Unpredictability and music’s most coveted night, the Grammy Awards, are synonymous. From the glamorous red carpet couture to its unprecedented performances, the Grammys unfold erratically, overcharged with pop culture delirium and frenzied internet speculation despite its prestige within music.
The 2024 Grammys, set for the night of Feb. 4 will reveal the winners of pop, rap, alternative, and R&B categories, eventually leading up to the most prestigious awards: Best New Artist and Album, Record, and Song of the Year.
Although fates are ultimately in the hands of the Recording Academy, the exclusive committee of music professionals eligible to cast their votes, trends in past winners can hint at who will take home the Grammy.
Record of the Year
The Record of the Year awards a phenomenal recording of a song, honoring its contributors including the artists, producers, and audio engineers involved. The Recording Academy has historically awarded Record of the Year to the most memorable, year-defining hits, and with the onslaught of chart-topping releases in 2023, this year’s competition is fierce.
Despite cult-following pop success nominations like Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” Miley Cyrus’ post-breakup anthem “Flowers” is the likely winner. The song dominated both streaming and radio since its January release, and its themes of self-confidence match previous Record of the Year winners, such as “About Damn Time” and “Leave the Door Open.”
However, SZA’s “Kill Bill” is the rightful winner as a far more compelling take on the classic breakup track. It’s a vindictive, R&B-influenced pop confessional — mellow production and SZA’s wistful vocals juxtapose the song’s vicious, homicidal lyrics, altogether certifying “Kill Bill” as the deserved Record of the Year.
Song of the Year
The Song of the Year category honors remarkable songwriting on a track, and as previous winners Bonnie Raitt and H.E.R. have proved, commercial success isn’t valued in the category; meaningful lyrics rich in emotion, however, are.
Both a chart-topper and captivatingly written, the obvious successor to this trend would be Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”, a melancholic ballad released for the 2023 blockbuster film “Barbie.” Lyrically paralleling the song to the existential crisis Barbie faces in the film, Eilish delivers an emotional portrayal of losing her own direction in life. With its recent win at the Golden Globes and Eilish’s track record of Grammy wins, “What Was I Made For?” is the clear Song of the Year frontrunner.
More deserving is alternative pop talent Lana Del Rey’s “A&W.” At seven minutes, the song is a convoluted yet mesmerizing anecdote; it begins with Del Rey recalling innocent childhood moments, but later progresses into iterations of jagged, sleazy encounters before finally plummeting into a messy tale of lust and addiction. On the surface, “A&W” is a hazy, Americana-inspired track traversing through addiction and obscenity, yet underneath, it’s an exploration of the dysfunctional realities of modern love and sexual objectification of women.
Del Rey’s storytelling in “A&W” is far more nuanced than other nominees, posing her as the deserved winner.
Album of the Year
A culmination of the most monumental albums of 2023, the revealing of this year’s winner for Album of the Year will—dramatically—release all the anticipation looming over the Grammy’s premier honor. The category is the most difficult to predict, especially with no clearly defined trends in past winners, however, SZA’s sophomore album “SOS” is both a likely winner and the most deserving of the Grammy.
One part biting revenge fantasy, the other an introspective narration of self, “SOS” weaves both adventurous and heart-rending stories into one, surreal record. SZA masters the art of versatility in “SOS”, effortlessly switching from resentful R&B tracks like “I Hate U,” to poignant, acoustic ballads like “Nobody Gets Me,” even dipping her toes in the murky waters of grunge with “F2F.” Atop shattering Billboard records, the impressive storytelling and versatility of “SOS” make it a clear winner of “Album of the Year.”
Tune in to watch the 2024 Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4.
