by Adam McPartlan
There's really only one thought to have about the Grammys this year: it's on a Sunday, but there's no Weeknd. Sure, there are other thoughts, but they're all minor in comparison to that. The only explanation is that so many people thought he had the nominations locked up that they voted for the pieces they thought deserved one of the other slots in Album, Song, Record, Pop, R&B...yea okay, the Grammys are corrupt. What else is new? The Golden Globes are too; Oscar history is full of corruption; and if you think the Emmys aren't corrupt, then you're an idiot who thinks the final season of Game of Thrones was actually good television, so you can stop reading now. That said, just because the Grammys are corrupt doesn't mean they didn't get a shocking number of things right. But let's look at what else the got wrong first.
There's really only one thought to have about the Grammys this year: it's on a Sunday, but there's no Weeknd. Sure, there are other thoughts, but they're all minor in comparison to that. The only explanation is that so many people thought he had the nominations locked up that they voted for the pieces they thought deserved one of the other slots in Album, Song, Record, Pop, R&B...yea okay, the Grammys are corrupt. What else is new? The Golden Globes are too; Oscar history is full of corruption; and if you think the Emmys aren't corrupt, then you're an idiot who thinks the final season of Game of Thrones was actually good television, so you can stop reading now. That said, just because the Grammys are corrupt doesn't mean they didn't get a shocking number of things right. But let's look at what else the got wrong first.
For starters, they nominated the wrong Taylor Swift song in Song of the Year. "cardigan" isn't half the song that "exile" is, neither lyrically nor musically. On top of that, it wasn't nominated for Record of the Year; the vocal pairing of Swift and Bon Iver was one of the most surprising things we got in 2020, and arguably the most pleasant part of it.
Stretching further down the road, Coldplay getting Album of the Year was a wonderful surprise. Everyday Life is easily their best album since Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, and getting that recognition was really great. Where the Grammys fell short was recognizing "Arabesque," their best song in over a decade, in any category at all. The production values on the track alone merit a Record of the Year nomination, but the saxophone paired with the acoustic guitar, the low register of Chris Martin's voice, and the overall anger of the song make it arguably one of the best songs of the year, though certainly one of the year's most underrated.
Finally--and just a note that these are the worst snubs, not the only ones--Phoebe Bridgers and Fiona Apple were limited to rock and alt music categories. Many people had Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters as an Album of the Year frontrunner along with folklore. While I disagree and think the fight was set up long before the nominees were announced and squarely between folklore and Dua Lipa's engrossing and addictive Future Nostalgia, Apple certainly deserved a nomination. That said, Bridgers' Punisher was markedly better than her fellow rocker girl's and "Kyoto," "Garden Song," and "I Know the End" far surpass any three songs not just Apple has on her album, but any three songs on most Album of the Year nominees. Beyonce got too much love this year, and it was almost all because of her partnership with Disney for her album video. Also...Jacob Collier in Album of the Year? Are you joking? Piss off.
But they did get a lot right: Bridgers and Apple headline the first all-female nominee list in Rock Performance; Coldplay got Album of the Year love; Dua Lipa cleaned up and is on track to win at least 3 awards this year, though it should be more; and Haim finally cracked into Album as well. They got plenty more right, but let's be honest: everything they got right is so overshadowed by the absence of The Weeknd that it really doesn't matter. Anyway, here are my picks in the general categories, as well as Pop, Rock, and Visual Media; I'm not really knowledgeable enough about Rap, R&B, or Country to say anything about them. That being said, again, Jacob Collier in R&B? Are you joking?
Album of the Year
Will Win: Taylor Swift, folklore
Should Win: Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia
Record of the Year
Will Win: Dua Lipa, "Don't Start Now"
Should Win: Dua Lipa, "Don't Start Now"
Song of the Year
Will Win: Taylor Swift, "cardigan"
Should Win: Taylor Swift, "cardigan"
New Artist
Will Win: Megan Thee Stallion
Should Win: Megan Thee Stallion or Phoebe Bridgers
Rock Performance
Will Win: Fiona Apple, "Shameika"
Should Win: Phoebe Bridgers, "Kyoto"
Rock Song
Will Win: Fiona Apple, "Shameika"
Should Win: Phoebe Bridgers, "Kyoto"
Alternative Album
Will Win: Fiona Apple, Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Should Win: Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher
Pop Solo Performance
Will Win: Dua Lipa, "Don't Start Now"
Should Win: Dua Lipa, "Don't Start Now"
Pop Duo/Group Performance
Will Win: Taylor Swift and Bon Iver, "exile"
Should Win: Taylor Swift and Bon Iver, "exile" or Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, "Rain on Me"
Pop Vocal Album
Will Win: Taylor Swift, folklore
Should Win: Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia
Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Will Win: Bill and Ted Face the Music
Should Win: Bill and Ted Face the Music or Jojo Rabbit
Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Will Win: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Should Win: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Song Written for Visual Media
Will Win: Cynthia Erivo, "Stand Up" (from Harriet)
Should Win: Cynthia Erivo, "Stand Up" (from Harriet) or Billie Eilish, "No Time to Die" (from No Time to Die)
Stretching further down the road, Coldplay getting Album of the Year was a wonderful surprise. Everyday Life is easily their best album since Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, and getting that recognition was really great. Where the Grammys fell short was recognizing "Arabesque," their best song in over a decade, in any category at all. The production values on the track alone merit a Record of the Year nomination, but the saxophone paired with the acoustic guitar, the low register of Chris Martin's voice, and the overall anger of the song make it arguably one of the best songs of the year, though certainly one of the year's most underrated.
Finally--and just a note that these are the worst snubs, not the only ones--Phoebe Bridgers and Fiona Apple were limited to rock and alt music categories. Many people had Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters as an Album of the Year frontrunner along with folklore. While I disagree and think the fight was set up long before the nominees were announced and squarely between folklore and Dua Lipa's engrossing and addictive Future Nostalgia, Apple certainly deserved a nomination. That said, Bridgers' Punisher was markedly better than her fellow rocker girl's and "Kyoto," "Garden Song," and "I Know the End" far surpass any three songs not just Apple has on her album, but any three songs on most Album of the Year nominees. Beyonce got too much love this year, and it was almost all because of her partnership with Disney for her album video. Also...Jacob Collier in Album of the Year? Are you joking? Piss off.
But they did get a lot right: Bridgers and Apple headline the first all-female nominee list in Rock Performance; Coldplay got Album of the Year love; Dua Lipa cleaned up and is on track to win at least 3 awards this year, though it should be more; and Haim finally cracked into Album as well. They got plenty more right, but let's be honest: everything they got right is so overshadowed by the absence of The Weeknd that it really doesn't matter. Anyway, here are my picks in the general categories, as well as Pop, Rock, and Visual Media; I'm not really knowledgeable enough about Rap, R&B, or Country to say anything about them. That being said, again, Jacob Collier in R&B? Are you joking?
Album of the Year
Will Win: Taylor Swift, folklore
Should Win: Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia
Record of the Year
Will Win: Dua Lipa, "Don't Start Now"
Should Win: Dua Lipa, "Don't Start Now"
Song of the Year
Will Win: Taylor Swift, "cardigan"
Should Win: Taylor Swift, "cardigan"
New Artist
Will Win: Megan Thee Stallion
Should Win: Megan Thee Stallion or Phoebe Bridgers
Rock Performance
Will Win: Fiona Apple, "Shameika"
Should Win: Phoebe Bridgers, "Kyoto"
Rock Song
Will Win: Fiona Apple, "Shameika"
Should Win: Phoebe Bridgers, "Kyoto"
Alternative Album
Will Win: Fiona Apple, Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Should Win: Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher
Pop Solo Performance
Will Win: Dua Lipa, "Don't Start Now"
Should Win: Dua Lipa, "Don't Start Now"
Pop Duo/Group Performance
Will Win: Taylor Swift and Bon Iver, "exile"
Should Win: Taylor Swift and Bon Iver, "exile" or Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, "Rain on Me"
Pop Vocal Album
Will Win: Taylor Swift, folklore
Should Win: Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia
Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
Will Win: Bill and Ted Face the Music
Should Win: Bill and Ted Face the Music or Jojo Rabbit
Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Will Win: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Should Win: Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Song Written for Visual Media
Will Win: Cynthia Erivo, "Stand Up" (from Harriet)
Should Win: Cynthia Erivo, "Stand Up" (from Harriet) or Billie Eilish, "No Time to Die" (from No Time to Die)