Just like many other music-obsessed individuals who analyze song lyrics in their Notes app, I’ve had my fair share of music exposure in 2023. From tear-jerking albums to songs that’ll have you performing in your empty bedroom, 2023 has had a pretty noteworthy discography.
As we start approaching the end of 2023 (hold the “already?”), the Annual Grammy Awards Show ties up the wide variety of music we listened to in 2023 with a bow. By awarding titles such as Record of the Year and Best New Artist, musicians are acknowledged for both their talents and impacts over the past year. After viewing the list of nominations released by the Grammys on Nov. 10, here are my predicted winners for a few of the biggest awards to be presented at the 66th Annual Grammys.
Record of the Year
Nominations
“Worship” by Jon Batiste
“Not Strong Enough” by boygenius
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie by Billie Eilish
“On My Mama” by Victoria Monét
“Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
“Kill Bill” by SZA
For my prediction for the winner of Record of the Year, I have to throw my biases to the side. As an avid boygenius fan, I am undoubtedly rooting for “Not Strong Enough” to take home the title. Although this song had an astronomical impact on me personally, the impact of Billie Eilish’s song “What Was I Made For?”, featured in the Barbie movie, is untouched.
This song blew up on social media unlike any other song in 2023. The popularity of Barbie also plays a factor in my prediction. Even though nominations like “Kill Bill,” “Vampire,” and “Anti-Hero” also grew to quick popularity, Ellish’s song’s association with Barbie allowed the song to stay relevant for much longer.
Album of the Year
Nominations
World Music Radio by Jon Batiste
the record by boygenius
Endless Summer Vacation by Miley Cyrus
Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey
The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monàe
GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo
Midnights by Taylor Swift
SOS by SZA
Even after racking my brain for longer than I’d like to admit, I still struggle to pluck a confident prediction from this star-studded nomination list. The majority of these artists were also nominated for Song of the Year, speaking to the difficulty of anticipating a winner of this award. To me, two albums stand out amongst the rest: GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo and Midnights by Taylor Swift.
These two albums not only had a drastic range of music styles within the album but also an abundance of hit songs. Even though both albums are deserving, I’m predicting Taylor Swift will take home the win for Album of the Year. Swift’s Eras Tour has been massive and impactful, increasing the sheer popularity of her music drastically. This popularity alongside Midnights having been released significantly earlier in the year than GUTS makes me lean toward Swift for this award.
Song Of the Year
Nominations
“A&W” by Lana Del Rey
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
“Butterfly” Jon Batiste
“Dance The Night” From Barbie the movie, by Dua Lipa
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
“Kill Bill” by SZA
“Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo
“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish
For those of you unsure of the difference between Song of the Year and Record of the Year, let me ease your confusion. According to the Grammys themselves, the Record of the Year deals with a specific recording of a song, acknowledging the artists alongside producers and engineers. Song of the Year, on the other hand, focuses on the composition of a song and acknowledges the songwriters.
For Song of the Year, I predict another close call between Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. The songwriting in “Vampire” and “Anti-Hero” stands out because of Swift and Rodrigo’s descriptive songwriting. Lyrics such as “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism like some kind of Congressman?” (Swift) and “I see the parties and the diamonds sometimes when I close my eyes. Six months of torture you sold as some forbidden paradise” (Rodrigo) are perfect examples of how these artists have a way with words.
The musical compositions of these songs have become the determining factor for my prediction, and I’m betting “Vampire” will take home the cake. The melodies in “Vampire” switch from slow and calm to fast and upbeat, creating an interesting pop rhythm within the song.
Best New Artist
Nominations
Gracie Abrams
Fred again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Coco Jones
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War and Treaty
The Grammy’s Best New Artist award recognizes an artist with a growing potential to become a music legend in the future, not necessarily an artist that just started up — so you might see a familiar name or two on this list. For my prediction, two names are jumping off the page: Gracie Abrams and Noah Kahan.
Abrams and Kahan are both hot topics in the music world as of late who are brewing their star potential. Following the release of her album Good Riddance, Abrams not only went on her own tour but was also an opener for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour this year. These tours, specifically the Eras Tour, allowed Abrams to expand her audience and grow her popularity drastically in 2023.
On the other hand, Kahan’s latest album Stick Season exploded online when the album’s title track went viral on TikTok. Capitalizing on the internet’s obsession with the folky album, Kahan set off on his We’ll All Be Here Forever tour. Kahan’s tour only furthered his stardom, allowing him to have an abundance of collaborations. Kahan has collaborated with Post Malone, Lizzy McAlpine, Zach Bryan, and Hozier all within the past year, a testament to his ability to mesh with a wide variety of sounds. These collaborations made the difference in my prediction, and I think Kahan is going to be taking home the Grammy.
Even though the Grammys is a while away, taking place on Feb. 4 (I’m upset too), I will be counting down the days until these outstanding artists are recognized — and, of course, to see if my predictions come true.
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