The 57th Annual Grammy Awards hosted by LL Cool J will air live from the Los Angeles Staples Center this Sunday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. EST on CBS. We've examined the biggest categories and have put in our two cents on who we think should win and who we think will win each award. Vote for your pick in the poll at the bottom of the page.
Category: Best R&B Song
Nominees:
"Drunk In Love" (Beyoncé feat. Jay Z) written by Shawn Carter, Rasool Diaz, Noel Fisher, Jerome Harmon, Beyoncé Knowles, Timothy Mosely, Andre Eric Proctor & Brian Soko
"Good Kisser" (Usher) written by Ronald "Flip" Colson, Warren "Oak" Felder, Usher Raymond IV, Jameel Roberts, Terry "Tru" Sneed & Andrew "Pop" Wansel
"New Flame" (Chris Brown feat. Usher & Rick Ross) written by Eric Bellinger, Chris Brown, James Chambers, Malissa Hunter, Justin Booth Johnson, Mark Pitts, Usher Raymond IV, William Roberts, Maurice "Verse" Simmonds & Keith Thomas
"Options (Wolfjames Version)" (Luke James) written by Dominic Gordon, Brandon Hesson & Jamaica "Kahn-Cept" Smith
"The Worst" (Jhené Aiko) written by Jhené Aiko Chilombo Mac Robinson & Brian Warfield
Who Should Win: "Options"
Although this song didn't receive nearly as much attention and radio play as its competition, it has an emotional, thought-provoking edge that the others lack. "Good Kisser" and "New Flame" don't push any new boundaries. They are your run of the mill, "Let's get it on," "I can fall in love in the club" tropes that are cliché in the genre. Even "The Worst" plays off the "you've done me wrong" cliché. Only Beyoncé's "Drunk In Love" comes close to pushing boundaries, with its point of view coming from a sexually in-charge, confident woman - but even that is still your stereotypical love-making music. What's interesting about "Options" is that it talks about real grown-men issues, like fatherhood. He sings about being scared when his girlfriend got pregnant. He originally tries to explain to her that they have "options," but later scolds himself for every considering his now-daughter to be an "option" or a "problem." Not many R&B songs touch on topics as sensitive as abortion and the responsibilities that come along with fatherhood and being in a relationship, which makes "Options" stand out from the more cliché competition. What's more, James has actually penned hit songs for his competitors, so in a category that honors the songwriter, James should take home the win.
Who Will Win: "Drunk In Love"
Although "Options" might be a more emotionally challenging song, "Drunk In Love," as we previously mentioned, is also pretty groundbreaking. A song about a woman being sexually in-control while also being a wife and mother, had people talking. So this was obviously a win for feminism. On top of the lyrical content, the song is catchy as hell and started a cultural phenomenon. Bey really made "surfboard(t)" become a thing. Throw in a verse from Jay Z, doting on his badass wife, kick ass production, and amazing vocal texture and execution from Beyoncé and you have yourself a winner.
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