It’s that point of 12 months once more, when the Recording Academy sends out its large first batch of submissions for the annual Grammy Awards.
As style strains proceed to blur in fashionable music and artists strategize about easy methods to greatest improve their odds at nominations, the 2024 Grammys are shaping as much as be one other free-for-all with regards to who makes the ultimate minimize. Every year, followers speculate over the place their favourite musicians will land, both of their predicted or shock classes. Similar to final 12 months, when Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” skirted the album classes for pop and R&B, and as a substitute submitted for dance/digital album the place it gained.
The 2024 submissions elicit the identical type of uncertainty with regards to who’s positioned the place. Did Taylor Swift match final 12 months’s 13 submissions? Is SZA going to lastly get the Grammy respect she deserves? Will Ice Spice be the breakout star of the present? Simply what number of songs have been submitted from “Barbie: The Album?” Are Drake and The Weeknd nonetheless withholding their music from nomination?
With first-round voting scheduled to wrap on October 20, Selection takes a have a look at the poll to reply some key questions on this 12 months’s submissions.
Q: Before everything: Are there any Taylor curveballs?
A: Not likely. Her submissions aren’t over-the-top this 12 months. “Midnights” is, expectedly, up for album of the 12 months and greatest pop vocal album, whereas “Anti-Hero” is long-listed for document of the 12 months, tune of the 12 months, pop solo efficiency and music video. Solely the remix to “Karma” that includes Ice Spice seems elsewhere, within the class for pop duo/group efficiency.
Q: Will “Barbie: The Album” have the voting committee tickled pink?
A: If the poll is any indication, doubtless sure. There are not less than 25 submissions pertaining to “Barbie: The Album”—together with Mark Ronson and Andrew Watt’s bids for producer of the 12 months (non-classical)—which isn’t shocking provided that Barbie fever continues to be red-hot months after the soundtrack’s launch. In tune of the 12 months and document of the 12 months, there are 5 submissions: Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Evening,” Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” Ava Max’s “Select Your Fighter,” Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Simply Ken,” and Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” It looks like a see-what-sticks method, because the style range of candidates is far-reaching. It’s additionally value noting that a number of artists who seem on the soundtrack—Sam Smith, Karol G, Dominic Fike, Fifty Fifty, and Lizzo—opted to submit songs to high classes from their tasks instead of their “Barbie” contributions. However additional down the poll, “Barbie” songs are aplenty: 5 submissions in each pop solo efficiency and tune written for visible media; a bid for rating soundtrack; and, after all, compilation soundtrack for visible media. Fifty Fifty’s “Barbie Desires” that includes Kaliii seems in pop duo/group efficiency, whereas “Barbie World” contends within the rap classes. It’s an exhaustive quantity of placements, as if we haven’t had—er—Kenough of the soundtrack at this level.
Q: Of the most important artists who’re predicted to get main nominations, who stands an opportunity of in the end main the nominations pack as a result of they have been rendered eligible in lots of completely different classes?
A: SZA and Jon Batiste each may hoard lots of nominations due to that issue. SZA has submissions in 9 completely different style classes past the highest three, together with progressive R&B album, conventional R&B efficiency, R&B tune, rap efficiency, pop solo efficiency and pop duo efficiency (for a tune with Phoebe Bridgers). You’ll be able to’t unfold the wealth throughout much more kinds than that, proper? However wait—Batiste says to SZA, “Maintain my beer.” He efficiently submitted (past the apparent high classes) in not less than 13 style or lesser classes, together with African efficiency, jazz efficiency, dance digital efficiency, American roots efficiency, pop solo efficiency, pop duo/group efficiency, R&B efficiency, conventional R&B efficiency, and extra.
Q: Who’re a few of the different artists who additionally break up themselves throughout completely different genres?
A: Olivia Rodrigo is a superb instance: She submitted in each pop and rock classes, the latter for her tune “Ballad of a Dwelling Schooled Woman.” Some others: Jason Isbell submitted completely different songs in rock, Americana and American roots classes. The truth is, he put in for six completely different songs from his “Weathervanes” albums, in numerous divisions. Brandy Clark went with one tune (“Expensive Insecurity”) for Americana and one other (“Buried”) for nation. Hozier submitted completely different songs for rock and pop. Willie Nelson has two separate albums submitted, one for nation and one for bluegrass. (For those who guessed that his album “Bluegrass” is within the latter, bingo.) Boygenius submitted “Not Robust Sufficient” in two rock classes—in addition to document and tune of the 12 months—however went with “Cool About It” for greatest different efficiency.
Q: Will Ice Spice be the breakout star of the 2024 Grammys?
A: The Bronx rapper (and Selection cowl star) has been unstoppable ever since she went viral along with her August 2022 hit “Munch (Feelin’ U).” From follow-up singles “In Ha Temper” and “Deli” to star visitor activates tracks from Taylor Swift and PinkPantheress (to not point out “Barbie World,” her collaboration with Nicki Minaj), Spice seems up and down the poll with 15 separate submissions together with greatest new artist, the place she has a superb shot at making the ultimate nominees. “In Ha Temper” is the solo focus observe, showing in greatest rap efficiency, tune of the 12 months, document of the 12 months, greatest rap tune, and greatest music video. The deluxe model of her debut “Like..?” exhibits up in greatest rap album. “Barbie World” and “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress are additionally up for the tune and document of the 12 months, with the previous searching for nomination within the rap and movie classes. Her “Karma” remix with Swift sits in greatest pop duo/group efficiency. Bonus factors go to Spice’s right-hand man RiotUSA, who was submitted for producer of the 12 months (non-classical).
Q: Talking of, the place did PinkPantheress land?
A: Followers of the U.Okay. star might have anticipated her to seem within the different class, however no such luck. As an alternative, her chart-topping “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” doesn’t present up wherever apart from tune and document of the 12 months, in addition to pop duo/group efficiency. However, she’s a robust potential nominee for greatest new artist the place she’s submitted.
Q: Will the voting committee give Nicki Minaj her first nomination since 2016?
A: Minaj has been nominated 10 occasions since 2011 and hasn’t but gained. In 2022, she was vocal about her gripe with the Grammys over her hit “Tremendous Freaky Woman” getting submitted within the pop over rap classes, claiming it gave the tune “much less of an opportunity to win.” For 2024, the voting committee seems to be splitting the distinction. As a solo artist, her single “Final Time I Noticed You” is slotted within the pop solo efficiency in addition to tune and document of the 12 months, whereas her Lumidee-sampling “Ruby Pink da Sleeze” is vying for nominations in rap tune and rap efficiency. Her options on Kim Petras’ “Alone,” Sexyy Pink’s “Pound City 2,” Lil Uzi Vert’s “Limitless Trend,” YoungBoy By no means Broke Once more’s “WTF,” Younger Thug’s “Cash” and Maluma & Myriam Fares’ “Tukoh Taka” has her in classes throughout the board, whereas “Barbie World” is submitted in just about each class it may match. May this be her 12 months? There’s lots of potential.
Q: Has Drake had a Grammys change of coronary heart?
A: Perhaps? Drake has had a checkered historical past with the Grammys, criticizing them publicly and withdrawing his rap nominations in 2022. And, his seventh album “Truthfully, Nevermind” was nowhere to be discovered on the poll for the awards final 12 months. Nevertheless it seems as if he—or, not less than, somebody on his behalf—submitted for “Her Loss,” his collaborative album with 21 Savage that was launched in November 2022. The hassle was submitted for album of the 12 months and rap album, whereas its single “Wealthy Flex” seems within the lengthy lists for rap efficiency, rap tune, document of the 12 months, and tune of the 12 months. Elsewhere, “Spin Bout U” is in rivalry for melodic rap efficiency. However, like in years previous, Drake can be submitted as a characteristic on a number of information—final 12 months, he even gained a trophy for his spot on Future’s “Wait For U” in melodic rap efficiency. For 2024, he’s submitted as a part of Travis Scott’s “Meltdown” and Younger Thug’s “Oh U Went” in quite a lot of spots spanning document and tune of the 12 months to the rap classes.
Q: Did The Weeknd lastly bury his grudge with the Grammys for snubbing him previously?
A: Perhaps, however unlikely. He seems in a number of classes for options on Metro Boomin’s “Creepin,” Travis Scott’s “Okay-Pop” and Diddy’s “One other One among Me,” all most likely submitted on the title artists’ behalf. His chart-topping remix of “Die for You” with Ariana Grande is nowhere to be discovered, as are his songs from “The Idol,” however he’s up for a number of awards within the music/movie classes. His “Avatar 2” single “Nothing Is Misplaced (You Give Me Power)” is in tune written for visible media and his live performance flick “Dwell at SoFi Stadium” is in music movie. The studios might have submitted for him.
Q: How did Miguel handle to sneak in submissions for his now-viral 2010 single “Certain Factor”?
A: With a reside model, after all! “Certain Factor” bought a second life after TikTok kicked the observe into virality, reviving the long-dormant hit and sending it as much as No. 11 on the Billboard Scorching 100 (the place it initially peaked at 36 again in 2011). The reside model got here in just below the wire, releasing final month to streaming platforms, and the observe was submitted for document of the 12 months and pop solo efficiency. It’s not out of the query that it may get nominated, since Latto was nominated final 12 months for a reside model of “Massive Power” in melodic rap efficiency.
Q: Does the newly-minted pop dance recording class reconcile the Grammy’s digital music difficulty?
A: Introduced in June, this new class makes an attempt to deal with the long-pollinating crossover between the dance/digital and pop worlds. Traditionally, the Grammys have pitted conventional pop stars with club-ready songs in opposition to conventional digital musicians in its dance/digital recording class. It brewed controversy when artists like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Beyoncé bested institutional digital acts like Basement Jaxx, The Chemical Brothers, and Bonobo. This 12 months, the style strains are break up, properly, considerably evenly. Of the 107 submissions for pop dance recording, it’s the kind of stuff you’d anticipate to see nestled in high 40 programming (even when they didn’t obtain airplay): Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam”; David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray’s “Child Don’t Harm Me”; Adam Lambert’s Sylvester cowl of “You Make Me Really feel (Mighty Actual)” that includes Sigala. The dance/digital recording class is way more outlined. Skrillex, Fred Once more.. and Flowdan’s “Rumble” makes the checklist, and is a possible nominee given its ubiquity this 12 months (to not point out that Skrillex has gained on this class 3 times). Jayda G and Honey Dijon, who each launched wonderful albums over the previous 12 months, are accounted for right here, as are familiars like Disclosure, Kaskade, deadmau5, and Swedish Home Mafia. Does it repair the issue at hand? Not precisely, as there may be nonetheless some questionable delegation. However that might simply be wiped away when the ultimate checklist of nominees will get determined.
Q: What number of submissions have been made within the brand-new African music efficiency class?
A: Within the freshly minted class, there have been 122 submissions, together with multiples from artists like Malika Zarra, Eddy Kenzo and Rema. The checklist covers a big selection of artists together with Adekunle Gold, Fireboy DML, Libianca, Spinall, Uncle Waffles, and Tyla, whose viral single “Water” is eligible.
Q: What number of writers submitted themselves for the songwriter of the 12 months (non-classical) award? Greater than final 12 months’s 62, when the inaugural award was given?
A: Truly, it was barely fewer who entered that race this 12 months: 58.
Q: Did Ghostwriter really undergo with submitting his AI single that includes Drake and The Weeknd?
A: Not precisely, however sure. Nameless producer Ghostwriter rattled the trade by utilizing synthetic intelligence to imitate Drake and The Weeknd’s voices on his tune “Coronary heart on My Sleeve,” citing points round consent and monetization in adopting an artist’s likeness. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. mentioned it was Grammy-eligible as a result of a human wrote it, after which three days later walked it again. “Coronary heart on My Sleeve” was taken down from streaming companies. However in keeping with the voting poll, a unique model of “Coronary heart on My Sleeve” with out AI voice filters that they uploaded to DSPs simply within the nick of time for the Grammy’s cutoff interval is eligible for tune of the 12 months and rap tune.
Q: The songwriter of the 12 months award is meant to be restricted solely to writers who both will not be recording artists or who make information extra as a sideline to their main writing identification. So does that imply it doesn’t embody any family names?
A: For probably the most half. However the country-rock artist Hardy is in there, below his full identify Michael Hardy, which is a bit shocking as a result of he has a extremely profitable profession going as a recording artist and tour headliner proper now. His artist discography consists of three platinum or multi-platinum singles, and songs which have gone No. 1 in each the nation and arduous rock codecs. However the Recording Academy has apparently determined he’s nonetheless a writer-for-hire, at first.
Q: Nation celebrity Luke Combs’ greatest shot could also be for “Quick Automobile,” however that may’t be submitted for songwriter awards, because it’s a Tracy Chapman oldie. Does he have a backup plan?
A: Yep, though he submitted the Chapman cowl for document of the 12 months, he put in his personal self-penned hit “Love You Anyway” for tune of the 12 months and a few nation classes.
