2024 Grammy Awards: Preview and predictions for the big four awards

BEST SONG

WHO WILL WIN

This award probably goes to Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas for “What Was I Made For?” the epiphanic heart of the monster hit film Barbie. This is Eilish and Finneas’ fourth Best Song nomination in five years since she swept the big four back in 2020. Of course, Taylor Swift is in this category and it’s rarely smart to bet against her in a songwriting competition, but Eilish is still the choice.

WHO SHOULD WIN

And I think Eilish and Finneas deserve it. “What Was I Made For?” is a gorgeous song. I actually think Finneas overproduces it and Eilish goes way too far in her breathy delivery, which makes this a classic example of a song that deserves the Song award but not the Record award. In production, it goes forever more ethereal fluff when the song itself deserves explosive fireworks and a hint of anger. Do you know where you get that kind of anger? In Olivia Rodrigo’s ”Vampire,” which I might choose here, if (spoiler alert) I wasn’t planning on saying more about it later.

WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED

I realize that this is a songwriter’s award and that writing a song involves more than just writing lyrics. Still, if you are going to accept rap as a song, then I don’t know if you can overlook the lyrical genius of Billy Woods on a track like “Year Zero.” “My taxes pay police brutality settlements.” That may be a dog whistle to some listeners, but I don’t think you need to be on one side or the other of a political question to recognize what a powerful statement that is, in a song that recognizes a crossroads when it comes to one.