Anonymous Voter Interview, Pt. 1

As we countdown to the official announcement of the 2024 Grammy nominations on Nov. 10, The Bulletin links up with an anonymous voter to break down the current state of the race from the perspective of a voter. Without any further ado…

Voter A is an audio engineer. This is their third year participating in Grammy voting.

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Album of the Year

All I know here is that it’s headed for a Taylor Swift win, and most of us are probably in agreement there. It’s really insane what she’s doing in the music scene, and Midnights, while not as good as some of her other albums, is a great record. I’d love to see SZA [SOS] walk away with it too, but I fear her album wasn’t as impactful in the long run as Swift’s. As for nominees, this could really go everywhere, but I know there’s a lot of buzz for Foo Fighters [But Here We Are] after Taylor Hawkins’ passing last year. Personally, I like voting for a veteran or two as well, so I’m rooting for Babyface, who’s long overdue for more big nominations!

Record of the Year

Lots of good material here, but I would expect it to be pop-heavy this year. I imagine some voters might be namechecking work from other genres too, but I think there’s a good case for an all-pop lineup. Personally rooting for more diversity; let’s get some more R&B songs on the list too! Expecting the usual: SZA [“Kill Bill”], Swift [“Anti-Hero”], Olivia Rodrigo [“Vampire”]. But ultimately, I can see “Flowers” [Miley Cyrus] being the hit that runs away with it. It might feel like the Record of the Year.

Song of the Year

Regardless of your opinion on Bonnie Raitt’s win last year — I wasn’t a fan of the song — I think it’s good that voters do take into consideration the song’s lyrical content, or at least it seems like it. If that’s the case, I personally would love a mix of people like SZA, Lana Del Rey [“A&W”], and Olivia Rodrigo in the mix. I imagine that Swift’s “Anti Hero” is the most lyrical song out of the big contenders though, so maybe it’s that. Don’t think Swift will sweep, though, so “Flowers” could be heading for both GF [General Field] categories.

Best New Artist

This category feels stacked to me, I had about 12 contenders in my personal shortlist that I had to narrow down to five. All I’m sure of is that Ice Spice is getting nominated. Many people doubt her talent, but I think she’s fun and admire how she’s made it in such a hostile climate for new talent. That said, I imagine Noah Kahan is giving her a lot of competition; recently got into his music and I don’t regret it. This very much feels like a Bon Iver/Nicki Minaj situation, although I wouldn’t say neither Kahan nor Ice is as ubiquitous as those were. I’d watch out for Laufey too; she’s saving jazz music!

Best Pop Solo Performance

I don’t know which of the Barbie songs [Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” or Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”] is getting in; I don’t mind either, but I wonder if people will have a hard time choosing or if they’ll choose both. I can definitely see this going to any of the big contenders: Rodrigo, Swift, Cyrus, Doja [“Paint the Town Red”], Dua or Billie. I also think there’s a slight chance that Bad Bunny [“Where She Goes”] gets in like last year (a nomination I loved). Don’t think there’s much room for anyone else, although Sabrina Carpenter’s “Nonsense” deserves the love!

Best R&B Album

Two words: Victoria Monét. It’s hard to see anybody else taking it home this year. I think Mr. Face [Girls Night Out] has a solid chance just based on nostalgia and his good year, and I think Coco Jones [What I Didn’t Tell You] is also in the mix. But come on… what other R&B record made as much of a splash as Jaguar II? Everybody was vibing to “On My Mama,” and Victoria has been quite overlooked for a while. You can’t go wrong with D’Mile too! My other two spots were mostly filler here.

Best Rap Album

I think this is a weak year for this category, so perhaps Travis Scott’s Utopia is going to take it. I think the record’s fine, so I wouldn’t mind it. Personally, I would rather see it go to Lil Uzi Vert; Pink Tape is much more innovative. But regardless of which of the two it is, it’s going to be a weak win. I expect those Metro Boomin [Heroes & Villains] and Drake/Savage [Her Loss] records to contend for the win as well. Metro has been overlooked for so long that I think it would be a very nice way to honor him. I would hope Drake doesn’t even get nominated; it was a complete and utter disrespect to withdraw his nominations last time when many voters would’ve used that spot for another artist if we had known he’d do that. It doesn’t help that his new album came and went. Would it be weird if I were rooting for an Ice Spice nomination here?

Biggest Surprise from This Year’s Submissions

It might’ve been Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” competing in the pop field rather than the rap field. I know she’s been doing a lot of work to solidify herself as much more of a rapper than a singer, so it was a bit odd seeing the song in Pop Solo Performance. I also don’t really get Coco Jones’s “ICU” in R&B Performance; I always thought of it as more of a Traditional R&B Performance song.

Did Anyone Drop the Ball With the Submissions Game?

I think most people did well this year, not really many major shake-ups or messing up. Perhaps my favorites were SZA’s, who really tried as many categories as she could realistically get.

When voting for nominees, what do you prioritize?

Obviously, my main focus will always be quality and what sounds best to me. In songwriting categories, the lyrics and melodic composition; in performance categories, the overall sound. In album categories I tend to really focus not so much on liking the tracks, but on how well the record works together. Personally, I do also like to consider impact as well. Is this material just a good song, or is it changing the musical landscape? I think it’s important to reward greatness while staying with the times. That’s the only way we’ll remain relevant as an institution.

Who are you personally rooting for this year?

Many people. Would love to see SZA, Taylor Swift, and Olivia Rodrigo split up some awards. Really a huge fan of both Coco Jones and Ice Spice, so hoping for them as well. But my ultimate wish is for RAYE to win something; she’s an independent artist who’s managed record-breaking achievements; her story resonates with a lot of us.

What’s the deal with committees? How present/influential are they this year at this point in the Grammy process?

Committees are pretty much dead. This year, they re-introduced, by popular demand, the Music Video/Music Film ones. I support the decision, most of the nominees these past two years have been dreadfully uninspired. I’d say committees are most not influential.