Ok, now that the Grammy's have adapted that 8 nominees rule for their 4 major awards - Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist - it has become a bit difficult to choose who the frontrunner is since the increase in number of nominees can spread over genres and split the votes.
However, I have a strong feeling this year that the Recording Academy will award their biggest 4 awards to any of these two interesting women - Lizzo and Billie Eilish - both newcomers to the music scene - and both creating their own niches in a pretty crowded pop and R&B field.
When you thought you've had angst figured out (remember, I grew up listening to Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, and Nirvana), here comes Billie Eilish with her own angst-ridden album - this time, with her own macabre interpretation of pop music!
I did listen to her seminal album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go, and it has some pretty good songs in it. Unfortunately, maybe because of my age, I couldn't quite connect with her emotions and ideas. Otherwise, her image - which is very important to a pop artist - jives perfectly well with her well-crafted songs.
While Billie is weird, and macabre, Lizzo is such a breath of fresh air. When I first heard her album Cuz I Love You, I realized, OMG, I thought I heard all types of R&B music already - but this woman - just pushes R&B in a whole new direction - one that is positive, joyful, shameless and proud. That's because Lizzo is a heavyweight, literally, and she makes no qualms about it. I think it's what makes her voice quite strong and with so much bravado.
I don't know how the Grammy voters will split the votes - maybe Album and Best New Artist - to Billie Eilish - and Record and Song to Lizzo.
Anyway, no matter which way they give the major awards, I hope these two are recipients of it.
They deserve it! Their music truly defined 2019!
