This Sunday, the 54th Grammys will air on CBS at 7 p.m., recognizing some of the best artists, producers, songwriters and sound engineers in the business. This year's awards, as usual, feature a group of truly stellar nominees. Here are my predictions for the four most prestigious categories and for a few others that are watch-worthy based on their mass appeal and strong set of nominees.
1. Record Of The Year
"Rolling In The Deep," Adele
"Holocene," Bon Iver
"Grenade," Bruno Mars
"The Cave," Mumford & Sons
"Firework," Katy Perry
Record Of the Year not only recognizes the artist, but also the producers and sound engineers. Keeping this in mind, I believe Mumford & Sons' "The Cave" is the likely winner. Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" is a solid recording and dominated the charts for awhile, but ultimately I believe Adele's recognition will be delivered in Album Of The Year. "Holocene" from Bon Iver is also a standout in this category. The beautifully crafted guitar melody blends smoothly with Justin Vernon's hushed vocals. However, it is the perfectly recorded folky instrumentals and raw vocals that make "The Cave" my top choice.
2. Album Of The Year
21- Adele
Wasting Light- Foo Fighters
Born This Way- Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans- Bruno Mars
Loud- Rihanna
Though Lady Gaga released several popular singles from Born This Way, as a whole it trails behind the other nominees in quality, offering little more than recycled bits of Madonna songs and her own previous material. Rihanna's Loud relies on a few standout singles and appearances by Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem to distract listeners from the mediocrity of the overall album. I was pleased with Wasting Light, but I feel it will fare better in the more genre-specific category of Best Rock Album.
Bruno Mars and his team demonstrate impressive vocals, songwriting and mixing in Doo-Wop & Hooligans, but I believe Adele's 21 will be Sunday's winner. She shows off her powerhouse vocals and reveals a range of raw emotions in an overall excellent album that deserves recognition.
3. Song Of The Year
"All Of The Lights," Kanye West
"The Cave," Mumford & Sons
"Grenade," Bruno Mars
"Holocene," Bon Iver
"Rolling In The Deep," Adele
Though I do not consider myself a Bon Iver fan, I could not get "Holocene" out of my head as I decided my predictions. The hip-hop enthusiast in me would like to choose "All Of the Lights", but the merit of this Justin Vernon masterpiece cannot be ignored. The ebb and flow of the drumbeat in the background creates a great texture for this track, complementing Vernon's haunting vocals. The line, "...and at once I knew I was not magnificent," proves this song is an achievement lyrically as well.
4. Best New Artist
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex
This category offers particularly interesting choices. Skrillex's nomination not only recognizes the artist's unique contribution to music this year, but also serves as an indicator of the increasing popularity and prominence of dubstep. My personal favorites, J. Cole and Nicki Minaj, each bring something new to hip-hop, ensuring it says fresh. Though seductive, J. Cole's laid-back vocals stay a little rough, sculpting him as the slightly arrogant playboy sure to keep both fans and critics on his heels. Nicki Minaj's aggressive, fiercely sexual rhymes have been featured in many tracks this past year, bringing a female presence to rap and hip-hop not seen since Lil' Kim. However, I believe the professionals will choose Bon Iver for their acclaimed soft, sleepy indie tracks. Though not exactly "new," as the group's first album dropped in 2007, Best New Artist can also be include an artist or group who has risen to "recent prominence." In addition to the wide popularity the group enjoyed this year, Bon Iver was received well by critics after collaborating with Kanye, which will ultimately be what sets them apart.
Other Top Picks:
Best Rap Album:
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -Kanye West
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Doo-Wops & Hooligans- Bruno Mars
Best Rock Album:
Wasting Light- Foo Fighters
Best Rap Song:
"All Of The Lights," Kanye West
Best Rap Performance:
"Look At Me Now"- Chris Brown, Lil' Wayne, Busta Rhymes
