Will voters take the ‘Old Town Road’?
NEW YORK » The 2020 Grammy Awards are shaping up to be the night of the new kids, with Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X leading in nominations.
Those acts, who all released huge No. 1 hits in the last year, have strong chances of beating their more- seasoned competitors, from Lady Gaga to Vampire Weekend to Ariana Grande.
Or maybe they won’t. If there’s one thing we can predict about the Grammys, it’s that the oddball act might actually win. Remember when Beck beat out Beyoncé? Or when Steely Dan won album of the year over Eminem? Or when Milli Vanilli ... OK, I’ll stop.
Who knows how things will really play out Sunday, when the awards are handed out live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Here are some good guesses from Associated Press music writers Mesfin Fekadu and Nekesa Mumbi Moody.
Album of the year
“I,I,” Bon Iver; “Norman (Expletive) Rockwell!,” Lana Del Rey; “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” Billie Eilish; “Thank U, Next,” Ariana Grande; “I Used to Know Her,” H.E.R.; “7,” Lil Nas X; “Cuz I Love You (Deluxe),” Lizzo; “Father of the Bride,” Vampire Weekend.
FEKADU » This seriously could go so many ways, but let’s start with who most likely won’t win: Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande, H.E.R. and Lizzo. The other four will split a lot of the votes, eliminating Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend as possible winners. Left are Lana Del Rey, whose album was critically acclaimed and praised, and Billie Eilish, who was not just the year’s brightest newcomer, but arguably the year’s most successful singer. Though I want to say Eilish will win here, something in my gut is telling me that Lana, who has consistently released top notch music for the last eight years, will be celebrating her firstever Grammy win Sunday night.
MOODY » It would be a cool moment to have the 18-year-old Billie become the youngest to ever take home a best album Grammy, and she certainly deserves it! But with arguably the night’s top honor, Grammy voters tend to want their winners to have a few years under their belt before granting them the biggest win of their career. While none of the nominees here have their AARP card, Lana Del Rey has been around long enough to be the veteran. After a career that got off to a rocky start, she has become one of the more acclaimed singer-songwriters of her generation, and therefore will be victorious Sunday night.
RECORD OF THE YEAR » “Hey, Ma,” Bon Iver; “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish; “7 Rings,” Ariana Grande; “Hard Place,” H.E.R.; “Talk,” Khalid; “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus; “Truth Hurts,” Lizzo; “Sunflower,” Post Malone and Swae Lee.
MOODY » Clearly Lil Nas X had the most popular song of the year with “Old Town Road,” even breaking Mariah Carey’s record for the most weeks at No. 1 with his country-rap hybrid. But this isn’t the American Music Awards where popularity counts, and I don’t think a song that started out from TikTok is going to win voters over. “Truth Hurts” wasn’t at No. 1 as long as “Old Town Road” but may have resonated far, be