RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Nothin' On You" B.O.B featuring Bruno Bars
"Love The Way You Lie" Eminem Featuring Rihanna**
"F*** You" Cee Lo Green"Empire State Of Mind" Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
"Need You Now" Lady Antebellum
The greatest contenders for this category are the duos of Eminem & Rihanna and Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. Upbeat songs tend to win out over the melodramatic ones, but Em & Ri's song has the anti-domestic violence PSA background that makes it less fluff and more award-winning.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Recovery - Eminem
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
Hmm, this is a hard one. First off, I've never heard the Arcade Fire or Lady Antebellum albums and I don't think a quick listen would do them justice. But I know from hearing their names all year that the critics and the fans love the musicians behind them. I also know that people have praised Eminem for taking to the studio yet again after Relapse to produce a less depressing and angry album. But if they were to hand out awards based on who has the most fans, Gaga is the definite winner. And if it were by who has the most hits, I think Gaga and Katy would be the front-runners... I guess it all depends on what kind of message the Academy is trying to send the music industry this year. If it's "substance over flash," then Arcade Fire has it. If it's "heart over fluff," then Eminem has it. If it's "beef up your creativity, performance and production," then Gaga's got it. If it's "country is music too," then Lady Antebellum has it. Ultimately, for me, even though I own more of Katy's album than any of the other nominees, I think Gaga should get it just for effort alone. She puts more into being a musical artist than anyone in the category. It's her life. But if Katy gets it, I wouldn't mind Kanye going up there to take it for Gaga or even himself. He also put a tremendous effort into his album. However, his album came out too late to be considered for this year.SONG OF THE YEAR
"Beg Steal Or Borrow" Ray LaMontagne
"F*** You" Cee Lo Green
"The House That Built Me" Miranda Lambert
"Love The Way You Lie" Eminem featuring Rihanna**
"Need You Now" Lady AntebellumSince they list songwriter names after the title of the tracks on their website, I'm assuming they're basing their decision on lyrics and not star power—hopefully. However, it is telling that two of the songs are from Country artists, so maybe star power doesn't factor into this category at all. I think Cee Lo is out automatically, because rarely does a profane song win accolades. And I also think it would be interesting if a lesser globally-known artist won the award, but I'm pretty sure Em & Ri are going to take it home. That said, I actually like that Lady Antebellum song.
BEST NEW ARTIST
Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence & the MachineMumford & Sons
Esperanza Spalding
I think most of America will be like, "Who?" to the last two nominees, and Florence & the Machine has only had one hit, so it's unfair to suggest that she could possibly compete with Bieber or Drake, who've had multiple. My vote is for Drake, because he's incredibly talented lyrically and production-wise. I wouldn't advise giving Bieber the impression this is his best work. He has charisma, but he hasn't reached Justin Timberlake-SexyBack levels just yet. Wait until then, then shower him with awards. This is just the beginning.
BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"King of Anything" Sara Bareilles
"Halo (Live)" Beyoncé**
"Chasing Pirates" Norah Jones"Bad Romance" Lady Gaga
"Teenage Dream" Katy Perry
This category is a piece of cake. Who sings the best and has the song that displays their range the best? Beyonce. Done. Ballads always top Pop songs.
BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Haven't Met You Yet" Michael Bublé
"This Is It" Michael Jackson"Whataya Want From Me" Adam Lambert
"Just The Way You Are" Bruno Mars
"Half Of My Heart" John MayerLook, I love Michael Jackson, but I think that his window for posthumous awards has closed. I think the competition is really between Bruno Mars and Michael Bublé. Normally John Mayer has an amazingly sexy, raspy voice that does the trick, but I think "Half Of My Heart" isn't his best work. Bublé and Mars, while not stretching their vocals to the limits, do however have that soulful crooning thing down. Mars will probably get it for being the chart-topper, but Bublé is due. I mean, it's about time he gets acknowledged for successfully taking up the Frank Sinatra gauntlet without sounding like a poser.
BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Don't Stop Believin' (Regionals Version)" Glee Cast
"Misery" Maroon 5"The Only Exception" Paramore
"Babyfather" Sade"Hey, Soul Sister (Live)" Train
This is a confusing category. First off, even if all of the nominees were groups, not all of them are singing, so how could we determine which group sings the best? Secondly, if we were actually choosing groups, since when is Sade a group? I think the main contenders are Glee and Train because of their mass appeal and radio domination, but Glee's track might be too old to overpower Train's. My favorite is Paramore, because Hayley's vocals reach new levels of awesome on that single.BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"Airplanes, Part II" B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams
"Imagine" Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare
"If It Wasn't For Bad" Elton John & Leon Russell"Telephone" Lady Gaga & Beyoncé
"California Gurls" Katy Perry & Snoop DoggIt's hard to believe that heavyweights like Elton John and Herbie Hancock are going up against this generation's offerings, but I don't think their years of experience will benefit them. If the Academy goes for the popular vote, Gaga and Beyonce are sure to get it. If they go by radio domination, Hayley and B.O.B. have got it locked. But if you listen for yourself, the award belongs to the voices on "Imagine." Even if they weren't good, they should get it just for having so many diverse artists on the track.
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
My World 2.0 - Justin Bieber
I Dreamed A Dream - Susan Boyle
The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga
Battle Studies - John Mayer
Teenage Dream - Katy PerryI'm amazed that both Susan Boyle and John Mayer count as Pop. Regardless, my vote's for Mayer. He has some great tracks on that album that are far more superior to Bieber and Katy. I love Gaga but I feel like she spends more time talk-singing than actually singing. But if she doesn't get it, Bieber will.
BEST DANCE RECORDING
"Rocket" Goldfrapp
"In For The Kill" La Roux
"Dance In The Dark" Lady Gaga
"Only Girl (In The World)" Rihanna**
"Dancing On My Own" RobynSomething about Rihanna's chorus just makes me want to strut down a runway. Hands-down, best dance track of them all. However, I do love Robyn and if this wasn't such a sad song, it'd be my front-runner. Side note: I think it's pretty funny that none of these singers actually dance very well—unless you count Gaga's erratic movements...which I don't.
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR A GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Ready To Start" Arcade Fire
"I Put A Spell On You" Jeff Beck & Joss Stone
"Tighten Up" The Black Keys
"Radioactive" Kings Of Leon**
"Resistance" MuseWhile it's true that Joss Stone is killing that song and Muse aint half bad either, who's heard their songs? They're just not popular enough. Kings of Leon, however, took over the radiowaves with that track. I think it's only real competition are The Black Keys.
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Infinite Arms - Band Of HorsesBrothers - The Black Keys
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Contra - Vampire Weekend
I think Arcade Fire's got everyone beat based on the rave reviews, but it would be great if Vampire Weekend could take this one home. Contra was awesome!BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Gone Already" Faith Evans
"Bittersweet" Fantasia
"Everything To Me" Monica
"Tired" Kelly Price
"Holding You Down (Going In Circles)" Jazmine Sullivan
Both Kelly and Monica have incredible vocals, but Monica's is more popular. Regardless, I think Jazmine Sullivan will win solely because she's new to the game and is bringing a new sound to the scene.BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Second Chance" El DeBarge
"Finding My Way Back" Jaheim"Why Would You Stay" Kem
"We're Still Friends" (Kirk Whalum &) Musiq Soulchild
"There Goes My Baby" Usher
Based on vocals alone, DeBarge really hits the notes, but Usher will probably win on popularity alone.BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Love" Chuck Brown, Jill Scott & Marcus Miller
"Take My Time" Chris Brown & Tank
"You've Got A Friend" Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin
"Shine" John Legend & The Roots**
"Soldier Of Love" SadeI realize that there should be a shelf life on how long we "punish" Chris Brown, but...I don't really care. The Roots kick ass on a daily basis. Just ask the viewers of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."
BEST R&B SONG
"Bittersweet" Fantasia
"Finding My Way Back" Jaheim
"Second Chance" El DeBarge
"Shine" John Legend & The Roots**
"Why Would You Stay" KemSame verdict as above.
BEST R&B ALBUM
The Love & War Masterpeace - Raheem DeVaughn
Back To Me - Fantasia
Another Round - Jaheim
Wake Up! - John Legend & The Roots**
Still Standing - MonicaLooks like a sweep. lol
BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM
Graffiti - Chris Brown
Untitled - R. Kelly
Transition - Ryan Leslie
The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monáe
Raymond V Raymond - Usher
Hmm, this is a hard one. I've only heard three of them (Graffiti, The ArchAndroid, and Raymond V Raymond). And while I do like Janelle's creativity, I don't think any of them deserve to be awarded. But if I had to choose, I'd choose Janelle. They, however, will most likely choose Usher. BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Over" Drake**
"Not Afraid" Eminem
"How Low" Ludacris"I'm Back" T.I.
"Power" Kanye West
Substance-wise, I'd choose Eminem. Lyrically, I'd choose Drake. But honestly, I don't know what the popular vote would be. It seems even between Drake, Eminem, and Kanye.BEST RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
"Shutterbugg" Big Boi & Cutty
"Fancy" Drake feat. T.I. & Swizz Beatz
"On To The Next One" Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz**
"My Chick Bad" Ludacris & Nicki Minaj"Lose My Mind" Young Jeezy feat. Plies
I'm not going to lie. I heard the first 3 notes of "Shutterbug" and crowned it the winner. lol Seriously, listen to it. The beat is amazing. However, I have no idea what he's saying. He's rhyming so fast it makes me dizzy. The winner, of course, will be Jay-Z. I play that track almost every other day. Although, I do acknowledge that "My Chick Bad" has some hot lyrics.
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
"Nothin' On You" B.o.B & Bruno Mars
"Deuces" Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall
"Love The Way You Lie" Eminem & Rihanna
"Empire State Of Mind" Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
"Wake Up! Everybody" John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & CommonHmm, another hard one. They're all so good. My personal favorite is Jay-Z's because it captures NYC so well, but both "Wake Up! Everybody" and "Love The Way You Lie" have powerful messages.
BEST RAP SONG
"Empire State Of Mind" Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
"Love The Way You Lie" Eminem & Rihanna
"Not Afraid" Eminem
"Nothin' On You" B.o.B & Bruno Mars
"On To The Next One" Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz**
Lol This is actually only tough because it's Jay-Z vs. Jay-Z. Needless to say, I think he's got it in the bag.BEST RAP ALBUM
The Adventures Of Bobby Ray - B.o.B
Thank Me Later - Drake
Recovery - EminemThe Blueprint 3 - Jay-Z
How I Got Over - The RootsI'm pretty sure if Drake beats Jay-Z, his head will explode on stage. hahaha Or at least in his mind. They're definitely the top contenders.
Check out the other categories.
Sade has always been a group, composed of four members:Sade Adu, Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denman & Andrew Hale. They just named the band after the lead singer...
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