How to win a Grammy or die tryin'
- Kelsey
- Feb 1, 2016
- 4 min read
2015 was the year of surprises. Justin Bieber surprised the world by converting non-believers into new Beliebers with his fourth studio album “Purpose,” Adele returned from a well-deserved break to drop global smash “Hello” and 25, the follow-up album to Grammy-winning 21, we learned what a “Trap Queen” was with Fetty Wap and found out just how many tears we could actually produce thanks to Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s tribute to Paul Walker and the “Fast and Furious” franchise with “See You Again.”
So, with this year’s Grammy awards ceremony fast-approaching, in an effort in to understand what it takes to be to be a Grammy hit, we’re going to take a brief look at two of the Grammys’ most prestigious awards, Record of the Year and Song of the Year and review this year’s nominees and potential winners.
Starting things off is the irony that these two historically American-dominated award categories were first won by Italians. The year was 1959, the song “Nel Blu Diplinto Di Blu (Volare),” and it was Domenico Modugno and Franco Migliacci who walked away with these awards. As much as I personally love this song, and the version made popular by Dean Martin, it saddens me that this is the only time an Italian artist, and only one of few times any other non-American(s), won these awards. Diversity has only recently become more a pressing topic in past years when it comes to how the various academies and institutions recognize talent for awards. Flash forward almost six decades and the awards have gone to hits like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel (Song of the Year, 1971), “Beat It” by Michael Jackson (Record of the Year, 1985), “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion (Song of the Year, 1999), “Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Record of the Year, 2006) and Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)” (Song of the Year, 2015). A handful of Canadians, Brits or Australians make up some of these winners or nominees and the hope is that the range of global talent recognized can only increase.
The 2016 nominees for these two awards showcase, in my opinion, a pretty decent variety of genres and artists who made made waves beyond their respective genres and on the charts. This year’s nominees include:
Song of the Year
Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams for “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar
Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift for “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift
Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose for “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town
Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz for “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge for “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
My pick: Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz for “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
It seems that even those without the most high-profile names can walk away with Grammys and so this is why my vote for Song of the Year is for “See You Again.” Yes, Wiz Khalifa is already a well-known artist but he’s also going up against powerhouses like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. A mix of hip-hop, rap and pop, “See You Again” is arguably the tearjerker it is due in part to Charlie Puth’s vocals that he lends during the repeating verse and chorus throughout the song and hit home the whole tribute to the late Paul Walker. Its message and impact transcended global borders as it reached number one in several countries and tied the record for longest-running rap number-one in the country with Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” at 12 non-consecutive weeks. A hit and Song of the Year? I think so.
Record of the Year
“Really Love” by D’Angelo & The Vanguard
“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift
“Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd
My pick: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
I had the hardest time deciding against my homeboy Ed Sheeran but I have to believe “Uptown Funk” should be considered the Record of the Year for 2015. Drawing inspiration from 1980s funk music, it does a remarkable job of taking this great sound and updating it for a 2010s crowd with the help of Bruno Mars’ fantastic vocals. The perfect song to jam to during a solo karaoke session in the car or belt out at the club, the response to “Uptown Funk” was so great that it earned or surpassed multiple records for streaming, time spent at number one on the charts and more. Brace yourselves for the terrible impending pun...it uptown funked its way into our hearts and to the top.
Do you agree or disagree? Let us know who your picks are!
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The 58th Annual Grammy Awards air on February 15, 2016, on CBS and VH1. Check your local listings for airtimes.
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