Issue 14: For Your Consideration
My opinion on this year's Grammy nominees—picks, predictions, and snubs!
It’s a Grammy issue! This week I’m taking a pause from my regularly scheduled reviews to talk about the upcoming 65th Grammy Awards (airing February 5th). Nominations were announced on Tuesday and there were a lot of nominees that were expected and plenty of curveballs. I want to go through a few of the categories and talk about my picks and predictions and also discuss some artists that totally got snubbed. I’ll also share some brief (I promise) reviews of two of my favorite nominated albums.
Side note: I will be sharing my top 10 albums of the year in an upcoming issue next month (the last issue of the year). Some say a spot on this list is an even more prestigious award than a Grammy.1 While there is some overlap with the Grammy noms for album of the year, they’re not all the same. So…building suspense…stay tuned!
There are 91 categories for this year’s Grammy Awards and, out of those 91, I only scratched the surface. I listened to at least one album in about half of the categories (I didn’t listen to any Christian/Gospel, children’s, spoken word, and some other specialized genres). I caught up on all of the Best Album, Record, and Song nominees (we’ll go over those) and I plan on listening to everything that’s nominated for a televised category before February. You can find the whole list of nominees here. The eligibility period for the 65th Grammy Awards was from Oct. 1, 2021 – Friday, Sept. 30, 2022 so, if you’re thinking to yourself, “hey, that came out last year”—yep, sure did! Let’s dive in.
Record Of The Year nominees
Don't Shut Me Down — ABBA
Easy On Me — Adele
BREAK MY SOUL — Beyoncé
Good Morning Gorgeous — Mary J. Blige
You And Me On The Rock — Brandi Carlile Featuring Lucius
Woman — Doja Cat2
Bad Habit — Steve Lacy
The Heart Part 5 — Kendrick Lamar
About Damn Time — Lizzo
As It Was — Harry Styles
It’s a veritable cornucopia of bangers! This is an award for the production and engineering of the song, not the songwriting itself (that’s Song Of The Year). It’s tricky to pick a favorite because all of the songs sound so good in their own right. It’s like comparing apples and oranges and cucumbers. But to me it comes down to the four pop powerhouses.
“BREAK MY SOUL” has a lot of layers of beats and vocals that are all masterfully balanced, and it’s simply iconic. “About Damn Time” is air-tight—vocals, mixing, instrumentation all on the pointiest of points—and it was/is a huge phenomenon. “As It Was” is also tight—it’s dreamy and punchy and I still live for those bells at the end of the song. But my pick is Adele’s “Easy On Me.” It is ultra-polished, her vocals are perfectly captured, and it is a great example of “less is more.” But I would be equally as happy if any of the other three picks won.
Fun fact: all of the artists in this category have been nominated before and all but Steve Lacy and (shockingly) ABBA have at least one Grammy win under their belt.
Song Of The Year nominees
abcdefu — GAYLE
About Damn Time — Lizzo
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film) — Taylor Swift
As It Was — Harry Styles
Bad Habit — Steve Lacy
BREAK MY SOUL — Beyoncé
Easy On Me — Adele
GOD DID — DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy
The Heart Part 5 — Kendrick Lamar
Just Like That — Bonnie Raitt
This is an award for the songwriters and it is no surprise to see some great ones here like Bonnie Raitt, Taylor Swift, and…GAYLE?? “abcdefu”…literally, why? This is a song that took TikTok by storm, so maybe this is the Recording Academy’s attempt to be relevant to the youths, but it has no substance. It’s about as original as a tater tot. No.
I think Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Bonnie Raitt are the strongest contenders here. Swift and Raitt are extraordinarily talented storytellers. Lamar continues to be a poetic genius. But when factoring in melody, Swift has got it on lock. “All Too Well” is a ten minute story and every second is riveting. How is it possible to make a ten minute song feel catchy? There are enough twists and turns melodically and lyrically—all anchored by a singable chorus—to keep you hooked. And the outro—ugh! So good. Time doesn’t exist when you listen to it—it’s just a force unto its own.
Hey! I made a handy playlist with all of the Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year nominees, so you don’t have to hunt them down individually if you want to listen. You can find it here: Spotify / Apple Music
Album Of The Year nominees
(I linked any albums that I reviewed)
Voyage — ABBA
30 — Adele
Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe) — Mary J. Blige
In These Silent Days — Brandi Carline
Music Of The Spheres — Coldplay
It’s time for extra ~caliente~ hot takes!
Voyage: If you could have guessed which band from the 1970s would be nominated for Album Of The Year in the year of our Lord 2023, how many other bands would you have guessed before ABBA? Listen—ABBA’s Voyage is lovely but feels very “from the vault.” Is it finally their time or have they exceeded their expiration date?
Special: You know my opinion of Special. I’m very surprised to see it here.
Harry’s House: Not this time, buddy.
Music Of The Spheres: I didn’t hate it. The transitions are on point and it has some bops. I would even go as far as to recommend it—only if you’re a Coldplay fan. But it is faaaar from being as extraordinary as the top contenders in this category. I urge you to talk to your families and prepare a safety plan should Coldplay win this award.
The case for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers: It has some problematic moments (like featuring Kodak Black and the haphazard song about reconciling with a transgender family member), but I would still consider it very close to a masterpiece. Kendrick Lamar continues to push the envelope, featuring very raw moments like the rhythmically-driven-argument of a song, “We Cry Together,” and the gut-wrenchingly vulnerable, “Mother I Sober.” The orchestrations on the album are big and beautiful and, of course, his lyricism remains unmatched.
The case for 30: Gorgeous, immaculate album. Solid songwriting. Solid vocals. Beyoncé’s worst nightmare. I hate that it’s up against RENAISSANCE and fear a repeat of the 2017 Grammy awards when Adele’s 25 won over Beyoncé’s Lemonade. 30 is an even stronger album than 25. Lord, help us all.
The case for RENAISSANCE: I might not love every song on this album, but it is still a work of art. Beyoncé had a strong vision and took some big risks by taking on the Dance genre and they paid off. It’s perhaps the most meticulously crafted album on the list. The level of detail—from the smooth transitions to the conscious inclusion of the ballroom and house communities in its creation—sets it apart. While the other albums capture the present (or past), RENAISSANCE is the future. I would love to see it win.3
We’ll see whether these artists clean up in their respective genre categories like Rap (Mr. Morale…), Música Urbana (Un Verano Sin Ti), and Electronic/Dance Music (RENAISSANCE).
Do you agree with my pick for Album Of The Year? Who gets your vote? Let me know in the comments.
Other picks and predictions
Best New Artist
I’d like to see Wet Leg win for Best New Artist. They became a sensation this year and, while their album wasn’t the best, “Chaise Longue” is a well-loved song that had us all asking, “wait, is that how it’s pronounced?” 070 Shake was snubbed for this category, but I’m not sure if she has a big enough following to get the Recording Academy’s attention. If I made the rules, she would be included.4
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
My vote is for “Unholy” from Sam Smith and Kim Petras. It’s spooky pop and it slaps! It also has the chance to make history with Smith being the first non-binary solo artist and Petras the first openly transgender solo artist to be nominated for this category.
Best Rock Performance
This category is all over the place but “Crawl!” from IDLES is a siiiick song. Turnstile’s “Holiday” is great too, but “Crawl!” ultimately wins for me. Side note: Turnstile also being nominated both for Best Metal Performance and Best Rock Song for their song “Blackout” shows that the Recording Academy doesn’t really know what to do with hardcore.
Best Alternative Album
In this category we have Arcade Fire, Big Thief, Björk, Wet Leg, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Wet Leg and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ albums were just ok. Björk’s was practically unlistenable. Big Thief’s double-LP(!!) Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is a cozy gem, but my favorite was Acrade Fire’s WE. It was highly enjoyable even though it isn’t their best album.
There a lot of albums that I feel are missing from this category, like 070 Shake’s You Can’t Kill Me. If Björk’s über-avante-gard album was nominated, there’s certainly room for her. Mitski’s Laurel Hell is another. And where is Angel Olsen’s Big Time?? What’s the deal, Recording Academy? Is it too folky to count as alternative? What the folk! (Sorry…I had to. Please don’t unsubscribe.)
Best R&B Album
The nominees are fine but underwhelming. I enjoyed Lucky Daye’s Candydrip and Robert Glasper’s Black Radio III, but Amber Mark’s Three Dimensions Deep should be here!! I’m offended on her behalf.
Best Rap Album
Jack Harlow is up for three out of four of the Rap categories, and up against Kendrick Lamar in all three. I want to see Lamar win for all four categories, including Best Rap Album. I’ve expressed my strong feelings about Jack Harlow before. If Harlow wins over Lamar for any of them, I will launch myself into the sun.
Best Folk Album
I totally called that Madison Cunningham would earn her 3rd Grammy nomination for Revealer. You can marvel at my psychic abilities and read my review of it here.
What are your picks and who do you think got snubbed? Let me know in the comments.
Two Grammy-nominated albums I highly recommend
Ghost Song - Cécile McLorin Salvant
For Best Jazz Vocal Album, all my money is on Ghost Song from Cécile McLorin Salvant. The album is just stunning. It’s a mix of original songs like “Ghost Song” and “Moon Song” as well as some excellent covers like a haunting rendition of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights” sung in the style of an Irish ballad. She’s got the pipes, she can tear up the piano, and she’s an exceptional songwriter. By the end of the album, you’re going to need a tiny forklift to lift up the jaw that will most certainly be on the floor. Listen here: Spotify / Apple Music
MOTOMAMI - Rosalía
For Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, it’s got to go to MOTOMAMI from Rosalía. I don’t think there’s anyone else doing what she is doing. The album is full of a variety of Latin rhythms, but she takes every chance she can to flip the script by adding punkish textures like in the reggaeton-turned-grunge “SAOKO.” But some of the most astonishing moments are when she strips things down entirely like the piano-driven ballad “HENTAI,” surprisingly punctuated with machine-gun sounds (I assure you it works). It’s bold and inventive and honestly should have been nominated for bigger categories. Listen here: Spotify / Apple Music
Hey, it’s my birthday next week!
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Thanks for reading! For the Grammy ceremony, I plan to make ballots with all of my picks for the televised categories, with spots for you to mark down your picks, as well. Maybe I’ll host a virtual watch party using the chat feature? We’ll see! The next issue will be back to regular reviews—coming soon.
No one says that :(
I’m not really sure how “Woman” qualifies, since Planet Her came out in June of 2021. I could find no answers on this.
If Beyoncé wins in just three categories, she will tie with the record-holder for most Grammys, Sir Georg Solti.
If RENAISSANCE wins for Album Of The Year, 070 Shake will win a Grammy for her writing contribution to the album.