With awards season well underway, February 8 brings music’s most important night of the year: the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Here are the Rebellion’s predicted winners from the Grammy’s general categories:
RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Fancy”- Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX
“Chandelier”- Sia
“Stay With Me”- Sam Smith
“Shake it Off”- Taylor Swift
“All About that Bass”- Meghan Trainor
Although the biggest records of the year were dominated by female pop queens, Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” stands out as one of the most influential and defining records of 2014. The soulful piano ballad dominated Top 40 radio, and it was a tremendous commercial success in both the UK and US. Smith belts out the song’s heartbreaking lyrics with extraordinary talent, and the simple piano melody paired with gospel harmonization make the record exceptional in both concept and performance. Although every record in the category has made an impact on contemporary music this year, Smith’s unique take on the simple piano ballad distinguishes his work from the rest.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Morning Phase– Beck
Beyoncé– Beyoncé
X– Ed Sheeran
In the Lonely Hour– Sam Smith
Girl– Pharell Williams
Released at the end of 2013, Beyoncé’s self-titled album was groundbreaking in more ways than just musically. Arguably the world’s biggest pop and R&B icon, Beyoncé took a risk with the release of her fifth album by dropping it on iTunes with no previous warning or promotion. The surprise release only elevated it’s popularity– the album created sensational buzz on social media and quickly blew up worldwide before any singles had been released. Selling over 5 million copies, Beyoncé became an unprecedented success both critically and commercially. Beyoncé experiments with genres ranging from bubblegum pop to rap to R&B, and she masters every single one with her impressive range and beautiful vocal ability. Paired with videos for each song, Beyoncé’s visual album set an almost impossibly high standard for other pop artists. While 2014 came with a slew of complex and entertaining albums, no other compared to the cultural phenomenon surrounding Beyoncé’s fifth installment as a solo artist.
SONG OF THE YEAR
“All About that Bass”- Kevin Kadish & Meghan Trainor
“Chandelier”- Sia Furler & Jesse Shatkin
“Shake it Off”- Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift
“Stay with Me”- James Napier, William Phillips & Sam Smith
“Take Me to Church”- Andrew Hozier-Byrne
Although the song only hit Top 40 radio recently, “Take Me to Church” was released as Irish singer-songwriter Hozier’s first single back in October 2013. The song is by far the most lyrically complex of the nominees: Hozier uses religious symbolism and a great amount of figurative language to craft one of the most intricate, moving love songs of the past few years. In terms of songwriting, Hozier’s haunting single easily rises above its competition in this category.
BEST NEW ARTIST
Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Brandy Clark
HAIM
Sam Smith
With six Grammy nominations, 22-year old English singer-songwriter Sam Smith tied with Beyonce and Pharrell Williams with the greatest number of nominations this year. After featuring on Disclosure’s hit song “Latch,” Smith broke through as a talented vocalist and songwriter on his popular singles “Stay With Me” and “I’m Not the Only One,” and his debut album, In the Lonely Hour, was a great commercial success in both the UK and United States. His strong, soulful voice on top of heartbreaking piano ballads made him one of the most stand-out artists of the year, despite being a new face in the pop music scene. Although he faces stiff competition against popular new indie bands HAIM and Bastille, Sam Smith defined the pop music of 2014 with his chart-topping singles and is the strongest contender in the category.
