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The 66th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on Feb. 4. From Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and SZA’s new album to the return of Troye Sivan, this Grammy season is a close race.

Here is my list of predicted winners – based on the industry’s probable choices and my opinions:

Record of the Year
Probable winner: “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
My choice: “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
Record of the Year will definitely go to Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero.” With 12 Grammys under her belt and one of the most successful tours of all time, she’s a shoo-in for the award. In my opinion, it’s a lovely song, from its catchiness to its self-reflective lyrics.

Album of the Year
Probable winner: “SOS” by SZA
My choice: “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” by Lana Del Rey
SZA released “SOS” in late 2022, and she did not disappoint. With its beautiful writing, inspiring a range of emotions, I believe “SOS” is most inclined to win. However, “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” by Lana Del Rey would be my choice for this award. By far, this is one of Del Rey’s most engaging albums, expressing a range of emotions and showcasing how far her career and musical talent has come.

Song of the Year
Probable winner: “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish
My choice: “Kill Bill” by SZA
With the popularity of “Barbie” and Billie Eilish’s stunning vocals, “What Was I Made For?” is the likely winner of Song of the Year. The song’s lyrics are simple, but express the emotions of girlhood. The Grammys love Billie and Finneas, her brother and songwriting partner, as a writing duo. However, “Kill Bill” by SZA is a close second and my personal favorite as this song tells a unique and compelling story, giving people in more complicated relationships or one’s grieving relationships something to relate to.

Best New Artist
Probable winner: Noah Kahan
My choice: Ice Spice
After a sold-out tour, excellent performing skills and beautiful lyricism, Noah Kahan is the most likely winner of this category. His rise to popularity was rapid, inspiring listeners everywhere to embrace New England with his viral song “Stick Season.” However, Ice Spice is the “People’s Princess” and I believe she has some underrated songs, such as “How High” from her debut EP “Like..?” With multiple Nicki Minaj features and a song on the “Barbie” soundtrack, she is also a strong candidate for the role.

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Probable winner: Jack Antonoff
My choice: Metro Boomin
After an extremely successful year working with Swift and Del Rey, and previously earning multiple Grammy wins as a producer, Jack Antonoff is the leading contender for this award. However, Metro Boomin won my vote for his production of the “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” soundtrack. Not only did the songs align with the message and sentiment of the film, but each song perfectly matches the tone of the film.

Best Pop Vocal Album
Probable winner: “Midnights” by Taylor Swift
My choice: “GUTS” by Olivia Rodrigo
Knowing the Academy, a Taylor-sweep is underway for her work – not just as an industry mogul, but also as an artist — and “Midnights” was a chart topper. In contrast, “GUTS” by Olivia Rodrigo was a fantastic sophomore album that deserved more attention than it received. This album portrays the progression of Rodrigo’s lyricism and musicality, but still aligns with her struggles as a young woman. It perfectly complements “Sour,” and develops on themes introduced in her debut album.

Best Pop Dance Recording
Probable winner: “Rush” by Troye Sivan
My choice: “Rush” by Troye Sivan
With the return and rebrand of Troye Sivan, I have a feeling he will take the Grammy home on Sunday night. “Rush” is a fun and fresh feeling for the category, as the rest of the songs are mainly remixes, which the industry – in my opinion – is tired of hearing.

Best Rock Album
Probable winner: “This Is Why” — Paramore
My choice: “This Is Why” — Paramore
Paramore never fails to amaze. A favorite in the music industry, Paramore’s “This Is Why” encapsulates their unique sound, fitting the modern rock standard and takes the industry further.

Best Alternative Music Album
Probable winner: “The Record” by boygenius
My choice: “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” by Lana Del Rey
The supergroup boygenius took a massive step up in the industry this year with their tour and release of “the rest” and “the record.” This project is an excellent reflection of their artistry and a promising win. In contrast, fans loved “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” because it was Del Rey’s gateway back into doing live shows. The production and lyricism of her album was beyond beautiful, yet I’m unsure if the industry would recognize that.

Best R&B Album
Probable winner: “Jaguar II” by Victoria Monét
My choice: “CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE – EP” by Summer Walker
With the return of Victoria Monét, “Jaguar II” was a breath of fresh air. This album perfectly shows the angelic and soothing vocals of Monét. However, Summer Walker never disappoints and consistently makes ethereal music that always showcases her talent. This will most definitely be a close call Sunday.

Best Melodic Rap Performance
Probable winner: “Low” — SZA
My choice: “Low” — SZA
With SZA’s comeback this year, “Low” should win. SZA’s performance is an apparent reflection of her voice and a song of the summer. Her performance emphasizes the strength of her voice and the feeling of poignancy and jealousy within the song.

Best Rap Song
Probable winner: “Just Wanna Rock” — Mohamad Camara, Symere Woods, and Javier Mercado, songwriters (Lil Uzi Vert)
My choice: “Just Wanna Rock” — Mohamad Camara, Symere Woods, and Javier Mercado, songwriters (Lil Uzi Vert)
At Lil Uzi Vert’s Grammy performance last year, “Just Wanna Rock” was a crowd favorite. This song is perfect to jam out to and can hype up almost any generation. I am convinced this song will be a win because of its long-lasting effect on Tiktok and its place on my playlist.

Best Country Album
Probable winner: “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat” by Kelsea Ballerini
My choice: “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat” by Kelsea Ballerini
The lyricism, emotion and story within this album are unmatchable. “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat” takes you through every emotion and connects listeners with Ballerini’s words. The country genre loves a good story and this album is unmatched in terms of storytelling through song.

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)
Industry: “Génesis” by Peso Pluma
My choice: “Génesis” by Peso Pluma
With Peso Pluma gaining attention this year from “Génesis,” I believe he will take home his first Grammy. This album is excellently crafted and highlights the variety of the genre by mixing in unique sounds and styles, emphasizing the techno-sound.

Best African Music Performance
Probable winner: “Water” by Tyla
My choice: “Amapiano” by Asake and Olamide
With “Water” gaining popularity on TikTok, this song is a very probable winner of the award. Tyla’s voice is very strong in this fun, catchy song and deserves all the hype it’s gotten.

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (includes film and television)
Probable winner: “Barbie” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, composers
My choice: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” by Ludwig Göransson, composer
With the immense success of “Barbie,” it’s no surprise its soundtrack is the likely winner. Producer Mark Ronson has a legendary discography, including “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse and several Bruno Mars songs. In contrast, in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” there was so much craft and its soundtrack was an excellent match to the film.

Final thoughts:
Altogether, I predict this Grammy season to be messy and filled with a large range of emotions. With lots of strong contenders, each artist is in a close race with each other. As 2023 was a historic year for the industry, there will be plenty to discuss.

Published on January 30, 2024 at 12:22 am