PRE-OP: 67th GRAMMY Awards

Today marks the date of the 67th Grammy Award ceremony. The most celebrated Academy in music will once again decide who really deserves a trophy and who simply fell too short. The winners have been set in stone since the 3rd of January when the final voting round took place. If you search what other publications think about the legitimacy behind the Grammys, you’ll find heavily mixed reviews with some articles standing out by their scathing responses to previous years. Indeed, many mainstream names–ranging from Zayne, Halsey, Justin Bieber, Quavo, The Weeknd, and Frank Ocean–have openly criticized the Academy. Some current nominees, such as Ariana Grande and Charli XCX, have also responded with similar complaints before this year. The largest grievances are tied to accusations of unfair treatment upheld by racist and sexist Recording Academy judges. Despite some rough tides, the award still is considered one of the highest honors an artist can achieve within the music industry.

One can only anticipate who will enjoy striding up onto the perfectly lit stage, nonetheless, playing judge has always been a part of the fun. This Grammy Pre-Op is dedicated to presumptuously declaring who deserves the Grammy vs. who can most expect it. It is important to note that the overly-inflated ego of a music snob alongside a rookie-ranking track record is what was behind deciding who “deserves” this most highly regarded trophy. All opinions listed below should definitely be taken with a chunky grain of salt.

Album of the Year:

Who Deserves It: Hit Me Hard and Soft (Billie Eilish) and Cowboy Carter (Beyonce)

Who Can Expect It: Cowboy Carter (Beyonce) and The Tortured Poets Department (Taylor Swift)

Cowboy Carter and Hit Me Hard and Soft tie on critical acclaim, though Hit Me Hard and Soft unfortunately did not manage to hit number one in the United States despite its massive commercial success, having been knocked down to nr. 2 by The Tortured Poet’s Department upon Eilish’s 3rd studio album’s debut. Despite Ms. Swift’s impressive ability to hold onto Billboard’s chart, her critical acclaim was noticeably lower than the other two records mentioned. Taylor Swift currently holds the most amount of Grammys in this category alone and is generally well-celebrated by the Recording Academy, having won a total of 14 Grammys. Hit Me Hard and Soft stands alone from the other two albums on lyricism, production, and vocals, making it most deserving of this award. To find out more about Billie Eilish's latest album, read here.

Nonetheless, Beyonce makes up an intimidating opponent, with her album being nominated 11 times this season. Taylor does provide a safer option when it comes to this category: decent songwriting, solid production, and world-class marketing with a (most importantly) broad-reaching audience. Cowboy Carter trumps The Tortured Poet’s Department with very little space for a tie. Beyonce’s album is the first of its kind; a beautiful blend of genres alongside tear-jerking story-telling and a defiant ode to the singer’s roots–both as a woman of color and as a Texan.

New Artist of the Year:

Who deserves it: Chappell Roan, Doechii

Who can expect it: Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan

Doechii, who many discovered after she featured on Tyler, The Creator’s track Balloon, released her album Alligator Bites Never Heal in August–relatively late into the season. The title, a homage to her hometown Tampa, is powerful and effective in summing up what Doechii had envisioned for this particular collection of songs. The album is equally confident and nervous; Doechii navigates a new skin she finds herself in with fierce pride and crippling anxiety. With an intoxicatingly fun voice and creative writing, Doechii managed to propel herself into the mainstream and certainly deserves acknowledgment. 

Chappell Roan has had an intense past year, with many of the singles off her newest album gaining formidable levels of attention. The singer has mighty vocal powers alongside an applaudable ability to push queer art into the mainstream while still reminding others of whose shoulder her success stands upon. A potential threat Chappell may face is the industry’s response to a bold personality who sets clear boundaries for the sake of self-preservation. To find out more about Chappell Roan, read here.

Sabrina Carpenter has had a big year as well, with many of her singles trending on social media and making for easy radio hits. With a classic pop sound and a more traditional marketing push, Sabrina has managed to make her name internationally relevant. With witty lyrics, clean production, and a charming persona, Ms. Carpenter may have a Grammy to collect this evening. 

Record of the Year: 

Which Record(s) deserves it: BIRDS OF A FEATHER (Billie Eilish) 

Which Record(s) can expect it: BIRDS OF A FEATHER (Billie Eilish)

BIRDS OF A FEATHER has enjoyed a surge of success after Billie Eilish performed this song during the after-party of the Olympic Closing Ceremony last year. This track reached platinum shortly before Billie became the most streamed artist on Spotify. A sweet and mature love song with hints of despair captivated the world with a soft opening and belting conclusion, where Eilish showed off her vocal capabilities. Whether this track is the best song in Hit Me Hard and Soft, it still shows off both the unmatched talent of FINNEAS’ production and the duo’s songwriting abilities and deserves celebration. 

Song of the Year:

Which Song Deserves It: TEXAS HOLD ‘EM (Beyonce),  

Which Song can expect it: TEXAS HOLD ‘EM (Beyonce), BIRDS OF A FEATHER (Billie Eilish)

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM reached glass-shattering levels of success, being the first song by a black woman to hit the top of Billboard’s country songs. A funky bouncing banjo melody accompanied by fierce love for the Lone Star State was danced to across the US and became a gateway for many into the universe of country music. However, some critics have frowned upon this drastic turn in musical genres, commenting on her lack of experience in country music. The commercial success of this single alone silences those who doubted the singer and proves Beyonce’s capability to dominate any genre she sets her eyes on. 

BIRDS OF A FEATHER might still present some competition for Beyonce due to the intimate list of composers; Billie Eilish and her brother FINNEAS. Both songs compete in commercial success, though BIRDS OF A FEATHER has been presented in other forms of media, appearing in the popular Netflix show “Heartstopper”. The sweet melody accompanied by very thoughtful harmonies and climaxes outlines the intimacy behind Billie and FINNEAS’ work. 

Best Music Video:

Which Video Deserves it: 360 (Charli XCX), Not Like Us (Kendrick Lamar)

Which Video Can Expect It: Not Like Us (Kendrick Lamar)

The 360 music video had its moment on the internet, especially thanks to all the cameos of beloved internet celebrities (i.e. Julia Fox, Gabbriette, Emma Chamberlain, and Alex Consani). A fun song is accompanied by a playful video with incredible visuals thanks to the newly discovered directive genius: Aidan Zamiri. Zamiri first collaborated this year with Billie Eilish, with his photoshoot of the young woman appearing on the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine in April of 2024. The 360 video was released a month later and Zamiri also collaborated with Billie once more for the BIRDS OF A FEATHER MV. Zamiri, Eilish, and Charli met up again to record the Guess music video several months later and Zamiri’s work appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone’s cover once more after shooting Timothee Chalamet. The freshness of Zamiri’s clear-cut and simplistic style while maintaining the ability to uncover the best look for each project he involves himself with is noteworthy and certainly worthy of an award, with 360 being his most noticed work of the year.

Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us reached a broader audience, clearly proven by the view count of over 200 million watches versus 360’s 26 million. This music video is more diverse in sets and is tied to 2024’s largest drama: Kendrick VS. Drake. The song is loaded with accusations against Aubrey Graham, better known as “Drake”, consequentially ending the dispute with Lamar landing on top. The most crippling accusation swung against Drake was popularizing Black culture on behalf of White America, which Kendrick describes as a form of colonization. The song thus became an anthem of reclaiming Black culture for Black Americans and is accompanied by a video charged with powerful symbolism, particularly tightly-knit to the Compton community, which is referenced several times throughout the song. Kendrick Lamar has always been dedicated to representing the Black community, and the video perfectly tailors to a strict standard set for his music while also being inclusive enough to reach the mass viewership it has achieved since its release.

Pop Duo/Group: 

Who deserves it: Guess (Charli XCX, Billie Eilish)

Who can expect it: Die With A Smile (Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga)

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars made up a duo that can only be described as iconic. The classic ballade Die With A Smile received mainstream attention and was another radio favorite. The song is earnestly sweet and both singers made a good team phonetically, despite the two not matching in previous musical endeavors. This song is nostalgic, pulling listeners back to the 2010s of pop culture and preset the upcoming Lady Gaga quite well. From the sounds we have heard this far, Gaga is going back to her original rougher sound. Though this song did well in 2024, it is relatively forgettable and lacks a necessary element of surprise or innovation to remain relevant in the ever-evolving music industry.

Guess is a fun and raunchy combination thanks to the minds of the two most unabashed women in pop music. Both let loose, with lyrics being straightforward in their sexiness. The track is lyrically charged with tension and explosive in sound. Both Billie and Charli compliment each other’s voices in this album, as Billie allows Charli to remain in the forefront while taking on a more whispery, seductive sound herself. The massive success and friendship these two artists developed in 2024 made the duo only cooler; both artists remain uniquely innovative in their genres and are eager to push boundaries. 

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