KelownaGuy20
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Post by KelownaGuy20 on Oct 22, 2014 19:39:16 GMT -5
While the Ed Sheeran situation was unique, I can see how it happened. Technically he was nominated for Song of the Year as a songwriter, not a performer. The A Team wasn't nominated for ANY performance awards that year. The following year he was nominated as a performer.
So yes, it's true that his songwriting was nominated for his own work, but that's the thin, pencil drawn line, I guess?
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14887fan
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Post by 14887fan on Oct 25, 2014 2:15:04 GMT -5
Maroon 5, Tim McGraw, Pharrell Williams, and Ariana Grande confirmed to perform on Christmas themed Grammys Special Concert on Dec. 5. The show will air live on CBS . The nominations for the Grammys will be announced the morning of Dec. 5, but the Album of the Year nominations will be revealed during the live concert special.
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Post by K. on Oct 25, 2014 7:51:07 GMT -5
They should just relabel "Best New Artist" as "Best Breakthrough Artist" and avoid the controversy.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Oct 25, 2014 21:48:26 GMT -5
They should just relabel "Best New Artist" as "Best Breakthrough Artist" and avoid the controversy. True. But even breakthrough wouldn't really cover Ed Sheeran, who clearly had his breakthrough the year before. They could also just...I don't know...only nominate new artists? As in, people who didn't have a formal release of their own until the nomination year. It would not have any detrimental effect on ratings. Sure, it would keep Iggy Azalea out of the mix this year, but Sam Smith would still be eligible. And Lorde would have been able to take the place of Ed Sheeran last year (and it's not like she didn't deserve it even with Sheeran in the mix). The best new artist prize should be reserved for artists who got their real start during the nomination year and smashed during that nomination year. That isn't Iggy Azalea. It doesn't mean she's not talented or that she won't be a major force in the long run - it just means this particular Grammy isn't for her.
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Post by clarksonnumber1 on Oct 26, 2014 11:13:52 GMT -5
Does Wrapped In Red have a shot in Pop Album category? It got some good reviews. If the competition isn't very strong, I'd like to think it has a shot at a nomination and award.
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grandelf
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Post by grandelf on Nov 1, 2014 10:07:36 GMT -5
Among the supposed AOTY contenders, Pharrell Williams, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springstreen, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Coldplay surprisingly are all below 70 at MetaCritic.
Arcade Fire, Eric Church, Eminem, Beyonce, Jack White and Miranda Lambert are in the "at least 80' category.
The Black Keys & Lana Del Rey are in the 70 range.
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hazuki
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Post by hazuki on Nov 1, 2014 11:42:38 GMT -5
BNA should be...
Sam Smith Childish Gambino Tove Lo ? ?
The last two up for grabs, and i would not mind Fifth Harmony in there.. but those three should be there for sure.
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Fancy
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Post by Fancy on Nov 1, 2014 12:21:59 GMT -5
would love to see banks on that list.
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Post by Devil Marlena Nylund on Nov 1, 2014 15:38:22 GMT -5
Has there been opposition of the inclusion of the more popular pop albums in the AOTY category in recent years past or did I imagine that? I seem to remember something about the Grammys' recent tendencies toward popular music being a sour point for a lot of people - or am I mixing that up with their inclusion of obviously-not-popular oldies-artists albums?
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14887fan
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Post by 14887fan on Nov 1, 2014 18:13:43 GMT -5
I think Miranda Lambert will be a dark horse contender for a nomination in AOTY. Platinum really elevated her status as a Country star and the album truly is phenomenal. I think she'll be the Country representative in the all-genre categories as I don't think there'll be anyone from the genre in BNA. All of the new artists in Country this year that saw success were male, and they all blend together to both look and sound like the same person. If anything, Brandy Clark could have a shot with her massive critical acclaim, but I still see Lambert as the genre's beacon of hope for an all-genre nomination this year, and I think it may come as an AOTY nom.
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grandelf
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Post by grandelf on Nov 2, 2014 3:14:54 GMT -5
Has there been opposition of the inclusion of the more popular pop albums in the AOTY category in recent years past or did I imagine that? I seem to remember something about the Grammys' recent tendencies toward popular music being a sour point for a lot of people - or am I mixing that up with their inclusion of obviously-not-popular oldies-artists albums? I think they do tend to nominate popular albums so I expect a couple of those that were not acclaimed at all. AOTY winners, however, is a different story, because it seems the Grammy loves albums that are a "tribute to an older era" and we've had several winners like that in the past decade or so, like Come Away With Me, River: The Joni Letters, Raising Sand, 21, Random Access Memories... Not sure if there is an album this year that fits this criteria though.
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Post by Devil Marlena Nylund on Nov 2, 2014 7:50:45 GMT -5
Random Access Memories and 21 wasn't really in the same boat though, despite being pretty much a "disco album", it wasn't geared toward older audiences the way those other albums were. Both were hugely popular and success. Same with Come Away With Me, I guess.
I'm just wondering what the odds are that we see an album like Prism or My Everything next to Arcade Fire, Jack White, or whoever else is in there. Will AOTY lean popular or will it lean critical at the expense of popularity?
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Wavey✨️
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Post by Wavey✨️ on Nov 3, 2014 13:13:16 GMT -5
I'm hoping it's a mixture of Critical and Popular. I loved that LOUD and Teenage Dream were nominated for AOTY.
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Post by Live Your Life on Nov 6, 2014 12:42:53 GMT -5
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Nov 18, 2014 10:02:11 GMT -5
Random Access Memories and 21 wasn't really in the same boat though, despite being pretty much a "disco album", it wasn't geared toward older audiences the way those other albums were. Both were hugely popular and success. Same with Come Away With Me, I guess. I'm just wondering what the odds are that we see an album like Prism or My Everything next to Arcade Fire, Jack White, or whoever else is in there. Will AOTY lean popular or will it lean critical at the expense of popularity? I think Beyonce and Sam Smith offer the optimal combination of acclaim and mainstream popularity, so I'm thinking maybe we can do without the out-of-place pop album this year. But maybe not as there also haven't been that many cool, alternative, Grammy-bait albums.
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Post by Live Your Life on Nov 18, 2014 11:25:26 GMT -5
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Juanca
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Post by Juanca on Nov 18, 2014 11:52:51 GMT -5
THE FIRST IN A 10-PART SERIESBest Contemporary Instrumental Album
This category takes the place of Best Pop Instrumental Album, which Herb Alpert won earlier this year. The pop mogul is likely to be back in the running with his new album, In the Mood. But Lindsey Stirling’s Shatter Me, which charted at #2 in May, may keep Alpert from winning back-to-back Grammys for the first time since 1965-66. Oh! I love the version of SM playing in hot ac stations, featuring Lzzy Hale. The strings are awesome! Didn't know about Lindsey. Will check that out!!
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anafan
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Post by anafan on Nov 19, 2014 13:27:14 GMT -5
GETTING TIMBERLAKED: With the first round of Grammy ballots now turned in, it’s time for the backroom caucuses to discuss, dissect and select the all-important nominations for the major categories. The voting so far by the membership is merely a guide for the Grammy cabal to choose their favorites, whether it be this year’s equivalent of Esperanza Spalding—who was unknown to most in the music business until she was named Best New Artist in 2011—or Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters, which stunned everyone when it was awarded the 2008 Grammy for Album of the Year, or Sara Bareilles, who received a totally unexpected nom in the same category this year. Inquiring minds want to know what unlikely candidates will be plucked from obscurity this time around, who’s going to get Timberlaked, so to speak, and who’ll be punished for doing the AMAs. And while we’re on the subject, why does performing on the AMAs move the needle so little? (11/19a)
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Nov 19, 2014 13:51:37 GMT -5
GETTING TIMBERLAKED: With the first round of Grammy ballots now turned in, it’s time for the backroom caucuses to discuss, dissect and select the all-important nominations for the major categories. The voting so far by the membership is merely a guide for the Grammy cabal to choose their favorites, whether it be this year’s equivalent of Esperanza Spalding—who was unknown to most in the music business until she was named Best New Artist in 2011—or Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters, which stunned everyone when it was awarded the 2008 Grammy for Album of the Year, or Sara Bareilles, who received a totally unexpected nom in the same category this year. Inquiring minds want to know what unlikely candidates will be plucked from obscurity this time around, who’s going to get Timberlaked, so to speak, and who’ll be punished for doing the AMAs. And while we’re on the subject, why does performing on the AMAs move the needle so little? (11/19a) Hits Daily Double loses a little bit of respect every time it tries pushing these two points. -- Justin Timberlake was not robbed. The 20/20 Experience was okay, but it wasn't really considered an elite offering. People might have expected an AOTY nod based on his star power, but no one expected it based on the music. (And Jay-Z, as Hits has argued in conjunction with Timberlake, was CERTAINLY not robbed. I don't even know of anyone saying they particularly liked his last album...) -- There is no "AMA punishment." I believe that notion gets disproven every single year (case-in-point: do you really think Taylor Swift and Sam Smith won't have presences at the Grammys this year?). It's such a hacky, unfounded suggestion.
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Wavey✨️
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Post by Wavey✨️ on Nov 19, 2014 14:17:16 GMT -5
"Timbelaked"
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Post by Live Your Life on Nov 21, 2014 11:27:44 GMT -5
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George
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Post by George on Nov 26, 2014 15:43:06 GMT -5
I hope Kylie Minogue manages some nods here!
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theonlyone
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Post by theonlyone on Nov 26, 2014 21:29:46 GMT -5
Did Paul Grein preview the R&B categories at all? Can't find an article for that one, and roots music was the last installment in the series.
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bornfearless2000
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Post by bornfearless2000 on Nov 27, 2014 0:25:12 GMT -5
Crossing fingers for Carrie Underwood gets nominations for Country Vocal and Best Country Song (Something In The Water)
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anafan
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Post by anafan on Dec 1, 2014 9:43:43 GMT -5
GREIN ON GRAMMYS: THE FINAL PICKS Our Grammy Whisperer Updates His Predictions Ahead of Friday's Big Reveal December 1, 2014 With Grammy nominations set to be announced on Friday (with Album of the Year nods unveiled during the holiday-themed TV special that evening), we'll soon know who's getting "Timberlaked" this year. But we couldn't wait. So we checked in with our uncanny Grammy whisperer, Paul Grein, for an updated set of prognostications. As you may know, Paul's record as a Grammy handicapper is brilliant; last year, for example, he correctly picked the winners in all four major categories. His prior notes on those categories and all 10 of his genre-by-genre breakdowns are linked at the end of this article. Record of the Year I continue to think that Sam Smith's "Stay with Me" and Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" are slam-dunks and that Ariana Grande's "Problem" (featuring Iggy Azalea), while not quite a slam-dunk, will also get a nod. But I now think that two of my earlier picks—Azalea's "Fancy" (featuring Charli XCX) and Eminem's "The Monster" (featuring Rihanna)—may not make it after all. Azalea is a somewhat polarizing figure. The panelists may decide that one nom in this category is enough for her. And "The Monster" didn't have the social import of the 2010 Eminem/Rihanna collabo, "Love The Way You Lie." So let me drop those two and replace them with Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" and KONGOS' "Come With Me Now." I had both of those in my earlier piece, but just below the top five. Bubbling under my five picks: Idina Menzel's "Let It Go," Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars," Sia's "Chandelier" and Hozier's "Take Me to Church." Album of the Year I'm still sure that Sam Smith's In the Lonely Hour, Beyoncé's Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran's x will be nominated. And I still feel good about Miranda Lambert's Platinum. But U2's Songs of Innocence, which I also had in there, may fall short. It never recovered from the band's iTunes gaffe—overblown though the criticism was. I'll go instead with Ariana Grande's sophomore album, My Everything, which consolidated her 2013 breakout success. Bubbling under: the mega-popular Frozen soundtrack, The Black Keys' Turn Blue, Beck's Morning Phase and Coldplay's Ghost Stories. Song of the Year I'm still sold on three of my earlier picks: "Stay with Me," "All About That Bass" and "Let It Go," and, to a lesser extent, "A Sky Full of Stars." But I'd like to replace "Say Something" with Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." Everybody from Kelly Clarkson to Kendrick Lamar can be found on YouTube singing Swift's sassy hit. Best New Artist I had Sam Smith, Iggy Azalea, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Pentatonix and KONGOS. And, what do you know, I still think this will be the field, though Aloe Blacc, Bastille, MAGIC!, Childish Gambino and Tove Lo are ready to move up if any of them falls short. Wrap-Up Thoughts Awards are a snapshot in time. If the voting was conducted one week earlier or later, the results would probably be different. So I'm not merely being fickle in making some changes from what I had a month or two ago. The scene constantly shifts. Another thought: You know how they always say, "It's an honor just to be nominated"? People always think that line is bull, but it's true. Nearly 1,000 tracks are competing for a Record of the Year nom. To be in the top 20 or top 40 out of 1,000 is pretty good. To make it all the way to the final five is extraordinary. Finally, if Sam Smith sweeps the Grammys on 2/8, as I expect he will, will his album have a huge sales spike like Adele's did three years ago? 21 sold 730K copies in the week following the Grammys. No pressure, Sam. www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi?news10203m01
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305chillin
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Post by 305chillin on Dec 1, 2014 13:52:24 GMT -5
Album of the Year I'm still sure that Sam Smith's In the Lonely Hour, Beyoncé's Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran's x will be nominated. And I still feel good about Miranda Lambert's Platinum. But U2's Songs of Innocence, which I also had in there, may fall short. It never recovered from the band's iTunes gaffe—overblown though the criticism was. I'll go instead with Ariana Grande's sophomore album, My Everything, which consolidated her 2013 breakout success.
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jdanton2
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Post by jdanton2 on Dec 1, 2014 14:53:59 GMT -5
GREIN ON GRAMMYS: THE FINAL PICKS Our Grammy Whisperer Updates His Predictions Ahead of Friday's Big Reveal Record of the Year I continue to think that Sam Smith's "Stay with Me" and Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" are slam-dunks and that Ariana Grande's "Problem" (featuring Iggy Azalea), while not quite a slam-dunk, will also get a nod. But I now think that two of my earlier picks—Azalea's "Fancy" (featuring Charli XCX) and Eminem's "The Monster" (featuring Rihanna)—may not make it after all. Azalea is a somewhat polarizing figure. The panelists may decide that one nom in this category is enough for her. And "The Monster" didn't have the social import of the 2010 Eminem/Rihanna collabo, "Love The Way You Lie." hopefully he is right about All About That Bass and Problem my 2 favorite songs of the year.
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Post by when the pawn... on Dec 1, 2014 14:57:03 GMT -5
I guess these are my final predictions. Don't feel too confident in most of these. I know Beyonce will be up for AOTY and Sam Smith will show up everywhere but otherwise...I can see Sia and Hozier being Grammy darlings or totally ignored. I doubt the live versions of "All of Me" and "Happy" would be nominated but I guess they could be? Best New Artist is a crapshoot outside of Sam Smith. Not sure if Bey still has the juice to get "Drunk In Love" nominated.
Pundits seem to be going crazy over The Black Keys, Coldplay, U2 and Jack White. But why would U2 or Coldplay be major contenders for albums that fared much worse commercially and critically than their previous albums, both of which got snubbed in general categories (both lost Best Rock Album as well). The Black Keys and Jack White were both nominated for AOTY on their last go-around but TBK's 2014 album saw a huge dropoff in commercial success. Jack White is the best possibility but I still don't see him being a lock for a nomination.
And although I'm seeing their names on many predictions, I see all of the 2011 AOTY nominees falling short despite a good history at the Grammys - Arcade Fire, Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
With "Happy" and "All of Me" likely out of the way, "Dark Horse" and "Fancy" are the biggest pop songs in contention - I see Katy getting a nomination since she has a very strong nomination history and DH was massive but I can't picture Iggy getting a Record/Song of the Year nomination - I just don't think she has the credibility yet. Ariana COULD sneak in - the Grammys could like her like they liked Christina Aguilera (young, pretty girl with a big voice).
Album of the Year: Beyonce by Beyonce Platinum by Miranda Lambert x by Ed Sheeran In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith G.I.R.L. by Pharrell Williams ALTERNATES: Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, Eminem, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Jack White
Record of the Year: "Drunk In Love" by Beyonce & JAY Z "Take Me To Church" by Hozier "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry & Juicy J "Chandelier" by Sia "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith ALTERNATES: Arctic Monkeys, Eminem & Rihanna, Ariana Grande & Iggy Azalea, A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera, Iggy Azalea & Charli XCX, Idina Menzel, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Meghan Trainor
Song of the Year: "Chandelier" performed by Sia "Let It Go" performed by Idina Menzel "Shake It Off" performed by Taylor Swift "Stay With Me" performed by Sam Smith "Take Me To Church" performed by Hozier ALTERNATES: Coldplay, A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera, Ed Sheeran, Meghan Trainor
Best New Artist: Charli XCX Disclosure Haim Iggy Azalea Sam Smith ALTERNATES: 5 Seconds of Summer, Bleachers, Jake Bugg, Childish Gambino, FKA Twigs, Tove Lo
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anafan
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Post by anafan on Dec 1, 2014 19:59:14 GMT -5
THINGS THAT MAKE ME GO HMMM: GRAMMY SEASON EDITION What's on Our Editor in Chief's Mind Right About Now HITS Editor in Chief Leonard J. Beer recently emerged from his “Weed Cave”—purely medicinal, you understand—and announced he’d had a vision. He’d settled into a profound slumber before we could get him to tell us what that vision was. But we did find the following, scrawled in crayon on the back of a take-out menu. After some minimal revision, we present it to you, dear reader. As we wait to see how Grammy whisperer Paul Grein's nomination picks did against the voters and committees, here are some things—some Grammy-related and some not—that make me wonder. 1. Frozen, Frozen, Frozen: Is the year's biggest-selling album (other than Taylor Swift’s 1989) and culturally defining worldwide phenomenon going to be Frozen out of the Album of the Year category? Lots of records are deserving; I just think this is too. 2. Meghan Trainor: She’s bigger than you think, with two songs selling bigtime on iTunes and “All About That Bass” a shoo-in for a Record and/or Song of the Year Grammy nod. Will she take Manager Troy Carter back to the top of the mountain? 3. Pentatonix is the holiday season’s big winner, as sales explode from 100k-200k—and their entire catalog sees huge spikes. They make music with their mouths. How did an a Capella group get this big? How much more will they grow before Christmas day? 4. Hozier is going to become huge going into Grammy season. Will Sussman and Ehrlich find a way to give him a fittingly substantial awards-show look this time, even though he won’t get his full nominations due until the following year (because his album missed the deadline)? 5. Royal Blood: The British duo’s “Figure It Out” sounds like a career-announcing song. Peter Gray's promo staff is on the verge of delivering the first breakout rock band since KONGOS. One question remains: Can this U.K. band achieve greater visibility in the U.S.? Will opening for Foo Fighters be the flashpoint? www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi?news10204m01
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anafan
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Post by anafan on Dec 2, 2014 8:14:23 GMT -5
More from Paul Grein: When the Grammy nominations are announced on Friday, Sam Smith has a very good chance of showing up in each of the Big Four categories (Album, Record, and Song of the Year, and Best New Artist). He would be only the second male solo artist to receive a nomination in each of those categories (following Christopher Cross in 1980) and only the second British artist to achieve the sweep (following Amy Winehouse in 2007). Let’s take a closer look at the Big Four categories. ALBUM OF THE YEAR Three albums seem like sure things to be nominated: Sam Smith's debut album, In the Lonely Hour; Beyoncé's fifth studio album, Beyoncé; and Ed Sheeran's sophomore album, x. Beyoncé is a longtime Grammy favorite (17 awards). Her album may get bonus points for its innovative, no build-up marketing strategy. Sheeran is fast becoming a Grammy favorite. He was nominated for Song of the Year two years ago and for Best New Artist last year. Miranda Lambert's Platinum, which was voted Album of the Year by the Country Music Association, also has a good shot. It was Lambert’s first #1 album on the all-genre Billboard 200. It even put her on the cover of Rolling Stone. The panel of Grammy insiders that selects the final nominees in the Big Four categories usually strives for diversity in its picks. Lambert is the strongest country representative. Ariana Grande's sophomore album, My Everything, may round out the field. The album, which has spawned three top 10 hits, consolidated her 2013 breakout success. (The only potential problem: I already have two pop albums — Smith’s and Sheeran’s — in the finals. Will the panelists want to have three?) That could also work against the Frozen soundtrack, which is the best-selling album so far this year. Another factor working against Frozen: recent Grammy history. In the past 20 years, just two soundtracks have received Album of the Year nominations — Waiting to Exhale and O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Both of those soundtracks were overseen by producers with long lists of album credits — Babyface and T Bone Burnett, respectively. By contrast, Frozen is the work of movie music pros who aren’t as well known in recording circles. U2 has a strong track record in this category: Four of the band’s last eight studio albums were nominated for Album of the Year; two of them won. But the album never recovered from the iTunes gaffe — where the album was placed in iTunes users’ music libraries without their consent. That criticism seemed overblown, but it left a mark. If the panel wants to include a rock (or rock-ish) album, there are many other choices. Among them: The Black Keys' Turn Blue, Beck's Morning Phase, Coldplay's Ghost Stories, Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes, Paul McCartney's New, Jack White's Lazaretto, Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ Hypnotic Eye. Three rap albums — Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2, ScHoolboy Q's Oxymoron, and Iggy Azalea's The New Classic — are serious contenders. Eminem has been nominated in this category three times. Two traditional pop albums — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga's Cheek to Cheek and Barbra Streisand's Partners — have a shot at a nomination. But no trad pop album has been nominated for Album of the Year since Bennett’s MTV Unplugged controversially won the 1994 award. Other top candidates include Katy Perry's PRISM, Pharrell Williams's GIRL, Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence, Toni Braxton & Babyface's Love, Marriage & Divorce, and Billie Joe + Norah's Foreverly. RECORD OF THE YEAR Sam Smith's gospel-tinged ballad “Stay With Me” is sure to be nominated. Meghan Trainor's “All About That Bass,” which calls for women to accept their bodies even if they don't conform to society's ideal, may be Smith's strongest competition. Taylor Swift's kiss-country-goodbye pop smash “Shake It Off” also has a very good shot. Swift's “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” was nominated in this category two years ago. Ariana Grande's “Problem” (featuring Iggy Azalea) is also likely to make the finals. It would be only the second all-female collaboration in Grammy history to receive a Record of the Year nom. The first was “The Boy is Mine” by Brandy & Monica in 1998. (Two other all-female collabos have a shot this year: Azalea’s “Fancy” (featuring Charli XCX) and “Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Grande, and Nicki Minaj.) KONGOS' alternative rock hit “Come With Me Now,” which became a leftfield pop hit, may round out the field. "Let It Go" from Frozen has a chance to become the first Oscar-winner for Best Song to be nominated for Record and/or Song of the Year since Eminem's “Lose Yourself” was nominated in both categories in 2003. I tend to think that Idina Menzel's hit single will just miss in the Record category, but that the song will come through in the Song category. Coldplay's “A Sky Full of Stars” (which was co-produced and co-written by Avicii) is also a strong candidate. The band won in this category with 2003’s “Clocks” and was nominated with 2008’s “Viva La Vida.” Four other hit collabos are in the mix: “The Monster” by Eminem featuring Rihanna, “Drunk in Love” by Beyoncé featuring Jay Z, “Say Something” by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera, and “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J. Other possibilities include Hozier's “Take Me to Church,” Sia's “Chandelier,” Ed Sheeran's “Don't,” Mr. Probz's “Waves,” Nico & Vinz's “Am I Wrong,” Aloe Blacc's “The Man,” the Black Keys' “Fever,” MAGIC!'s “Rude,” and Tove Lo's “Habits (Stay High).” Three big hits that would have had a great shot at nominations were released and entered last year: Pharrell Williams's “Happy,” John Legend's “All of Me,” and Bastille's “Pompeii.” Live recordings of all three songs were entered this year, but that's not quite the same. (None of these songs are eligible for Song of the Year.) SONG OF THE YEAR For the most part, the same works are under consideration for both Record of the Year (which honors a specific recording) and Song of the Year (which honors the song itself). With that in mind, I can see the final five being “Stay With Me,” “All About That Bass,” “Let It Go,” “Shake It Off,” and “A Sky Full of Stars.” BEST NEW ARTIST Sam Smith is the clear frontrunner. He is vying to become the first openly gay artist to be named Best New Artist. Few were surprised when Boy George later came out, but he played it coy in interviews at the height of his success with Culture Club (the 1983 winners). Tracy Chapman (the 1988 winner) has always kept her private life private. In the past year, the a cappella group Pentatonix has cracked the top 10 with a full-length album and three EPs. Two other mostly a cappella groups have received nominations in this category: The baroque-accented the Swingle Singers (the 1963 winners) and the gospel-rooted Take 6 (nominees in 1988). Iggy Azalea also looks good for a nomination. She would be only the third female hip-hop artist to be nominated in this category, following Lauryn Hill, the 1998 winner, and Nicki Minaj. 5 Seconds of Summer, which, like Azalea, hails from Australia, is probably also headed for a nom. Teen faves have a mixed record in this category. Backstreet Boys, Hanson, the Jonas Brothers, and Justin Bieber were nominated. *NSYNC and One Direction weren’t. KONGOS may round out the field on the strength of its quirky hit “Come With Me Now.” Aloe Blacc heads the list of likely runners-up. He followed his uncredited featured role on Avicii's “Wake Me Up!” with a top 10 hit of his own, “The Man.” Other strong candidates include Bastille, MAGIC!, Childish Gambino, Tove Lo, August Alsina, Echosmith, A Great Big World, Jhené Aiko, Fifth Harmony, Martin Garrix, and MKTO. Note: Three artists who would have been strong contenders, Meghan Trainor, Hozier, and ScHoolboy Q, aren’t eligible. To be considered in this category, an artist has to have released a full-length album or an EP with at least five songs. Trainor’s EP Title has just four songs. Hozier’s debut album was released after the close of the eligibility year. (His two earlier EPs were also four-song releases.) And an artist can’t have received a previous Grammy nomination. ScHoolboy Q received a nom last year as a featured artist on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's The Heist. www.yahoo.com/music/grammy-predictions-the-big-four-categories-104085366351.html
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