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As part of the SKPop GRAMMYs roundup of 2022, we look at the category of Record Of The Year.
The Grammy category for Record Of The Year distinguishes itself from the Song Of The Year Grammy category by emphasizing the process of recording a tune, the composition, and the lyricism involved.
This year, the Academy has increased the number of nominees in overall Grammy categories to 10, leading to a stacked and diverse list.
Nominees for this year's GRAMMY Awards for Record Of The Year
1) "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo
Daniel Nigro, producer; Mitch McCarthy & Nigro, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
The dreamy bedroom pop track, which catapulted Olivia Rodrigo into superstardom, is a natural shoo-in for this category. However, it's a little sad that it got all the attention despite so many better tracks on Rodrigo's debut album Sour.
Driver's License has its share of heartfelt moments, and perhaps the only reason it has lost some of its sheen is because of how overplayed it was. It announced the presence of Olivia to the world, and for that alone, it deserves the Grammy spot.
2) "Freedom" by Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste, Kizzo & Autumn Rowe, producers; Russ Elevado, Kizzo & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Michelle Mancini, mastering engineer
11-time Grammy nominee Jon Batiste has forever walked a graceful tightrope, putting out virtuoso jazz records while hobnobbing with celebrities on The Late Show. He has been a compelling voice of optimism while being a socially conscious artist.
His anthemic track Freedom is an upbeat explosion of energy that would make anyone tap and groove along. In the music video, Jon dances and shimmies around in a bright pink suit as a vibrant community surrounds him, singing, dancing, harmonizing, perfectly encapsulating the tune's vibe.
3) "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish
Finneas O'Connell, producer; Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell & Rob Kinelski, engineers/mixers; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
This year, Grammy darling Billie Eilish released Happier Than Ever, a sprawling, genre-spanning follow-up to When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019), which swept the Grammys. The album was as much a personal transformation as a musical one.
The title track is a microcosm of the transition, where the whispery balladic delivery of the first part bridges to an uptempo anthem fit for a rock god. The switch feels natural and intriguing at once.
4) "I Get a Kick Out of You" by Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
Dae Bennett, producer; Dae Bennett & Josh Coleman, engineers/mixers; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers
After the universal adoration for Cheek To Cheek (2014), the unlikely and iconic duo of jazz legend Tony Bennett and one of pop's most experimental pioneers, Lady Gaga, returned with Love For Sale (2021) performing renditions of even more standard classics.
I Get A Kick Out Of You is one of the album's highlights, with an infectious energy that belies Bennett's age and gracefulness which belies Gaga's bombastic dance roots. The sincerity and mutual admiration of the duo shine through.
5) "I Still Have Faith in You" by ABBA
Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, producers; Benny Andersson & Bernard Löhr, engineers/mixers; Björn Engelmann, mastering engineer
On November 5, 2021, ABBA released Voyage, their first album in over 40 years, and it felt like they had never been gone. The ten new tracks are giddy with wonder, making any ABBA fan go through a rollercoaster of emotions.
I Still Have Faith In You is an epic composition that could move mountains. It feels like a love letter to ABBA's classic legacy. Anni-Frid's soaring vocals could revive a corpse. "Do I have it in me? I believe it is still there..." is optimism personified in a line.
6) "Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat featuring SZA
Rogét Chahayed, tizhimself & Yeti Beats, producers; Rob Bisel, Serban Ghenea, Rian Lewis & Joe Visciano, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
Both Doja Cat and SZA have had a great year as solo artists, with Doja's Planet Her (2021) earning universal acclaim (and an Album Of The Year Grammy nod) and SZA landing spots on a string of impressive singles.
This collaboration is arguably the zenith of both their powers. Doja's quotable verse and SZA's memorable bridge vocals could each make a hit song on their own. The duo brings oodles of oomph to one of the most recognizably viral tunes of the year.
7) "Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic
Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II & Bruno Mars, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes & Charles Moniz, engineers/mixers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
The supergroup Silk Sonic takes the best aspects out of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak's styles manage to craft more than the sum of its parts. The duo doesn't sound like their individual selves. They sound like Silk Sonic.
On Leave The Door Open, the song that started the global dominance of these two groovy hooligans, an addictive onslaught of harmonies and undeniable percussion rhythm, is backed with lyrics to woo any lady drop by a swell mansion.
8) "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X
Omer Fedi, Roy Lenzo & Take A Daytrip, producers; Denzel Baptiste, Serban Ghenea & Roy Lenzo, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
MONTERO was a resounding announcement from Lil Nas that he wasn't just a one-hit-wonder; he was here to stay. The overt homosexual themes in the song's lyrics and a masterful compilation of biblical imagery with a rebellious, edgy twist in the campy music video riled conservatives to no end.
It is an undeniably intricate audio-visual concept littered with Easter eggs. And the final shot of Lil Nas gyrating over a dispassionate Satan is an image no one forgets quickly. This platinum-certified track could take the trophy home.
9) "Peaches" by Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon
Josh Gudwin, Harv, Shndo & Andrew Watt producers; Josh Gudwin & Andrew Watt, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
Justin Bieber stacked his latest record, Justice (2021), with almost two dozen tracks and just as many guest features. The overall album feels meandering, but Peaches is a surefire highlight.
While Bieber was miffed about his album being considered 'pop' instead of R&B, his chorus is as pop as pop gets. Feature players Daniel Ceaser and Giveon, who have created quite some ripples via their solo projects, deliver the sensual bluesy energy to this track. It is a perfect blend of catchy and cozy.
10) "Right on Time" by Brandi Carlile
Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Brandon Bell & Tom Elmhirst, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
Pop stalwart Brandi Carlile returned with her seventh studio album In These Silent Days (2021), garnering critical acclaim for adding another feather to the hat of her expansive career.
Carlile's shivering vocal delivery of the uplifting lyrics on Right On Time which, in her own words, talks about the love and loss of the year gone by, is gorgeous. It is a soothing song to help listeners re-emerge into a changing world.
Who do you think will take the Record Of The Year GRAMMY home?
