THE BLUE AND WHITE

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards felt very open, with no runaway favourite in any of the four major categories. In fact, between the eight nominees for record and song of the year, only one was different. Trevor Noah hosted the evening, his final and record-breaking sixth time.

Host Trevor Noah alongside Album of the Year Winner Bad Bunny

Best New Artist was an open race, and for the second consecutive year, featured performances by all 8 nominees before the award was announced. Alex Warren had the most commercial success, with “Ordinary” being inescapable, despite not having anything that made it stand out, a truly ordinary song. KATSEYE has been on the rise ever since their Netflix documentary was released, and they are rightfully praised for their choreography. Though what will consistently hold them back in the eyes of critics and even some of their fans is the lyricism. The Marias continued their rising popularity with two new singles, “Nobody New” and “Back To Me”. Addison Rae has officially completed her transformation from TikTok star to pop star, with her debut album, Addison, including fun dance hits like “Fame Is A Gun” and “Diet Pepsi.” However, in the public eye, will she ever be anything more than a TikToker? Sombr has blown up on TikTok, with his over-reverbed songs and rudimentary lyricism being hailed as, in his opinion, “the next Jeff Buckley.” That disrespect, along with the controversy of asking fans to “bark” at his concerts, was ultimately enough to sway voters away from him, even if his music did not already do so. Leon Thomas, a newcomer to R&B, beat out Giveon to take home Best R&B album and delivered one of the better performances. As well, Lola Young, who won Best Pop Solo Performance for “Messy,” switched up the vibe with a Piano ballad. Finally, Olivia Dean, the winner of the award, capitalized on her being a breath of fresh air on the music scene. A terrific vocalist with great delivery and infectious melodies, Olivia Dean has blown up recently. Her biggest hit, “Man I Need”, is joyful and soulful, while my personal favourite, “Lady Lady”, fuses R&B elements. Her recent collaboration with Sam Fender has topped British charts, particularly due to their live performance.

Olivia Dean, winner of Best New Artist

Song of the Year (focusing more on the writing) was also contested. “Wildflower”, my personal pick, but by no means my predicted winner, came out the winner. The song, though released in mid-2024, was re-released as a single, with terrific ad-libs that Eilish has incorporated while on tour. My personal prediction was Bad Bunny’s DTMF, as the songwriting focuses on the subject of nostalgia and savouring the moment. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” was another strong contender, with her classic writing style, filled with wit. Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” didn’t take this award home, but was a heartfelt duet honouring Luther Vandross. It would have been a nice story to see, but KPop Demon Hunter’s “Golden” was unlikely to win, even though the kids’ songs’ lyrics are still profound. Rose and Bruno Mars’ “APT” was inescapable, and they could have seen the first KPop Grammy. Doechii’s sample, “Anxiety”, from five years ago, was unlikely too, as it mainly confused fans who thought it was Gotye. Finally, Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” could have seen a historic revival, but ultimately won the electronic pop and dance award.

Recent Grammy darlings Billie Eilish and her brother/producer, Finneas

Record of the Year, which focuses more on the production of the record, featured all the same nominees, bar one. Chappell Roan’s “The Subway”, which references Saskatchewan, replaces “Golden”. The ultimate winner was “Luther”, as Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s tour featured numerous ballads between the two. This last one is arguably their most popular, though it’s debatable compared to Black Panther’s “All The Stars”, which both featured in his instant classic Super Bowl Halftime Show.

In terms of Album of the Year, there was a large variety of nominees. First, Clipse’s return after over a decade was a pleasant surprise. Tyler, the Creator released two projects, though the first, Chromokopia, featured more emotional ballads about his life, with songs including “Like Him”, while also incorporating superstar features like Glorilla, Sexy Redd, and Lil Wayne on Sticky and Teezo Touchdown on “Darling I”, my personal favourite. Leon Thomas won for R&B and deservedly received a nomination. His career is just getting started, with a critically acclaimed album already under his belt. Kendrick Lamar’s GNX was a victory lap, embracing LA on “Dodger Blue”, while also taking shots at Drake with “Squabble Up” and
TV Off”. Gaga’s Mayhem was arguably the best pop album of the year, with dance hit after dance hit. Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend included more of her cheeky lyrics on “House Tour” and “Tears”, as she fully establishes herself as one of, if not the most, popular popstars in the US. Finally, Justin Bieber’s SWAG featured amazing production by Dijon and included hits such as “Daisies” and “Yukon”. Ultimately, Bad Bunny’s love letter to Puerto Rico, DTMF, won, becoming the first non-English Album of the Year winner.

In terms of other awards, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo won Best Pop Duo Performance for “Defying Gravity”, although this victory does not do much to change their Oscar fortunes for Wicked 2. Lola Young’s “Messy” was a huge shock for Pop Solo Performance, though her speech certainly proved her lyrics remained true. FKA twigs winning for Best Dance/Electronic album was not a surprise, though Rufus Du Sol would have been equally deserving. Staying in the EDM scene, Tame Impala’s victory was a shock due to their latest album not receiving the critical acclaim that Currents did. Fred Again was my personal choice, with “Victory Lap” including an old Doechii sample and a feature from Skepta.

Bad Bunny, who started his first win speech by saying “Ice Out”