The 54th annual Grammy awards ceremony to be held on Feb. 12 is shaping up to be one of the most interesting shows in recent memory, regardless of whether or not you are even interested in the nominees. Pop musicians have officially taken over the charts, more so than in prior years. Adele had a total of six nominations and was heavily favored to win every category she was up for. Other stars such as Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Rihanna all featured heavily with multiple nominations and performances.
Four of the five nominations for Best Album of the Year are also nominated for Best Pop Album, so fans of this genre had plenty to be excited about. Rock Music has declined in popularity since the late 1990s, and since then, has never had quite the same cultural impact it once did. That said, rock still has its fair share of nominations, and the genre did lay claim to victory last year with Arcade Fire’s win in the Album of the Year category. This year the Foo Fighters are rock’s biggest representative with six nominations.
Alongside the Foo Fighters, bands such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco, Kings of Leon, Radiohead, Coldplay, Megadeth,Mastadon, Mumford and Sons, and Dream Theater were all represented.
The absence of music by bands such as Rise Against, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Coheed and Cambria, and Flogging Molly may leave some rock fans feeling slighted, but the inclusion of Dream Theater (Best Hard Rock/Metal Album), a band famous for its technical proficiency over the years, should have eased the pain of those watching, if they managed to make it far enough into the show.
Rap fans have reason to be excited this year as. Kanye West led the nominations with seven, and many of the artists from this category collaborate with artists from the pop genre. Instead of being upstaged like rock was, rap shared the spotlight.
Aside from Kanye West, Rap featured artists also included Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, Dr. Dre and Whiz Khafila.
The best part for fans of rap music also happens to be the worst part for people who dislike it. Most of the songs featured in the rap category are collaborations, so even though Drake and Eminem were not up for any rewards this year, they were at least involved with the making of some of the tracks.
All in all it should be an interesting year if you are into either pop or rap music. Fans of rock still had reason to tune in though, since last year Arcade Fire stunned the world by winning Best Album of the Year, and the year prior Kings of Leon won best song. So there is always room for surprises.