The Grammy Awards claim to be music’s biggest night, an exciting spectacle of live performance and major upsets honoring the best in the biz. With 84 categories, it’s easy to get lost in the fanfare of an awards ceremony that is as self-congratulating -- members of The Academy, i.e., people who have won a Grammy previously or qualify as an industry professional -- as it is exhaustive, recognizing everything from Record of the Year to Best Album Notes.
This year’s ceremony, which airs on Sunday on CBS live from Los Angeles, promises some historic moments, including in memoriam tributes to Prince and George Michael, Katy Perry’s first performance of “Chained To The Rhythm,” her new song featuring Skip Marley, and a genre-scrambling union of Lady Gaga performing with Metallica.
For those who want to play catch up on a year of music or want a guide map of what to expect when it comes to the winners and losers, Vanyaland presents its prediction of the winners in 10 of the Grammys’ biggest categories.
Song of the Year
“Formation” by Beyoncé
“Hello” by Adele
“I Took A Pill In Ibiza” by Mike Posner
“Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber
“7 Years” by Lukas Graham
Who Will Win: Where the Record of the Year honors the biggest song, Song of the Year honors the best songwriters. Again, it’s Beyoncé’s award to lose.
The Dark Horse: It’s a toss-up among the remaining nominees here, as each can boast they’ve written an extraordinary song. That said, where the quality of the songwriting is consistent across the board, The Academy has historically deferred to the song most praised by critics and adored by the public. It took the Seeb Remix of “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” for the song to gain traction among critics and listeners. Out. Adele may be by the only woman on the same level as Beyoncé to the public, but “Hello” was criticized by being more of the same. The real surprise here is “Love Yourself,” which saw Justin Bieber capture the frankness and vulnerability of Ed Sheeran (a co-writer) and respond to critical and public disinterest in a genuine, successful way. “Love Yourself” was the stretch that Bieber needed to prove he wasn’t just here for the party or EDM dolphin noises.
