Our critic makes his Grammy picks
RECORD OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé, "Halo"
Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"
Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"
Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"
Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"
SHOULD WIN "I Gotta Feeling." Omnipresence is rarely this deserved, toning down the cartoon qualities to capture a moment, however fleeting, of national optimism. Mazel tov!
WILL WIN "I Gotta Feeling"
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce"
Black Eyed Peas, "The E.N.D."
Lady Gaga, "The Fame"
Dave Matthews Band, "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King"
Taylor Swift, "Fearless"
SHOULD WIN "Fearless." The year, especially the oddly constructed Grammy eligibility year, belonged to Swift and her honest, catchy country-pop songs. The fact that these songs will be remembered for years to come means this award belongs to her as well.
WILL WIN "Fearless"
SONG OF THE YEAR
Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"
Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"
Maxwell, "Pretty Wings"
Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"
SHOULD WIN "Pretty Wings." Maxwell's comeback is gorgeous, effortless and potent.
WILL WIN "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." Voters like it. They will put a ring on it.
BEST NEW ARTIST
Zac Brown Band
MGMT
Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings
SHOULD WIN Zac Brown Band. In a category of relative equals, Brown is a bigger force in country than the others are in their own genres.
WILL WIN Zac Brown Band
BEST POP ALBUM
Black Eyed Peas, "The E.N.D."
Colbie Caillat, "Breakthrough"
Kelly Clarkson, "All I Ever Wanted"
The Fray, "The Fray"
Pink, "Funhouse"
SHOULD WIN "All I Ever Wanted." Clarkson has already rolled out three great pop anthems from this album and there's more to come. Pink's "Funhouse" has similar depth, but Clarkson's versatility gives her the edge.
WILL WIN "The E.N.D." Black Eyed Peas are well connected and well liked among Grammy voters and it's hard to argue against their one-two "Boom Boom Pow," "I Gotta Feeling" chart stranglehold.
BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM
The Crystal Method, "Divided by Night"
David Guetta, "One Love"
Lady Gaga, "The Fame"
LMFAO, "Party Rock"
Pet Shop Boys, "Yes"
SHOULD WIN "Yes." The Pet Shop Boys' strongest, most consistent album in years outclassed some of its flashier competitors in this category.
WILL WIN "The Fame." It's practically a lock for Lady Gaga, considering her incredible success last year on the singles charts. Voters will overlook the fact that "The Fame" is too long and so overstuffed that a third of the songs could be cut without missing anything.
BEST ROCK ALBUM
AC/DC, "Black Ice"
Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood, "Live From Madison Square Garden"
Green Day, "21st Century Breakdown"
Dave Matthews Band, "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King"
U2, "No Line on the Horizon"
SHOULD WIN "21st Century Breakdown." Green Day deserved an album of the year nod for its ambitious concept album about life in the Era of Diminished Expectations. It's one of the best of the year and easily the best in this category.
WILL WIN "No Line on the Horizon." Grammy voters love U2, even when they might not deserve it. Clapton and Winwood may pull off a surprise, though.
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
David Byrne and Brian Eno, "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today"
Death Cab for Cutie, "The Open Door"
Depeche Mode, "Sounds of the Universe"
Phoenix, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It's Blitz!"
SHOULD WIN "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix." After a string of worthy albums, Phoenix put it all together on this one, combining catchiness with experiments and grooves.
WILL WIN "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"
BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM
Beyoncé, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce"
Jamie Foxx, "Intuition"
Pleasure P, "The Introduction of Marcus Cooper"
Trey Songz, "Ready"
T-Pain, "Thr33 Ringz"
SHOULD WIN "I Am ... Sasha Fierce." Kind of a layup for Beyoncé, even though this set has a few too many filler songs. The category is so weak, it makes you wonder how the voters passed over Whitney Houston's comeback.
WILL WIN "I Am ... Sasha Fierce"
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Zac Brown Band, "The Foundation"
George Strait, "Twang"
Taylor Swift, "Fearless"
Keith Urban, "Defying Gravity"
Lee Ann Womack, "Call Me Crazy"
SHOULD WIN "Fearless." Swift's classically told country tales of growing up ring so true, she somehow makes us all feel like we're "Fifteen" alongside her.
WILL WIN "Fearless"
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