Winter: the most wonderful time of the year. A time for celebrating the new year, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, and most importantly, the Grammy Awards. 

Oh wait! The ceremony got delayed.

Spring: the second most wonderful time of the year. A time for celebrating our favorite Jewish holiday, Purim, and our favorite birthdays (March 27, people, Spencer Davis is expecting gifts). This year, the 64th annual Grammy Awards Ceremony is being held at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center) on April 3. The Recording Academy seemingly learned their lesson after snubbing The Weeknd’s excellent 80s synth-pop album After Hours. This year’s nominations are packed full of fan favorites, well-deserved nominations… and more industry darlings because they can never be too fair. Without further ado, The Roar presents our annual picks for the 64th annual Grammy Awards.

Record Of The Year

Record Of The Year is awarded to the artist, producer(s), recording engineer(s) and/or mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s). The Record Of The Year award is not only for songwriting, but for the composition and recording of the song.

“I Still Have Faith In You” – ABBA

“Freedom” – John Batiste

“I Get A Kick Out Of You” – Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

“Peaches” – Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon

“Right On Time” – Brandi Carlile

“Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat Featuring SZA

“Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish

“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X

“drivers license” – Olivia Rodrigo

“Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic

Our Pick: “Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat Featuring SZA

For Record Of The Year, we picked “Kiss Me More” from Jewish icon Doja Cat and R&B legend SZA. Their collaboration on the song encapsulates everything we love about radio music today. It blends the styles of disco and modern hip-hop, creating a twist on the classic pop-rap format. While SZA’s voice is smooth and angelic, Doja Cat’s is more punchy. The sultry, airy choruses juxtapose the animated rap verses. The track is about female empowerment and reclaiming sexuality, a theme that is prevalent throughout Doja Cat’s discography. Proven successful through the song’s numerous nominations and wins in other award shows, we’re putting our money on “Kiss Me More” for Record Of The Year.

Album Of The Year

We Are – Jon Batiste

Love For Sale – Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) – Justin Bieber

Planet Her (Deluxe) – Doja Cat

Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish

Back Of My Mind – H.E.R.

Montero – Lil Nas X

Sour – Olivia Rodrigo

Evermore – Taylor Swift

Donda – Kanye West

Our Pick: Planet Her (Deluxe) – Doja Cat

Doja Cat also wins our Album Of The Year with her unique sound on Planet Her. Including the single “Kiss Me More” and three others, nearly every song became a hit. Though she initially rose to fame with the comedic song, “Mooo!” she has far outgrown that reputation, becoming an international pop sensation. Planet Her renews the 2000s pop-rap craze with a Reggaeton twist and futuristic production. Looking through Planet Her’s tracklist, listeners are bound to recognize the songs from their TikTok For You pages, as Doja Cat gained much of her notoriety on the app. Her songs became popular for their catchy hooks and unconventional sounds that break from the monotony of the pop charts. From rap legends like Young Thug to modern pop powerhouses like Ariana Grande, the album features a diverse list of artists. It shows Doja Cat’s range and wide appeal, as both the most successful female rapper and one of the most successful female pop vocalists of the moment.

Song Of The Year

The Song Of The Year award is for songwriters, and is awarded to singles or tracks that exhibit excellent songwriting.

“Bad Habits” – Ed Sheeran

“A Beautiful Noise” – Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile

“drivers license” – Olivia Rodrigo

“Fight For You” – H.E.R.

“Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish

“Kiss Me More” – Doja Cat Featuring SZA

“Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic

“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X

“Peaches” – Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon

“Right On Time” – Brandi Carlile

Our Pick: “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish

Though our pick for Record Of The Year went to “Kiss Me More,” our Song Of The Year goes to Billie Eilish’s latest hit, “Happier Than Ever.” The song takes the listener on a journey from the quiet acoustic intro to an absolutely explosive rock and roll ending, full of raw angst and anger. After just a few listens, Eilish fans found themselves belting out the lyrics to the fiery conclusion. As Eilish’s longtime collaborator and brother, FINNEAS, said in an interview on the Zach Sang Show, the track has a similar effect to that of Bohemian Rhapsody, where it “starts in one place [and] goes to a completely different place.” The slowly transitioning instrumental takes listeners on the same emotional journey that Eilish experienced with this relationship. In that same interview, FINNEAS said that the duo initially wrote the song on an acoustic guitar, and that “producing that song with the big rock and roll ending was just about reflecting the lyrics.” While it’s hard to separate the lyrics from their incredible production, the lyrics alone invoke this feeling of absolute frustration and rage. The simplistic arrangement demonstrates just how impactful the lyrics and composition are, making the choice for this award a no-brainer.

Best New Artist

Arooj Aftab

Jimmie Allen

Baby Keem

FINNEAS

Glass Animals

Japanese Breakfast

The Kid LAROI

Arlo Parks

Olivia Rodrigo

Saweetie

Our Pick: Olivia Rodrigo

The latest in a long line of Disney Channel stars turned pop idols, Olivia Rodrigo is our pick for Best New Artist. On her debut album, Sour, Rodrigo struck a chord with teens with relatable lyrics detailing her breakup and struggles as a teenager. Initially, her role in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series showed audiences her talent as a performer. 

With Sour, Rodrigo has once again proven that she is a talented artist. While “drivers license” was her first hit, each and every song on the album got the attention it deserved. Songs like “brutal” and “jealousy jealousy” speak to teenage insecurity and the struggles of growing up in modern society. 

As a young successful artist, Rodrigo is able to speak to Gen Z’s daily struggles that older artists like Taylor Swift cannot. “deja vu” details her frustrations with the repetitive nature of relationships through a story about introducing her boyfriend to Billy Joel music, a storyline that many Gen Z listeners relate to. Sour exhibits all of Olivia Rodrigo’s strengths, dabbling in everything from a pop ballad to a pop-punk anthem. As the album gained traction, Rodrigo proved that she was more than just a Disney Channel star.

Best Rap Album

The Off-Season – J. Cole

Certified Lover Boy – Drake

King’s Disease II – Nas

Call Me If You Get Lost – Tyler, The Creator

Donda – Kanye West

Our Pick: Call Me If You Get Lost – Tyler, The Creator

Call Me If You Get Lost is a full-circle moment for Tyler, The Creator’s career, melding the relentless rap delivery from his early albums with the beautiful lyricism and intricate production of his past two projects. On songs like “CORSO,” Tyler uses the synth lines that made tracks on Igor so beloved to reinforce and complement his rapping. DJ Drama, who is best known for executive producing and hosting the Gangsta Grillz series of mixtapes in the early 2000s, features heavily on the project, underscoring Tyler’s unrelenting delivery with various adlibs and shoutouts. His inclusion demonstrates Tyler’s attention to detail and passion for the genre, injecting the entire project with an underground, early-2000s vibe. Though every album listed deserves the award in its own right, our choice for this year’s Best Rap Album goes to Call Me If You Get Lost by Tyler, The Creator.