As we get closer to the Sunday”s Grammy Awards, we”re making our predictions in the Big Four categories: Record, album, song of the year and best new artist.
Yesterday, we tackled Record of the Year. Today, we look at the award artists covet the most: Album of the Year.
This year”s nominees are:
“The Blessed Unrest,” Sara Bareilles
“Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D City,” Kendrick Lamar
“The Heist,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
“Red,” Taylor Swift
It”s a weird grab bag competing in this category this year. No one, and I mean no one, predicted that Bareilles” “The Blessed Unrest” would grab one of the 5 spots, and albums that seemed like good bets, such as Justin Timberlake”s “The 20/20 Experience,” Kanye West”s “Yeezus” and Bruno Mars” “Unorthodox Jukebox,” were left by the wayside. No rap album has ever won in this category, but if one were to grab the brass ring this year, I”d give the nod to “The Heist” over “Good Kid,” simply because of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis” broader audience. Bareilles could come in and grab the award, especially if folks like the idea of voting for a total underdog, a talented one, but an underdog none the less. Daft Punk won”t win on the basis of one song, “Get Lucky.” Swift won before in 2010 for “Fearless.” Given that she will draw from both pop and country voters, I think she”ll win again.
Should Win: “The Heist”
Will Win: Taylor Swift
Who do you think will take home Album of the Year?