Grammy Preview: Album of the Year Contestants
Though the nominees for the 2017 Grammy Awards will not be unveiled until December 6th, last Friday marked an important date for the most prominent musical awards show. The year of eligibility ended on September 30th, 2016, meaning everything released from October 2015 to last Friday is eligible to be nominated in the next ceremony. With a number of massive releases over the last year, it will be intriguing to see whose names are called in December. In the meantime, I thought it might be fun to offer an overlook at the likely contenders for what is largely considered the top Grammy of them all (and my personal favorite category), Album Of The Year.
Surefire Candidates
25 // Adele
The last time we had seen Adele before the past year was when she was cleaning up at the 2012 Grammys, including winning this very award, for her previous release 21. So, there is precedent of strong Grammys recognition to go nicely with 25's record-breaking numbers, and very positive critical reception. Yeah, you can mark it down: Adele is going to be a nominee again.
Lemonade // Beyoncé
Queen B did what Kendrick Lamar did last year: laid claim to the best album early into the year. Like 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly, Lemonade was a surprise springtime release that instantly wowed fans, and garnered immense praise from critics. It remains one of the most critically-acclaimed albums of the year, and likely won't cede that honor. Given Beyoncé's celebrity status, as well as the majority sentiment that she was robbed of Album of the Year two years ago, it would be a shock beyond shocks if Lemonade were not one of this year's nominees.
Contenders
22, A Million // Bon Iver
Bon Iver may seem like a long shot, and perhaps it is, but remember they were the alternative darling of the Grammys in 2012, winning two awards and being nominated for a third. Frontman Justin Vernon also infamously spoke out about how unnecessary awards shows were, however, something that might give the committee pause before giving him a platform again. In addition, 22, A Million (which ironically was released on the last day of eligibility) might be too indie, too different for the Grammys. Still, Bon Iver has the name recognition, and this album has debuted to critical acclaim.
Anti // Rihanna
Rihanna's January release was different from most, if not all of her previous work. It's a laid-back, non-single-driven album, as opposed to a collection of radio hits. Many think that this admirable shift will be enough to land her a nomination. It's certainly possible, but in what has been the Year of the Female Artist, Rihanna's in the tough position of not making a huge splash commercially nor critically.
Blackstar // David Bowie
The Grammy hype train has already begun for the late Bowie's last album. Blackstar was released on the icon's birthday, and just days before his passing. But lest you think that a nomination would just come as a result of the sympathy train, know that the album was also met with large critical acclaim, garnering an aggregated score of 87/100 from critics.
Blonde // Frank Ocean
Ocean's release-- his first in 4 years --may have been the most anticipated album of the entire year. Blonde's debut proved his legions of fans' year and a half of frustrated anticipation every bit worthwhile, building on the heartbreaking R&B groundwork laid by his incredible 2012 record channel ORANGE. The Grammys took note of Ocean that time, and they very well could again, especially considering the culturally relevant themes of sexuality and race that permeate this deeply personal tracklist.
Dangerous Woman // Ariana Grande
Though the Album of the Year award tends to still single out true quality (one reason it's my favorite), The Grammys have subtly and gradually turned into a popularity contest by and large. So, an ultra-rising pop star with a decently acclaimed album generally proves a formidable contender. In Grande's case, it helps that there's no denying her incredible vocal talent.
Hero // Maren Morris
Probably haven't heard of this one, have you? Neither had I until recently. So why is it a contender? Because the Grammys have been slowly warming up to Country music, to the point where last year, Chris Stapleton's Traveller was one of the five AOTY nominees. Morris' debut album wasn't mainstream, but was a big hit in the world of Country, and has received nothing but favorable reviews. Keep an eye out for this one.
A Moon Shaped Pool // Radiohead
Radiohead is one of those bands that the Grammys just seem to love. (Not that I'm complaining!) Moon Shaped Pool is a trippy, sonic adventure-- in other words, true to form for Radiohead, though more scaled-down than prior records. Might they score themselves yet another major nomination for yet another well-received album?
Purpose // Justin Bieber
Believe it. J-Biebs already established Grammy credibility by scoring a nomination for his collaboration "Where Are U Now" last year. And, if we're talking pure popularity contest here, the guy has been on the radio for a year and a half straight, with singles that range from "this is actually pretty good" pop, to "this is actually pretty good" acoustic jams, to "this is actually pretty good" EDM collaborations. Don't be surprised at all if his name is called in December.
Views// Drake
Canada's favorite rapper has to be one of, if not THE most popular hip-hop artists in the game right now, yet he has never scored an Album of the Year nomination. This might be the best chance he's had yet, as no other rap album dominated the landscape like To Pimp A Butterfly did last year. He had two mega-hits off of the album with "Hotline Bling" and "One Dance," and he may prove a more, shall we say, palatable artist for the committee to nominate than other rappers would.
Longshots
Coloring Book // Chance The Rapper
If any rap release somewhat resembled something like Kendrick's last year, it was this one. Chance also has had a cult following that has now blossomed into a massive fanbase. Coloring Book, which is every bit as much a Gospel or Testimonial album as it as a Rap one, was a mega critical success, and the young rapper has tons of momentum heading into awards season. Still, methinks it might be just a little too outside the mainstream view to garner a top nomination.
A Head Full Of Dreams // Coldplay
Coldplay is one the biggest active bands in the world, and this release launched a massive world stadium tour. In a year of incredible solo albums, the Grammys might yearn to recognize a true band's album. However, if they are to go that route, Radiohead is a much more likely choice, considering the critical ambivalence that has seemingly always surrounded Coldplay.
Home Of The Strange // Young The Giant
Though I love Young The Giant, I never would have given this album a chance to get Grammy attention. However, it could shape up to be this year's Sound and Color. Like the Alabama Shakes' album last year, this release took a fairly hipster rock band into more of the public eye. Adding introspective lyrics and themes related to immigration in America to their smooth alt-rock sound could be enough to push them into the conversation. Wishful thinking? Probably.
The Life Of Pablo // Kanye West
The bizarre, choppy album release couldn't prevent the hype surrounding Kanye's latest venture. It's fundamentally different than anything he's done, and, short on radio-ready singles, really is an impressive album. But it wasn't quite big enough to make me think the committee is going to overlook his past antics to give him a major nod.
Revival // Selena Gomez
Much like her ex-boyfriend Bieber, Selena also had a massive 2015-16, with huge hits "Good For You," "Same Old Love," "Can't Keep My Hands To Myself," and "Kill 'Em With Kindness" all off of this same album. The reason I'd peg her as a longshot is because, with Adele and Beyoncé already nominated, if any more female pop stars are to get a nod, my guess is it'd be Ariana Grande.
untitled unmastered // Kendrick Lamar
I mean...it's possible, right? The Grammys have been very kind-- at least in terms of nominating --to Kendrick in the past, and even though this was a B-sides album, it was still good enough to be one of the best-reviewed rap releases of the year. So, probably not, but hey, you never know!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prediction time; who will the 5 actually be? It's hard to say, because the Grammys seem to change up the philosophy every year. Just look at the difference between the 2015 nominees and the 2016 nominees: two years ago, indie icon Beck took the award but all other nominees were the year's biggest pop stars in Beyoncé, Pharrell, Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran. Last year, there was much more variety, with pop, rap, rock and country artists all recognized. So according to the 2015 model, it would be something like:
25
Dangerous Woman
Lemonade
A Moon Shaped Pool
Purpose
but the 2016 model would be more like:
25
Coloring Book
Hero
Home Of The Strange
Lemonade
I'm gonna sit on the fence and say it will be somewhere in the middle. I don't think the Grammy committee can stop themselves from nominating some huge pop names, but given that Adele and Beyoncé would both already satisfy that, I think they could branch out somewhat for the other Album of the Year nominees. My prediction for the 5 nominees are:
25, Adele
Blackstar, David Bowie
Blonde, Frank Ocean
Lemonade, Beyoncé
A Moon Shaped Pool, Radiohead
Do leave your thoughts and/or predictions in the comments!