Predictions for the 2019 Grammys

posted February 10, 2019 in

A show that generates polarising feelings for music lovers, The Grammys  the biggest night in American music is here again. Here are the Art Department’s predictions on who will take home the nights biggest awards (though not necessarily the artists that may deserve them):

*NOTE: All predicted winners are in italics.*

Record of the Year

Cardi B, J Balvin and Bad Bunny - “I Like It”

Brandi Carlile - “The Joke”

Childish Gambino - “This Is America”

Drake - “God’s Plan”

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - “Shallow”

Kendrick Lamar & SZA - “All The Stars”

Post Malone featuring 21 Savage - “Rockstar”

Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey - “The Middle”

Donald Glover, a.k.a Childish Gambino, is no stranger to having his work nominated, with five last year and winning “Best Traditional R&B Performance” with the wildly successful “Redbone.” He has repeated the success this year with five more nominations and should win more than one award on the night, including “Record of the Year” with the exquisitely produced “This is America.” This is arguably the biggest track of the year due to its biting social commentary and powerful music video. As this category favors the production and performance over song writing, expect Gambino to edge out Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in a close battle for the award. - Owen Paiva

Album of the Year 

Cardi B - “Invasion of Privacy”

Brandi Carlile - “By the Way, I Forgive You”

Drake - “Scorpion”

H.E.R. - “H.E.R.”

Post Malone - “Beerbongs & Bentleys”

Janelle Monáe - “Dirty Computer”

Kacey Musgraves - “Golden Hour”

Kendrick Lamar  - “Black Panther: The Album, Music From and Inspired By”

There is no doubt that there were plenty of great albums nominated for this category. With that being said, Album of the Year is absolutely going to be a tough competition. Most would probably give this award to Cardi B’s “Invasion of Privacy” for the sheer fact that is was one of the most popular albums released in this category. However, anyone who knows the Grammys knows how unpredictable big categories like these can be in determining a winner. One thing is for sure though, and that is that the Grammys LOVE country artists. So for that, “Golden Hour” has the best chance of winning Album of the Year at the awards tonight. - Jenna Minnig

Song of the Year

Kendrick Lamar & SZA - “All the Stars”

Ella Mai - “Boo’d Up”

Drake - “God’s Plan”

Shawn Mendes - “In My Blood”

Brandi Carlile - “The Joke”

Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey - “The Middle”

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - “Shallow”

Childish Gambino - “This is America”

The track by Donald has not only generated a lot of buzz and conversation, but it is also recreationally played everywhere. Accompanied by an intriguing and allegorical video, “This is America” is a piece that is expertly crafted by Glover. It encompasses the social climate of 2018 to a degree that it can be used to summarize the previous year as a whole. When it comes to speaking out to its audience, “This is America” does so in a way that is able to hook people in and keep them interested for the whole song. Because of its popularity, expect to see this track winning this award. - Jack Grossman

Best New Artist

Chloe x Halle

Luke Combs

Greta Van Fleet

H.E.R.

Dua Lipa

Margo Price

Bebe Rexha

Jorja Smith

The Beyonce co-signed, Bailey sisters should find themselves winning this award, and it’s not just because of who they are signed to. Chloe x Halle have showcased their angelic voices on their “The Kids Are Alright” project and then they performed beautifully at the Super Bowl putting them in an even bigger spotlight. Chloe x Halle can create and perform a variety of songs at a high level including soundtracks, ballads and anthems and they do it all at an exceptional level. This Grammy and their performance during the night should propel their careers even further. - Jerome Taylor

Best Pop Vocal Album

Camila Cabello - “Camilla”

Kelly Clarkson - “Meaning of Life”

Ariana Grande - “Sweetener”

Shawn Mendes - “Shawn Mendes”

P!nk - “Beautiful Trauma”

Taylor Swift - “Reputation”

The political aspects of being nominated and winning a Grammy are well documented, with that said it would be shocking to see anyone other than Ariana Grande on stage after the winner of this category is announced. But politics aside, “Sweetner” is a enjoyable project to listen to as listeners are enchanted by Grande’s voice and find themselves smiling as they hear Grande find love throughout the project. “Sweetener” was not only received well by the masses but many critics found this to be Grande’s best offering to date, as her collaboration with Pharrell lifted her music to a new level and many enjoyed hearing Grande finding love on this project. - Jerome Taylor

Best Rock Album

Alice in Chains - “Rainer Fog”

Fall Out Boy - “M A N I A”

Ghost - “Prequelle”

Greta Van Fleet - “From the Fires”

Weezer - “Pacific Daydream”

Expect to see veteran Fall Out Boy take home this award. Securing their first nomination in 12 years, M A N I A sees the band returning to their position as the poster group for pop punk, while also making creative strides alongside other musicians such as Sia and Burna Boy. While receiving tons of mixed criticisms, the album essentially speaks for itself; it was notable enough to put the band back into relevancy and even take home the award. Blending the sounds of old and new has more than likely helped Fall Out Boy to secure the win. - Jack Grossman

Best Alternative Music Album

Arctic Monkeys - “Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino”

Beck - “Colors”

Björk - “Utopia”

David Byrne - “American Utopia”

St. Vincent - “Masseduction”

Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent will most likely take home the second Grammy of her career. The introspective “Masseduction” was a very strong showing for Annie, focusing on themes of power, sex and drugs among other things. She was able to translate the celebrity condition into a synth pop, new wave masterpiece that resonates as much now as it was when it released. No stranger to this category, St. Vincent won in 2014 with her self titled album, and she should repeat that feat this year. - Owen Paiva

Best Urban Contemporary Album

The Carters - “Everything is Love”

Chloe x Halle - “The Kids Are Alright”

Chris Dave and The Drumhedz - “Chris Dave and The Drumhedz”

Miguel - “War & Leisure”

Meshell Ndegeocello - “Ventriloquism”  

Though this category includes impressive projects from both Miguel and Chloe x Halle,  it would be incredibly surprising for the committee to pick another album other than the one released by Jay-Z and Beyonce two of the biggest names in music. The Grammy’s have always been criticized for the political nature of who wins and who is nominated for awards, with that being said, “Everything is Love,” will probably get the nod even though many believe neither artist put their best foot forward during the construction of the project. - Jerome Taylor

Best R&B Album

Toni Braxton - “Sex & Cigarettes”

Leon Bridges - “Good Thing”

Lalah Hathaway - “Honestly”

H.E.R. - “H.E.R.”

PJ Morton - “Gumbo Unplugged (Live)”

On “Good Thing” Leon Bridges did an exceptional job of combining traditional sounding R&B with a modern pop touch. Bridges displays the ability to use his soulful voice to create heartfelt romantic tracks like “Beyond” and “Forgive You.” Bridges also did a great job of creating pop friendly hits to garner some mainstream noteirity this past year with tracks like “Bad Bad News.” With Bridges on the verge of stardom, winning this grammy should push him further into the limelight. - Jerome Taylor 

Best Rap Album

Cardi B - “Invasion of Privacy”

Mac Miller - “Swimming”

Nipsey Hussle - “Victory Lap”

Pusha T - “Daytona”

Travis Scott - “Astroworld”

Because of his highly talked about beef with Drake, Pusha T was arguably the most talked about artist in the hip-hop genre over the course of the year. His album “Daytona” was not as talked about but in contained some of the strongest production in hip-hop last year thanks to Kanye West revisiting the sample based beats that put him on the map. Lyrically, Pusha T showcased his skill as a lyricist as he revisited some traditional gangster rap concepts and due to its short run time, Daytona was one of the most replayable albums of the year -Jerome Taylor

Best Country Album

Kelsea Ballerini - “Unapologetically”

Brothers Osborne - “Port Saint Joe”

Ashley McBryde - “Girls Going Nowhere”

Kacey Musgraves - “Golden Hour”

Chris Stapleton - “From A Room: Volume 2”

After tonight Kacey Musgraves will undoubtedly be the face of country music. Her album “Golden Hour” was one of the most well received albums of the year in any genre. Musgraves used several different styles to created a diverse soundscape and delivered a well sequenced album that any music listener can enjoy. The Grammys will look to reward Musgraves for her impressive album that contained many terrific songs such as “Space Cowboy” and “Velvet Elvis.” - Jerome Taylor

 

 

Owen Paiva is a sophomore majoring in film-video. To contact him, email owenpaiva@sbcglobal.net.

Jenna Minnig is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email jennaminnigx@gmail.com.

Jack Grossman is a junior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jackdgrossman@gmail.com.

Jerome Taylor is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jerometaylor91697@gmail.com.

About the Contributors

Owen Paiva's photo

Owen Paiva

Senior / Film/Video

Owen Paiva is a senior majoring in film-video. He currently serves as a social media director at CommRadio. In the past, he interned at both WPSU as a sports production intern and at Shadowbox Studios as a production intern.  f you want to contact him, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Jenna Minnig's photo

Jenna Minnig

Senior / Broadcast Journalism

Jenna is a General Manager of CommRadio where she manages the student radio station.

Jerome Taylor's photo

Jerome Taylor

Senior / Broadcast Journalism

Jerome Taylor currently serves as one of two Arts & Entertainment Managers for CommRadio. He currently serves as a host for the department’s flagship radio show, “The Nittany Record Club.” He has also written several album reviews and has contributed to several lists that the department has produced. Jerome has also served as a beat writer and producer for several Penn State sports including, lacrosse, volleyball, and basketball. After graduation Jerome hopes to work in the broadcast journalism field covering sports or entertainment. Follow him on twitter (@ThatGuy_Rome) or email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).