The Crier’s Grammy predictions: SZA, Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, and more
Music’s biggest night of the year is coming up on Sunday, February 4: The Grammy Awards. For the fourth year in a row, Trevor Noah will be hosting. Some notable performances coming this year include Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Travis Scott, Luke Combs, SZA, and Billy Joel. Here are our predictions for who will win the Grammys in 12 categories: six in the general field, and six album categories from different genres.
Best Country Album
- “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat” – Kelsea Ballerini
- “Brothers Osborne” – Brothers Osborne
- “Zach Bryan” – Zach Bryan
- “Rustin’ In The Rain” – Tyler Childers
- “Bell Bottom Country” – Lainey Wilson
Who will win AND who we think should win: “Zach Bryan” – Zach Bryan
Although he isn’t actually related to the more popular country singer, Luke Bryan, the similarities between their names immediately makes people associate them, giving Zach a leg up on popularity. Out of everyone here, Zach Bryan is also a much newer and popular artist. His unique spin on the country sound could definitely make him an Academy favorite.
Best Rap Album
- “Her Loss” – Drake & 21 Savage
- “MICHAEL” – Killer Mike
- “HEROES & VILLAINS” – Metro Boomin
- “King’s Disease III” – Nas
- “UTOPIA” – Travis Scott
Who will win: “Her Loss” – Drake & 21 Savage
“Her Loss” has been a hit album this year. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums, and each of its 16 songs debuted on the Hot 100. For some time, it would be hard to go anywhere without hearing “21, can you do somethin’ for me?” Even commercials started picking up the words. The album went extremely viral on TikTok and has gained immense popularity. In the past, Drake has received 55 grammy nominations and five wins, one being a Best Rap Album win for his album “Take Care.” 21 Savage has had 11 nominations and 1 win, making this the perfect opportunity to score another for them both.
Who we think should win: “UTOPIA” – Travis Scott
This album was extremely anticipated by Travis’s fans, and it completely lived up to the hype. Travis has never won a Grammy, so this album is the perfect opportunity to score him a win. He had some very popular songs off this album, managing to get all 19 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. “TOPIA TWINS,” “FE!N,” “MY EYES,” and “MELTDOWN.” With his widespread success, it’s a high possibility that Travis will win a Grammy for this album.
Best Progressive R&B album
- “Since I Have A Lover” – 6LACK
- “The Love Album: Off The Grid” – Diddy
- “Nova” – Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy
- “The Age Of Pleasure” – Janelle Monáe
- “SOS” – SZA
Who will win AND who we think should win: “SOS” – SZA
SZA’s “SOS” has been a complete sensation since it was released. With her song “Kill Bill” dominating the charts for months, her 24 nominations and one win, and incredible songwriting, SZA is definitely an academy favorite. The album manages to be extremely popular and easy to listen to, while simultaneously exploring deeper themes with its complex lyricism. SZA has also managed to be extremely likable under the public eye, making her a perfect choice for the academy.
Best Alternative Music Album
- “The Car” – Arctic Monkeys
- “the record” – boygenius
- “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” – Lana Del Rey
- “Cracker Island” – Gorillaz
- “I Inside The Old Year Dying” – PJ Harvey
Who will win: “the record” – boygenius
“the record” was truly the record of the year when it comes to alternative music. boygenius is made up of three established artists: Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus- all of whom have a hit album on their resume, tremendously heightening their chances of winning. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200, and stayed there for 14 weeks. This album is also a multi-genre album, stretching into rock territory with “True Blue” and “Emily I’m Sorry.” This album had just the right amount of diversity in it to win the alternative album title.
Who we think should win: “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” by Lana Del Rey
“Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” is a fantastic album. Featuring many talented collaborators such as Judah Smith, Tommy Genesis, Father John Misty, and academy favorite Jon Batiste, this album is everything Lana Del Rey fans have wished for. With the help of an academy favorite on her side, Del Rey can definitely rack up some additional votes. The album has 16 songs, some of the most notable being “Let The Light In,” Peppers,” “Candy Necklace,” and most notably the SOTY nominee “A&W.” With an album jam-packed with alternative hits, Del Rey can and absolutely should score an alternative win.
Best Rock Album
- “But Here We Are” – Foo Fighters
- “Starcatcher” – Greta Van Fleet
- “72 Seasons” – Metallica
- “This Is Why” – Paramore
- “In Times New Roman…” – Queens Of The Stone Age
Who will win AND who we think should win: “But Here We Are” – Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters have been an academy favorite for years, taking home a total of 34 nominations and 15 Grammy wins. The album is a tribute to their late drummer, Taylor Hawkins, and is very thematically complex. From the beginning of the album, you feel as though you’re being taken through every twist and turn of grief–all the way until the end, where it reaches a profound sort of acceptance. The Foos are once again using their signature power melodies to top the Billboard rock charts, including a worldwide favorite off the album, “Rescued.” This formula is not only cooking a five star meal for the academy, but for the average listener, too. After the death of Hawkins, many feared that Foo Fighters would never make music again. For them to return with even more momentum than before should be more than enough to score them another Grammy win.
Best Pop Vocal Album
- “Chemistry” – Kelly Clarkson
- “Endless Summer Vacation” – Miley Cyrus
- “GUTS” – Olivia Rodrigo
- “- (Subtract)” – Ed Sheeran
- “Midnights” – Taylor Swift
Who will win: “Midnights” – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has had a fantastic year. “Midnights” started off with 13 songs, but the album grew and grew. Midnights now has 23 songs, ten more than its original release. Swift is a global superstar, with the highest grossing concert tour of all time–she even produced a movie out of it! She has 10 albums and is now re-releasing her first six albums. This album has also received widespread attention from its notable songs, “Anti-Hero,” “Karma,” “Bejeweled,” and “Maroon.” All 13 songs tell a beautiful story that make the album as a whole worthy of a Grammy.
Who we think should win: “GUTS” – Olivia Rodrigo
This album is a perfect follow-up to her debut album, “SOUR.” Sophomore albums are tough to master, especially when your freshman album is filled with hits like “drivers license” and “deja vu,” but Olivia executed it perfectly. Songs like “the grudge” and “vampire” show that she still can have a similar sound to her debut album, but songs like “bad idea, right?” and “ballad of a homeschooled girl” show the more rock-like shift in her career, expressing new exploration in genres and proving her talent as a musician. Even though it was a short album, Olivia makes the album an emotional roller coaster that you wouldn’t want to miss.
Songwriter of the Year
- Edgar Barrera
- Jessie Jo Dillon
- Shane McAnally
- Theron Thomas
- Justin Tranter
Who will win AND who we think should win: Shane McAnally
Shane McAnally has had a spectacular year with his songwriting. Others are on this list for Latino/R&B/rap music, but most of the time music that isn’t more pop based isn’t really recognized by the Academy’s for a win. Shane McAnally has written music for more academy-based artists, like Niall Horan and Sam Hunt. He’s written some great songs and he should definitely be able to win a Grammy for his work.
Producer of the Year
- Jack Antonoff
- Hit-Boy
- Metro Boomin
- Daniel Nigro
Who will win: Hit-Boy
Hit-Boy has had a fantastic year when it comes to his production. His notable works this year have been a couple pieces from Nas, some of his own music, and “Bus Stop” by Don Toliver. I can completely see Jack Antonoff winning this category, but it’s rare to see someone win the same grammy three times in a row. After Jack Antonoff, Hit-Boy is definitely next in line for the grammy.
Who we think should win: Jack Antonoff
When we think of music producers, the first person we think of is Jack Antonoff. Jack Antonoff is a fantastic producer across many genres. His 2023-2024 works include “Midnights,” “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” and “Being Funny In A Foreign Language.” “Midnights” has easily been one of the biggest albums this year, made by Taylor Swift. “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” was also a big album this year by Lana Del Rey. Jack Antonoff has been working with Del Rey and Swift since earlier on in their careers, and he is a Grammy veteran. This would be his third year in a row winning Producer Of The Year, and we’re sure that he can continue his streak.
Best New Artist
- Gracie Abrams
- Fred again..
- Ice Spice
- Jelly Roll
- Coco Jones
- Noah Kahan
- Victoria Monét
- The War And Treaty
Who will win: Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan has shined brighter than ever this year, with his hit single “Stick Season” blowing up tremendously on TikTok and peaking at #13 on the Billboard Top 100. He maintained his popularity throughout the year with his witty jokes and humble personality, making him an ideal choice for the academy.
Who we think should win: Ice Spice
Ice Spice has demonstrated immense popularity and talent over the past year and a half, collaborating with big-name celebrities like Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift. Since her first breakout single “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress, Ice Spice has helped shape some of this year’s most consistently popular music by far. Although some see her music as controversial for its simplicity, no one can deny the presence she’s had in pop culture this year.
Record of the Year
- “Worship” – Jon Batiste
- “Not Strong Enough” – boygenius
- “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
- “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” – Billie Eilish
- “On My Mama” – Victoria Monét
- “Vampire” – Olivia Rodrigo
- “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
- “Kill Bill” – SZA
Who will win: “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
“Flowers” is a pretty obvious choice here, as it truly was the song of the summer. The songwriting was good, but it truly wasn’t the reason that “Flowers” got all of the love it received. The recording was absolutely brilliant. It had lots of bass to it, and did an amazing job highlighting Miley’s raspier type vocals. The song also peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top 100, making it an easy choice for the Academy.
Who we think should win: “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” – Billie Eilish
This recording is perfect. Billie’s high, soft vocals, accompanied by pure-sounding piano cultivate an incredible record. In a way, it sounds like a high quality lullaby. The song is meant to be a calm song with a mellow vibe to it, so everything just sounded perfect together. It also helped shape the most emotional moment from “Barbie,” which drew tears from everyone around the world. She’s won ROTY once with her song “Bad Guy,” so we’d be happy to see her win again with a completely different sounding song.
Song of the Year
- “A&W” – Lana Del Rey
- “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
- “Butterfly” – Jon Batiste
- “Dance The Night” from “Barbie” – Dua Lipa
- “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
- “Kill Bill” – SZA
- “Vampire” – Olivia Rodrigo
- “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” – Billie Eilish
Who will win: “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
“Anti-Hero” has been a favorite of award ceremonies, winning nine awards so far. The song won six MTV Video Music Awards, a People’s Choice Award, and two iHeartRadio music awards. Taylor Swift has had 52 nominations in her Grammy’s history, being nominated for Song Of The Year for her seventh time. She has never won Song Of The Year, and Anti-Hero seems like a perfect time to get that first SOTY win. Also, why wouldn’t she win an award for songwriting with the lyrics, “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguised as altruism like some kind of congressman?”
Who we think should win: “Vampire” – Olivia Rodrigo
This song is written beautifully. Olivia has this way of constructing her songs and making them tell a story that not many people have. She tells the story of an ex that she completely regrets dating. She describes how she was manipulated and controlled by him, and that her emotions were “bled dry.” It’s a fantastic love story, and it has suspense at points. The bridge is the most memorable part of the song, starting with a gigantic build up and flowing beautifully into the chorus at the end. It’s perfectly memorable, and definitely worth a Grammy.
Album of the Year
- “World Music Radio” – Jon Batiste
- “the record” – boygenius
- “Endless Summer Vacation” – Miley Cyrus
- “Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” – Lana Del Rey
- “The Age Of Pleasure” – Janelle Monáe
- “GUTS” – Olivia Rodrigo
- “Midnights” – Taylor Swift
- “SOS” – SZA
Who will win: “SOS” – SZA
As mentioned previously, “SOS” is widely regarded as a masterpiece of an album. Since it’s more complex and serious than some of its competitors, it already has the upper hand. SZA is also an academy favorite, and since she’s only won one out of her 24 nominations, meaning she’s definitely overdue for another Grammy win.
Who we think should win: “GUTS” – Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo really explored what she can do musically with “GUTS.” Dropping the sad tone from her previous album, “SOUR,” Rodrigo picked up a punk edge instead with “GUTS.” In this album, she explores her identity, morals, and certain relationship aspects, using both anthemic and soft melodies to tie it all together. The diverse pool of songs and unique uses of instruments makes the album very fun to listen to, and definitely more than Grammy worthy.
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