The Grammys are coming up quick and I thought I’d weigh in with my own predictions and what I would have take home each award in my ideal world. Now keep in mind while I would consider myself a pretty avid music fan, popular music isn’t always my forte. I can appreciate a good pop song but the kind of music that usually gets nominated isn’t always my cup of tea. Now let’s look at some of the biggest categories of the awards and I’ll share some of my thoughts.

Record of The Year:

Nominees:

“Really Love” by D’Angelo and The Vanguard

“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran

“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift

“Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd

Prediction: I think most likely the Academy will go with either “Blank Space” or “Uptown Funk”, both of these tracks have a lot of pop appeal and have maintained consistent airplay on the radio for quite a long time and seeing as the Grammys are here to celebrate popular music it only seems natural that a Record that’s sold a lot and has had a lot of exposure would be the academy’s pick.

Personal Pick: To be honest as long as Ed Sheeran doesn’t win I’m cool with it. “Uptown Funk” probably has the most staying power but “Really Love” is easily the most artful and best composed of any of the Records by a long shot. I’ll say “Really Love” just because I think it’s the strongest piece of music up for the award overall.

Song of The Year:

Nominees:

“Alright” by Kendrick Lamar

“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift

“Girl Crush” by Little Big Town

“See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth

“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran

Prediction: Probably “Blank Space”, I’d actually be pretty surprised if they gave the award to anything else. It’s a catchy, well produced, memorable song that has had a massive amount of success throughout the year. Pretty much prime for a Grammy.

Personal Pick: “Alright” by about a million miles. A masterfully produced and performed, upbeat and positive song that has become the anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2015. If protestors holding up signs declaring “We gonna be Alright!” doesn’t prove that this song was a musical highlight of 2015 I don’t know what will. What a powerful statement this one was.

And Finally…

Album of The Year:

Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes

To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar

Traveller – Chris Stapleton

Beauty Behind The Madness – The Weeknd

1989 – Taylor Swift

Prediction: We essentially have a rock album, a hip hop album, a country album, an R&B Album, and a pop album. I might be totally wrong but I don’t really think the other albums have a chance over 1989. The Grammys are about wide appeal for the most part and Sound & Color is too rough, To Pimp a Butterfly too philosophical, Traveller too niche, and Beauty Behind The Madness too depressing and dark sounding. 1989 just seems like the obvious choice to me.

Personal Pick: I probably listened to To Pimp A Butterfly all the way through without skipping a track about 25 to 30 times or so in 2015 and listened to individual tracks hundreds of times. I was barely able to listen to any other music in 2015 because I was spending so much time listening to the dang thing. It is simply one of the most incredible, emotional, soulful, intelligent, poetic, and inspiring pieces of music I’ve ever heard and Is easily the best album of the decade in my opinion let alone 2015. No other album that came out in 2015 summed up the complex personal and political feelings of the time in such a beautiful, concise, and entertaining way. So yeah I’d pick Kendrick’s album. What a rare talent we are fortunate enough to witness. Born in the wrong generation my butt.