Grammy Nominations and Speculations

   So, nominations for the 59th Grammy awards have been announced. As usual, the meltdown of who and what deserves to be nominated has gone down (or still going) on Twitter - yea right, that'd change the nomination list. Not everyone can be satisfied and even the Recording Academy's insistence on remaining backward is sad. Even though the awards' relevance has been questioned like a billion times, most artists still care - Frank Ocean in protest ('his Colin Kaepernick moment' he calls it) did not submit his critically acclaimed sophomore album - Blonde, sad stuff but the awards will go on.

Beyonce with her juggernaut of an album - Lemonade has 9 noms (don't let TwitterNG fool you, it's a damn good album + 92% on metacritic is no joke). Kanye, Drake and Rihanna have 8 noms and Chance the Rapper continues to have an incredible year with 7 noms to his name, thanks to his amazing Coloring Book album and his incredible verse on Kanye's 'Ultralight Beam'.

Here's what I'm going to do, I'll be predicting (in categories I have substantial knowledge about) who I think SHOULD win versus who I think WOULD win.

Record of the year

Hello - Adele
Formation - Beyoncé
7 Years - Lukas Graham
Work - Rihanna
Stressed Out - Twenty One Pilots

Since this award is based on the production/instrumental arrangements, Beyonce should be winning this easily. Production on Formation is fantastic, the minimalistic approach with drums that bangs hard reminiscent of her '7/11' song. The competition of who would win is between Yonce and Adele, Hello is a very good song which sold a shit ton of copies plus both singers are Grammy darlings. A share of votes could see Rihanna's 'Work' sneak in. Tough category. Anderson .Paak's Come down should be nominated here, direct swap for Stressed out.

Album of the year

25 - Adele
Lemonade - Beyoncé
Purpose - Justin Bieber
Views - Drake
Sailor’s Guide to Earth - Sturgill Simpson

Lemonade should win. It's the best album this year, go through reviews if you're not convinced and actually listen without prejudice. Again who would win is a competition between Beyonce and Adele. 25 is okay, just doesn't cut it for me. Sturgill Simpson's Sailor's guide to earth could be the dark horse if votes are shared, remember Beck's Morning phase at the 2015 awards. Btw, I'd throw Purpose and Views out of the nominees for David Bowie's Blackstar and either one of Coloring book or The Life of Pablo

Song of the year

Formation - Beyoncé
Hello - Adele
I Took A Pill In Ibiza - Mike Posner
Love Yourself - Justin Bieber
7 Years - Lukas Graham

It's a lyric contest, Formation should win - 'Y'all haters corny with that Illuminati mess'. Major competition is Adele's Hello again, either song has a right to win. Share of votes might likely give Love Yourself a chance. Ye's Ultralight beam should be here repping for Hip-Hop, direct swap for I took a pill in Ib(adan)iza.

Best new artist

Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
Chance the Rapper
Maren Morris
Anderson Paak

Either Chance or .Paak should be winning this (I'd prefer .Paak, Chance will def win in another category). Who would? I'm not sure, share of votes between country candidates Kelsea & Maren and Hip-Hop candidates Chance & .Paak might allow The Chainsmokers take this category plus they are very popular with their infectious chart topping hits.

Best pop solo performance

Hello - Adele
Hold Up - Beyoncé
Love Yourself - Justin Bieber
Piece By Piece (Idol Version) - Kelly Clarkson
Dangerous Woman - Ariana Grande

Adele's Hello WILL win. Why? Durrh!

Best pop vocal album

Adele - 25
Justin Bieber - Purpose
Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman
Demi Lovato - Confident
Sia - This Is Acting

Adele actually should and would win this easily, it's quite better than the other albums in this category. Although cases could be made for Sia's This is acting and Bieber's Purpose, I expect no upset.

Best R&B performance

BJ The Chicago Kid - Turnin’ Me Up
Ro James - Permission
Musiq Soulchild - I Do
Rihanna - Needed Me
Solange - Cranes In the Sky

Based on vocal performance, either Rihanna or Solange should have this on lock. Other songs in this category are damn good, but vocally Needed Me and Cranes are just better. Either definitely would win, no upsets expected. (Hey Grammys hotline bling should be here, not rap)

Best R&B song

PartyNextDoor Featuring Drake - Come See Me
Bryson Tiller - Exchange
Rihanna - Kiss It Better
Maxwell - Lake By the Ocean
Tory Lanez - Luv

This is easy, Rihanna's Kiss it better should win this category, beautiful lyrics with perfect execution. Maxwell's lake by the ocean also boast good lyrics plus the 'old-head' voters might prefer his song. But I expect Rihanna to snatch this. Anderson .Paak's Silicon valley comes to mind here, should've been nominated. (Hey Grammys, here too not rap)

Best urban contemporary album

Beyonce - Lemonade

Gallant - Ology

King - We Are King

Anderson Paak - Malibu

Rihanna - Anti

No need for me to tell you how 'lit' Lemonade is, I've a slight bias towards Malibu - the only 'urban' album that stands toe to toe with Lemonade this year (alongside Frank Ocean's Blonde). Fully expect Beyonce to win this easily.

Best R&B album

BJ The Chicago Kid - In My Mind

Lalah Hathaway - Lalah Hathaway Live

Terrace Martin - Velvet Portraits

Mint Condition - Healing Season

Mya - Smoove Jones

I'm leaning towards a BJ the Chicago Kid win here. Although Lalah Hathaway is not new to this category and her live her album is great vocally, Terrace Martin's Velvet Portrait is very smooth with it's modern jazz style production. BJ's album is filled with great songs front to end and has a lot of appeal. I expect 'In My Mind' to get this. Solange's A seat at the Table should be here, it was released on deadline day. Also Jamila Woods' beautiful HEAVN album should be here.

Best rap performance

Best rap performance

Chance The Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz - No Problem

Desiigner - Panda

Drake featuring the Throne - Pop Style

Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana & Infared - All the Way Up

Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West - That Part

Shout out to Desiigner on the nom (brrrrrrrrr) - I'm kinda rooting for Panda. Chance should and would win this, song is quite huge (the middle finger to major record labels) and the Chainz-Lil Wayne feature is 100. But Drake is here, how does a song with 'Got so many chains they call me chaining Tatum' line get this nom? I guess Drake is going to pop this category - pop style is actually that horrible. Honorable mentions to Young M.A's 'OooUuu' and Young Thug's 'Wyclef Jean', definitely should've been here.

Best rap/sung collaboration

Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar - Freedom

Drake - Hotline Bling

DRAM featuring Lil Yachty - Broccoli

Kanye West featuring Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream - Ultralight Beam

Kanye West featuring Rihanna - Famous

The amount of internet hate for Lil Yatchy when this was announced doubled (lol, y'all salty). Broccoli has more rap than hotline bling, this is a rap/sung category. To the matter, any other song apart from hotline bling is good for me. Should be a battle between Freedom and Ultralight beam, both amazing songs. The Grammy's saltiness to Kanye plus the fact that he has two songs here might give Beyonce the win. Still since the Grammy doesn't know what rap means and nominated hotline bling, it won't be unlikely that Drake gets this. (P.S, if I was Drake I'd reject this nom, zero rap)

Best rap song

Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana & Infared - All The Way Up

Kanye West featuring Rihanna - Famous

Drake - Hotline Bling

Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz - No Problem

Kanye West featuring Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream - Ultralight Beam

Grammy's again with the L for this Drake nom. I'd go for a Kanye win here,  Ultralight beam has lyrics that would pierce your soul and lift your dry bones (But: see above for my Grammy saltiness yarns). Chance's No problem is a good bet, but Drake is here soooooo 'call me on my cellphone' when he wins.

Best Rap album

Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book

De La Soul - And The Anonymous Nobody

DJ Khaled - Major Key

Drake - Views

Schoolboy Q - Blank Face LP

Kanye West - The Life of Pablo

De La Soul's album is largely forgettable to be honest (maybe honorable mention stuff), Major key is an average album with some good songs (swap Isaiah Rashad's The Sun's Tirade for this easily), Views is drab and actually not rap(swap Young Thug's Jeffrey for this easily), Blank face is a very good album (top5 for 2016) but it might be too gangsta for the white voters, Pablo is a good bet but it's chaotic nature and Grammy's saltiness do not help Ye's chance (pun intended). Coloring book is the safe bet - critically acclaimed and just because it's Chance. But Drake is here and many of them don't even know what rap is so Views for the win and Grammys for the L - remember Macklemore in 2014? Yup. This is worse because The Heist is actually an okay album (it just didn't deserve to beat GKMC) whereas Views is boring and NOT rap.

Looking forward to the arguments in February 2017 when winners are announced.

Dennis ✌ (@ayo_dennis on Twitter).