Music Musings: Grammy Predictions (June 23, 2006)

It may seem early to start talking about next year’s Grammys, but there is only three months left in the eligibility period (which runs from October 2005 thru the end of September, 2006) and there are some early frontrunners worth noting right now.

“Hips Don’t Lie”-Shakira’s infectious, Latin-inflected duet with Wyclef Jean–seems like a shoo-in for a Record of the Year nomination (the category honors performance while Song of the Year is awarded for songwriting). It may not be groundbreaking-but it sure is catchy which has made it a radio staple as well as a download favorite.

The simple but gorgeous “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt also seems likely to get a nod and don’t be surprised if the genre-blending, toe-tapping “Ain’t No Other Man” by Christina Aguilera ends up in the category as well. “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley deserves a nom for its adventurous blend of soul and hip-hop. And “Promiscuous” by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland could certainly work its way in there, too.

There are also several early possibilities for Best New Artist. James Blunt seems almost certain to be recognized and from an artistic standpoint-nobody produced a more exciting album than Gnarls Barkley. Carrie Underwood could easily wind up with a nod-as the country community tends to vote and she has been a huge success this year. Both Chris Brown and Rihanna have released albums to critical and commercial acclaim but Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” could attract the rock contingent.

Album of the Year is a bit harder to predict at this time-though Madonna’s “Confessions On A Dance Floor”-an album many critics hailed as her best in years-should easily get a nomination. Grammy voters love a good comeback-which could bode well for Pearl Jam’s self-titled disc. (The band-who were massive in the 90s-faded into the background over the past few years.)

Mary J. Blige’s “The Breakthrough” is another formidable contender and so is Bruce Springsteen’s “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions”. Though it doesn’t feature any Springsteen originals, it’s still a hauntingly beautiful album and Grammy voters love the legends.

If you cut through all the controversy, the Dixie Chicks’ “Taking the Long Way” is a solid piece of work as is the Red Hot Chili Peppers “Stadium Arcadium”-which is one of the band’s best albums ever.

All that being said there are still several highly anticipated albums that are yet to be released that could figure in this category. Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, Beyonce and Tony Bennett all plan to release new discs by the end of September. If the material matches the early buzz on any of these albums, the whole game can and will change.

-Nancy Harrison