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Who will win at the 58th Grammy Awards?

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It is that time again. The Grammy Awards are upon us. That special time of year when the Macklemores beat out the Kendricks, and the J. Los wear strange green dresses that leave nothing to the imagination.

Aside from the drama and crazy fashion, the real focus of the night is the music.

Here are my picks for who will win at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, on February 15th.

Record of the Year (recognizes the performance of the song as well as the producers)

Uptown funk single cover cropped“Really Love” – D’Angelo and the Vanguard

“Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

“Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran

“Blank Space” – Taylor Swift

“Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd

This is the record of the year. The production was tight, and the whole song is packed with energy from start to finish. While “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Thinking Out Loud” are also well produced and performed, “Uptown Funk” is just one of those songs that has been everywhere. It’s pervasiveness makes it beat out the others in this category.

Album of the Year

Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes

To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar

Traveller – Chris Stapleton

1989 – Taylor Swift

Beauty Behind The Madness – The Weeknd

For me album of the year needs to have a varied sonic profile. Beauty Behind The Madness is the only album that manages to do this. It mixes club bangers with some more mellow, laid-back songs. It captures the artistic versatility that The Weeknd has. Traveller would also be a good pick, but at about three-quarters of the way through it just began sounding like one long song.

Song of the Year (recognizes the songwriter or songwriters)

“Alright” – Kendrick Lamar
     Writers: Kendrick Duckworth, Kawan Prather, Mark Anthony Spears,                      and Pharrell Williams

“Blank Space” – Taylor Swift
     Writers: Max Martin, Shellback, and Taylor Swift

“Girl Crush” – Little Big Town
     Writers: Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, and Liz Rose

“See You Again” – Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth
     Writers: Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth, and Cameron Thomaz

“Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran
     Writers: Ed Sheeran, and Amy Wadge

“Alright” is my pick for best song. In terms of the lyrics, it is miles ahead of what the other nominees are doing. It also manages to convey a social message without going over the top. I wouldn’t be too terribly disappointed if “Thinking Out Loud” won, but if “Blank Space” wins I will be convinced that Max Martin is personally responsible for picking all the Grammy winners.

Best New Artist

Courtney Barnett

James Bay

Sam Hunt

Tori Kelly

Meghan Trainor

Best new artist has to be James Bay. His voice is perfection and also has the range that could be very versatile if he chooses to experiment later on in his career. While there is buzz surrounding Courtney Barnett, most people haven’t heard of her. The other three nominees, who bring something to the industry I’m sure, just don’t have the ability to stick around as artists: their music is as best generic, and worst aural torture.

Best Pop Vocal Album

Piece By Piece – Kelly Clarkson

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – Florence and The Machine

Uptown Special – Mark Ronson

1989 – Taylor Swift

Before This World – James Taylor

As much as it pains me to give anything to Taylor Swift, this is pretty much her category. While Florence’s vocals are incredibly strong, it is less ‘Pop’ and more rock. Swift has also had an incredibly successful year, even if she does drive me nuts.

Best Rock Album

Chaos And The Calm – James Bay

Kintsugi – Death Cab For Cutie

Mister Asylum – Highly Suspect

Drones – Muse

.5: The Gray Chapter – Slipknot

Yet again, James Bay is my pick. He brings something new to rock, that the others on this list can’t. While other albums on this list are more “rock,” there is nothing more rock ‘n’ roll than completely changing what is expected of the genre.

Best Alternative Music Album

Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes

Vulnicura – Björk

The Waterfall – My Morning Jacket

Currents – Tame Impala

Star Wars – Wilco

Currents is my pick for this category, not necessarily because it typifies what alternative music is, but because is sounds the most different from its competitors. The electronic based sound is different from the guitar heavy sounds of Alabama Shakes, My Morning Jacket, and Wilco. Björk would be my second choice, but she doesn’t seem to have done anything earth-shattering, other than staying weird.

Best Rap Album

2014 Forest Hills Drive – J. Cole

Compton – Dr. Dre

If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late – Drake

To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar

The Pinkprint – Nicki Minaj

For me this category really was only ever between Kendrick and Drake, but my bet is that Drake will come out on top. If To Pimp A Butterfly was on the same level as good kid, M.A.A.D. City this would be a different conversation. Did Kendrick get screwed over by losing to Macklemore in 2013? Yes, but this year is not his year to make up for that because Drake actually did make a better album.

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