Grammy Face-Off 2010: Artists Predict the Big Winners
Pink
Record of the Year
Nominees: Beyoncé’s “Halo,” Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me”
I want to pick Kings of Leon because I’ve been in Australia and they’re the one band that beat me out of the Number One spot there. And that’s my country! But I like their story. Like with me, when “Who Knew” came out it got played, I think, 12 times in America and then was dropped from every station. And then it came out again a year and a half later and went to Number One, which I think is hilarious. I think that “Use Somebody” has sort of the same story — it kind of floated around the rest of the world for months and months and then just blew up here, way after the fact.
Album of the Year
Nominees: Beyoncé’s I Am … Sasha Fierce, Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D., Lady Gaga’s The Fame, Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, Taylor Swift’s Fearless
I think I’d have to go with Lady Gaga because she really, really just took over this year. She was everywhere. She’s fearless when it comes to fashion and videos and I think a lot of other people play it really safe. I think she’s been a total breath of fresh air. I love her videos. In some ways I think she’s the most interesting without seeming to try to hard since Madonna. I think I’m able to like her because I don’t see any of myself in her. And for awhile, I think, after Missundaztood came out, it was like, “Oh, everybody wants to be a rock star now.” But with her, I don’t know, I think she’s marching to the beat of her own drum. And I really, really like that.
The Roots’ ?uestlove
Best Rock Album
Nominees: AC/DC’s Black Ice, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood’s Live From Madison Square Garden, Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown, Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, U2’s No Line on the Horizon
The best record of these five is Green Day. They made an art record, a conceptual art album that you rarely find artists in the commercial realm making. A lot of other artists wouldn’t dare take a step this risky, especially after they made American Idiot. If they were women, they would’ve been the Dixie Chicks.
Album of the Year
Nominees: Beyoncé’s I Am … Sasha Fierce, Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D., Lady Gaga’s The Fame, Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, Taylor Swift’s Fearless
This is kinda hard. Each of these artists has their own story. The post-Kanye pity thing is about to end this year, so Taylor Swift will have to stand on her own two legs. But you can’t ignore Lady Gaga’s power and that she was so ubiquitous this year and influential, in song and image. Of course, Beyoncé is my favorite. I’d actually give “Single Ladies” the Record of the Year. It would be nice to see her get it for sentimental reasons, but I’m gonna go against my sentimental heart and give it to Lady Gaga. Her record captured the mood of 2009.
Keri Hilson
Record of the Year
Nominees: Beyoncé’s “Halo,” Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me”
The winner should be someone whose song resonated around the world, and I have to say, no matter where I went I heard “Poker Face” — in Japan, Europe, Africa. It was in the clubs and on the radio. People were singing it at night in the street. It seemed like it was more than just a video and more than just a club record — it was more like a lifestyle, more like a movement for her. It’s been a while since we had an artist push the boundaries visually, and I think that, for her, is her biggest asset. You know she’s coming with some kind of creative, very avant-garde stuff across the board.
Best New Artist
Nominees: Zac Brown Band, Silversun Pickups, Keri Hilson, MGMT, The Ting Tings
I absolutely am biased, but I think Keri Hilson has had a good year. She had an awesome 2009, lots of singles, not afraid to try new things, she’s gained a lot of fans around the world, and I think that she’s the best new artist.
Silversun Pickups’ Brian Aubert
Album of the Year
Nominees: Beyoncé’s I Am … Sasha Fierce, Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D., Lady Gaga’s The Fame, Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, Taylor Swift’s Fearless
I’m going to say In Rainbows by Radiohead. They were robbed last year. But if I have to stick with this year’s nominees, I’ll say Lady Gaga. I just saw her play, and if any of those artists are working half as hard as she is when she’s performing, I should check it out. I think she’s smart as hell. I think she created this uber-superhero. There doesn’t seem to be anyone in that universe doing the Grace Jones kind of thing, taking things to such an extreme. And clearly she has a massive wink. She knows what she’s doing.
Best New Artist
Nominees: Zac Brown Band, Silversun Pickups, Keri Hilson, MGMT, The Ting Tings
My heart would go with MGMT. The record’s been out for a while and it just grew and grew and grew, and it just still has that kind of insane magic to it. It’s so exciting to see how far it has crossed over. I think they write really great songs, and they pay attention to the soundscape of the album, giving the album a feel, a texture. And it’s really important to hear something that doesn’t have a date stamp. Not some sort of trendy drum thing. Like, “Oh, Gang of Four. That band sounds like Joy Division.” No, it just sounds like them and it’s timeless.
Best Americana Album
Nominees: Bob Dylan’s Together Through Life, Levon Helm’s Electric Dirt, Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel’s Willie and the Wheel, Wilco’s Wilco (The Album), Lucinda Williams’ Little Honey
Wilco is the best American band around. Just like Radiohead, it’s always amazing when bands that have been around for a while just keep putting out albums that are just as, if not more relevant than, the one before. Jeff Tweedy is one of the best signers and lyricists today. His lyrics are like poems. It feels like this is a record made by a band that are very comfortable with who they are. I mean, they have a song called “Wilco.” Humor is something that you kinda can feel, and if you ever have seen them play, or Jeff talk, he is one of the funniest men around.
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