The 68th Grammy nominations have just dropped, and as always, there are some artists that deserved the nomination and some that got snubbed. We had a chance to look over the categories and nominees, and we have some opinions.
Record of the Year is a category that honors the performance and production of a single track. We are hoping Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” wins as it blends new pop with elements of synth. We also appreciate the overall message because it talks about not dating a man who will only drag you down. Even though we were very happy Sabrina got a nomination, we can’t help feeling as if Alex Warren got snubbed. His breakout song, “The Ordinary,” was at the top of the U.S chart for 10 consecutive weeks, yet didn’t get nominated.
Album of the Year is one of the most prestigious Grammy awards, as it focuses on the album as a whole. There are many strong contenders such as Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber, however we want Tyler the Creator’s “Chromakopia” to win. We may be a bit biased, because we saw the album’s concert in the summer, however this album is truly one of his best. It is a narrative looking back at his life and the constant pressure he felt from the music industry. Even with the great collection of nominees, some believe certain artists, like Morgan Wallen, should have been nominated. We personally do not agree because he has faced immense backlash for controversial actions.
Best duo or group performance is going to be a hard category to win this year. “Defying Gravity” by Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande, “Golden (From “KPop Demon Hunters)” byHUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI, “Gabriela” by KATSEYE, “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, and “30 For 30” by SZA With Kendrick Lamar are all really strong contenders, however our pick is “Golden.” This song was featured in the hit “Kpop Demon Hunters” and was in Netflix’s top 10 for 21 consecutive weeks. The movie was a hit among all age groups and featured unique characters and storylines. The only considered snub for this category is “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter featuring Dolly Parton, however as much as we love both of these artists, it was not their best work.
Best New Artist is probably one of the more controversial grammy categories. Many people disagree on what it means to be a new artist. We believe that new doesn’t necessarily mean when they debuted, but when the artist gained popularity. The nominated artists include KATSEYE, Sombr, Alex Warren, Addison Rae, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, Leon Thomas, and, who we think deserves the win, The Marias. The Marias continue to be undervalued and snubbed by major award shows, so we would love to see them win. They have a really unique way of singing and using instrumentals that make them sound ethereal. KATSEYE, a girl group, is another group we wouldn’t mind winning. KATSEYE brings girl groups to a whole new generation, and they do it well. To us, all of these artists are deserving of a win, and the academy made no snubs.
The final category we feel strongly about was Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media. This category includes soundtracks from both movies and TV shows. The movies/shows include: “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Sinners,” “Wicked,” “Severance: Season 2,” and “The Wild Robot.” We haven’t seen “Severance,” however we have seen everything else. We think that “Wicked” deserves the award because its soundtrack blends traditional theatre sound with pop music. Songs like “Defying Gravity”, “Popular”, and “What is this Feeling” are played everywhere. From grocery stores, to advertisements, and even in gyms we hear the “Wicked” soundtrack. The movie “Wicked” reminded people of their love for theatre and brought the classic musical to a new generation.
This year’s Grammy nominations were overall deserved although there were also some snubs that were involved. We think that some artists and songs did not deserve to be nominated, while others that did were unfortunately robbed. Watching the Grammy’s is always a yearly tradition and everyone around the world is hoping that their favorite artists win. So we hope that in the end, the true winners earned the title of not only a Grammy nominee—but a Grammy winner.
