Printer Friendly

URL: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/18338218/rock_star_predictions_who_will_win_at_this_years_grammys

Rollingstone.com

Back to Rock Star Predictions: Who Will Win at This Year's Grammys

Rock Star Predictions: Who Will Win at This Year's Grammys

Akon, Pete Wentz, KT Tunstall, Mark Ronson, Chris Daughtry, Tom Higgenson, Adam Levine and Ne-Yo Pick the Winners in Ten Categories

Posted Feb 07, 2008 4:00 PM

Click here for more Grammy coverage.

Grammy Showdown '08

Will Kanye West finally win Album of the Year? Will Amy Winehouse appear live via satellite? Our panel of expert artists tell us who the big winners will be on Sunday, February 10th.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Foo Fighters: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Vince Gill: These Days
Kanye West: Graduation
Amy Winehouse: Back to Black
Herbie Hancock: River: The Joni Letters

	KT Tunstall: I sincerely believe that Amy Winehouse is one of the most important artists to come out of Britain in recent years.
	Adam Levine: Kanye is always a couple of steps ahead. He's come into his own as a rapper, and he keeps getting better.

	Chris Daughtry: The Foos made their best album since The Colour and the Shape. The production is awesome, and it's grittier than their other records.
	Akon: I'd like to see Kanye win. With all the 50 Cent issues, he still promoted this album more than any other and got Graduation where it needed to go.
	Mark Ronson: If you're talking about a record that changed the sound of contemporary pop, Amy Winehouse should win.

Who should win:

Kanye West: After three brilliant albums in a row, the rapper is long overdue for his first Album of the Year win.

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Beyoncé: "Irreplaceable"
Foo Fighters: "The Pretender"
Rihanna feat. Jay-Z: "Umbrella"
Justin Timberlake: "What Goes Around . . . Comes Around"
Amy Winehouse: "Rehab"

	Pete Wentz: If the bridge to "What Goes Around . . . Comes Around" was the whole song, I would have picked that. But if this one doesn't go to "Umbrella," people aren't paying attention.
	Akon: I want to see Rihanna win this one: She moves, she sweats, she works hard. And everyone else in this category has a thousand awards already.
	Adam Levine: "Umbrella" is one of those perfect songs that you wish you'd written. It's literally flawless in every way. And it doesn't hurt that she's gorgeous.
	Chris Daughtry: "What Goes Around" has been my jam this year. The vibe is raw, his vocals are low-fi, and it's just a natural-sounding record.
	Ne-Yo: Besides the fact that I wrote "Irreplaceable," it's a song that everybody — from the guy who drives the tractor to the lady who shops on Rodeo Drive — can get into.

Who should win:

Rihanna: Last year's most ubiquitous pop song, "Umbrella" may be more annoying than "Rehab," but it's also more irresistible.

BEST NEW ARTIST

Amy Winehouse
Taylor Swift
Paramore
Ledisi
Feist

	KT Tunstall: Every time I see Feist, I can't help thinking of Patti Smith. She's so unfazed by whatever is around her. She's not appeasing anybody. And it always sounds like she's singing right next to you.
	Pete Wentz: Of all the categories where she's nominated, I think Amy Winehouse will win this one. It's the gimme Grammy. And she's just so blatantly honest. Her life has become her art, and vice versa.
	Chris Daughtry: The way I look at the definition of Best New Artist, this should go to Taylor Swift. I don't know where she came from, but she's superyoung and obviously a very talented singer.
	Ne-Yo: I really like Feist, but I think Amy Winehouse has more depth. It's sad that pain makes for the best lyrics, but Amy Winehouse is obviously a person in a lot of pain.

Who should win:

Amy Winehouse: The nominating committee may have been overly generous with the headline-grabbing crooner, but for this one she's a no-brainer.

BEST ROCK ALBUM

Daughtry: Daughtry
Foo Fighters: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Bruce Springsteen: Magic
John Fogerty: Revival
Wilco: Sky Blue Sky

	Ne-Yo: I like Daughtry, because he was kind of the American Idol underdog who came out and blew up the world. His voice sounds a lot like the guy from Nickelback, but they're still a really talented band.
	KT Tunstall: I love Jeff Tweedy's voice, and Sky Blue Sky is my favorite album of last year. It's a real grower — it's a fungi!
	Adam Levine: Wilco are really taking risks — it's refreshing to have a band nominated that's so unpretentious and straightforward, and so dedicated to music.
	Tom Higgenson: Magic truly sounds like a Springsteen record. Plus, he's like the Kanye of rock: He's never afraid to say what he feels.
	Chris Daughtry: I'm a huge Fogerty fan, and I grew up listening to Creedence, but Springsteen is coming from such a place of honesty that I'm more partial to Magic.

Who should win:

Bruce Springsteen: Though overlooked in the major categories, Magic is one of Springsteen's best records, as well as one of last year's.

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM

Lily Allen: Alright, Still
The White Stripes: Icky Thump
Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
The Shins: Wincing the Night Away
Björk: Volta

	Adam Levine: I guess I'm supposed to say Arcade Fire, but I'm going with White Stripes. Icky Thump sounds like a classic, and they're one of my favorite bands these days.
	Pete Wentz: The problem with "alternative" is the guys who vote don't know any of the bands. So it'll probably go to the White Stripes. But personally, I love the Arcade Fire album best.
	Mark Ronson: I'm surprised Neon Bible didn't get more nominations. That album is some kind of religious experience, where everybody feels like they're possessed.
	KT Tunstall: Björk's Volta is immense. I don't know if she's trying to please anyone, but she has. It's a colorful return to her techno roots, and the album really takes you on a journey. But Neon Bible is great too. Before, there was a blanket on the coffin, but now there's just a metal coffin.

Who should win:

Arcade Fire: The Canadian indie-rock band's best albums lie ahead. But Neon Bible is still head and shoulders above the competition.

BEST RAP ALBUM

Common: Finding Forever
Jay-Z: Kingdom Come
Nas: Hip-Hop Is Dead
T.I.: T.I. vs. T.I.P.
Kanye West: Graduation

	Akon: I love Nas, but I don't think he stands a chance, because he's too underground. I doubt the voters listen to that kind of hip-hop.
	Ne-Yo: This is a tough one, but nobody stays as true to hip-hop as Common. You almost can't even put him in the same category as a Jay-Z or a Nas.
	Tom Higgenson: Graduation is more than a rap album. Kanye succeeded at making an album that people young or old, black or white can appreciate.
	Pete Wentz: Kanye West was so forward-thinking with Graduation. I think this award will go to him, but I hope he also wins in some of the non-hip-hop categories.
	Mark Ronson: This was probably one of the worst years I can remember for hip-hop. Still, I would definitely bet the farm on Graduation. I love anything that fuses genres.

Who should win:

Kanye West: More than anyone else in hip-hop, 'Ye understands the art of making albums, not just hit singles.

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL

Christina Aguilera: "Candyman"
Nelly Furtado: "Say It Right"
Fergie: "Big Girls Don't Cry"
Feist: "1234"
Amy Winehouse: "Rehab"

	Mark Ronson: "Umbrella" will be playing on the radio twenty years from now. It's got a kind of post-apocalyptic keyboard sound, and it's not the kind of record I usually like, but you have to admit it was undeniably one of the biggest things you heard all year.
	Adam Levine: Feist and Amy and Christina are all badasses, but Christina's the best pure vocalist. Everything that comes out of her mouth sounds like candy.
	Pete Wentz: I would give it to Feist, but she might be too obscure for Grammy voters. My money's on Christina. She's one of the few great contemporary voices and a Grammy favorite.
	KT Tunstall: "Rehab" is fucking formidable. It's a complete throwback. And you'd be a real fool not to step out of the way of Winehouse!
	Akon: Fergie seems to have won the hearts of all the teenagers this year. She surprised me because I never knew a vocal angel like that before.

Who should win:

Feist: The indie queen's gorgeous ditty grew on us with each passing listen, while the others just got more and more irksome.

BEST ROCK SONG

Lucinda Williams: "Come On"
White Stripes: "Icky Thump"
Daughtry: "It's Not Over"
Foo Fighters: "The Pretender"
Bruce Springsteen: "Radio Nowhere"

	Akon: Springsteen made a down-to-earth record, bringing out that raspy voice and clean melodies. It's a tough choice, but voters always like Bruce.
	Mark Ronson: I vote for "Icky Thump" with pleasure. It's so heavy, with those weird keyboard things going on. It's an assault, and it sounds like absolutely nothing else that's ever been made before. Jack White is a proper genius.
	Adam Levine: When someone can write Led Zeppelin riffs, they deserve to win. "Icky Thump" has one of the best riffs I've heard in years. In fact, it's the perfect riff.
	Chris Daughtry: I'm gonna have to go for mine. Not really. I love the Foo Fighters' "The Pretender." It reminds me a little bit of some old-school Beatles, like "She's So Heavy." I listen to it all the time when I'm getting ready for a show, because, honestly, I'm kind of sick of my own song.

Who should win:

Bruce Springsteen: "Radio Nowhere" is an instant Bruce classic, with all the grit, heart and immediacy of "Born in the U.S.A."

BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Beck: "Timebomb"
Paul McCartney: "Only Mama Knows"
John Mellencamp: "Our Country"
Bruce Springsteen: "Radio Nowhere"
Lucinda Williams: "Come On"

	Tom Higgenson: I'm going to vote for the Beatle — when this album came out, I liked that it was a bunch of uptempo cool songs. It's one of my favorites of the year.
	Chris Daughtry: I'm partial to Springsteen because he's always had a very raw and real sound. When he sings you feel what he's talking about.
	Akon: Bruce Springsteen had those real down-to-earth records, combining his raspy voice with clean melodies. It was what America wanted to say but didn't have the heart to say it.
	Ne-Yo: I like Beck because he's always going to do something that's way left of center — he dances to the beat of his own damn drummer, and that's the beauty of him.

Who should win:

Lucinda Williams: One of the great voices of the last two decades singing an excellent song.

BEST SOLO RAP PERFORMANCE

Common: "The People"
50 Cent: "I Get Money"
Jay-Z: "Show Me What You Got"
T.I.: "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)"
Kanye West: "Stronger"

	Mark Ronson: I always love when pople take something that you might not necessarily expect, and I felt "Stronger" was amazing.
	Adam Levine: "Stronger" is larger than life, and the bottom line is that it doesn't sound like anything. Kanye used the Daft Punk sample in a way that creates an entirely new song — it really is revolutionary sounding.
	Akon: 50 Cent is a single-handed machine. He brings you anything you want all in one shot.
	Chris Daughtry: "Stronger" is an awesome song. A lot of times you'll hear a hip-hop song and the beats are predictable, but the beats change throughout this one. You don't even have to like rap, but as soon as you hear it you dig it.

Who should win:

Kanye West: West's killer track (with its well-used Daft Punk sample) was one of his best ever, and deserves to take home the prize.

[From Issue 1045 — February 7, 2008]