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.
Best Rap/Sung Performance
“Freedom” by Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar
“Hotline Bling” by Drake
“Broccoli” by D.R.A.M. feat. Lil Yachty
“Ultralight Beam” by Kanye West feat. Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream
“Famous” by Kanye West feat. Rihanna
Who Will Win: “Ultralight Beam” by Kanye. If you haven’t heard the song yet, you’re truly missing out, as it takes all of what made early Kanye productions great and combines them with the neuroses of new Kanye. It’s a mishmash of god, beats, and rhymes — innovative as it is interesting and the only song from The Life of Pablo that warranted coming back to again and again and again.
The Dark Horse: This could go to “Broccoli” or “Hotline Bling,” though the freshness of “Broccoli” reflects a new direction in rap/sung collaborations. The Academy historically doesn’t consider innovation as heavily in this category, but with mounting industry pressures and criticism that the Grammy Award is antiquated, a “Broccoli” is more likely.