2025 Grammy Predictions
A few (not so bold but very safe) thoughts
Happy Grammy day to those who celebrate!
Hope you all are doing well. The entire month of January felt like 40 days and 40 nights (more on that in a later post). In the words of Robyn Dixon from “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” I am SO glad January is not here right now. February is the new supreme.
And she’s coming in hot.
This morning, I woke up to Beyoncé’s highly-anticipated Cowboy Carter tour announcement and the not-so-anticipated news about the Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, in exchange for Anthony Davis.
I am shooketh.
But, in other news, the Grammys air tonight. And the results may shake me to my core even more. Will Beyoncé finally win album of the year? Will Sabrina Carpenter rack up all her categories? Is this Doechii’s year to win best rap album? Will “Not Like Us” be declared record of the year?
Below are my (not so bold and very safe) predictions ahead of music’s biggest night:
BEST NEW ARTIST
Teddy Swims (check out my new interview with him here)
Chappell Roan (could also win)
Shaboozey
Sabrina Carpenter (should win)
Raye
Doechii
Khruangbin
Benson Boone
- I think this is Sabrina Carpenter’s year. In this category, the Grammys LOVE to award artists who aren’t technically new but have made major strides in shaping the pop musical zeitgeist in a way that makes them feel like new artists. This is partially why giving veteran songwriter Victoria Monét this award last year simply made sense. “Short n’ Sweet” is Carpenter’s sixth album. But it felt like a debut. More than all of the artists on the list, Carpenter and Chappell Roan dominated pop music last summer. However, given Grammy history, I think they give to Carpenter, who already has six albums under her belt, instead of Roan, who has one.
But to be totally honest, this year’s list is super stacked. I wouldn’t be completely confused if any of these artists won.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Fortnight”- Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
“Good Luck, Babe!”- Chappell Roan (could also win)
“Texas Hold ‘Em”- Beyoncé
“Not Like Us”- Kendrick Lamar (should win)
“Birds of a Feather”- Billie Eilish (could also win)
“360” - Charli XCX
“Espresso”- Sabrina Carpenter
“Now and Then”- The Beatles (could pull an upset)
- This category is more focused on all the elements of a song’s structure and performance outside of actual songwriting (that’s reserved for song of the year). What would 2024 have looked like without “Not Like Us?” I don’t even want to think about it. “Not Like Us” completely owned rap last year and became one of the greatest diss tracks of all-time—a feat the other songs in this category didn’t do in their respective genres. However, the Grammys could easily make a political choice and not choose “Not Like Us,” given recent courtroom shenanigans. If that’s the case, I can see Chappell Roan getting the award. “Good Luck, Babe!” is the only single she released last year, yet it helped skyrocket her superstardom to unfathomable levels.
Remember when I said the Grammys LOVE to award veteran artists? That may help The Beatles’ case here. Similarly, the Grammys LOVE Billie Eilish. The 23-year-old already won in this category twice, and “Birds of a Feather” is among the strongest records on this list.
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Texas Hold ‘Em” - Beyoncé
“Please Please Please” - Sabrina Carpenter (should win)
“Not Like Us”- Kendrick Lamar (should also win)
“Fortnight” - Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone
“Die with a Smile” - Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars
“A Bar Song (Tipsy) - Shaboozey
“Good Luck, Babe!” - Chappell Roan
“Birds of a Feather” - Billie Eilish (could also win)
- I’ll continue to say it: this might be Sabrina Carpenter’s year to win big. “Please Please Please” didn’t only rule TikTok and the hearts of messy women everywhere because it’s catchy. The lyrics are just as indelible. I mean, I literally laugh out loud every time I hear “Heartbreak is one thing/ my ego’s another/I beg you, don't embarrass me, motherfucker".” BARS.
But almost every line in “Not Like Us” uplifted my soul. Stirred my spirit. Infiltrated my mind. Lives were changed. I doubled down on being a hater. Unfortunately, Drake’s lawsuit is the only reason why I can see the Grammys not giving “Not Like Us” what it deserves.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
“Cowboy Carter” - Beyoncé (could also win)
“Short n’ Sweet” - Sabrina Carpenter (should win)
“The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” - Chappell Roan
“The Tortured Poets Department” - Taylor Swift
“Brat” - Charli XCX (should win)
“New Blue Sun” - André 3000 (could pull an upset)
“Djesse Vol. 4” - Jacob Collier
“Hit Me Hard and Soft”- Billie Eilish
- This is the most stacked album of the year list I’ve seen in a while. I don’t envy Grammy voters at all. It’s a great reflection of 2024 in music: great musical ambiguity and greater (and newer) pop stars. While blockbuster albums from category mainstays like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish remained trending topics, they simply were not each artist’s best work.
However, because the Grammy’s have criminally snubbed Beyoncé in this category, I can see them giving her a makeup award.
And although it’s nice to see André 3000’s creative pivot get a nod (considering the last time he was in this category was his win for Outkast’s epic “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”), “New Blue Sun” is not as strong as Charli XCX’s “Brat” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet.”
8 OTHER GRAMMY THOUGHTS
Doechii wins rap album of the year (and probably best rap performance)
Charli XCX wins big in her other categories
Latto has a strong case for winning best melodic rap performance
Beyoncé should win big in the country categories
“Not Like Us” wins best rap song
Chappell Roan wins at least one of the pop categories
Muni Long wins most of her R&B categories
Rema’s “Heis” should win best global music album
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
“Debí Tirar Más Fotos”- Bad Bunny
“I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 2)” - Teddy Swims
“Vaytrix Reloaded” - Vayda