2014 Grammy Predictions

Record of the Year

“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

“Radioactive” – Imagine Dragons

“Royals” – Lorde

“Locked Out of Heaven” – Bruno Mars

“Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke, T.I., & Pharrell Williams

Who SHOULD Win: “Locked Out of Heaven”

Who WILL Win: “Get Lucky”

 

Album of the Year

The Blessed Unrest – Sara Bareilles

Random Access Memories – Daft Punk

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City – Kendrick Lamar

The Heist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Red – Taylor Swift

 

Who SHOULD Win: Good Kid, M.A.A.D City

Who WILL Win: The Heist

 

Song of the Year

“Just Give Me a Reason” – P!nk & Nate Ruess

“Locked Out of Heaven” – Bruno Mars

“Roar” – Katy Perry

“Royals” – Lorde

“Same Love” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Just Give Me a Reason”

Who WILL Win: “Same Love”

 

Best New Artist

James Blake

Kendrick Lamar

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Kacey Musgraves

Ed Sheeran

 

Who SHOULD Win: Kendrick Lamar

Who WILL Win: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

 

Best Pop Solo Performance

“Brave” – Sara Bareilles

“Royals” – Lorde

“When I Was Your Man” – Bruno Mars

“Roar” – Katy Perry

“Mirrors” – Justin Timberlake

 

Who SHOULD Win: “When I Was Your Man”

Who WILL Win: “Mirrors"

 

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams

“Just Give Me a Reason” – P!nk & Nate Ruess

“Stay” – Rihanna & Mikky Ekko

“Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke, T.I., & Pharrell Williams

“Suit & Tie” – Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Stay”

Who WILL Win: “Just Give Me a Reason”

 

Best Pop Vocal Album

Paradise – Lana Del Rey

Pure Heroine – Lorde

Unorthodox Jukebox – Bruno Mars

Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke

The 20/20 Experience (The Complete Experience) – Justin Timberlake

 

Who SHOULD Win: Unorthodox Jukebox

Who WILL Win: The 20/20 Experience (The Complete Experience)

 

Best Dance Recording

“Need U (100%)” – Duke Dumont, A*M*E, & MNEK

“Sweet Nothing” – Calvin Harris & Florence Welch

“Atmosphere” – Kaskade

“This Is What It Feels Like” – Armin Van Buuren & Trevor Guthrie

“Clarity” – Zedd & Foxes

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Sweet Nothing”

Who WILL Win: “Sweet Nothing”

 

Best Dance/Electronica Album

Random Access Memories – Daft Punk

Settle – Disclosure

18 Months – Calvin Harris

Atmosphere – Kaskade

A Color Map of the Sun – Pretty Lights

 

Who SHOULD Win: Random Access Memories

Who WILL Win: Random Access Memories

 

Best R&B Performance

“Love and War” – Tamar Braxton

“Best of Me” – Anthony Hamilton

“Nakamarra” – Hiatus Kaiyote & Q-Tip

“How Many Drinks?” – Miguel & Kendrick Lamar

“Something” – Snarky Puppy & Lalah Hathaway

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Love and War”

Who WILL Win: “Love and War”

 

Best R&B Song

“Best of Me” – Anthony Hamilton

“Love and War” – Tamar Braxton

“Only One” – PJ Morton & Stevie Wonder

“Pusher Love Girl” – Justin Timberlake

“Without Me” – Fantasia, Kelly Rowland, & Missy Elliott

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Pusher Love Girl”

Who WILL Win: “Pusher Love Girl”

 

Best Urban Contemporary Album

Love and War – Tamar Braxton

Side Effects of You – Fantasia

One: In the Chamber – Salaam Remi

Unapologetic – Rihanna

New York: A Love Story – Mack Wilds

 

Who SHOULD Win: Love and War

Who WILL Win: Unapologetic

 

Best R&B Album

R&B Divas – Faith Evans

Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys

Love in the Future – John Legend

Better – Chrisette Michele

Three Kings – TGT

 

Who SHOULD Win: Girl on Fire

Who WILL Win: Love in the Future

 

Best Rap Performance

“Started From the Bottom” – Drake

“Berzerk” – Eminem

“Tom Ford” – Jay-Z

“Swimming Pools (Drank)” – Kendrick Lamar

“Thrift Shop” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis & Wanz

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Berzerk”

Who WILL Win: “Swimming Pools (Drank)”

 

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

“Power Trip” – J. Cole & Miguel

“Part II (On the Run)” – Jay-Z & Beyoncé

“Holy Grail” – Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake

“Now or Never” – Kendrick Lamar & Mary J. Blige

“Remember You” – Wiz Khalifa & The Weeknd

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Power Trip”

Who WILL Win: “Holy Grail”

 

Best Rap Song

“F***in’ Problems” – ASAP Rocky, Drake, 2 Chainz, & Kendrick Lamar

“Holy Grail” – Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake

“New Slaves” – Kanye West

“Started From the Bottom” – Drake

“Thrift Shop” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis & Wanz

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Started From the Bottom”

Who WILL Win: “Thrift Shop”

 

Best Rap Album

Nothing Was the Same – Drake

Magna Carta…Holy Grail – Jay-Z

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City – Kendrick Lamar

Yeezus – Kanye West

The Heist – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

 

Who SHOULD Win: Good Kid, M.A.A.D City

Who WILL Win: Yeezus 

 

Best Musical Theater Album

Kinky Boots

Matilda the Musical

Motown: The Musical

 

Who SHOULD Win: Kinky Boots

Who WILL Win: Kinky Boots

 

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

Django Unchained

The Great Gatsby

Les Misérables

Muscle Shoals

Sound City: Real to Reel

 

Who SHOULD Win: The Great Gatsby

Who WILL Win: The Great Gatsby

 

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

Argo – Alexandre Desplat

The Great Gatsby – Craig Armstrong

Life of Pi – Mychael Danna

Lincoln – John Williams

Skyfall – Thomas Newman

Zero Dark Thirty – Alexandre Desplat

 

Who SHOULD Win: Argo

Who WILL Win: Argo

 

Best Song Written for Visual Media

“Atlas” – Coldplay

“Silver Lining (Crazy ‘Bout You)” – Jessie J

“Skyfall” – ADELE

“We Both Know” – Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw

“Young and Beautiful” – Lana Del Rey

“You’ve Got Time” – Regina Spektor

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Young and Beautiful”

Who WILL Win: “Skyfall”

 

Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)

Rob Cavallo

Dr. Luke

Ariel Rechtshaid

Jeff Tweedy

Pharrell Williams

Who SHOULD Win: Pharrell Williams

Who WILL Win: Pharrell Williams

 

Best Music Video

“Safe and Sound” – Capital Cities

“Picasso Baby” – Jay-Z

“Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis & Ray Dalton

“Suit & Tie” – Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z

“I’m Shakin’” – Jack White

 

Who SHOULD Win: “Suit & Tie”

Who WILL Win: “Suit & Tie”

2013 Countdown: Top 10 R&B and Pop Albums

Vinny’s Top 10 R&B Albums of 2013

 

10.) Tattoos

Jason Derülo

 

9.) Love Songs

Destiny’s Child

 

8.) Blurred Lines

Robin Thicke

 

7.) Side Effects of You

Fantasia

 

6.) Talk a Good Game

Kelly Rowland

 

5.) Love in the Future

John Legend

 

4.) Love and War

Tamar Braxton

 

3.) Ciara

Ciara

 

2.) The Electric Lady

Janelle Monáe

 

1.) BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé

 

Vinny’s Top 10 Pop Albums of 2013

 

10.) Loved Me Back To Life

Céline Dion

 

9.) Better Together

Fifth Harmony

 

8.) Stars Dance

Selena Gomez

 

7.) Demi

Demi Lovato

 

6.) Heartthrob

Tegan and Sara

 

5.) Devotion

Jessie Ware

 

4.) Prism

Katy Perry

 

3.) Bangerz

Miley Cyrus

 

2.) Yours Truly

Ariana Grande

 

1.) The 20/20 Experience

Justin Timberlake

2013 Countdown: Top 10 Dance Songs

And with the worst of 2013 behind us, now let’s start looking at the best! Here’s to the songs that got us dancing. It’s refreshing to know that not EVERYONE makes the same repetitive techno song.

 

10.) “Work Bitch”

Britney Spears

It may not have been the most memorable first single in her career, but it still was pretty catchy. The radio edit was pretty amusing (“you better work work”) and the video was hot. She may be past her prime, but there’s still a little spark left.

 

9.) “Harlem Shake”

Baauer

It’s not the REAL Harlem Shake dance, but it certainly was quite a spectacle seeing all of the YouTube videos that followed. And man oh man, Baauer really knows how to put on a show!

 

8.) “I Love It”

Icona Pop & Charli XCX

The ultimate kiss-off anthem of the year, these ladies had us all declaring ourselves “90’s bitches”!

 

7.) “Burn”

Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding’s voice is suited for great alternative/electronic/pop music. It’s sweet, soothing, and quite a refreshment from the generic singing voices on the radio. So it was quite a sweet surprise to hear her on this adorable summer anthem with such gusto behind it.

 

6.) “Feel This Moment”

Pitbull & Christina Aguilera

It would appear to me that Ms. Aguilera is a lot more successful singing choruses on other songs for other artists than she is singing on her own (see “Moves Like Jagger” or “Say Something”). I’m still hoping for her to have more solo moments, but for now, let’s just enjoy the dance song king Mr. 305 with the dynamite Christina and this “Take On Me” inspired jam.

 

5.) “Latch”

Disclosure & Sam Smith

Not all DJs are doing dubstep. Sometimes a classic-sounding techno song can make you move just as much. What makes this song even more fantastic is the incredible choreography Sanya Tayeh taught during Vegas week this summer on So You Think You Can Dance.

 

4.) “Blurred Lines”

Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, & T.I.

Was there ever a moment when listening to the radio this summer that this song WASN’T playing? It may have worn out its welcome, but there’s no denying how fun and funky this song is and how much it gets us all grooving (regardless if it is a straight up rip-off of Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up”).

 

3.) “We Can’t Stop”

Miley Cyrus

Hannah Montana grew up, and she’s a twerking hot mess! BUT WE LOVED IT! This was the ultimate party jam, proving that she’s not the same little girl she used to be. 

 

2.) “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)”

Fergie, Q-Tip, GoonRock

Although not officially released as a single, it was one of the great highlights from the stellar Great Gatsby soundtrack! It is without a doubt one of the best workout songs created!

 

1.) “Get Lucky”

Daft Punk & Pharrell Willams

Daft Punk came back in a big way this year, bringing back funk and R&B dance music to mainstream 2013. And along the way, they got us on our feet, brought in Nile Rogers, AND re-introduced the world to the genius that is Pharrell Williams.

2013 Countdown: Top 5 Not That Great Albums

While 2013 had its share of pretty amazing music to share, that’s not to say that there were a few flops that didn’t impress us that much. I’m not saying that these are the WORST, but more like the top 5 less than stellar albums of the year.

 

5.) The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2

Justin Timberlake

 

The first half of his 20/20 experience was already a lot to live up to, but this second half of the experience didn’t really live up to the hype of being a continuation. With a less-than-exciting first single “Take Back the Night”, expectations were starting to get a little low. The album was way too long with songs that sounded more like sloppy seconds from the first half released earlier this year. This is not to say that this album was horrible. Moments like “Cabaret”, “Only When I Walk Away”, and “You Got It On” made up for the lack of imagination with the rest of the album, especially for the ridiculous 9-minute “True Blood”.

Best Song: “Cabaret” 

 

4.) Britney Jean

Britney Spears

Britney Spears made it known all year that her new album was going to be more personal, the best of Britney! Yet the album seemed to fizzle in all the wrong places. She has never been the strongest singer in the business, but what’s worked is her ability to turn pop songs into memorable pop culture moments in music videos and live performances. The first single “Work Bitch” was eh, having will.i.am as an executive producer didn’t help at all, and overall the album was trying too hard to be “personal”. It’s sad to say that Ms. Spears may be a little past her prime.

Best Song: “Perfume”

 

3.) Me, You & the Music

Jessica Sanchez

I rooted for Jessica on American Idol last year, but all because of a horrible winner’s single, she lost to Phillip Phillips. People knew she’d still get a record deal no matter what, but where this album went wrong was in her age. They tried to play to a more mature fan base, but her youthfulness got in the way. They tried to make her older than she was, and she was trying her best to catch up. It wasn’t a good representation of her dynamite, powerhouse voice.

Best Song: “Tonight”

 

2.) Magna Carta… Holy Grail

Jay-Z

Sorry Mr. Carter, but this was an utter disappointment. It had all of the ingredients to be another fantastic spectacle: collaborations with Bey, JT, & Frank Ocean, production from Timbaland, an exclusive release on a mobile app. But what we got was over-production, Miley Cyrus twerking references, incoherent lyrics, and app malfunctions.

Best Song: “Part II (On The Run)”

 

1.) ARTPOP

Lady GaGa

And then there’s GaGa. Talk about trying too hard. GaGa is no longer pushing the boundary of art and pop, she’s over-doing it nowadays. She’s almost become a joke. This concept was bigger than what the album actually ended up being. Another example of a bad first single with the forgettable “Applause”, the bad streak continued with the weird cover art and even more ridiculous outfits while promoting. I’m definitely looking forward to her jazz album with Tony Bennett, but until then we’re stuck with this dud.

Best Song: “Do What U Want”