Tt feels weird typing this, but the Grammys got it (mostly) right this year in its major categories. Crazy, huh?! Yes, there still some snubs. Yes, there the annual popularity-contest nods. Yes, the major awards are lacking in female nominees. But in terms of actual quality and diversity of genres and artists, this is the best Grammys lineup in years. Sure, it’s not perfect, but the Grammys typically prove themselves to be absolutely oblivious to anything going on in music.
In a stunning turnaround, the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Lorde, and SZA all appear in some of the major categories, which is a relief compared to last year’s lineup that included Twenty One Pilots and Lukas Graham. But, if the Grammys should get props for anything this year, it’s for almost completely ignoring Ed Sheeran, a perpetual college sophomore roaming the quad with his guitar.
There’s no standout winner in the main categories, with Lamar, Jay-Z, and Childish Gambino all deserving to take home the night’s biggest honors. That said, I’ll do my best with picks here.
And don’t @ me if these are all wrong, because the Recording Academy is a baffling voting body in itself. Particularly in a year populated by acts it has traditionally ignored, there’s no telling what they’ll decide.
Album of the Year
Who Should Win: DAMN, Kendrick Lamar. Yes Jay-Z and Childish Gambino had great albums. But Kendrick made a timeless masterpiece. There are few active lyricists today who demand such intense analysis as Lamar. His words are dense, they're funny, they're powerful. In a world where ideas are lost into the noise, Lamar forces you to stick around to listen - then listen again and eventually understand. DAMN is a triumph of writing first and foremost, a composition that just happens to be spoken over a collection of some of the greatest beats constructed in years.
Who Will Win: DAMN, Kendrick Lamar. Now is the time. Lamar has been snubbed too many times at this goddamn award show, and now is the time for the Recording Academy to make up for it. This time, Lamar is among the biggest rappers in the world. The Grammys can’t ignore him any longer.
How the Grammys Will Fuck it Up: Just to destroy my faith in humanity, they’ll give it to Bruno Mars. He seems like a perfectly nice fella, but he should not win this award. Read more details here
grammy winners
