On The Download: Grammy’s Record Of The Year

All of this week Access Hollywood’s “On The Download” writers will be sharing their picks for the major categories of the 2009 Grammy Awards. First up… Record Of The Year:

The Nominees:
Chasing Pavements – Adele
Viva La Vida – Coldplay
Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
Please Read The Letter – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

One of the three big categories at the Grammys, Record Of The Year, honors the year’s best “single” (as most of us have come to refer to it), honoring the artist (as opposed to “Song Of The Year,” which honors the songwriters).

I actually must say that this is the first year in many in which I think all five nominees quite deserve to be here, not to mention… they’re diverse in their sounds.

What they’re not diverse in, however, is their nationality. They’re all British!!! With the exception of half of one nominee (Alison Krauss), U.S. artists have been shut out!

Adele’s single, while intimate and haunting, is not nearly the best song from her debut album. She’s got a better shot for “Song Of The Year” or “Best New Artist.”

The Robert Plant & Alison Krauss collaboration is beautiful, but in my opinion a bit boring. It’s for a certain generation. I appreciate it more for Alison’s violin work.

M.I.A. is certainly the surprise nominee here, but hindsight 20/20, she deserves it for this addictive breakthrough track. Her single was on not one, but two, major movie soundtracks this year (“Pineapple Express” and “Slumdog Millionaire”). I question her staying power as an artist though – will she be around next year, or could she be another Ms. Dynamite? After all, rumor had it last summer that she was ready to retire.

Leona Lewis’ debut single is hands down my pick to win. I haven’t heard a debut like hers since Alicia Keys in 2002. “Bleeding Love” is a pop classic, and her staying power I have no doubt about. Plus, Leona was snubbed for Best New Artist (more to come on that later this week).

But, alas, I don’t see anyone but Coldplay with even a chance of winning in this category. “Viva La Vida” was an epic anthem in the truest sense. Heck, it’s about Napoleon after all! But truly, it was a great song, from what many considered a rather lackluster album from the British quartet. This is their category to win.

Should Win: Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love”

Will Win: Coldplay, “Viva La Vida”