Grammy Awards Editors' Picks
So what did you do when the writers went on strike? If you're like me, you turned to music to get through the pain. And in a year where it seemed like there were more no-talent hacks releasing singles than ever before, it was nice to be able to dig a bit deeper to find the artists that deserve recognition. I send a big "thank you" out to the writers guild for assisting me in my quest to memorize every single Slayer lyric. Did the extra time make me wiser? Check out my Grammy predictions below. — Dave Steed with reporting by Joe Hudak and Sean Wilson
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Should Win: "The Pretender" is the best song the Foos have released, but I still can't get "Umbrella" (…ella, ella) out of my head.
Will Win: If anyone thought Amy Winehouse would be coherent if she took the stage, she'd have probably run the board, but instead we'll get to see Beyoncé's reaction when her boyfriend Jay-Z walks onstage with another woman.
Dissed: "Put Your Hands on Me" by the sexy and sultry Joss Stone deserves to be here over J.T.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Should Win: It was shocking enough that Vince Gill's quad-CD (!!) of four different styles of music got a nomination, but as I was picking my jaw up off the ground they went and Hancocked me. None of these are really that great, but Back to Black is the best of the lot.
Will Win: I can easily see Herbie Hancock walking away with this, but there has to be someone with an ounce of hipness voting, right? It's time to give lovable loser/egotistical maniac Kanye West one of the big ones.
Dissed: The Grammys could show some sense of relevancy by at least nominating something cool, like the Starting Line's stunning Direction.
BEST NEW ARTIST
Should Win: One of these years, the Grammys should revamp their rule to include only artists who fire on all cylinders right out of the blocks. The only truly "new" artist nominated here is Taylor Swift.
Will Win: Stamp it in ink: Amy Winehouse is a lock.
Dissed: The Grammys didn't show any love to Jamaican teen Sean Kingston — his self-titled debut is undeniably catchy.
BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Should Win: Furtado changed her image, employed Timbaland and deserves some recognition for an album full of rump shakers.
Will Win: If this was any other year, critics' darling Feist would win, but instead Amy Winehouse will stumble off stage with another award.
Dissed: Forget all the controversy, Kelly Clarkson's "Never Again" was an underrated pop gem.
BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Should Win: Justin Timberlake should win simply for creating music that's not for my parents to listen to. Wait, you own this, too, Mom?
Will Win: There's no truth to the rumor that next year this category will be renamed "Best Paul McCartney Performance." However, it is clear that Sir Paul will be nominated every year until he dies, so give him a statue!
Dissed: I'd like to think that we could close the adult contemporary charts when picking the nominees for this, but it seems like Sting and his lute were a close sixth.
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Should Win: It Won't Be Soon Before Long was a much-needed burst of energy in 2007, and it's hard to imagine Maroon 5 making a better album.
Will Win: Bon Jovi won their first Grammy last year for their country collaboration "Who Says You Can't Go Home," so it made a lot of sense to expand that idea into a full album. Sometimes the reinvention actually works.
Dissed: Sir Paul should have been replaced with Rilo Kiley's killer major-label pop debut, Under the Blacklight.
