my 2025 grammy predictions
Written by Daphne Bryant
Image courtesy of The New York Post
I’ve never been that into award shows, but I think everyone and their mothers can agree this was a great year for music. The 2025 list of Grammy Nominations have long since released, and now I’ve had time to ruminate on the fate of the nominees. Here are my (sometimes biased, sometimes objective) predictions for the 2025 Grammy Awards.
**Let’s just get this out of the way! I am absolutely not rooting for Taylor Swift and you will not see her name on this list. XOXO <3
RECORD OF THE YEAR:“ Good Luck, Babe!” Chappell Roan
Record of the Year is an award that takes into account the artist, producer, recording engineer, mixing engineer and mastering engineer. It is an award that credits the performer and record as a whole, with the song existing in its most completed form. Of course, it’s also a bit of a popularity contest. Despite this particular list of nominations being extraordinarily stacked, I do think Chappell Roan’s“ Good Luck, Babe!” will take it home. I recently watched a video by Mix with the Masters, where the iconic Dan Nigro goes into detail about producing“ Good Luck, Babe!” I think all you have to do to understand why I’m predicting this win is listen to the last fifteen seconds of this video. This is an enchanting record that is both haunting, but makes you want to dance, but makes you want to scream at the top of your lungs, but also makes you want to cry. It’s multifaceted, took the world by storm, and empowered lesbians with toxic ex-situationships. Heck, even straight people are obsessed with the song; what’s not to love? Chappell Roan and her team created something really special here.
CLOSE SECOND –“ Birds of a Feather” Billie Eilish
This being said,Record of the Year is always one of the most competitive categories. We all know Billie Eilish’s brother FINNEAS, an artist and the genius behind her recent production, did his big one with her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” was definitely a standout track that dominated radios and TikTok, and it’s also perhaps the most “poppy” Eilish has ever gone. It’s nostalgic in a way that warms the hearts of dads everywhere, and it’s also a heartfelt love letter to her brother. With comforting vocals and melancholy progressions over an upbeat tempo, this record is an atmospheric echochamber. While I think“ Good Luck, Babe!” deserves this award, I think “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” deserves it just as much.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Hit Me Hard and Soft — Billie Eilish
As I mentioned earlier, Hit Me Hard and Soft is an incredible album with virtually NO SKIPS. Like the title implies, this album is meant to take you on a musical rollercoaster, and it is just as experimentative as it is catchy. With hits like“ LUNCH”,“ BIRDS OF A FEATHER”,“ CHIHIRO” and some sleeper tracks such as“ THE DINER”, Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft is nonstop brilliance. It deserves Album of the Year.
CLOSE SECOND – Cowboy Carter: Beyoncé
Poor Beyoncé. She’s been continuously snubbed at the Grammys, especially in this particular category. While I personally wasn’t blown away by Cowboy Carter (and feel like she’s had better, more influential albums), her determination to reclaim country/Americana/roots music as a black woman is more than simply commendable. We should all know this by now; Beyoncé was, is, and will always be a star. If it helps her case, this album’s also boasts hits like“ TEXAS HOLD EM” and “ 16 CARRIAGES.” While I would be surprised if she pulled out a win for Cowboy Carter (especially considering all the controversy the album received online, spurred on by country critics and racism), I would definitely be happy for her. It’s been a long time coming.
SONG OF THE YEAR:“ Good Luck, Babe!” Chappell Roan, Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Daniel Nigro & Justin Tranter, songwriters (Chappell Roan)
Unlike Record of the Year, Song of the Year has to do with the composition of the track and is awarded to the songwriter. It’s a recognition of lyricism, essentially, and without a doubt I think“ Good Luck, Babe!” is the most well-written song on the list of nominations. I have genuinely never seen comphet described so beautifully in a song; exhibit A:“ You can kiss a hundred boys in bars / Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling / You can say it's just the way you are / Make a new excuse, another stupid reason.” Of course, some of the other songs are clever, catchy and memorable in similar ways, but there’s just something about this song that screams Song of the Year to me. And yes, I know that I’ve predicted GLB will win Song of the Year and Record of the Year!
CLOSE SECOND –“ Not Like Us” Kendrick Lamar, songwriter (Kendrick Lamar)
“ Not Like Us” was a diss track released amidst a very public feud with rapper Drake. The lyrics are super hard-hitting, unabashed and known to most Gen Zers and millennials, especially those that follow rap seriously. It’s impressive that Lamar penned everything himself, and even more impressive that the track struck such a chord with so many different kinds of people. Lamar was able to turn an entire group of people against Drake, who has been in the game for way longer than people realize; that’s pretty powerful.
BEST NEW ARTIST: Sabrina Carpenter
Oh god this was a hard one, and I honestly think it could go to a lot of different people, but Sabrina Carpenter is my guess. Some of you might argue that she is very much not a new artist, since she’s basically been releasing music her whole life. Fair, but all of the nominated musicians have been making music for a long time. None of them are debut artists, which implies that Best New Artist is more about a“ breakthrough into the public consciousness” than it is recency. And without a doubt I think Carpenter’s breakthrough and rebranding is the best on this entire list. How genius it was for her to tap into that vintage bombshell aesthetic and embrace the time period with her looks, sets and theatricality?! Carpenter’s songs have always been cheeky and playful, but she’s played it up even more in this past year in a way that totally compliments her new aesthetic. The best part? She did it at just the right time. Her creative team had the perfect formula. Suddenly Carpenter wasn’t just the Disney actress or girl feuding with Olivia Rodrigo. She was dynamite, and her most recent album Short N’ Sweet has been EVERYWHERE. She’s definitely my Best New Artist, even if I’m not a die hard fan.
CLOSE SECOND – Chappell Roan
Like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan has a very specific artistic vision and brand. You recognize when something is the product of her artistry, and it’s safe to say she’s absolutely blown up in the public sphere and achieved inconceivable levels of popularity. If Roan is not already a household name, she will be one soon. I think it’s very possible that the Best New Artist award could go to her.
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE:“ Espresso” Sabrina Carpenter
As far as performances go, I think it’ll be hard for any of the artists on this nomination list to trump Sabrina Carpenter’s“ Espresso”, an instant earworm that is flirty, fun and feminine. Everything from the lyrics to her backing vocals, from the color grading of the music video to the dance screams Best Pop Solo Performance. I’ll go ahead and say it: Carpenter brought back pop. In my opinion, she is THE pop girl right now. Is it that sweet, I guess so!
[NOT EVEN A] CLOSE SECOND –“ Birds of a Feather” Billie Eilish
While I don’t think“ Birds of a Feather” comes close to“ Espresso” as far as solo performance goes, it had a similar impact on music this year and definitely took over in its own way. The pure passion and soul Eilish is able to evoke in this song is just incredible, and like I said earlier, it is the most pop she has ever been. Personally, I also think that the Grammy’s is a wee bit biased towards Eilish, so unfortunately it would not really shock me if the award went to her.
BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE:“ Die With a Smile” Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
Truth be told, I haven’t even listened to this song in its’ entirety, but it went so viral that I’ve seen it all over my TikTok and can picture in my mind the exact outfits Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars were wearing and the way it sounds when they harmonize in“ Die With a Smile.” Out of all the songs on this list, this soft rock hit probably has the best performance factor, and has been praised by critics as“ a homage to those lush 70s duets" that “ also feels profoundly modern.” It’s also kind of hard to go up against the names Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars; these guys are musical legends, and anything they do gets attention. The fact that it’s actually well-done is the icing on the cake.
CLOSE SECOND –“ Guess” Charli XCX and Billie Eilish
Now I actually have heard this one. I’ve heard it on TikTok. I’ve heard it on the radio. I’ve heard it in LA, at 1AM, while dancing drunkenly in the club. I watched Charli XCX and Billie Eilish climb a mountain of bras in the music video, and I replayed Eilish’s queer ass verse a million times. Yep, I’ll say it: this song is electro pop perfection. I don’t know if it has the same performance quality as“ Die With a Smile”, but Charli XCX and Eilish can definitely hold their own in this category.
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM: Eternal Sunshine — Ariana Grande
I don’t know if Ariana Grande necessarily got snubbed this year, but I am surprised her most recent stuff doesn’t have a ton of nominations. That’s why I was glad to see her as a nominee for Best Pop Vocal Album, and I feel like this win should be a no-brainer. Grande is probably the best vocalist on the nominee list: her range and flexibility is insane (we all know how incredible her pop vocals are), and she’s not compared to Mariah Carey for no reason. My favorite songs off the album are“ bye”,“ don’t wanna break up again”, “ eternal sunshine”, and“ we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”; I even like the intro. It genuinely is a good album, about breaking and healing and loving, all at once. In my opinion, Grande deserves this, and if she doesn’t win I don’t know if she’ll get a Grammy at all :( The competition is really TOUGH this year!
CLOSE SECOND – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess: Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan’s debut studio album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, has definitely revitalized queer music and culture over these past two years. Multiple songs on the album, including“ Femininomenon”,“ Casual”,“ Hot to Go!”,“ My Kink is Karma”,“ Pink Pony Club”,“ Naked in Manhattan” and more, all went super viral. This album will go down in history for many reasons, and Roan’s stunning vocals and musical strength is one of them. She genuinely has fun with her music, and is so unashamedly pop. I do think she could snatch this award from underneath Ariana Grande, but I guess we won’t know the outcome until February.
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC RECORDING:“ Witchy” Kaytranada Featuring Childish Gambino
I didn’t think I’d know any of the songs in this category, but I was pleasantly surprised to see“ Witchy” on the list. I discovered this song fairly recently, but have been obsessed with it and its trance-like quality ever since. I know this prediction is a little bit biased because it’s the only one I’ve heard but KAYTRANADA is a beast, and so is Childish Gambino.
CLOSE SECOND – N/A! I’m convinced that they’re taking it.
BEST DANCE POP RECORDING:“ Got Me Started” Troye Sivan
This category is surprisingly competitive this year. I genuinely could see it going to Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande or Troye Sivan, but my prediction is for Troye Sivan.“ Got Me Started” is an upbeat, nostalgic track that samples“ Shooting Stars” (which all of us have heard in our childhood at least once). It’s so catchy and out of all the songs on the list it is the only one that really makes me want to dance. It was also my #1 song on Spotify! Sivan’s vocals are beautiful in it, the gorgeous music video (filmed in Bangkok) reminds me of the early 2000s in the best way, and there’s even an entire sketch dedicated to the song on SNL. Let’s be real:“ Got Me Started” is just an instant classic. While I think a lot of different people could win this award, my bet is on Sivan.
CLOSE SECOND –“ Von Dutch” Charli XCX
While“ Von Dutch” is by no means my favorite song off of the brat album, I think the Charli XCX name alone could rival the other artists in this category. This year she was the dance pop queen, so it’s possible she could dominate all awards with dance in the name.
BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM: brat — Charli XCX
Going off of what I literally just said, Charli XCX and brat owned the ENTIRE summer. She’s an icon, it’s true, and this is without a doubt going to win Best Dance/Electronic Album. It’s not even a competition.
CLOSE SECOND – N/A! I’m convinced that she’s taking it.
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM: Charm — Clairo
I was so glad to see Clairo nominated for a Grammy, partially because she is one of my woman crushes and I always wish the best for her, but also because her music has genuinely had such an impact on my generation & she deserves more recognition. IMO, Charm is one of Clairo’s better studio projects; I adore tracks like“ Juna”,“ Sexy to Someone” and“ Add Up my Love” (sorry I know I’m a basic bitch), but there are plenty of sleeper hits too. This album is so relaxing and grounded and the complete opposite of brat; for us softer girls with softer dreams, Charm summer became our anthem as opposed to brat summer. So, in a way, Clairo owned the summer too. I think she’s definitely got this one in the bag; you know what they say: third time’s the charm!
CLOSE SECOND – N/A! I’m convinced that she’s taking it.
BEST R&B MUSIC PERFORMANCE:“ Made For Me (Live on BET)” Muni Long
I remember when this song came out and everyone was talking about how Muni Long’s“ Made For Me” was the best R&B song they’d heard in years. It felt like the old school stuff, and kids were singing it in their elementary schools the same way millennials had sung Keyisha Cole’s“ Love.” It’s just so good, and it became a viral trend as well, so most people know the lyrics. As far as Best R&B Music Performance, I feel like Long’s taking it.
CLOSE SECOND –“ Saturn” SZA
Then again, SZA is also in the running, and we know how much of a chokehold she’s had on the music industry these past few years.“ Saturn” is the kind of song that makes you feel like you’re floating. It’s honest, supernatural and catchy, like a lot of what SZA makes. While I think“ Made For Me” definitely had a bigger impact, in my mind“ Saturn” is a close second.
BEST R&B SONG:“ Saturn” SZA
Lyrically (because that is what this award’s about),“ Saturn” is the most well-written track on the list and I think it deserves Best R&B Song. Not because it’s my favorite, but because it’s real and tangible and raw. Lyrics like:“ Stuck in this paradigm / Don’t believe in paradise / This must be what Hell is like / There’s got to be more, got to be more” get to some of the most innate existential crises that we as humans face. I love how clever and nuanced it appears, and how simple it really is on the outside.
CLOSE SECOND –“ After Hours” Kehlani
However, if we’re talking about a song that I can sing at the top of my lungs, dance to, and enjoy at all times,“ After Hours” by Kehlani is the one. It’s sexy, fun and pure modern R&B, with a pulsating beat that is perfect for the lesbian clubs (and yes, they do play this in the lesbian clubs; s/o My Sister’s Room in Atlanta). It’s the standout hit from her album Crash, but while it’s good, I don’t know if it’ll beat out SZA’s“ Saturn.”
BEST MELODIC RAP PERFORMANCE:“ Kehlani” Jordan Adetunji Featuring Kehlani
What a FUN ASS SONG! I’ve always liked it, but the Kehlani remix is 10x better, so I’m glad it was the one that got nominated. The song flows nicely, reminds me of the early 2010s, and features a flirty WLW verse that gets me HAWT (when I say this was really a phenomenal year for sapphic musicians, I mean that shit). It’s had such an impact, so I’m locking this in.
CLOSE SECOND –“ Not Like Us” Kendrick Lamar
Honestly though, this category has the potential to be such a toss up. I could really see Jordan Adetunji & Kehlani or Kendrick Lamar winning.“ Not Like Us” is definitely a performance, but so is“ Kehlani.” I mean,“ Kehlani” even has a whole dance. So, for now this is where my predictions will stay.
BEST MUSICA URBANA ALBUM: att — Young Miko
Baby Mikoooo. I’m obsessed with her and so happy she got nominated; my favorite songs off the album are“ tres tristes tragos” and“ MADRE”, but it’s all pretty good. She’s up against some serious contenders in this category, but I’d really love to see her win. Young Miko is an out and proud lesbian, and she’s what got me into Latin trap; her music is the perfect balance between playful and honest, and she genuinely is a great rapper and vocalist. Wishing her the best, but I know this prediction is a biased one.
CLOSE SECOND – nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana: Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny is just one of those names you hear and respect. He’s completely taken over, and he’s a cool dude too. While I don’t know much about this album, I think based on his sheer popularity and talent alone, he could probably secure the award for Best Musica Urbana Album. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens!
BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA:“ Saltburn” (Various Artists)
When I think about movies with influential soundtracks, Saltburn is definitely one of the first. It totally brought Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s“ Murder on the Dancefloor” (2001) into the public eye again, to the point where that song was everywhere. For this alone, it’s got my vote for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
CLOSE SECOND – N/A! I’m convinced that Saltburn is taking it.
BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA:“ Challengers” Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, composers
The music in Challengers isn’t something I went into the film looking to pay attention to, but the score made me pay attention to it. It’s just so memorable; I can picture the chords and feel the anxiety the crescendos gave me and all I’m doing is thinking about it.
CLOSE SECOND – N/A! I’m convinced that Challengers is taking it.
