The Grammys have been a center of controversy and parody for many years now. But despite the ambiguous 83 categories and a convoluted nomination system, which includes a top-secret committee, it is still the second-most popular awards show (behind the Academy Awards) and worth analyzing.
Here, we predict who deserves to take home a gramophone but will likely (and sadly) lose out due to the Grammys’ bizarre and vague criteria.
Album of the Year
Who should win: Morning Phase
With his first album since 2008, Beck proved he is still one of rock music’s most influential artists of our time. “Morning Phase” is a mellow and seductive, yet powerful piece of song-craft. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and has received a lot of positive critical acclaim since.
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Who will win: Beyoncé
Beyoncé is no stranger to the Grammys. In addition to performing at the show, the female pop and R&B artist has already won five awards. Self-titled album Beyoncé includes a mix of powerful dance tracks and slow, rhythmic ballads featuring artists like Drake, Frank Ocean and Jay Z.
Song of the Year
Who should win: “Take Me to Church”
Hozier was the Irish dark horse of 2014.“Take Me to Church,” sits at No. 3 on the Billboard 100 chart as of the week of Feb. 7 and was named the most viral song of 2014 by Spotify. It is a melodic, powerfully-rendered song boasting a complex metaphor unusual in a song of its popularity.
Who will win: “Shake It Off”
Despite a series of recent copyrighting controversies, Taylor Swift is still the queen of the charts and her devoted fan base. The catchy, self-deprecating anthem “Shake It Off” will be a difficult juggernaut to beat, especially given that she has already received seven Grammys, among many other rewards.
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Best New Artist
Who should win: Haim
Since bursting onto the scene in 2013 with their self-titled album Haim, these three sisters from Los Angeles have established themselves as major players in the pop rock world. For example, “My Song 5” with A$AP Ferg is a jazzy hip-hop, rock and pop hybrid serves as a harbinger of big things to come.
Who will win: Iggy Azalea
Criticized for appropriating black culture without advocating for black issues, Iggy Azalea has been the center of controversy and Twitter battles for some time now. However, this has not stopped tweens and Top 40 radio stations from over-playing her hit singles, such as “Black Widow” and “Fancy.”
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Best Rock Performance
Who should win: “Do I Wanna Know?”
Arctic Monkeys were known for their punk, dark-humored alternative rock long before their single “Do I Wanna Know?” was released from their 2013 LP, “AM.” With the new single came a new, matured sound. The simple, seductive and soulful frontman Alex Turner croons his listeners into a frenzy.
Who will win: “Lazaretto”
Jack White has been a critic darling for several years, earning acclaim for his many incarnations from the White Stripes to the Raconteurs and his producing endeavors. He has eight Grammys thus far, and his bluesy, alternative sound is a safe choice for voters, despite “Lazaretto” being one of his weaker tracks.
Best Alternative Album
Who should win: St. Vincent
In one of the most competitive categories this year, the “high priestess of pop” should reign supreme with her self-entitled album, “St. Vincent.” Praised by this publication and many others since its release, the intimate and experimental album is a breakthrough for an already successful and prolific artist. Unfortunately St. Vincent’s lack of chart-topping hits will greatly inhibit her chances.
St. Vincent’s self-titled LP affirms status as idiosyncratic genius
Who will win: Reflektor
Normally I would not assume that avant-garde, non-mainstream artists like Arcade Fire would be shoo-ins for a Grammy, but the voters have been surprisingly kind to them in the past. In 2011 they won Best Album for “The Suburbs,” a shocker for a category rarely breached by alternative sounds.
Best Rap Performance
Who should win: “0 to 100/The Catch Up”
In typical Drake fashion, “0 to 100/The Catch Up” focuses on themes of friendship, success, self-image and coming up in the rap world. The beat is slow and minimalistic to start, transitioning midway to an atmospheric retrospective. It’s a complex, yet basic track that seamlessly embodies Drake’s style.
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Who will win: “i”
Kendrick Lamar’s track “i” deviates from his normal trap, hip-hop style. With syncopated percussion, strong guitar riffs and vocal samples, “i” is significantly more pop sounding and PG than his past tracks. Lamar has received numerous awards from the BET Hip Hop Awards and radio play over the last year.
