Grammy Showdown: Predictions From Cee Lo, Ezra Koenig, Sara Bareilles and More
Is Drake really the best new artist? Do Arcade Fire have a chance over Eminem?
Clockwise from upper left:
Sara Bareilles, singer-songwriter
Adam Young, Owl City
Patrick Carney, Black Keys
David Guetta, producer-DJ
Ezra Koenig, Vampire Weekend
Cee Lo Green, singer-producer
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Album of the Year
Nominees:
• Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
• Eminem, Recovery
• Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
• Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster
• Katy Perry, Teenage DreamThe Experts Say:
Ezra Koenig: Arcade Fire made a strong, inspiring and really cool third album. It’s like London Calling – every song goes to the next so well.
David Guetta: Lady Gaga. My three-year-old daughter is obsessed with her. I’m not allowed to play anything else.
Cee Lo: Eminem came back from addiction and used his album as a means of catharsis – it’s very brave, and I can appreciate that.Vegas Odds Favor:
Lady Gaga, 9-to-5Who Should Win:
Arcade Fire: The world’s most ambitious young band stepped it up – and scored a Number One hit. -
Record of the Year
Nominees:
• B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars, "Nothin' on You"
• Eminem feat. Rihanna, "Love the Way You Lie"
• Cee Lo Green, "F*** You"
• Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, "Empire State of Mind"
• Lady Antebellum, "Need You Now"The Experts Say:
Cee Lo: My song! Times are bleak, money's tight, work is minimal. Everybody needs an excuse to say "Fuck you" out loud.
David Guetta: Creating a song about New York that everybody from every city in America loves is pretty challenging, but Jay-Z and Alicia Keys made it happen.
Patrick Carney: "Fuck You" is going to win, even though it’s a retarded, horrendous song.Vegas Odds Favor:
Lady Antebellum, 2-to-1Who Should Win:
Jay and Alicia: How is this song from 2010? No matter – Jigga's hometown anthem is all-time great. -
Best Rock Album
Nominees:
• Jeff Beck, Emotion & Commotion
• Muse, The Resistance
• Pearl Jam, Backspacer
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mojo
• Neil Young, Le NoiseThe Experts Say:
Ezra Koenig: I have nothing but respect for Pearl Jam. How many other bands were they hanging out with 20 years ago that broke up?
Adam Young: Neil Young has always been a guiding light, and Le Noise continues to shine people in the face at high output.
Sara Bareilles: I didn't love the Target commercial, but Backspacer had some classic Pearl Jam songs.Vegas Odds Favor:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 2-to-1Who Should Win:
Muse: More than any of these acts, this was Muse's year – their mind-bending symphonic epics slayed. -
Best Rap Album
Nominees:
• B.o.B, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray
• Drake, Thank Me Later
• Eminem, Recovery
• Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3
• The Roots, How I Got OverThe Experts Say:
Ezra Koenig: Drake made a dark, introspective album that took risks – and it has a theme and a mood.
Adam Young: Bobby Ray is an absolute genius – a visionary, an Einstein wordsmith. It's my favorite record of the year.
Sara Bareilles: Eminem speaks to me – it's great to see him resurface with something to say.Vegas Odds Favor:
Eminem, 1-to-2Who Should Win:
Eminem: After the moody Relapse, Em came roaring back with a hit-packed disc. -
Best New Artist
Nominees:
• Justin Bieber
• Drake
• Florence and the Machine
• Mumford and Sons
• Esperanza SpaldingThe Experts Say:
Cee Lo: Drake breathed fresh air into hip-hop and gave it a new face. He's done something all his own, and that's something I can appreciate.
Patrick Carney: Florence – I'm a sucker for that British female Kate Bush-esque sound. And she has a much better voice than Bieber.
Ezra Koenig: Drake made the biggest splash this year. And he's just the right kind of person to be the Best New Artist. He seems like someone who's going to be making cool music for a while.
Sara Bareilles: Mumford and Sons are bluegrass, Americana and rock mixed together. And they seem to have a shitload of energy. They're great instrumentalists, too – I like to see bands playing instruments onstage.Vegas Odds Favor:
Justin Bieber, 1-to-2Who Should Win:
Drake: Weezy's Canadian protégé ruled radio with some of the catchiest, angsty-est hits of
the year. -
Best Alternative Album
Nominees:
• Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
• Band of Horses, Infinite Arms
• The Black Keys, Brothers
• Broken Bells, Broken Bells
• Vampire Weekend, ContraThe Experts Say:
Adam Young: My money's on Contra – I love it. It sounds different than anyone else – sun-bleached, vintage, urbane, suave, all with a touch of haughty narcissism.
Sara Bareilles: The Suburbs is a great record about the loss of innocence. They developed a whole new sound and brought a superindie underground experience to the masses.
Cee Lo: I saw the Black Keys at Stubb's in Austin, just the two of them, and it sounded like a 12-piece band. I remember being slightly out of my mind but having a great time.
Patrick Carney: Yeah, I think I'll just vote for us. But I like the Broken Bells record a lot. I listen to that more than any record nominated.Vegas Odds Favor:
Arcade Fire, 2-to-5Who Should Win:
The Black Keys: The two-piece went down to Muscle Shoals and came back with one of the year's truly great albums.