The Nominees: Record Of The Year
Sabrina Carpenter's huge year started with the release of mega smash "Espresso." Can the addictive summery bop drive her to a major Grammy win as well?
We're just onnnnne week away from the 2024 Grammys! That means it's time to preview another general category at the ceremony. In case you missed it, here is my breakdown of the Best New Artist field, and of the Song of the Year nominees. Next award up in our pre-Grammys bonanza: Record of the Year!
Just a refresher from our last piece: 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. That hasn't necessarily held up when considering the last several winners: Adele's "Hello" beat Beyoncé's "Formation" for both awards, despite the latter having unequivocally more impressive production. In 2018, Bruno Mars' "24K Magic" beat out the extremely favored summer smash hit "Despacito." And in 2022, Silk Sonic's "Leave The Door Open" became the 7th track in the last decade to win both awards, which provided little clarity. So, despite what the award's stated intentions are, voting might simply come down to which one of the big radio hits the voters liked the most. All that being said, here are the nominees, in order from least to most likely to win, according to odds from GoldDerby.com.
"360" - Charli XCX
Odds: 16-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 41st
Peak Chart Position (Dance/Electronic): 2nd
Daniel's Production Value Rating: 10/10
That Charli XCX's brat was such a sensation was a wonderful surprise for a number of reasons, but chief among them was that it didn't have a bona fide hit single that brought in more eyeballs. That said, there's no question this song, the album's opener, was perhaps the biggest and the best on the record. For those in the know, this was one of THE earworms of the year; I didn't even love brat that much upon first listen, but I loved "360" right away. And it's all down to the production-- when Charli sings "You gonna jump if A.G. made it," she wasn't lying. A.G. Cook lived up to his last name with this beat, creating a pulsating beat that hits your bloodstream like a line of coke, and a bass line that plays over and over until it's ingrained in your brain forever. It's a longshot to win this one, mixed in amidst a bevy of nominees that did break into mainstream radio, but the sheer power of the fabled "Brat Summer" might carry it to an upset, and what a deserving upset it would be.
"Fortnight" - Taylor Swift (feat. Post Malone)
Odds: 16-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Peak Chart Position (Pop): 1st
Daniel's Production Value Rating: 6/10
You may recall "Fortnight" from my Song of the Year preview- that's right, it's an unlikely double nominee! I know it might be strange to say "unlikely," given that it's a # 1 single from one of the biggest stars on the planet. But honestly, this album made such little cultural impact compared to most of Taylor Swift's releases, that any song from it being nominated for just one of the big awards was a surprise, let alone both. I broke down the song from a music/lyrics perspective in the last piece; what about the production? Well, I am not shy about criticizing Jack Antonoff, on this platform and in real life, but I will give him this: the production is about the only interesting thing about this song. The bouncing synth line makes this less of a draggy song than it really could be, based on the music and lyrics of it all. That said, neither is the production an impressive feat; it's an extremely repetitive simple synth and drum beat. The crescendoing instrumentation at the very end is an interesting touch by itself, but seems almost incongruous with the tone of the song and unnecessary. If this wins, it will 100% be on the back of the artist's and producer's name recognition and standing with the academy; it certainly will not be because it was the biggest nor best record of the bunch.
"TEXAS HOLD 'EM" - Beyoncé
Odds: 13-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Peak Chart Position (Country): 33rd
Daniel's Production Value Rating: 7/10
Beyoncé's lead single off COWBOY CARTER unwittingly proved the album's thesis: while the masses loved "TEXAS HOLD 'EM," the notoriously stodgy at best, deeply problematic at worst, Country music radio was reticent to adopt it. It was a # 1 song nationwide, and yet never peaked higher than # 33 on Country channels alone. Regardless, America in general ate this song up, and though I know it could be considered blasphemous to suggest anybody other than Beyoncé is the reason for a song or album working, the production from Killah B and Nathan Ferraro is the key component that made this such a hit, I think. There's not a lot in the lyrics, and as mentioned in my Song of the Year preview the other day, the only really interesting musicality occurs right at the top and at the coda of the song. The production, however, is what hooks the listener in. What starts with a very basic two-step beat gradually grows more and more into an all-band, stomp-clap affair, working up a frenzy that will get even the most pimply-faced Midwesterner out on the Texas dance floor, and then the synth breakdown in the outro is just *chef's kiss.* Just as has been the case with each of the previous nominees, if "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" is to win at the Grammys, it will be down to forces bigger than just the song itself, i.e. the iconic artist and the groundbreaking history it made. It would be an upset, which is ironic, because I will never be upset about Beyoncé winning awards
"Good Luck, Babe!" - Chappell Roan
Odds: 23-2
Peak Chart Position (General): 4th
Peak Chart Position (Pop): 1st
Daniel's Production Value Rating: 10/10
The third straight nominee in this preview that's a double nominee. You might recall me saying this in my Song of the Year preview, but this track is basically what launched Chappell Roan from niche queer-pop figure to superstardom; it's certainly one of the songs of the year, so no surprise that it's turned up here amongst the nominees again. I fell in love with this song pretty much as soon as I heard it, and though a good amount of credit for that goes to Chappell's gorgeous vocals, but a not insignificant amount also goes to Dan Nigro, whose production basically coated this song in "Instant Hit" sauce. The bouncy synths and hop-skip beat draw you in from the start, playing like a Cyndi Lauper smash from some 40 years ago. But, mirroring about how I feel about the song in general, where Nigro's production really goes to another level is in the bridge, when all of a sudden Lauper gives way to Kate Bush in a major way, with thunderous cascading drums setting the stage for Chappell's powerful, emotive plea. The producer himself has had somewhat of a frayed Grammy history, winning just 1 of the 16 awards he's been nominated for ("Best Pop Album" for Olivia Rodrigo's SOUR, in 2022), and obviously this is Chappell Roan's first Grammy Awards, so the relative lack of Grammy pedigree might be the best explanation for their somewhat long odds. Because, given how ubiquitous this track was, the level of production involved, and the fact that it was the torch-lighting for one of 2024's biggest stories in music, one could hardly complain if it pulled off the win.
"Not Like Us" - Kendrick Lamar
Odds: 11-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Peak Chart Position (R&B/Hip-Hop): 1st
Daniel's Production Value Rating: 8/10
Yet another double nominee, and perhaps the least likely of all of them. Kendrick Lamar is deeply admired by the Recording Academy, of course, and this song was everywhere this summer. It’s just that it’s, you know, very auspiciously an attack song on another artist who has been a frequent Grammy nominee and winner. Not something you see every day. Anyways, in Wednesday’s Song of the Year preview, I discussed how most of what is good musically in this song is down to the production by Mustard: the interpolation of Monk Higgins's "I Believe To My Soul" creates a synth-heavy beat that feels both joyful and eerie, both urgent and relentless, matching the tone of the diss track. The drumbeats accelerating to match Kendrick's now-famous "Wop! Wop! Wop! Wop! Wop!" cry was especially a nice touch. This may not have been the single-biggest record of 2024, but as a cultural ‘moment’ and as a celebration of quality production, it would certainly be a deserving winner.
"Now And Then" - The Beatles
Odds: 21-2
Peak Chart Position (General): 7th
Peak Chart Position (Alternative): 1st
Daniel's Production Value Rating: 7/10
Do not rub your eyes. Yes, that is The Beatles, nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year in February of 2025. As in, the Beatles your parents and grandparents listened to. When Paul McCartney announced in late 2023 that he, in tandem with producer Giles Martin, had completed the "last Beatles song," it caused quite a flurry of excitement, much of which turned sour when McCartney would later errantly say they "used AI for John's vocals." (As it turned out, he was conflating the usage of AI with something else; John Lennon's vocals are, in fact, his vocals as recorded in 1977, and the AI assistance had only to do with part of the sound editing process.) The song itself is a simple enough track, one that would be a pleasant listen if you happened upon it on Alt-Rock radio (and you might have, given that "Now And Then" topped Alternative charts shortly after release), but the added context of it being restored from two different sessions involving the two deceased Beatles not only makes it an incredible production acheivement, but packs an emotional punch. Most of the additional musical touches from there veer on the schmaltzy, perhaps overproduced side, but given that this song is an official farewell to the most famous and influential band of all time, I think you're allowed to err on the side of emotional manipulation a little bit. I love and will always love The Beatles, and restoring recordings from decades ago to mix and master a new song in 2023 is absolutely a feat, but let’s be honest: if this wins, it will be for no reason other than nostalgia for an old great, the same sort of thing that drove Bonnie Raitt to a Song of the Year win two years ago.
"BIRDS OF A FEATHER" - Billie Eilish
Odds: 17-2
Peak Chart Position (General): 2nd
Peak Chart Position (Pop): 1st
Daniel's Production Value Rating: 9/10
The last of the double nominees in this field is the favorite to win Song of the Year, and very well could do the ol’ 1-2 sweep. It wouldn’t be Billie Eilish’s first time: she swept both in 2020 with “bad guy,” and also added a 2nd Record of the Year win the next year with “everything i wanted.” With how omnipresent this song, the biggest hit off of newest album HMHAS, was especially in the latter part of the year, it's easy to forget how radical a departure from Billie's typical sound it was. A lot of that is down to her production in conjunction with her brother and producer Finneas, who was in his bag with a whole host of new sounds on this album. This is some lush pop production, with a kick-drum beat that wouldn't sound out of place in a 2010s bubblegum pop song, a running bass guitar that sets the pace, and a melodious strumming guitar on top. They all combine so well to complement Billie's voice, but the chef's kiss is the riff that occasionally plays in between the verses, and more prominently in the closing coda, which is actually a hyper-sped up vocal track of the artist's first line, "I want you to stay." Of course this song's beauty is accentuated by Billie's own gorgeous and emotive vocals, but it's a triumph for her brother and his producer creds as well. Just as with its Song of the Year standing, the high level of its fellow nominees and the potential for “winners fatigue” may work against its chances here. But that is likely offset by the Academy’s documented love for Billie Eilish and Finneas, and more importantly, by the fact that this is just a really good song.
"Espresso" - Sabrina Carpenter
Odds: 7-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Peak Chart Position (Pop): 1st
Daniel's Production Value Rating: 10/10
Sabrina Carpenter herself is nominated for each of the 4 major awards this year, but this song is not a double nominee, as she chose to instead submit (successfully) “Please Please Please” for Song of the Year. That was the right call for that award, and this one is too; “Espresso” became the smash hit of 2024 far less so for its lyrics or its music video than for its absolutely infectious tune and beat. Producer Julian Bunetta formulated a flawless pop funk beat, inspired by Euro-disco to create the perfect atmosphere for this Summery bop; multiple critics commented that it would not have sounded out of place at an Italian disco in the 80s or 90s. The breezy atmosphere created the perfect soundtrack for the time of year it came out, at the precipice of spring’s transition into warmer weather, amidst a time of (simpler, pre-election) good vibes. This track was practically made in a lab to be a hit record, and voila, a hit record it was; I think if you polled most music listeners and critics alike and asked them to name THE song of 2024, this would turn up more than any other one answer. It may not be a surefire winner of Record of the Year, but there’s no question why it’s the favorite.
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