Grammy Predictions 2017: Will Chance the Rapper, Beyonce, Drake Score Nominations?
On Tuesday (Dec. 5), nominations for the 59th annual Grammy Awards will be announced and there’s a lot of speculations on which artists should get nominated for trophies. For years, the Grammy Awards nominations have caused polarizing reactions from the fans. This year won’t be any different.
While 2016 was a mournful year with the tragic loss of Prince, Phife Dawg, Kashif, Rod Temperton and many others, there was plenty of great music that lifted up our spirits. So without further ado, The Boombox is going to guesstimate who should be nominated in the Rap and R&B categories for the 2017 Grammy Awards. Peep our picks below.
Best Rap Album
The Life of Pablo - Kanye West
Views - Drake
Coloring Book - Chance the Rapper
Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight - Travi$ Scott
Still Brazy - YG
When it comes to the Best Rap Album category, our heavy favorite is Chance the Rapper's inspirational album Coloring Book. Since, the Recording Academy changed its rules to allow streaming-only projects to receive nominations, we predict that Chano nabbed a mention here but also in the Album of the Year category as well (read below). Although fellow Chicagoan Kanye West is going through some tough times right now, the Grammy voters do actually like him. Yeezy will most likely garnered a nod for his album, The Life of Pablo. Previous Grammy nominees Travi$ Scott and YG have a good shot as well.
Best R&B Album
A Seat at the Table - Solange
Lemonade - Beyonce
Hard II Love - Usher
BLACKsummers’night - Maxwell
Malibu - Anderson .Paak
This is a tough category to predict. Solange's A Seat at the Table arrived just in the nick of time before the Grammy deadline (Sept. 30, 2016). There wasn't a lot of marketing behind her album, so it may not get nominated, but hopefully, it makes the cut (*our fingers are crossed*). However, Solange may get overshadowed by her younger sister Beyonce with her most-talked about album of 2016, Lemonade. R&B crooners Maxwell, Anderson .Paak and Usher are major contenders as well.
Best R&B Songs
“Formation” - Beyonce
"Work" - Rihanna (Featuring Drake)
"One Dance" - Drake
"Cranes in the Sky" - Solange
"Crash" - Usher
"Luv" - Tory Lanez
Beyonce's "Formation" was one of the most polarizing songs of the year, while Solange's "Cranes In the Sky" was one of the most elegant R&B ballads of 2016. Meanwhile, Rihanna and Drake both had the dance floors rocking with "Work" and "One Dance," respectively. Usher delivered another falsetto-driven ballad with "Crash" and we think Grammy voters will show "Luv" to newcomer Tory Lanez.
Best Rap Songs
"Panda" - Desiigner
"No Problem" - Chance The Rapper Feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
"I Got The Keys" - DJ Khaled Feat. Jay Z & Future
"Black Beatles" - Rae Sremmurd
"New Level" - A$AP Ferg Feat. Future
It's no question that Desiigner's "Panda" will get a nod in this cateogory. It was one of the most ubiquitous songs of the summer. Even Kanye West sampled the track for his Life of Pablo album. Songs by Chance, DJ Khaled and A$AP Ferg are long shots, but we think Rae Sremmurd's "Black Beatles" will squeak in a nomination.
Album of the Year
Coloring Book - Chance the Rapper
Lemonade - Beyonce
25 - Adele
Blackstar - David Bowie
Purpose - Justin Bieber
That's right. We predict that Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book will get nominated for Album of the Year. If The Recording Academy touts itself as a progressive voting body, they would nominate the Chicago rapper's mixtape in this category. While Chano may be a long shot in this field, Beyonce is a shoo-in for her album Lemonade. Although Adele's 25 and Justin Bieber's Purpose was released in late 2015, they are both great pop albums that cannot be ignored. The Grammy voters are also sentimental, and therefore, Blackstar from the late and great David Bowie will get a nod here.