The Year So Far: Not-So-Mid Year Grammys
Before we dive into the highlights and lowlights of 2023 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 mid-August might be a strange time to do a status check on the pulse of the year. But between the happiness of summer dayz, big vacations, and big life changes, we got a little behind. So sue us! It may just about be the end of #hotgirlsummer, but it's not quite #thotumn, so I think a mid-year check in is still in order.
Besides, in case you haven't heard, actors and writers are now all striking, Boo. It may be a while yet before we get new television and movies-- and if that's what it takes, so be it! Pay them what they deserve!! All this to say, maybe this series can fill the little void between now and whenever these disputes are settled and the fall sports schedule really swings into full gear.
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 2024 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:
Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, Caroline Polachek
Though music has not, as the worlds of television and music have, undergone a strike which results in a delay in exciting new releases, you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise. That is my polite way of saying the 2023 releases thus far have been pretty "mid," to borrow Gen Z lingo. Very few have struck me as memorable, and arguably none have won me over on first listen. But for one exception: if it didn't immediately grip me on first listen, it surely wasn't later than the second listen that Caroline Polachek's fourth album (as a solo artist) floored me. The alt-pop star has been adored in indie and alternative circles for some time now, but with Desire, she makes a genuine play for the hyperpop throne. A wild, sweeping tracklist plays like a cosmic gumbo of the best instincts from the likes of Björk, Enya, Charli XCX and even Shakira. There are fast songs, there are slow songs, there are happy songs, there are sad songs, there are horny songs, there are heartache songs. But you know what songs don't appear? Bad songs.
Honorable Mention: Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd., Lana del Ray
SONG OF THE YEAR:
"the BLACK seminole.", Lil Yachty
Despite my damning with faint praise above, one thing I will say about music in 2023: there have been multiple changes of direction from artists, whether in the form of albums or just singles, that have made me (and many like me) go "now, where did THAT come from??" Perhaps foremost among them was the latest record from Lil Yachty, the Atlanta-area rapper. Yachty released his first four albums in a three-year stretch from 2017 to 2020, and had seemingly carved out a niche as a goofy, albeit self-aware, "vibes" rapper with a loose appreciation of concept albums. After a three-year break, though, he came back with something completely unexpected: a psychedelic rock and funk-infused album, produced by a group that included New Zealand psych rockers Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Patrick Wimberly, former bandmate of the aforementioned Polachek. Even more shocking? The album is actually good. Some songs don't fully work, but many do, and Yachty does the new genre proud with his earnestness, avoiding the trap of surface-level genre tourism. "the BLACK seminole.", the album's opening track, plays as a perfect introduction into Yachty's unexpected new world, and in another era, would stand out as an opus. If nothing else, it's stood out to me more than any individual track has this year.
Honorable Mention: "What Was I Made For?," Billie Eilish
RECORD OF THE YEAR:
"Kill Bill", SZA
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, most of the best radio smashes thus far this calendar year have been holdovers from 2022, and many of the biggest just aren't very good (looking at you, whichever embattled country artist conservative media decides to boost this week). But thankfully the landscape isn't entirely bleak. One ubiquitous track this year, both on your radios and your TikTok feed, technically was part of a late 2022 album, but was not released as a radio single until early this year. SZA's "Kill Bill" is the R&B artist at her best: vulnerable lyricism and a gorgeous, honeyed voice that belies the level of 'truly unhinged' presented in said lyricism. No wonder it's a smash hit, and no wonder it's spawned countless covers, from women's earnest homages (yay!) to men's attempts to retrofit a 'reverse sexism' angle (boo!).
Honorable Mention: "Flowers," Miley Cyrus
BEST NEW ARTIST:
Ice Spice
Get real, there could only be one answer to this question. For the third consecutive year, I look ahead to the Grammy nominations with absolutely no idea what the Best New Artist field will look like. Where last year that was because I couldn't pinpoint one truly breakout artist, though, this is much more a 2021 situation. Namely, I just don't know who they're going to bother filling out the rest of the field with when there's such a runaway winner-- at least at this point. Much like Olivia Rodrigo two years ago (who, yes, went on to win the Grammy), Ice Spice has taken the pop culture world by storm over the last 9-10 months. What started as-- at least as it appeared to me --ironic appreciation of her looks and, ahem, twerking ability, blossomed into genuine appreciation and mass fandom as it became increasingly clear the 23-year old rapper from the Bronx has undeniable talent. With a drill delivery and cheeky lyrics that typically play over almost childlike happy beats, her energy is infectious and her appeal indisputable. Invites to collaborate from Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, even Greta Gerwig and the Barbie team came fast, and perhaps inevitably, she currently is the artist with the most Hot 100 top-five singles this calendar year.
MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORIES THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY GRAMMY CATEGORIES
Best Record-Setting, Worldwide, Economy-Altering Stadium Tour By A Mega Pop Star
The Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé
Honorable Mention: The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift
Best Tour Referenced In This Tweet
The Big Steppers Tour, Kendrick Lamar
Dishonorable Mention: Whatever Drake's tour is
Best Rapper Referenced In This Tweet
Kendrick Lamar
Dishonorable Mention: Drake
Album I Liked Way More Than I Anticipated
Let's Start Here., Lil Yachty
Honorable Mention: Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd., Lana del Ray
Album I Liked A Lot Less Than I Hoped I Would :(
UTOPIA, Travis Scott
Dishonorable Mention: Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus
Album I Liked Pretty Much Exactly As Much As I Anticipated I Would
The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monáe
Honorable Mention: That! Feels Good!, Jessie Ware
Best Part Of Barbie's Soundtrack That Isn't Dua Lipa
Ryan Gosling
Honorable Mention: Billie Eilish
Worst Part Of Barbie's Soundtrack That Isn't Dua Lipa
Charli XCX
Dishonorable Mention: Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice
Best Part Of Barbie's Soundtrack That Is Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa
Honorable Mention: Dua Lipa
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