Taylor Swift, SZA, Billie Eilish and many other A-list celebrities will be lining the red carpet on Feb. 4 for the 2024 Grammy Awards.
SZA leads the pack with nine nominations, the most of any artist for this year’s show. Following closely behind are Victoria Monet and Phoebe Bridgers, who both have seven nominations.
A long list of nominees are competing for the “Big Four” categories — best new artist, and album of the year, record of the year and song of the year — and there’s a lot of buzz going around about who will take home the golden gramophone for each category.
All the nominees are talented — but some of them deserve the trophy more than the others. Here’s who I’ll be rooting for this year and who I think will win:
Album of the Year
Nominees: Jon Batiste, Boygenius, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monae, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and SZA
- Should win: “Midnights” by Taylor Swift
- Will win: “SOS” by SZA
In my mind, there are only two clear front-runners: Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” and SZA’s “SOS,” though I think “Midnights” has a slight edge.
Swift’s world takeover in the past year is sure to help her chances, not to mention “Midnights” is a huge commercial and critical success. What holds Swift back this time is the fact that she’s already won this top honor three times. If she takes it a fourth time, she will be the only artist in history to do so.
SZA, on the other hand, has never won the award. “SOS” was also a major commercial and critical success, so it’ll be interesting to see who will win this match up.
Song of the Year
- Nominees: The writers of songs recorded by Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Jon Batiste, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish
- Should win: “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
- Will win: “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
This is perhaps the most competitive slate of nominees the category has seen in years, as there are many ways that this can go. Will it go to a song from the “Barbie” soundtrack? Both “Dance the Night” and “What Was I Made For?” were hits with the general public. Or will SZA’s blazing, cut-throat “Kill Bill” take home the trophy? The track seems to be a front-runner.
But, it seems like a total snub to not award Swift and co-writer Jack Antonoff for “Anti-Hero.” Often praised as the songwriter of our generation, it’s beyond shocking that she has never won this top honor for songwriters. In fact, this is her record-breaking seventh nomination in this category, breaking her tie with Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie. What other smash radio hit has lyrics like “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism?” Give her the Grammy!
Record of the Year
- Nominees: Jon Batiste, Boygenius, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Victoria Monet, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and SZA
- Should win: “Kill Bill” by SZA
- Will win: “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish
I can totally see the Academy giving this to either Billie Eilish or SZA, but I wouldn’t rule out a surprise win for Miley Cyrus, given that she had a massive viral hit, “Flowers.” At the beginning of the year, “Flowers” was all over the radio, TV, TikTok, etc., but the song has seemingly dropped in popularity. Normally after a song smashes as hard as “Flowers” did, it will stabilize in the top 50 (at least) on the Spotify global chart. “Flowers” has dropped over 100 spots, even leaving the chart.
Billie Eilish’s track from the “Barbie” movie — “What Was I Made For?” — seems like the clear winner. This successful acoustic pop ballad has found a comfortable spot on charts and on social media. It’s not Eilish’s biggest hit, but it seems like a winner for sure. I can’t imagine the Academy passing on the opportunity to send this song home with a big award.
But that’s not to say that “Kill Bill” shouldn’t win. The R&B-infused pop track is reminiscent of the classic country music genre trend where female artists write songs about killing their husbands. It feels fresh to listeners, different in subject matter, and once you hear the chorus, it doesn’t leave your brain for hours.
Best New Artist
- Nominees: Gracie Abrams, Fred again.., Ice Spice, Jelly Roll, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, Victoria Monet and The War and Treaty.
- Should win: Ice Spice
- Will win: Ice Spice
We all know who the winner is, right?
In case you’ve been living under a rock, it’s Ice Spice. Her breakout hits (including one for the blockbuster “Barbie” movie), chart domination, SNL appearance and friendship with Taylor Swift make her the clear choice, and Grammy voters are sure to see that.
No matter who ultimately leaves the winner, this year’s Grammy awards are bound to be the year of the woman. The awards show will be broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+ Feb. 4, 2024 from Los Angeles.
The arts desk can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com
Josh Pawlik is an assistant arts editor for The Spectrum. His hobbies include playing guitar, working out and reading. He can be found on Instagram @joshpawlik
