Grammys 2024 predictions: Who may beat Taylor Swift?

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The Grammys handle to bother music followers most years, however final yr’s ceremony brought about a very large stink. This was principally on account of British pop star Harry Kinds strolling off with the night time’s greatest prize, beating Adele and Beyoncé to Album of the 12 months in what ought to have been a rematch following the “Howdy” artist’s controversial win over her fellow chart-topper in 2017.

This yr is shaping as much as be much less provocative in some ways, with feminine artists dominating the Large 4 classes (newly whittled right down to eight as an alternative of 10 nominees) together with Tune of the 12 months and Album of the 12 months. SZA leads the pack with 9 nominations, whereas boygenius (who not too long ago introduced they might be occurring hiatus at an acoustic present earlier within the week) and Victoria Monét observe shut behind. Recording Academy darling Taylor Swift can be within the combine, and on the cusp of turning into the first-ever four-time Grammy winner for Album of the 12 months.

Forward of the ceremony on Sunday (4 February), which will likely be hosted stay from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Enviornment, right here’s a have a look at who will most likely win – and who ought to win – the Large 4.

Tune of the 12 months

Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For?”

Dua Lipa – “Dance the Evening”

Jon Batiste – “Butterfly”

Lana Del Rey – “A&W”

Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”

Olivia Rodrigo – “vampire”

SZA – “Kill Invoice”

Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”

Ought to win: “Kill Invoice” – SZA

Will win: “What Was I Made For?” – Billie Eilish

SZA’s languorous, hazy “Kill Invoice” performs out like Nancy Sinatra’s revenge. The genre-flitting artist’s increase bap-inspired monitor, redolent of Sinatra’s “Bang Bang (My Child Shot Me Down)”, is close to stunning in its insouciance. And if Tune of the 12 months is meant to acknowledge lyrics and melody, SZA comes out on high in each. Her lyrics come clean with her personal messiness with deadpan humour: “Now I’m within the basement, planning residence invasion/ Now you laying face-down, bought me singing over a beat.” Her voice is mellifluous, caressing every phrase with a hypnotic croon. Because the tune title suggests, there’s a cinematic high quality to the entire thing: you image SZA again at residence, shrugging off her fur coat and calmly washing the blood from her fingers. That remoted vocal on the very finish, as she sings “quite be in hell than alone”, speaks volumes.

That stated, Eilish is already an awards season favorite because of her understated contribution to the Barbie soundtrack, a stark distinction to her earlier Tune of the 12 months winners, “unhealthy man” and “Happier Than Ever”. With one other Oscar for Greatest Tune on the horizon, Eilish appears destined for a clear sweep.

Greatest New Artist

Coco Jones

Gracie Abrams

Fred Once more

Ice Spice

Jelly Roll

Noah Kahan

Victoria Monét

The Warfare and Treaty

Ought to win: Victoria Monét

Will win: Noah Kahan

The Greatest New Artist class has baffled in earlier years, usually serving up nominee lists chock filled with acquainted names. This yr, there are just a few really recent faces up for the prize, together with breakthrough star Noah Kahan, who achieved viral tune fame and a efficiency slot on Saturday Evening Stay because of his single “Stick Season”, and Nashville-born singer-songwriter Jelly Roll who, at 39, has pulled a reverse Submit Malone and transitioned from hip-hop to nation music. The Warfare and Treaty, Coco Jones, and Gracie Abrams are all thought-about underdogs (regardless of Abrams’ pedigree because the daughter of Hollywood director JJ Abrams), and we are able to safely rule out the perennially over-hyped British producer DJ Fred Once more.

Ice Spice may need been the favorite a yr in the past, however she’s struggled to give you a lot of observe since her Barbie tune “Barbie World” with Nicki Minaj, itself eclipsed by soundtrack contributions from Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and, erm, Ryan Gosling. In the meantime, though Monét has been steadily releasing a few of R&B’s finest tracks for the higher a part of a decade, it was solely final yr that she put out her chic debut album Jaguar II. She very nicely could be pipped to the Greatest New Artist award by Kahan, nonetheless, with “Stick Season” rising simply as one of many greatest singles of the previous 12 months.

Report of the 12 months

Billie Eilish – “What Was I Made For?”

boygenius – “Not Robust Sufficient”

Jon Batiste – “Worship”

Miley Cyrus – “Flowers”

Olivia Rodrigo – “Vampire”

SZA – “Kill Invoice”

Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”

Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”

Ought to win: “Not Robust Sufficient” – boygenius

Will win: “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift

Report of the 12 months is meant to have a good time the efficiency and manufacturing achievements of its nominees, however most individuals (seemingly the voters, too) can’t discern any significant distinction between this class and Tune of the 12 months. If we’re sticking to these qualifiers, although, then boygenius deserve the trophy for “Not Robust Sufficient”, the triumphant country-pop anthem off their debut album, The Report.

The monitor opens on stark acoustic guitar strumming, with synths blinking slowly out of the gloom like a lighthouse beam. From there, it’s a stunning construct to the layered harmonies of the chorus – “At all times an angel, by no means a god” – and the climax of the ultimate refrain. A win for boygenius would even be a uncommon, historic triumph for feminine producers on the Grammys, with the trio comprising Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus – joined on the helm by Australian producer/engineer Catherine Marks.

It’s uncertain, nonetheless, that Swift will go residence with out the prize for her extensively hailed, conversation-starting single “Anti-Hero”, produced with long-time collaborator and Grammys favorite, Jack Antonoff. The shimmering synth-pop monitor, which drills into the mechanics of our deepest insecurities, is carried out by Swift on the top of her powers – breezy, assured and winkingly self-aware.

Album of the 12 months

boygenius – The Report

Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure

Jon Batiste – World Music Radio

Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Below Ocean Blvd

Miley Cyrus – Countless Summer season Trip

Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS

SZA – SOS

Taylor Swift – Midnights

Ought to win: SZA – SOS

Will win: Taylor Swift – Midnights

It’s arduous to think about there will likely be a lot unhealthy feeling regardless of who wins this class – that’s until Jon Batiste, the one male nominee out of eight contenders, takes it residence. SZA, Del Rey, and Monáe’s works are arguably probably the most immersive – all three of their albums invite listeners to dive in and take in their respective explorations of sexuality, heartache, euphoria, and vengeance.

Rodrigo, who already has three statuettes to her identify, has an excellent providing within the type of GUTS – her punchy second album – but it surely arguably lacks the finesse or artistry of her friends. boygenius may probably be thought-about a contact too “various” for the famously populist Recording Academy, bringing us inevitably to Swift and her record-breaking tenth studio album Midnights. It’s an ideal LP, adored by critics and followers alike.

That is additionally, indisputably, Swift’s yr – subsequent week, her look on the Tremendous Bowl to help boyfriend Travis Kelce will doubtless generate extra curiosity than the sport itself, whereas her industrial successes of the previous 12 months ought to be greater than sufficient to impress voters. Apart from, awarding Swift that newest record-breaker – extra Album of the 12 months wins than some other artist – would make for the form of TV gold (learn, scores) the Grammys are determined for.