Log In


Reset Password
  • MENU
    Music
    Thursday, May 09, 2024

    Will Adele be the belle of the Grammy ball?

    Adele performs on stage during the 2011 Brit Awards in London. Adele, who had surgery on her vocal cords last year, will perform at the Grammys on Sunday. She is also nominated for six awards.

    Adele is the rare star who doesn't need multiple magazine covers, a cosmetics contract or a clothing line to sell albums. She does it all based on the strength of that sumptuous voice and those stirring songs.

    That's a rarity in today's pop world, where artists are overexposed and their music often comes second to what they're promoting in tandem with it.

    Adele scored an unlikely critical and commercial triumph with "21," last year's best-selling album, all based off the artistry of songs like "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You." And she'll be richly rewarded come Sunday, when the Grammys hand out their trophies at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. (It airs at 7 p.m. on CBS.) While Kanye West is the lead nominee with seven, Adele, who's up for six, will be the act who dominates - well, at least that's what WE think.

    Here's how the AP predicts the trophies will shake out Grammy night.

    ALBUM OF THE YEAR: "21," Adele; "Wasting Light," Foo Fighters; "Born This Way," Lady Gaga; "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," Bruno Mars; "Loud," Rihanna.

    Moody: The Grammys are famous for ignoring the shoo-in for some underdog in the top category, leading to a big shocker. That's just not gonna happen this year, though. None of these other albums can really even make the critical argument that they're better than "21," Adele's phenomenal and phenomenally successful album. This will be the topper on Adele's coronation on Grammy night.

    Fekadu: So let's talk about who definitely won't win: Sorry Gaga, Bruno and Rih Rih. Foo Fighters, who strongly represent rock "n' roll in a pop/dance-dominated music world, has a chance. Well, no they don't. In one year Adele's "21" has sold more than six million copies and changed many lives, and I'm sure some of those people are members of The Recording Academy. She better give her ex a shout-out in her victory speech!

    RECORD OF THE YEAR: "Rolling In the Deep," Adele; "Holocene," Bon Iver; "Grenade," Bruno Mars; "The Cave," Mumford & Sons; "Firework," Katy Perry.

    Fekadu: The real competition here is between Adele and Mumford & Sons - whose songs are the best two of the bunch. But Adele not only had the record of the year, she had the best voice of the year, the best live performance of the year and the best everything of the year. She even had (one of the) best styles of the year (all black works, man!) If she doesn't win, I sure hope Kanye West jumps onstage and yells: "Adele had the best record of all-time. OF ALL-TIME!"

    Moody: Technically Adele has competition in this category, but really folks? None. As big as "Grenade" and "Firework" were, they are no match for Adele's smoldering performance, and Mumford & Sons and Bon Iver should split the bearded-hipster-indie cred vote. Adele takes home the trophy.

    SONG OF THE YEAR (songwriters): "All of the Lights," Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West; "The Cave," Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston; "Grenade," Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Andrew Wyatt; "Holocene," Justin Vernon; "Rolling In the Deep," Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth.

    Moody: Vernon is the only one to write a song without any help in this category, but as hauntingly beautiful as "Holocene" is, it's a little too obscure to really win here. "Rolling in the Deep" would be the obvious choice - a little too obvious, perhaps. It's a risk, but I'm betting that Grammy voters finally give Kanye a little love after wrongly dissing him for album of the year - just when he's starting not to care anymore.

    Fekadu: She's wrong. I'm a Kanye supporter - well sometimes I am - but he shouldn't win this for a number of reasons. No.1, "All of the Lights" should NOT be the first rap song to earn this award. No. 2, the song is catchy, but is it great enough to be nominated here? He should have won this honor years ago for "Jesus Walks." But, Halle Berry did win the Oscar for "Monster's Ball" instead of "Losing Isaiah." OK, back to the music. Oh yeah, this will be going to Mumford & Sons.

    NEW ARTIST: The Band Perry; Bon Iver; J. Cole; Nicki Minaj; Skrillex.

    Fekadu: It's nice to see an electronic artist like Skrillex here, but he won't win. J. Cole's votes won't match those for Minaj. If Barbies could vote, Minaj would have a better shot. So it's down to critical indie group Bon Iver and The Band Perry, who have won so many music honors from all 10,000 of those awards shows for country music. I guess that means they'll win here, too.

    Moody: Skrillex is probably the least known act, but like Mesfin says, he won't pull off an Esperanza Spalding-type upset this year. Bon Iver is the indie choice but did anyone really listen to that album outside of the Pitchfork-set? J. Cole is too new, so that leaves us with a battle between Nicki Minaj and The Band Perry. As super-hot as Minaj is, I'm guessing Grammy voters will choose the musicianship of the sibling trio, who also had great commercial success with "If I Die Young," making them the balanced choice.

    Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.