2024 Grammy Awards: Preview and predictions for the Rock and Alternative awards

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE

WHO WILL WIN

So please try to follow along here. Boygenius, Lana Del Rey, and Arctic Monkeys all are nominated for both Alt Performance and Alt Album. No surprise there. But Boygenius is also nominated for Rock Performance and Rock Song, and Arctic Monkeys get a Rock Performance (but not Rock Song) nom as well. Boygenius is going to win a lot of Grammys this year, but I think they lose this one to Lana Del Rey’s “A&W.” I’m not a big fan of Del Rey’s album, but a lot of important people are. “A&W” is a good song, but I can’t say Del Rey’s whispered, mumbled treatment of it does much for me.

WHO SHOULD WIN

Let me qualify this by saying I will not be including Boygenius in any other “Who Should Win” section. But this song – “Cool About It” – is the best thing on the album and one of the best songs of the year. And it is appropriately being considered in the Alt category. It’s a great, sad acoustic ballad that shows off each of its contributors to the best effect.

WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED

I can’t put Underscore’s “Geez Louise” into any standard category. It’s a huge, over-the-top collection of disparate styles and sounds. This is why the Alt category exists. She gets a big assist from Henhouse!.