It’s music’s biggest night! The 57th Grammy Awards takes place on Sunday February 8th and this year’s list of nominees had a great year in music. Many of them were topping the charts and taking the world by storm with their catchy tunes. Here are some reviews for what is nominated this year.
Albums:
X- Ed Sheeran (Nominated for Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Song Written for Visual Media): X (pronounced “multiply”) is Ed Sheeran’s second studio album that was released in the summer of 2014. The English singer-songwriter’s album did not disappoint and dominated the music charts. The album debuted at number one in sixty-five countries. “Sing”, “Don’t”, and “Thinking Out Loud” were the three singles that were released from the album. The album collectively is brilliant with creative lyrics and awesome guitar playing.
Beyoncé- Beyoncé (Nominated for Album of the Year, Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for “Drunk in Love”, Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best Surround Sound Album, and Best Music Film):The release of Beyoncé surprised the world when it came out of the blue via iTunes back in 2013. Beyoncé’s fifth studio album was a “visual album” that included fourteen songs and seventeen videos. “XO”, “Drunk in Love”, “Partition”, “Pretty Hurts”, and “Flawless” were the five singles released from the unannounced album. The vibe of the album was interesting and it certainly exceeded everyone’s expectations.
The Outsiders- Eric Church (Nominated for Best Country Album, Best Country Song, Best Country Solo Performance, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance):The Outsiders, Eric Church’s fourth studio album, took the country music world by storm when it was released in early 2014. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums Charts.
The singles that were released from the album were “The Outsiders”, “Give Me Back My Hometown”, “Cold One”, and “Talladega”. Each one received good reviews from the listeners as well as the critics. The album is country with some elements of rock which makes this album unique.
This is All Yours- alt-J (Nominated for Best Alternative Music Album):
This is the second studio album from the English band. The album was released in September and received positive reviews from the critics. The album’s sound is alt-rock and has many other musical elements that makes it different from the rest. “Hunger of the Pine”, “Left Hand Free”, and “Every Other Freckle” are the singles that were released from the nominated album.
Stay with Me (Darkchild Version) – Sam Smith (Nominated for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance): Sam Smith came onto the music scene with a bang with his smash hit “Stay with Me” this past year. The soulful singer’s song has reached top ten status in over 10 countries worldwide, making it the most successful single to date. The song delivered and the emotional hit continues to be heard throughout the world.
Shake it Off- Taylor Swift (Nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance):“Shake it Off” took the world by surprise as an upbeat pop song that caught everyone’s attention. The catchy tune quickly shot to number one on the music charts and won Favorite Song at the 2015 People’s Choice Awards. The song is about brushing off all the rumors and just having fun with life. The nominated songstress definitely made a major hit with this track.
Invisible- Hunter Hayes (Nominated for Best Country Solo Performance): Hunter Hayes never disappoints with his music and wowed us with this emotional tune. “Invisible” is a song that Hayes wrote about the bullying that he experienced while growing up. The song reached number one on the Country Digital Songs chart shortly after its release last year. This country song is sure to tug at everyone’s heart strings.
Fancy- Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX (Nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Rap Album, Best New Artist, and Record of the Year): Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX delivered with this summer song that seemed to be stuck in everyone’s head. The song was released in early 2014 and continued to be played through the airwaves for many months to come. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart making it a first for both of them. All in all, this catchy tune will still be with us for a while.
Elizabeth Granato
Features Editor