With the Grammy Awards airing a month earlier than usual, awards season is here early. It is finally time for well established and new artists to be rewarded for all of their hard work. The nominees for the 2020 Grammy Awards were announced Wednesday. Here are six thoughts on this year’s Grammy nominations:
Lizzo remains “100% that b---h”
Lizzo came out on top scoring eight nominations, including nominations in the big four awards: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of Year and Best New Artist. Lizzo’s success in 2019 is undeniable. While remaining a role model and an inspiration to all, Lizzo has pushed musical limits. She became the first ever female rapper with the longest running No.1 single without a featured artist on the Billboard Hot 100. Her major label debut Cuz I Love You is an masterpiece and received a very well deserved nomination for Record of the Year.
Billie Eilish made history
Not only did Billie Eilish cash in with six nominations, she is also making history by becoming the youngest artist to be nominated in the top four categories. At only 17 years old, Eilish has become an icon for an entire generation. She graced the world with her album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? this year. She is definitely not going anywhere, anytime soon. There is a lot of success in the future for this young pop star.
Women run the world
The 2019 nominees are here for supporting women. For the first time in history, all of the nominees for Pop Solo Performance are women. The strong list includes music legends such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande as well as breakout artists Lizzo and Billie Eilish. Overall, women dominated the big four categories.
Taylor Swift was snubbed, again
Taylor Swift’s Lover was passed up this year for Album of the Year. This happened last year with her killer Reputation album as well. This is the first time Swift has not been nominated for Album of the Year with back-to-back studio albums. Although Lover should have been nominated for Album of the Year, Swift still scored three nominations: Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. Her song “Lover” is up for Song of the Year and is the only solo written song in the category.
Vampire Weekend had a fire comeback
Vampire Weekend brought in multiple nominations this year, including Record of the Year and Best Alternative Music Album. After a long six year wait, Vampire Weekend returned in 2019 with the carefully crafted and delightful album, Father of the Bride. It is fair to say the album was well worth the wait. Father of the Bride is a very promising contender for Album of the Year.
Lil Nas X’s 6 nominations were surprising
There is no surprise Lil Nas X’s ”Old Town Road” is up for Record of the Year, but the other nominations were definitely a bit of a shocker. This is a prime example of what we have been seeing over the years from the Grammys. Just because a song or album is popular, it does not mean it is good. His Record of the Year nomination is well deserved but his Album of The Year nomination could have been better awarded to Tyler, The Creators’ Igor or Taylor Swift’s Lover.
The 62nd Grammy Awards will air Jan. 26, 2020 on CBS.
