CAN ANYONE BEAT BEYONCÉ FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR?
Beyoncé led the Grammy Awards nominations with nine, and Drake, Kanye West and Rihanna all tied for second with eight each. But what does it all mean? And who’s likely to win? USA TODAY’s Patrick Ryan and Maeve McDermott break it all down.
In a just world, Beyoncé will take the stage on Feb. 12 to accept the album-of-the- year Grammy Award for her audacious, emotional masterpiece Lemonade. But don’t start engraving her trophy just yet. By most accounts, the pop star should be a shoo- in for the Recording Academy’s top prize. Leading the pack with nine total nominations, Lemonade is the most critically acclaimed of the five album nominees ( the others are Adele’s 25, Drake’s Views, Justin Bieber’s Purpose and Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth). With its unapologetic celebration of black identity, headline- grabbing allusions to infidelity and surprise release as an hour- long visual on HBO in April, it’s also safe to say that no one album captured the cultural zeitgeist as effectively — or ambitiously — as Beyoncé’s sixth studio effort.
But the genre- bending singer has twice been passed over for album of the year in favor of safer, similarly acclaimed records: Taylor Swift’s Fearless, which overtook Beyoncé’s I Am ... Sasha Fierce in 2010; and Beck’s Morning Phase, which inspired a Kanye West stage- rushing fake- out when it won over her self- titled fifth album last year. Rock has historically been catnip to academy voters, which could pave the way to a win for bluesy country singer Simpson, whose major- label debut A Sailor’s Guide to Earth has been hailed as a songwriting triumph by music critics.
Also working against Lemonade: It hasn’t racked up nearly the numbers of Adele’s top- selling 25, Drake’s streaming juggernaut Views or even Bieber’s triple- platinum- certified Purpose. The latter two will likely settle for their first album- of- the- year nominations as lead artists, though Adele could pose a serious threat to Beyoncé in the category. After all, the British powerhouse is a 10- time Grammy winner whose 21 swept the top prizes in 2011. And while 25 wasn’t as rapturously received by critics as the former, its astonishing 9.1 million copies sold ( and counting) show that fan interest hasn’t waned.
But if there’s one thing most people can agree on about Beyoncé, it’s that she’s a tireless, captivating performer — and the “flawless” diva has certainly done her part this past year in trying to win over all sectors of America: on tour, at the Super Bowl and during multiple awards shows ( including last month’s CMA Awards, where she performed with the Dixie Chicks). Factor in song nominations in rock ( Don’t Hurt Yourself ), rap ( Freedom) and pop ( Hold Up) categories, and Lemonade’s crossover appeal could finally land her the Grammys’ highest honor.