This is first of two entries regarding my current predictions for Grammy recognition.
Answer: They're both recipients of the most coveted award in music, the Grammy.
[PS: It was a joke, if you're still scratching your head...]
Since 1958, the National Academy for Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) has awarded a golden gramophone (appellation: Grammy) to artists, songwriters and producers for their outstanding achievement(s) in music. The award has essentially become music's "Oscar" and, ostensibly, almost everyone affiliated with the industry yearns for one.
The four most prestigious categories at the Grammys are: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist and Album of the Year. Although the "eligibility period" for this year's crop of music doesn't end until September 30, it's never too soon to start reviewing some of the frontrunners heretofore:
"Song of the Year"
[The "Song of the Year" award is given to the composer of the song, and the award recipient is recognized for his/her lyrical achievement]
-"Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
-"Hey, Soul Sister," Train
-"Haven't Met You Yet," Michael Bublé
-"Fireflies," Owl City
-"Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
There is always a country song in this category, so what better song than Lady Antebellum's tongue-in-cheek, yet highly infectious "Need You Now"? "Hey, Soul Sister," in my opinion, is a pretty trite entry, but it exudes Grammy worthiness with its ukulele-driven melody and catchy hook. Not to mention, Train made it into the category nine years ago with "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)," so NARAS will have no problem welcoming them back. Michael Bublé has yet to receive an invitation to NARAS' upper echelon, but "Haven't Met You Yet" is, by far, his most commercial single to date; that will certainly work in his favor. In recent years, an unofficial spot for an alternative band has surfaced in this category (e.g., Hoobastank's "The Reason"; "Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody"; "Plain White T's "Hey There, Delilah") and I believe Owl City will be that act this year with their #1 hit, "Fireflies." The category tends to include one sure-fire hit and Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" certainly meets that requirement. Besides, "Bad Romance" has become the eccentric pop star's most well-received single of her short career.
"Record of the Year,"
[The award for "Record of the Year" is commonly confused with the "Song of the Year" award. This is awarded to the artist/group who recorded the song, as well as the individuals who produced, mixed and arranged the record. While there is no commercial standard, the songs recognized in this category tend to be some of the higher-charting releases of the year]
-"Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
-"Hey, Soul Sister," Train
-"Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
-"Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
-"Bulletproof," La Roux
"Record of the Year" has become such a hazy category to predict because in the age of the digital single, it's not difficult for a song to make it the summit of the billboard charts. In years past, almost any song that managed to stay atop the charts for multiple weeks was guaranteed an invitation to this category. But in a time where the biggest song of the year is "Tik Tok" as opposed to "I Will Always Love You," that is no longer true. Be that as it may, the sole number-one song I've included in this category, "Empire State of Mind," has to be the clear favorite for this award. The record is the rap mogul's first (yes, FIRST) number-one hit, it instantly became the unofficial anthem of NYC and it was a musical tour de force. Sounds like a winner. Elsewhere, "Bad Romance" was pretty huge in its own right, and "Hey, Soul Sister," and "Need You Now" were forces to be reckoned with on the airwaves. For full disclosure, I had no idea what to include to occupy the fifth slot, but decided to go with La Roux's "Bulletproof" simply because it was a top ten hit that didn't include a slang or blatant misspelling.
My predictions for Best New Artist and Album of the Year coming soon...
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