The Grammys Awards air at 7 p.m. Sunday on CBS, and TheMash couldn’t let music’s biggest night pass without making a few predictions. Here’s a look at who I think some of the winners will be in a few major categories.
ALBUM OF
THE YEAR
* “Viva La Vida Or Death And All His
Friends,” Coldplay
* “Tha Carter III,” Lil Wayne
* “Year of the Gentleman,” Ne-Yo
* “Raising Sand,” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
* “In Rainbows,” Radiohead
My pick: “In Rainbows,” Radiohead
Although every album on this list should win in its own right, I believe “In Rainbows” is the album of the year. Radiohead led the revolution with a new way of distributing albums. They let fans download the whole album for whatever price they wanted — even for free. The album is nothing less than spectacular, showing how much they care about what they do.
SONG OF THE YEAR
* “American Boy,” Estelle featuring Kanye West
* “Chasing Pavements,” Adele
* “I’m Yours,” Jason Mraz
* “Love Song,” Sara Bareilles
* “Viva La Vida,” Coldplay
My pick: “Viva La Vida,” Coldplay
The big single from Coldplay’s newest album is a doozy. It’s a song about losing power in a time when power is everything. After several years, the band still has it, mixing up the track with large bells and booming drums. Here’s to Coldplay trying for a new sound and a new message.
BEST RAP ALBUM
* “American Gangster,” Jay-Z
* “Tha Carter III,” Lil Wayne
* “The Cool,” Lupe Fiasco
* “Nas,” Nas
* “Paper Trail,” T.I.
My pick: “Tha Carter III,” Lil Wayne
Hands down, the best rap album of the year. It definitely has a strong case for best album of the year, but in its own genre, nothing comes close in either quality or popularity.
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
* “Modern Guilt,” Beck
* “Narrow Stairs,” Death Cab
for Cutie
* “The Odd Couple,” Gnarls
Barkley
* “Evil Urges,” My Morning
Jacket
* “In Rainbows,” Radiohead
My pick: “Evil Urges” My Morning Jacket
This was probably the hardest category to pick. Every single nominee deserves to win. But My Morning Jacket came out with a sound that no one has ever heard before, something that is all their own.
BEST RAP SONG
* “Lollipop,” Lil Wayne featuring Static Major
* “Low,” Flo Rida featuring
T-Pain
* “Sexual Eruption,” Snoop
Dogg
* “Superstar,” Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos
* “Swagga Like Us,” Jay-Z and
T.I. featuring Kanye West
and Lil Wayne
My pick: “Superstar,” Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos
Got to give the hometown kid a pick! This song is wonderful because it has a great message: We are all superstars. And boy, is it catchy. A nice vocal collaboration with Matthew Santos also helps make this the best rap song of the year.
Getty images, HANDOUT ART
