The Mid Year Grammys

Before we dive into the highlights and lowlights of 2024 music so far, allow us to begin with a disclaimer: we here at The Couch understand that over half a year has passed by now, and August might be a strange time to do a status check on the pulse of the year.

Summer is often slow around here on The Couch, largely because it's slow for myself and other contributors-- major sports and TV programs generally pause, it's not usually the season for artists and movie studios to release their sure-to-be acclaimed full albums or films, and besides, we're all busy vacationing, going to the pool and getting day drunk off of bottomless brunches. But that has definitively not been the case this summer, which has held multiple major releases from major artists, two significant international soccer tournaments, tennis galore, arguably the biggest Rap beef of the 21st century, and oh yeah, a small thing called the Summer Olympics.

All this to say, as we approach the dawn of the fall sports schedule, regular television programming, and more award-baiting movie releases, here's a pause for a deep breath and a look back at all this year has already held in music.

The timing of this particular piece is also somewhat awkward. It feels strange to call this a "midyear Grammys," given that, believe it or not, we're less than a month away from the end of the eligibility period for the 2025 Grammys. Not to worry, this is not a placeholder for a bonafide Grammy nomination prediction piece, which will arrive later this Fall.

Rather, for now, enjoy a brief, only partially-informed take on the state of music thus far:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR ("Pop Girlies" category):

COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé

Much has been said, tweeted, and podcasted about the phenomenon of 2024's "Pop Girl spring." The breathless excitement was about the perhaps unprecedented sheer tonnage of huge name stars releasing new music. Dua Lipa and Ariana Grandé were finally dropping their first albums in four years. Country/folk-turned-indie-pop queens Kacey Musgraves and Maggie Rogers were back on the scene. Alternative pop icons Billie Eilish and Charli XCX had their first new records since 2021. Younger faces like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan were dropping some of the buzziest singles in a long time. And oh yeah, the two biggest stars on the planet at the moment, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, would offer new releases within a month of each other. It was as if the most prominent women in music had a convention at the end of 2023, a relatively poor year in music, and decided we needed to feast in 2024. But, having listened to all of the aforementioned works, and enjoyed most of them at least, one pretty clearly stood out above the rest- and ironically, it was hardly a pop album at all. COWBOY CARTER was Beyoncé's defiant response to feeling rejected by the American country scene, a scene whose music she grew up immersed in, and the country-and-everything-else album was a masterful second installment of her "Renaissance" trilogy. Sure, it strayed from keeping country as the central focus, and at 80 minutes, there's bound to be some filler, but the lyrical themes are cohesive as can be, and the musical mastery requires a level of artistry that truly only Beyoncé posseses.

Honorable Mention: Hit Me Hard and Soft, Billie Eilish

ALBUM OF THE YEAR ("Indie Girlies" category):

Prelude to Ecstasy, The Last Dinner Party

But 2024 has not just been for the mainstream pop girlies! No, no, long-beloved indie figures like St. Vincent, Clairo, Gracie Abrams, Mitski and others have all served up new offerings in this blessed year as well, to varying degrees of acclaim and success. But standing out above all of them-- at least in this humble critic's eyes --was the debut album from British girl group The Last Dinner Party. The chamber-rock outfit plays like the best inclinations of early Arctic Monkeys and Florence + The Machine welded into one in Prelude to Ecstasy. There is a wide variety of sounds on this album, but the band, fronted by Abigail Morris, sounds equally competent in each lane. "Nothing Matters" and "Sinner" will have you rocking out in your car. "On Your Side" and "Beautiful Boy" will make you cry. "Prelude to Ecstasy" and "Gjuha" will wordlessly transport you to another scene altogether. Pay attention to these ladies in the coming years....they're a force to be reckoned with.

Honorable Mention: All Born Screaming, St. Vincent

ALBUM OF THE YEAR ("Bands I Loved In High School" category):

Only God Was Above Us, Vampire Weekend

But, and I know this may come as a shock, 2024 has not just been for the girlies specifically, either! That's right, though the music scene is and has been pretty comprehensively dominated by women at the moment, the men have been pulling their weight in this calendar year, too. Specifically, and to my delight, we've seen a renaissance of groups whose peak of fame came some 15 years ago or so, when quirked out white boys were all over the radio waves. 'High school Daniel' would be elated to learn that in the year 2024, not only did his two favorite pop stars at that time (Bey and Justin Timberlake) drop new albums, the likes of The Black Keys, Jack White, MGMT and Vampire Weekend were all still pumping out solid new releases. MGMT's Loss of Life was probably the bigger change of direction from each of those groups, as well as the biggest "grower": I didn't know what to make of the much more restrained soft rock album upon the first couple listens, but it has gradually become one of my favorite listens of the year. Vampire Weekend's 5th studio album, though, and only their 2nd in the last decade, floored me. VW's discography, which spans 17 years, really doesn't have a miss, and Only God Was Above Us might just be their best work yet. Despite often being typecast by agnostics and haters as obnoxiously twee, Ezra Koenig and co. have always been proficient musicians and have only gotten increasingly interesting, both lyrically and musically, over the years. This latest project plays like the natural successor to my former two favorite Vampire Weekend albums: coupling the explosive peppiness of Contra with the dark reverb and existential lyricism of Modern Vampires of the City.

Honorable Mention: Loss of Life, MGMT

ALBUM OF THE YEAR ("2023 Albums that I'm mad I didn't hear until this year" category):

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan

All of my raving and gushing above aside, about how good this year in music has been, the actual "album of the year" was arguably released in 2023. A year I repeatedly criticized for being mediocre in music. Lol. Whoops!! In my defense, I was just one among many who had literally never even heard of Chappell Roan until about 5 months ago. The young pop star with an incredible voice, a give-no-fucks attitude and a proclivity for drag queen homages has completely taken the world by storm with a meteoric rise that was fueled by opening for friend and labelmate Olivia Rodrigo on her wildly successful tour, and the release of new single "Good Luck, Babe!", and her sudden fame could not be more warranted. Neither could the belated acclaim, acceptance and popularity of Chappell's September 2023 release Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. She is a genuine songwriting and vocal talent we have not seen the likes of, arguably, since Lady Gaga exploded onto the scene some 15 years ago, and Midwest Princess is the epitome of a "no-skips" album. Genuinely- I defy you to find a song whose exclusion from the tracklist would be justified. That is exceedingly rare, perhaps especially in a pop album.

Honorable Mention: My 21st Century Blues, RAYE

SONG OF THE YEAR:

"CHIHIRO", Billie Eilish

There are so many viable candidates from this award from the slew of good releases this year, and truthfully, even some candidates from the subpar releases (I wasn't wild about Arian Grande's or Clairo's latest albums, for example, but "we can't be friends" and "Sexy To Someone" will always be never-skips for me). But I don't think I've replayed any song from this year as much after first listen as I have with "CHIHIRO" off of Billie Eilish's latest, greatest album. It may seem an odd choice; it's not one of the big singles off Hit Me Hard and Soft, and it doesn't even really have a typical chorus. But Billie's unmistakable whisper-pop and emotional lyricism amidst the pulsating progressive beat hits the exact 'cry-dance' vibe that this sad boi loves. And enough can't be said about her brother Finneas's production on this track; it's great throughout the album, per usual, but it is immaculate on this song, especially in headphones.

Honorable Mention: "Mary Boone", Vampire Weekend

RECORD OF THE YEAR:

"Good Luck, Babe!", Chappell Roan

I know the Grammys doesn't differentiate this way, but I always think of Song of the Year as "Best Song" and Record of the Year as "Best Radio Smash." And if we're being honest, despite an incredibly rich year of pop releases, not too many individual radio hits stand out above those of other years. But in the late spring/summer months, we were blessed with a handful of true bangers, and this one, which- at least more than any one song - almost singlehandedly started Chappell Roan's launch to stardom was the alpha and omega of pop bangers. It's as if Cyndi Lauper 80s synth pop were coupled with the rich and emotive vocals of Adele, and then suddenly in the bridge Kate Bush takes over. If you've never heard the song and you think that's overdramatic, I promise you it's not. As I told a friend a little while back who recently discovered the song herself, I can’t remember the last time I heard a song for the first time and so immediately was like “oh that is a fucking HIT."

Honorable Mention: "Falling Forever," Dua Lipa

BEST NEW ARTIST:

Chappell Roan

Get real, there could only be one answer to this question. And that's not to say it won't be a loaded "Best New Artist" field at the 2025 Grammys; it will be. After a couple years of snoozefest races that yielded winners that were deserving and exciting but also names who the vast majority of American households would not know, this one is bound to include two of the biggest pop names of the year in Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, as well as another breakout star, Shaboozey, who rode the wave of discovery from featuring on Beyoncé's COWBOY CARTER to his own history-making single, "Tipsy." That's to say nothing of TikTok breakout Benson Boone, another late 2023/early 2024 rising star RAYE, and oh yeah, my new fave indie rock girlies The Last Dinner Party. But there can only be one "Best," and it's got to go to our new pop queen, aka your favorite artist's favorite artist. Not only would it be 100% deserved on merit-- her talent and output are undeniable --Chappell Roan is easily one of if not THE biggest story in music this year, with a sudden takeover of the pop culture scene that harkens back to Billie Eilish's breakout 5 years ago.

Honorable Mention: The Last Dinner Party

MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORIES THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY GRAMMY CATEGORIES

Most Disappointing Album By A Messiah Figure To White Women

The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift

Dishonorable Mention: Don't Forget Me, Maggie Rogers

Most Disappointing Album By An Artist I Used To Really Admire And Respect

Vultures 2, Kanye West (and Ty Dolla $ign)

Dishonorable Mention: Everything I Thought It Was, Justin Timberlake

Album I Liked Way More Than I Anticipated

Short n' Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter

Honorable Mention: Ohio Players, The Black Keys

Album I Liked A Lot Less Than I Hoped I Would (Well, other than Maggie's, Taylor's and Justin's..)

eternal sunshine, Ariana Grande

Dishonorable Mention: Bando Stone and the New World, Childish Gambino

Album I Liked Pretty Much Exactly As Much As I Anticipated I Would

Radical Optimism, Dua Lipa

Honorable Mention: Deeper Well, Kacey Musgraves

Album That Somehow Wasn't Mentioned In Any of the Above Categories, But I Think Is Really Good, I Promise

brat, Charli XCX

Honorable Mention: Megan, Megan Thee Stallion

Best Song from the Rap Beef of the Century

"Not Like Us," Kendrick Lamar

Honorable Mention: "euphoria," Kendrick Lamar

Absolute Filthiest, Most Shudder-Inducing Song from the Rap Beef of the Century

"meet the grahams," Kendrick Lamar

Honorable Mention: "Family Matters," Drake

Worst Song from the Rap Beef of the Century

"The Heart Part 6," Drake

Disonorable Mention: "7 Minute Drill," J. Cole

Weakest Play from the Rap Beef of the Century

J. Cole ducking out of the battle almost 24 hours after dropping his diss track and before Kendrick had a chance to respond

Disonorable Mention: Pretty much everything Drake did, apart from releasing "Family Matters"

Smartest Play from the Rap Beef of the Century