnight – Taylor Swift, Featuring Post Malone
- Good, Luck Babe! – Chappell Roan
- Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
- Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter
- Texas Hold ‘Em – Beyoncé
Song of the Year honors artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence in the recording industry. The Grammy is awarded to the songwriter for the single or track that was released. After listening to all of the nominations I think that “Fortnight” by Taylor Swift and Post Malone should win. Swift’s undeniable talent for songwriting is proven again in this track. The melancholy sounds throughout the first two verses of the song quickly disappear during the bridge where it picks up and creates a sound straight out of a movie during the climax. The lyrics of this song perfectly encapsulate Swift’s talents and the story/feeling she is trying to convey.
Album of the Year:
- New Blue Sun – Andre 3000
- Cowboy Carter – Beyonce
- Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
- Brat – Charli XCX
- Djesse Vol. 4 – Jacob Collier
- Hit Me Hard And Soft – Billie Eilish
- The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan
- The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift
Album of the Year is expected to consider the quality and artistry of a collection of tracks as a whole. It honors an entire LP, from the very first track to the very last track. Everything from the lyrics, vocals, and sound of the album is considered. With these key factors in mind, I believe that “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift should win. The album as a whole is a beautiful, encapsulating look into the mind of Taylor Swift. It features mellow and gloomy sounds with some pop sounds that cohesively come together to create a wonderful album. On the album, Swift writes about the end of a relationship, the comparison of herself to others, and the crazy nature of media and the internet. The lyrics, production, and sound of the album work together to create a masterpiece.
Next, the Best Pop Solo Performance. These are the nominations:
- Body Guard – Beyoncé
- Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
- Apple – Charli XCX
- Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish
- Good Luck, Babe! – Chappell Roan
Best Pop Solo Performance is given to an artist for vocals and instrumental. From what it is based on I believe that “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter should win. Espresso was everywhere in 2024, the catchy sound of the song created a dancey pop sensation. The lyrics “that’s that me espresso” became the most catchy part of the song. The lyrics combined with the sound of the song fit perfectly for the best pop solo performance category.
Next, the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
- us. – Gracie Abrams Featuring Taylor Swift
- Levii’s Jeans – Beyonce Featuring Post Malone
- Guess – Charli XCX & Billie Eilish
- The Boy Is Mine – Ariana Grande, Brandy & Monica
- Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
This category recognizes artistic excellence in a duo, group, or collaborative vocal or instrumental pop performance. With this in mind, I believe that “us.” by Gracie Abrams should win this award. The vocals on this track between Abrams and Swift fit together perfectly. The echoes in the background make the song feel ethereal. The lyrics pose a single question: do you miss the secret of us? This song is beautifully well written, added together with vocals and the sound of the song makes me believe that it should win.
Lastly, Best Pop Vocal Album. Here are the nominations.
- Short n’ Sweet – Sabrina Carpenter
- Hit Me Hard And Soft – Billie Eilish
- Eternal Sunshine – Ariana Grande
- The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess – Chappell Roan
- The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor Swift
In recent years, Best Pop Vocal Album was awarded to albums that influenced the musical landscape. The winners of this award never really live up to the “vocal” aspect in the name. It is more awarded to albums with commercial success. On the list of nominations, there are two albums that had the greatest commercial success, but only one of them lived up to the musical landscape aspect. That album is “Short n’ Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter. This album had tracks that took over the radio and charts: “Espresso,” “Please Please Please,” and “Taste.” These tracks were everywhere on the radio in 2024, proving the album’s commercial success and influence in the musical landscape. With all of these together, that is why I believe that “Short n’ Sweet” should win.
Overall, 2024 – in my opinion – was the year of music. We had releases from almost every one of the biggest artists in the world. Every piece of music was unique, each with a different sound and production. Looking at the categories and nominations, each has a chance of winning. It all comes down to the Grammy votes themselves and what the rest of the country thinks.
