The Nominees: Song Of The Year
Taylor Swift's "cardigan" isn't one of the many double nominees for Record and Song of the Year, but is the favorite for the latter.
Next general category up in our pre-Grammys preview: Song of the Year!
Just a refresher from the other day: Song 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 Record 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.
Of course, it isn't necessarily that simple, because 6 times in the last decade, including last year with Billie Eilish's "bad guy," the same single won both awards. There's a good chance that phenomenon could happen again, as this year, half of the field are also nominees for Record of the Year. All that being said, here are the nominees for SOTY, in order from least to most likely to win, according to odds from GoldDerby.com.
"If The World Was Ending" - JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels
Odds: 21-2
Peak Chart Position (General): 27th
Daniel's Music Ranking: 4/10
Daniel's Lyrics Ranking: 6/10
It seems like the Grammys are good for at least one simple, saccharine pop ballad nominee every year, and "If The World Was Ending" plays that role this year. I'll be honest, this one was not on my radar at all; it was released all the way back in October of 2019 and didn't get a whole lot of radio play compared to its fellow nominees. Having listened to it for the first time in preparation for this article....meh. It's a sweet sentiment, about being inspired-- by the threat of impending doom --to start a relationship anew. But it's a technically unimpressive song, and completely subjectively, I don't care a whole lot for either singer's voice.
"The Box" - Roddy Ricch
Odds: 19-2
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Ranking: 6/10
Daniel's Lyrics Ranking: 7/10
I'm definitely surprised to see Roddy Ricch's breakout hit nominated for Song of the Year, not Record of the Year. It was a radio sensation that seemed to be driven more by its expert production than its music and lyrics. But, even if it's a longshot to win, it does seem fitting that one of the bigger songs of the last year got at least one nom in the general categories. This track grew on me the more I heard it; I know the "ee err" squeak in the background has become iconic, but I can't stand it. That said, Roddy's vocals and the orchestral background make this an easy listen, and the triumphant lyrics are clever, if not particularly profound.
"Circles" - Post Malone
Odds: 9-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Ranking: 8/10
Daniel's Lyrics Ranking: 5/10
The first of the 'double nominees' on this list, Post Malone appears to be better positioned to win Record of the Year for "Circles" than Song of the Year, but he's a big enough name that you can't count him out of either. I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan of Post Malone's singing voice, but I will say that I much prefer him in this Tame Impala-lite musical mood than the pop/hip-hop blend upon which he became famous. "Circles" has some typically basic, heartbreak-heavy lyricism, but is certainly nothing if not a very pleasant listen.
"everything i wanted" - Billie Eilish
Odds: 8-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 8th
Daniel's Music Ranking: 10/10
Daniel's Lyrics Ranking: 9/10
Another year, another double nomination for Billie Eilish. After "bad guy" took home both Record and Song of the Year last year, "everything i wanted" has the chance to do the same in 2021. Interestingly enough, this also seems to be a longer shot for Song than for Record of the Year; that surprises me because the production, while quite good, does not seem nearly as noteworthy in this track as the music and lyrics do. I am a big fan of Billie, as well as her brother Finneas, whose fingerprints are all over this (he produced and provides backing vocals, and the song is largely about him), and this honestly might be my favorite song of hers to date. It's hauntingly beautiful, its lyrics heartbreaking but honest and ultimately hopeful. It probably won't win the award, but you will hear absolutely no complaints from me if it does.
"I Can't Breathe" - H.E.R.
Odds: 15-2
Peak Chart Position (General): n/a
Daniel's Music Ranking: 8/10
Daniel's Lyrics Ranking: 8/10
For the third consecutive year, H.E.R., the wonderfully talented R&B artist notches at least one major Grammy category nod, despite still being a relative unknown to the mainstream. If this track is to score her first major win, though, it won't be because of its popularity; it hardly registered in R&B-specific charts, let alone the national charts at large. Rather, it will undoubtedly be because of its cultural significance. Released in the heat of nationwide protests against police brutality, its title is a direct reference to the last words of the slain George Floyd. The music is nothing much of a stretch beyond what we've already heard H.E.R. be capable of thematically and vocally, but that doesn't mean it's not beautiful, because it is. The lyrics suffer on rare occasion from being somewhat rudimentary, but the subject matter could not be more necessary to discuss, and the transition midway through to her spoken word is a really impactful touch.
"BLACK PARADE" - Beyoncé
Odds: 13-2
Peak Chart Position (General): 37th
Daniel's Music Ranking: 7/10
Daniel's Lyrics Ranking: 10/10
Yet another double nominee, "BLACK PARADE"-- unlike the two songs that precede it on this list --appears to be better positioned for a Song of the Year victory than a Record of the Year one, and it's not too hard to see why. This track from Beyoncé is 100% about the music and lyrics, both containing endless references to not only black American culture, but African culture as well. In my opinion, which undoubtedly matters greatly to Queen B, the musical accompaniment is not the most cohesive, but between the parade beat and the growing influence of the brass section, it does find a way to feel both classic and original. The story told in the lyrics of unabashed pride in heritage, roots, womanhood and defiance of prejudice is profound and vivid in imagery. The Grammys don't tend to go the socially aware route that other awards shows do, but if there is at least one instance of them recognizing the year of racial protest, don't be surprised if it comes in the form of "BLACK PARADE" winning a major award.
"Don't Start Now" - Dua Lipa
Odds: 5-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 2nd
Daniel's Music Ranking: 10/10
Daniel's Lyrics Ranking: 7/10
Dua Lipa was all over pop radio in 2020, and unsurprisingly, appears to be poised for a big night at the Grammys this year. Her lead single "Don't Start Now," which has now been one of the top songs in the country for a whopping 52 weeks, is the favorite for Record of the Year, but also a very strong contender for Song of the Year. As an unashamed recent convert to Dua Lipa standom, it's hard for me to perfectly objective on assessing her as a nominee, but I can concede that a Song of the Year win for this song isn't a necessity, if for no other reason than being lyrically just okay in comparison to other strong nominees. That said, the message of the song still hits hard, and the music... well, just try to not dance to this perfect blend of funk, pop and disco. I dare you.
"cardigan" - Taylor Swift
Odds: 4-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Ranking: 10/10
Daniel's Lyrics Ranking: 8/10
I've made many a mention in recent months of my unexpected, even shocking, sudden fandom of Taylor Swift. "cardigan" was the song that started my precipitous downfall from hater nation, and it remains my favorite song off of her terrific album folklore. Musically, it captures the slow-building whimsy of much of Lana del Rey's best material, but with gentler vocals that don't drown out the galloping percussion and pretty piano hook. And lyrically? Well, Swift is nothing if not a storyteller, and that's no different here, as "cardigan" weaves an evocative story of falling in love. It's a deserving frontrunner for and would be a deserving winner of Song of the Year; in terms of a music-and-lyrics package, it truly was one of the best songs of 2020.
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