The Nominees: Song Of The Year
Taylor Swift first wrote and released "All Too Well" a decade ago, but was able to recapture the magic for a successful re-release in late 2021. Will that magic propel her to heights the original version of the song didn't reach?
We're now just 15 days away from the 2023 Grammys, which means it's high time to preview another general category at the ceremony. In case you missed it, here is my breakdown of the Best New Artist field. Next award up in our pre-Grammys bonanza: Song of the Year!
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 7 times in the last decade, including just last year with Silk Sonic's "Leave The Door Open," the same single won both awards. There's a good chance that phenomenon could happen again, as this year, over 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.
"God Did" - DJ Khaled featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Fridayy and John Legend
Odds: 22-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 17th
Daniel's Music Rating: 7/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 5/10
It would be hilarious to me if DJ Khaled won a Grammy for this song as lead artist, considering he just did what he usually does, which is find a great sample, yell some nonsense platitudes at the beginning, then let his famous friends make a cohesive song out of it. "God Did" does have a very good sound, and I'll admit the 8+ minute runtime goes by surprisingly smoothly, but as has so often been the case with DJ Khaled, he can't help but overstuff the track. If this had simply been Fridayy's vocals with Jay-Z's verse, it would have been an electric single (and also would have earned a 10/10 Lyrics Rating from me). That verse alone was so good it spawned a viral MSNBC segment analyzing its commentary on the history of drugs in America. But Rick Ross' and Li'l Wayne's verses did absolutely nothing for me, and although I love John Legend, adding his outro on to Fridayy's existing vocals was completely unnecessary.
"abcdefu" - GAYLE
Odds: 20-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 3rd
Daniel's Music Rating: 5/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 3/10
When the Grammy nominations were announced, this particular nomination drew the most ire and shock from the corners of "music Twitter" and musicheads online. On the one hand, I totally understand, but on the other, I'm confused why they were confused. The Grammys have shown a marked interest in recent years in appealing to the youth and taking note of the songs whose popularity spawn from social media. There's no denying this track-- like many other Olivia Rodrigo copycats --was everywhere on TikTok for much of late 2021/early 2022. However, I completely agree with the various reactions I saw of comical resignation that a track like this could land a major Grammy nomination. I don't intend to take potshots at the 18-year old GAYLE, who is young and I'm sure very early in her music career; after all, she made a hit! But this song is just... not good. She's got a good voice, and the sound is fine. But nothing about the melody, the production or chord progression is special in the least, and the lyrics are just juvenile, like they were written by...well, by an angsty teenager.
"Just Like That" - Bonnie Raitt
Odds: 16-1
Peak Chart Position (General): n/a
Daniel's Music Rating: 7/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 9/10
It feels like just about every year, and increasingly so in the era of expanded fields, there's a Song and/or Record of the Year nominee that comes totally out of nowhere, and you can tell it's a case of the artist's fans (or fans of that genre) going "Okay, this is just a great track," and then enough other voting members agreeing. This year, that nominee is "Just Like That," from Bonnie Raitt, the 73-year old country folk song star, a song which wasn't even released as an individual single off of Raitt's first album (of the same name) in six years. Up until very recently, the Grammys were notoriously guilty of eschewing the newer, fresh music on the scene for awarding 'career achievement' awards for older artists, a trend that would benefit the beloved Raitt here. However, as discussed previously, there has been a sharp pivot over the last decade or so, most steeply in the last few years, to focusing on the youth movement, and as such, I can't imagine "Just Like That" scoring a big upset here. Still, as far as Grammy surprises go, the Recording Academy could do much worse than this song. Its melody is simple, but calming, and Raitt's voice is still hauntingly beautiful in telling a lovely human interest story.
"Bad Habit" - Steve Lacy
Odds: 15-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Rating: 8/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 5/10
"Bad Habit" is a double nominee for Song and Record of the Year, as most of the remaining songs in this article are as well, and it comes as no surprise. Just like "abcdefu," Steve Lacy's single was omnipresent on TikTok and the radio alike in the last year. Importantly, unlike "abcdefu," this song is, you knwo, actually really good. Fans of Lacy, whom I count myself among, will rightly tell you that this less lyrically tongue-in-cheek and arguably also less musically creative than some of his earlier work. I also admit I'm not a huge fan of the total pivot the bridge and outro in the song, although it's a staple of Steve's music. But all of that being said, the main hook and verse is just so addicting and good that even after all these listens, I never tire of it. In a year with less mega star-wattage in the category, I would peg "Bad Habit" as a real contender for one or both awards.
"The Heart Part 5" - Kendrick Lamar
Odds: 14-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 15th
Daniel's Music Rating: 7/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 10/10
It's become tradition for Kendrick Lamar to tease his much-anticipated album release with a standalone song named "The Heart." The fifth iteration of this tradition, however, was unlike all others before it; not only did it represent a serious stylistic departure, it was actually released as an individual single with an accompanying music video, and thus was eligible for awards selection. Just as was the case for "The Heart Part IV" and the ensuing DAMN., there's a real argument to be made that had "The Heart Part 5" been included in the album, it still would have been the strongest track of all. I feel like I can't give the music itself too high a rating, since it's essentially just a Marvin Gaye sample, although I will say a. the sample goes hard, and b. Kendrick and co-producer Dave Free use it masterfully. True to form for Kendrick, though, the lyrics are what drive this song from good to great, arguably even perfect. The rapper commentates on the climate of the African American community and the toxicity of the Black experience in America, and does so in an incredibly eloquent manner, and also by adopting the viewpoints of many other prominent Black figures of past and present, most impactfully in the form of the slain rapper Nipsey Hussle. This song is an underdog, for sure, but I think there's a path to victory here for Lamar in the same vein that Childish Gambino's "This Is America" won both Record and Song of the Year in 2019; by simply being undeniably, night-and-day better and more impactful than all other comers.
"About Damn Time" - Lizzo
Odds: 14-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Rating: 10/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 6/10
Just like she did in 2019 with "Truth Hurts," Lizzo absolutely dominated airwaves in 2022 with this lead single off her latest album, Special. That album is nominated for Album of the Year, and "About Damn Time" landed her a double nomination for Song and Record of the Year. Even if it's not as groundbreaking as her 2019 breakout was, "About Damn Time" is undeniably Lizzo at her best: speaking a genuine message of self-love and positivity with pithy quotables-- "It's 'bad bitch o'clock', yeah, it's 'thick-thirty'/Been through a lot, but I'm still flirty" deserves the same pedestal that "I just got a DNA test, turns out I'm 100% that bitch" did. And her reintroduction of disco in the mainstream deserves more credit than it's gotten. This song is so funky, so original, so groovy, that her lyrics could have just been her making inaudible noises and I still would not get tired of listening to it.
"All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" - Taylor Swift
Odds: 13-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Rating: 7/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 9/10
When Taylor Swift announced that her 2012 album Red was next up in her series of re-releases, a mission she's admirably taking up to 'reclaim' her own music from the production companies that own the titles to her earlier albums, Swifties everywhere whispered with breathless anticipation for the new and updated version of "All Too Well," a song widely considered to be her best. It's safe to say that Taylor did not disappoint, releasing a 10-minute epic that kept the existing verses and chorus, but nearly doubled them in quantity. Musically, there's nothing spectacular here, but the slow build towards an emotional chorus is very effective, and Swift's more mature, restrained vocals in this later edition make it a very pleasant listen, albeit while perhaps losing some of the emotion of the younger Swift in the original. Lyrically, it's the artist at her best, no doubt. I may not personally agree with this take, but I can admit that when fans and music critics alike claim Swift as the best present-day songwriter, it's songs like these that give them real ammo. "All Too Well" isn't just an everyday breakup song, it's a vivid recollection of a specific season in life, one full of happiness and promise that is tainted by the pain of retrospection. Verbal blows towards her ex-lover are dealt not to score points, but to make it abundantly clear the depth and meaning of the relationship they had and lost. The sole exception to that fact is the only noticeable drawback to this song: the addition of the final verse, which both lyrically and musically slow the momentum of all the good stuff before it.
"BREAK MY SOUL" - Beyoncé
Odds: 12-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Rating: 9/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 6/10
When Beyoncé released "BREAK MY SOUL" as a single the same time as the announcement that a long-awaited album was forthcoming, the Beyhive were floored by a song that seemed to be a radical departure from her previous sound. As it turns out, "BREAK MY SOUL" proved to be a perfect single for RENAISSANCE; a taste of the dance-house, club-beat-heavy new album, while still retaining more traditional pop appeal than many other fan favorites off the tracklist. Producer and frequent co-collaborator The Dream snapped on this track, an interpolation of the banger "Show Me Love," and Queen B's inch-perfect vocals played off the dance house beat perfectly, as did the vocal sample from New Orleans legend Big Freedia. Many fans and critics alike chuckled at Beyoncé, one of the wealthiest and most successful figures in America, spreading an anti-capitalist, pro-'quiet quitting' empowerment message, and understandably so, but still, the call to "Release ya anger, release ya mind, release ya job, release the stress" is no less appreciated in these heavy days. Her sole win in her career for a major Grammy was for Song of the Year back in 2010 with "Single Ladies"... can this hit make it two for Bey in that category?
"As It Was" - Harry Styles
Odds: 23-2
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Rating: 8/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 7/10
To nobody's surprise, Harry Styles' "As It Was," another single that dominated 2022, landed a double nod for Song of the Year, and Record of the Year as well. You've gotta imagine it would be particularly sweet for Harry and his devoted fans for him to win this, the "songwriter's award," when most corners of music critics enjoy teasing his writing ability. I will say, though still not particularly profound, these lyrics do feature Styles at a more vulnerable and reminiscent point than we usually see him, trading saccharine come-hithers or slow heartbreak-venting for a more wistful rumination of loss and loneliness among transition. His vocals, too, do a marvelous job of conveying this particular sort of sadness, which is necessary because the music over which it plays is so delightfully catchy and upbeat that one could easily mistake it for a happy song if not listening closely to the words themselves. "As It Was" would be an inoffensive but not undeserved Song of the Year winner should it come to pass.
"Easy On Me" - Adele
Odds: 10-1
Peak Chart Position (General): 1st
Daniel's Music Rating: 7/10
Daniel's Lyrics Rating: 8/10
Do you think the world was ready for more Adele? When the British singer finally announced her return to the limelight after 5 years away with this single in fall of 2021, "Easy On Me" broke the world record for most streams in a 24-hour period. Just like "BREAK MY SOUL" was for Beyoncé, this song proved to be a good barometer for the musical and lyrical content of Adele's ensuing album 30. The style is exactly what we've come to expect from Adele and her co-producers; a simple but evocative piano ballad that accentuates her powerhouse vocals. It won't turn heads, sure, but why stray from what the artist does better than perhaps anyone in the 21st century? And the words themselves are heartfelt and touching, hinting at an Adele we see at her most poised, mature, and introspective. Addressed to her young son, she pleads for patience and understanding as she works through the divorce with the boy's father and continues to learn 'on the job' how to best be a loving mother to him. With every album she's released, Adele has scored a Song of the Year nomination for the lead single, and on the last two occasions ("Rolling In The Deep" and "Hello"), she's won. Given the thematic similarities of this track to its precedents, it's not hard to see why she is the betting favorite once again.
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