Grammy Showdown 2014: Who’ll Win the Big Categories?
Will Daft Punk get lucky? Could Kendrick beat Kanye? Our all-star panel of top artists – plus a top Las Vegas oddsmaker – break it down. By Patrick Doyle
The Panel:
• Darius Rucker
• Matt Berninger of The National
• Alana Haim of Haim
• DJ-Producer A-Trak
• James Blake
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Album of the Year
Nominees:
• Sara Bareilles The Blessed Unrest
• Daft Punk Random Access Memories
• Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city
• Macklemore and Ryan Lewis The Heist
• Taylor Swift RedThe Experts Say:
James Blake: Kendrick is a no-brainer. He has an amazing ability to tell a story.
Darius Rucker: Macklemore made a special record. Now he has to live up to that for the rest of his career.
Matt Berninger: Kendrick's album surprised me every 10 seconds. It's exciting, ambitious and unique.
Vegas Odds Favor:
Taylor Swift 2-1 -
Who Should Win: Kendrick Lamar
The Compton MC's fresh take on West Coast rap made for a mind-blowing listen from start to finish.
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Record of the Year
Nominees:
• Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams "Get Lucky"
• Imagine Dragons "Radioactive"
• Lorde "Royals"
• Bruno Mars "Locked Out of Heaven"
• Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell Williams "Blurred Lines"The Experts Say:
A-Trak: I stay on the fringes of mainstream, but Bruno Mars is dope.
Alana Haim: Whenever I listen to "Get Lucky," it brings such a good vibe. I love that disco's back!
James Blake: Pharrell wins. He can do anything he wants. That's my goal!
Vegas Odds Favor:
Bruno Mars 9-5
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Who Should Win: Daft Punk
Nine months after hitting radio, Daft Punk's classic-sounding disco jam still isn't close to getting old. Advantage: robots!
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Best Rock Album
Nominees:
• Black Sabbath 13
• David Bowie The Next Day
• Kings of Leon Mechanical Bull
• Led Zeppelin Celebration Day
• Queens of the Stone Age …Like Clockwork
• Neil Young With Crazy Horse Psychedelic PillThe Experts Say:
Matt Berninger: Queens are badass. Josh Homme does cocksure posturing in a funny, compelling way.
Darius Rucker: Crazy Horse picked up right where they left off: loud, hard rock.
Alana Haim: Bowie is still pushing boundaries with amazing music and videos.
Vegas Odds Favor:
Kings of Leon 5-2 -
Who Should Win: Queens of the Stone Age
Their first album in six years was packed with heavy riffs and trippy, headphone-worthy production.
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Best Rap Album
Nominees:
• Drake Nothing Was the Same
• Jay Z Magna Carta… Holy Grail
• Kendrick Lamar good kid m.A.A.d city
• Macklemore and Ryan Lewis The Heist
• Kanye West YeezusThe Experts Say:
A-Trak: It's Yeezus. Kanye always puts his ass on the line, and everyone follows.
Darius Rucker: Jay Z's records are so hot and original.
Alana Haim: This is like Sophie's Choice! But I've always been a fan of Drake. Even in the Degrassi days.
Vegas Odds Favor:
Drake 11-5 -
Who Should Win: Kanye West
Kanye's confrontational sixth album took more risks than anyone last year – and they paid off. Pass the croissants!