Carroll students weigh in on the Grammys

As the prestigious Grammy awards approach, Archbishop Carroll students expressed their opinions on who should win. 

Each year, the top major category to win is Album of the Year, which goes to not only the artist who performs on the album but also the songwriters, producer, recording engineers, and mastering engineers for that album. The nominations for Album of the Year this year are “Donda” by Kanye West, “Evermore” by Taylor Swift, “SOUR” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Montero” by Lil Nas X, “Back of My Mind” by H.E.R, “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish, “Planet Her” by Doja Cat, “Justice” by Justin Bieber, “Love for Sale” by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, and “We Are- Jon” by Batiste. Olivia Rodigo’s debut album, “SOUR” was the top-picked album by Carroll students. Twenty-five out of 35 students choose “SOUR.” Seven students picked the album “Planet Her” and three picked “Donda.” 

One student wasn’t completely sure about who to vote for. 

“For me it’s between ‘SOUR,’ ‘Planet Her’ and ”Donda,'” said Laura Wallon, a senior. “I would say ‘SOUR’ but I think since it’s her first album she shouldn’t win right off the bat. I wish I could choose ‘Planet Her’ and ‘Donda’ because I’ve listened to both of those albums on repeat, but I think I’m gonna vote for ‘Doja.’” 

Another major Grammy category is Song of the Year, an award that recognizes songwriters, not the artists, engineers, and producers who record a song. The nominations for Song of the Year include “Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran, “A Beautiful Noise” by Alicia Keys, “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Fight for you” by H.E.R, “Happier than Ever” by Billie Eilish, “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat featuring SZA, “Leave the Door Open” by Bruno Mars & Anderson Peak, “Monstero (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X, “Peaches” by Justin Bieber, and “Right on Time” by Brandi Carlie. The 14 students’ votes were more divided, with the winner being “Happier than Ever” by Billie Eilish with four votes. “Drivers License” had three votes, “Kiss Me More” had three votes, and “Leave the Door Open” had two votes.

Record of Year is the category that recognizes the artists, engineers, and producers who record a song rather than the songwriters who wrote it. One of the nominees is “I Still Have Faith In You” by ABBA, the Swedish pop group that met with worldwide success in the 1970s and early 1980s and whose music was adapted for the hit musical “Mamma Mia!” Another nominee is “I Get a Kick out of You” by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. Bennett began his singing career in the 1930s and has set the record for the longest span of top-10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart for any living artist as well as for being the oldest person to release an album of new material at more than 95 years old. Other nominees include “Freedom” by Jon Batiste, “Peaches” by Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon, “Right on Time” by Brandi Carlile, “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat featuring SZA, “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X, “driver’s license” by Olivia Rodrigo, and “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic.

Another major category is best new artist. The nominations include Arooj Aftab, Jimmie Allen, Baby Keem, FINNEAS, glass animals, Japanese Breakfast, The Kid LAROI, Arlo Parks, Olivia Rodrigo, and Saweetie. Olivia Rodigo won this category by a landslide according to Carroll students with getting 18 out of 20 votes. The other two votes went to Kid LAROI. Kid LAROI is an Australian artist who released his debut album in 2020, and has already had song collaborations with Justin Bieber, Juice WRLD, and Mashmello. 

The 64th Grammy Awards will be presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences on Jan. 31 in Los Angeles.