With the 67th Grammy Awards right around the corner, it’s time for the internet to gather and make predictions for the winners of music’s most prestigious awards. With talented newcomers like Chappell Roan and Doechii competing with Grammy veterans like Beyoncé and Billie Eilish, it’s set to be a tense race for all involved, with many close finishes. 

The Grammy Awards have 94 categories, the biggest being Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. These are known as “The Big Four.” Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter have received nominations in four out of four categories in The Big Four, an amazing achievement for two artists new to the mainstream.

Album of the Year

This year, 8 albums are nominated for Album of the Year, a slight drop from the 10 albums that were nominated last year. The nominated are André 3000’s New Blue Sun, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, Charli XCX’s BRAT, Jacob Collier’s Djesse Vol. 4, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, and Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department. 

This past year has been a massive year for pop music, with Chappell Roan generating the largest crowds that Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Music Festival have ever seen, with over 100 thousand people in each crowd. Charli XCX also created one of the most effective promotions in years for her new album, BRAT, leading to the international phenomenon known as “Brat Summer”. 

Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter also had huge years, with each artist having a song of their new albums nearing 2 billion streams on Spotify, Carpenter’s “Espresso” and Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather.” 

Which SHOULD Win:

Although many amazing albums were released this year, Cowboy Carter is the obvious frontrunner. Its unique sound helps it stand out, and its diverse tracklist includes many household names, such as Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Paul McCartney, and Stevie Wonder. 

Beyoncé’s recent Christmas Day halftime show also featured never-before-heard-before live vocals from Cowboy Carter. Many are praising her for the best halftime performance anyone has seen in years. 27 million viewers tuned in to Netflix to view it live, and millions more streamed it to relive the experience.

Beyoncé has been known for her live vocals since her days with the R&B girl group Destiny’s Child. In this performance, she proved that, though 20 years have passed since the group broke up, her vocals can still impress. The performance also came midway through the final voting period for the Grammys, and it certainly convinced the Academy and fans alike that Cowboy Carter is Grammy-worthy. 

Which WILL Win:

Beyoncé is long overdue for an Album of the Year win, and Cowboy Carter will bring her just that. A combination of genres, beautiful lyrics, and impressive vocals have brought her the nomination, and they’ll win it for her as well. Fans have spoken as well, streaming the album over a billion times and selling 400 thousand units in its first week. 

Saint Paul’s junior Luke Short feels Beyoncé losing Album of the Year would be an insult to black artists, stating, “Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter is the most revolutionary album of this decade. To not give it album of the year would be to spit in the faces of black country legends who worked their whole lives for an artist like Beyoncé to make it this far.”

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter plays with the idea of country music, stating that it was born out of bad experiences she had gone through. “This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” Beyonce stated in an Instagram post. 

Cowboy Carter paves the way for other black country singers, and it defines country music as not just a certain sound, but also the feelings it invokes. It describes the hardships and battles that make one become “country.” Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter was a monumental project that will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come, making it deserving of music’s biggest award.

Record of the Year

This year, 8 records are nominated for Record of the Year, The Beatles’ “Now and Then,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Charli XCX’s “360,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!,” Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone’s “Fortnight.” “Espresso,” “Birds of a Feather,” “not Like Us,” and “Good Luck, Babe!” have all achieved over 1 billion streams on Spotify, signaling what will be fierce competition for this year’s Record of the Year. 

This year has been a major year for pop, with so many new songs and artists attaining international fame and recognition. Charli XCX’s single “360” from her hit album BRAT started her summer-long rise to pop superstar, launching her back into the spotlight after years of going unnoticed. Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” spent two weeks topping the Billboard Hot 100 and 24 weeks on the chart. 

Which SHOULD Win:

Though there are many smash hits nominated this year, there’s only one veteran winner: Billie Eilish. She’s been awarded Record of the Year twice for her hit songs “Bad Guy” and “Everything I Wanted”. This time around, it should be no different for Eilish. 

At 23, Billie Eilish has already been awarded 9 Grammys, four of which come from her first-ever nominations. The Recording Academy is not one to turn Eilish away from an award, and that’s what audiences will see Sunday night. 

“Birds of a Feather” was the clear hit from Eilish’s newest album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, and it’s got the stats to prove it. A peak position of number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, with 16 weeks in the top 10 and 36 total weeks on the chart. 

Kendrick Lamar dances during the “Not Like Us’ music video. (Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)

Who WILL win:

Though many agree that Eilish earned the Grammy, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” stands out from the pack. It’s packed into a category with 6 pop-focused songs, giving him the advantage of a unique song. Lamar’s success with the song can’t be denied either, with the single peaking at number 1 and holding a spot on the chart for 37 consecutive weeks. 

It also sparked the famous internet feud between Lamar and Canadian rapper Drake, with allegations being thrown back and forth between the two. The fight helped keep the song relevant, and it received praise from millions of fans online. 

Since then, Lamar has released his newest project, GNX, which has also gone viral on social media. He’s also set to perform at the Superbowl with R&B superstar SZA, generating massive hype for “Not Like Us” and newer songs.

Song of the Year

Song of the Year differs from Record of the Year by awarding writers instead of producers and performers, and it awards just the lyricism of a track. The nominated writers and songs are  “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (Sean Cook, Shaboozey, Nevin Sastry), “Birds of a Feather” (Billie Eilish & Finneas), “Die With a Smile” (D’Mile, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Andrew Watt), “Fortnight” (Jack Antonoff, Post Malone, Taylor Swift), “Good Luck, Babe!” (Chappell Roan, Daniel Nigro, Justin Tranter), “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar), “Please Please Please,” (Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, Sabrina Carpenter), “Texas Hold ’Em” (Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Atia Boggs, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro, Raphael Saadiq).

Many standout writers are nominated this year, including Jack Antonoff, Billie Eilish & Finneas, and Taylor Swift. Veterans winners of the category include Eilish & Finneas, Bruno Mars, and D’Mile, and if any of them win, they’ll be the first-time winners of the category in Grammy history. 

Which SHOULD Win:

Once again, Billie Eilish impresses with her newest hit, “Birds of a Feather.” The most talked about song of the summer deserves the awards to reflect its achievement, and “Birds of a Feather” is getting just that. 

Its beautiful lyrics paint a story of carefree and never-ending love, and it’s hard not to find the song lifting your spirits. It’s a love song in its purest form, reflecting all the best feelings of being in love and finding the one for you. If “Birds of a Feather” is set to win one award, it’s Record of the Year.

Eilish’s meteoric rise to fame picked up after the release of her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ABA)

Which WILL Win:

Billie Eilish and Finneas are highly respected songwriters in their genre. The brother-sister duo has co-written hit after hit, leading the world to know their names. The names behind a song are a seal of success and quality, signifying what will be a hit, whether an immediate one or a future one. 

“Birds of a Feather” does an incredible job of guiding the listener through the feeling of true love, bringing a sense of bliss. It also deviates from Eilish’s usual emotional, heart-wrenching lyrics, which are featured in songs like “Skinny” and “Wildflower,” both of which come from her newest hit album, Hit Mer Hard and Soft. 

“Birds of a Feather” is the most deserving song, as its beautiful lyricism separates it from the other songs nominated. Eilish & Finneas are  Grammy’s favorite, and they’re sure to win this time around.

Best New Artist

Best New Artist is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and important categories, not just within the Grammys but in all of the music industry. It can decide the careers of all nominated, and it very often predicts the next superstar. This year, those nominated are  Benson Boone, Sabrina Carpenter, Doechii, Khruangbin, RAYE, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey, and Teddy Swims. 

Certain names probably stand out, as multiple artists have exploded to stardom in the past year. Chappell Roan performed in 21 festivals this year, drawing record crowds to multiple. Sabrina Carpenter soared to the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with her smash hit single “Espresso”. Doechii is yet another artist who grabbed the attention of the public this year, specifically with her singles “What It Is” and “Nissan Altima.”

Saint Paul’s Junoir Luca Rodas emphasizes Sabrina Carpenter and Doechii’s talents, arguing, “For one of the more intriguing categories of the grammies, best new artist of the year, two musicians stand out to me the most.

Both Sabrina Carpenter and Doechii are runaway winners in the category, mostly because of the refinery both artists went through to perfect their newest works. With Sabrina giving us a modern disco-style pop album with Short n’ Sweet and the witty charisma of Doechii’s latest record, Alligator Bites Never Heal, I think the two strongest nominees for this category are clear.”

Doechii’s success has been slower than most in the category, but there’s no denying that she’ll soon be at the level of Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. She raps flawlessly on “Nissan Altima,” showing she won’t just stick to the background. She’s already collaborated with talents like Tyler The Creator and Katy Perry. 

Who SHOULD Win:

Doechii’s recent success is a sign of eventual success in the music industry, and the rap scene could use a fresh face. Her sound is like nothing being put out right now, dividing her from the competition. Whether or not she wins Best New Artist, this won’t be the last time the Grammys will hear from Doechii. She’s bound for success, and he obvious talent will lead her there.

Doechii’s problem lies in how late she came into the spotlight. Before her, artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey, and Chappell Roan were already international hits. If she had dropped her latest album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, earlier this year, she would have secured Best New Artist easily. 

Who WILL Win:

Because of Doechii’s late arrival to the new music scene, the obvious pick for Best New Artist is Chappell Roan. This year alone, she’s gained almost 40 million new listeners on Spotify, and her latest single, “Good Luck, Babe!” has over 1.2 billion streams. Her rise to stardom was completely unprecedented, and nobody could’ve seen it coming.

Her talent is undeniable, and it’s most obvious in her songs “Red Wine Supernova” and “Picture You.” Her catchy lyrics capture audiences around the world, and her unique style intrigues all who stumble across her. And though Chappell Roan’s rise to world-famous superstar was unexpected, it was something that was destined to happen. She’s shown that she’s the perfect candidate for the next international pop star, and the Grammys will let her be just that.