The Nominees: Record Of The Year
The 60th Grammys are one week away! In anticipation of what has the potential to either be the best Grammys ceremony ever, or yet another colossal letdown, we will take this week to do overview of the biggest awards of the night, culminating in a general predictions piece on the day of. First up: Record of the Year.
Record of the Year is one of two awards to serve as a prize for a song in a general capacity, rather than a genre field (like Best Pop Performance, or Best Rap Song, etc.). The other, of course, is Song Of The Year. Annually, the inevitable question from reasonable people-- myself included --is, what is the difference between the two? To be honest, I've never really known a good answer, so, from the horse's mouth: "The Record Of The Year category recognizes the artist’s performance as well as the overall contributions of the producer(s), recording engineer(s) and/or mixer(s) if other than the artist. The Song Of The Year category recognizes the songwriter(s)." Essentially, I think what this is saying is that Record Of The Year is more a trophy for the general production of a song, while Song Of The Year is more about the bare-bones music and lyrics. All that being said, here are the nominees, in order from least to most likely to win, according to odds from GoldDerby.com.
"The Story Of O.J." - Jay-Z
Odds: 66-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 23rd
Peak Chart Position (Hip-Hop): 10th
Daniel's Production Value Ranking: 8/10
It's somewhat shocking this song grabbed a nomination. Not, of course, because it's not a good song, because it's a great one. However, Record of the Year is typically a field reserved for massive chart toppers. As you can see above, it barely even cracked the Top 10 rap charts in 2017. This likely explains the relatively high odds, even though the artist is one of the biggest stars out there. Nevertheless, it's fun to see it nominated, as it is a terrific song; its production is relatively simple, but complements Jay-Z's demeanor, as well as the lyrical themes, perfectly. 100% down for Nina Simone samples.
"Redbone" - Childish Gambino
Odds: 33-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 12th
Peak Chart Position (R&B): 1st
Daniel's Production Value Ranking: 10/10
As surprising as it was to see Childish nominated for Album of the Year (more on that in a few days), this was less of a surprise. "Redbone" is an absolute jam, and, thanks to its inclusion in the cultural smash Get Out, was everywhere on the airwaves the first half of 2017. The meat of the song is catchy enough, but the intro and outro are absolutely delicious. This is mandatory viewing to appreciate how masterful "Redbone"'s production is.
"24K Magic" - Bruno Mars
Odds: 8-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 4th
Peak Chart Position (R&B): 3rd
Daniel's Production Value Ranking: 6/10
There's a definite Top 3 in this category, and this is the first of the nominees that has a very good chance of winning the Grammy. Bruno is becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the land, and his album's titular single kicked off a year and a half or so of his tunes ruling the radio. I wasn't the biggest fan of this one; as funky and addictive as it is, the mix of spoken (shouted?) lyrics, auto-tune, regular singing and layered harmony make the song a little clustered and noisy, rather than a sleek funk hit.
"HUMBLE." - Kendrick Lamar
Odds: 4-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Peak Chart Position (Hip-Hop): 1st
Daniel's Production Value Ranking: 7/10
Kendrick's first #1 single was a smash hit, and the lead single from the most critically-acclaimed album of the year. In other words, don't be surprised that it was nominated, and don't be surprised if it ends up winning the Grammy! Though I am an unapologetic fanboy, this wasn't the most impressive production on a Kendrick song; it was tailor-made for radio, no doubt, but the trap beat and repetitive piano hook were a little simplistic. I'm probably just spoiled.
"Despacito" - Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, featuring Justin Bieber
Odds: 8-15
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Peak Chart Position (Rythmic/Dance): 3rd
Daniel's Production Value Ranking: 10/10
No surprise here. The only surprise regarding "Despacito" would be if it didn't win either Song nor Record of the Year. The Latin smash was EVERYWHERE in 2017, and is likely as much of a shoo-in for a Grammy as "Uptown Funk" was in 2015. It may not be the most profound song, but there's no denying its pep, its catchiness, and its brilliant production. Taking an already successful Latin dance tune, adding a verse from Justin Bieber, and releasing it in the heat of summer? That's a recipe for a smash hit.
All in all, it's a solid field of nominees. Of course, "Despacito" not winning would be an upset, but it has some heavy-hitting contenders, and there's no telling whether this is the year the Grammys try to shed past precedent and go for 'better over bigger.' I will always cheer for a Kendrick victory, but I may actually be even happier if "Redbone" or "OJ" snag an upset.