Beyonce? Sam Smith? Sia? Pharrell?
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Lifestyle FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015 Smith’s stardom Grammy predictions secure, but legacy Beyonce? Sam Smith? Sia? Pharrell? a work-in-progress ill Beyonce reign as queen of the Brandy Clark; Haim; Sam Smith. s one of only a handful of artists to be nominated for four Grammys, or will the pop diva be Moody: I mean, is this even a competition? of the top Grammy Awards in a single year, 22-year-old Wdethroned by newcomer Sam Smith? Sam Smith. ABrit singer Sam Smith seems primed for a coronation on The AP makes educated guesses at who will Fekadu: Who dat? Who dat? Not I to the G- music’s biggest night. But whether he can make the jump to last- dominate music’s biggest night Sunday, when G-Y. Sam Smith will take this one. ing stardom once the Grammy afterparties die down remains an Smith, Beyonce and Pharrell are the top con- Pop Solo Performance: “All of Me (Live),” open question. What’s beyond question is Smith’s status as tenders with six nominations apiece. The John Legend; “Chandelier,” Sia; “Stay With Me 2014’s obvious breakout star. His June debut, “In the Lonely Grammy Awards will air live on CBS at 8 pm (Darkchild Version),” Sam Smith; “Shake It Off,” Hour,” stood as the year’s third-bestselling release in the US, EST. Here’s how we think the night will go: Taylor Swift; “Happy (Live),” Pharrell. behind only the twin juggernauts of Taylor Swift and “Frozen.” Album of the Year: “Morning Phase,” Beck; Fekadu: Pharrell’s No.1 hit was released Three of his singles charted in the top 10; his first US headlining “Beyonce,” Beyonce; “X,” Ed Sheeran; “In the too early for eligibility and voters didn’t care tour has him playing such massive venues as LA’s Forum and Lonely Hour,” Sam Smith; “G I R L,” Pharrell. New York’s Madison Square Garden; and his six total Grammy Fekadu: We all thought “Beyonce” was a noms are equaled only by Beyonce. Smith is an unlikely superstar shoo-in for this award because of its epic for a number of reasons. Openly gay and a self-professed roman- release and because Adele didn’t drop an tic naif, he hardly cuts the album. But then enters Adele’s baby brother: figure of a swaggering tradi- soulful British crooner Sam Smith, singing his In this Aug 24, 2014 file photo, tional R&B star. He also big ballad, sad love songs, releasing back-to- Beyonce backstage at the MTV Video got his start as a featured back radio hits and going platinum. Smith may Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif. share some of Beyonce’s fans now, but come vocalist on electronic dance Fekadu: Yonce all on his mouth like liquor. music tracks, working in a Sunday, the Beyhive will turn on him. Moody: As a card-carrying member of the Moody: Even with the cringe-worthy Anna genre that usually treats its Mae reference, Jayonce wins this. studio knob-twirlers as stars Beyhive, I can assure you all the ire will be at the Recording Academy. Look, Sam Smith had Rap Song: “Anaconda,” Nicki Minaj; and its singers as the hired “Bound 2,” Kanye West featuring Charlie help. (Just ask Romanthony, a gorgeous album that tugged at our heart- strings and he is the real deal. But Beyonce not Wilson; “i,” Kendrick Lamar; “We Dem Boyz,” John Martin or Sam Martin, Wiz Khalifa; “0 to 100 / The Catch Up,” Drake. all of whom sang lead on only had the best album of the year (said in Kanye voice), she turned the industry on its Moody: Kanye West’s rants against the enormous dance hits with- In this Dec 14, 2012 file photo, musi- Grammys probably won’t help him here, and out most record buyers head and truly innovated with her surprise release and the visual album. That should cian Beck poses for a portrait at his voters probably won’t want to reward the even knowing their names.) song best remembered for him simulating sex Yet Smith somehow count for a Grammy win. But the Grammys will home, in Malibu, Calif. likely be enamored by the blue-eyed soul and with wifey Kim Kardashian on a motorcycle. eased his way from featured Kendrick Lamar, on the other hand, has an spots on Disclosure’s British aspect of Sam Smith, marveling that he does soul music so authentically and overlook- uplifting song and Grammy voters probably “Latch” and Naughty Boy’s remember how he got robbed last year when “La La La” straight into the ing a queen who has mastered it, and pop music in general, for almost two decades. And Macklemore inexplicably won over him. They’ll confessional coffeehouse make it up to him this year. File photo, Sam Smith per- that will be a travesty. soul of his debut, a transi- Fekadu: Kendrick Lamar is under the forms on stage at the 42nd tion that could have easily Record of the Year: “Fancy,” Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX; “Chandelier,” Sia; “Stay India.Arie effect: You lose all seven in your annual American Music gone awry. For one, while debut year, but you win two the following Awards at Nokia Theatre LA. new old-school Brit With Me (Darkchild Version),” Sam Smith; “Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift; “All About That year. Poetic justice, indeed! R&B femmes like Adele Country Album: “Riser,” Dierks Bentley; (Smith’s most obvious predecessor), Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Bass,” Meghan Trainor. Moody: “Fancy” and “All About That Bass” “The Outsiders,” Eric Church; “12 Stories,” Corinne Bailey Rae found varying degrees of success in the US, Brandy Clark; “Platinum,” Miranda Lambert; their male counterparts have had it far tougher. Aussie soulster seem to be the obligatory “yes we’re in touch with the Snapchat generation” nomination - “The Way I’m Livin’,” Lee Ann Womack. Daniel Merriweather tore up the Blighty charts with his 2009 Fekadu: Women have it tough in country debut “Red,” but sales fizzled on these shores. Michael Kiwanuka nice nod to the kids, but they won’t win. It’s between Taylor, Sia and Sam; Sia’s song didn’t music, so it’s great to see the Recording was a critics’ fave in 2012, but found a Stateside breakthrough Academy acknowledge three wonderful elusive. Josh Newman has yet to make his name nearly three resonate with as many people and Taylor’s years after his first UK No. 1. So what explains Smith’s success? He may be too catchy for her own good. Look for certainly owes a debt to Frank Ocean, who helped pave a path Sam to grab this category too: It’s a smoldering for such emotive vulnerability and fluid sexuality in contempo performance too hot not to reward. R&B. But more essentially, Smith represents a perfect post- Fekadu: Normally I would say a song like In this Dec 5, 2014 file photo, Ed ”Glee” pop star. A musical theater veteran himself, Smith’s album “Bass,” despite being one of the year’s biggest is less a meditation on heartbreak than a mimetic dramatic reen- hits, wouldn’t win hit, mainly because it’s from Sheeran performs at the KIIS FM’s actment. It favors plainspoken directness in its lyrics-there’s hard- a new artist. But, at the same time, how could Jingle Ball at the Staples Center in ly a single metaphor or figurative image to be found-and tunes you imagine 2014 without the addictive track? Los Angeles. like “Leave Your Lover” seem custom-fitted to be Act 2 show- And because Trainor is a skilled songwriter, fol- stoppers in some swooning high school musical. lowed the song up with another hit and No. 1 enough to nominate its live version for record album, it’s only fitting she walk away with the of the year. There’s no way he’s losing this hon- Album of the year win. or, though. Smith’s m.o. and cross-generational appeal clearly made him Song of the Year (songwriter’s award): Moody: I think that the academy will feel catnip to Grammy voters, who have seemed increasingly willing “All About That Bass,” Meghan Trainor and like they gave Pharrell all the love he needed to look to the upstarts. Long criticized for eternally playing Kevin Kadish; “Chandelier,” Sia and Jesse last year; this year, the Grammy darling is Sam catchup-Bob Dylan, Steely Dan and Eric Clapton were three Shatkin; “Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift, Max Martin Smith, and he’s got this on lock. and Shellback; “Stay With Me (Darkchild Rock Album: “Ryan Adams,” Ryan Adams; decades or more into their careers before winning a major cate- In this Dec 7, 2014 file photo, singer Version),” Sam Smith, James Napier and “Morning Phase,” Beck; “Turn Blue,” The Black gory-the awards made a decided youthful shift of late, willing to Sia Furler attends the world premiere reward the likes of Swift, Adele and Mumford & Sons with William Phillips; “Take Me to Church,” Hozier. Keys; “Hypnotic Eye,” Tom Petty & the Fekadu: Tay Tay and Trainor’s songs seem Heartbreakers; “Songs of Innocence,” U2. of “Annie” at the Ziegfeld Theatre in album of the year honors for sophomore records. New York. Citing Smith’s two recent predecessors in earning all four too playful to win this award. Hozier’s hit may Moody: I’m guessing Grammy voters are be too new for voters, leaving Sia and Sam. Sia iTunes users and perhaps didn’t appreciate major nominations-best new artist, record, song and album of the female voices in this category.