Best Music of 2018

The 61st Grammy nominations were announced on December 7. What's different is that instead of five nominees in the major categories, this year the lists have eight nominees in each. Neil Portnow, the president and CEO of the Recording Academy, said the expansion creates more opportunities for a wider-range of recognition and gives more flexibility to academy voters. The expansion applies to the four major categories, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. The other 80 or so categories will only have five nominees each.

For Album of the Year, the nominees are Invasion of Privacy by Cardi B, By the Way, I Love You by Brandi Carlile, Scorpion by Drake, H.E.R. by H.E.R., Beerbongs & Bentleys by Post Malone, Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe, Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves and Black Panther The Album by Kendrick Lamar.

Of the eight albums on this list, Drake's Scorpion is by far the best-selling. It is perhaps the only one that has been certified platinum. Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar's albums have also done reasonably well, along with Cardi B's album. H.E.R.'s album came out in 2017, so it's had a longer time on the charts, but its peak position on the Billboard 200 charts was only 47. It stands at #68 on the year-end chart though. Neither Brandi Carlile, Janelle Monáe nor Kacey Musgraves albums made the year-end chart. Of those three, Monáe's album peaked in the lowest position, which might put her album at the bottom. Except, it is the highest-rated album according to critics. It would also be the album that would get my vote.

For Record of the Year, an award that goes to the performers on a track, the nominees are "I Like It" by Cardi B, "The Joke" by Brandi Carlile, "This is America" by Childish Gambino, "God's Plan" by Drake, "Shallow" by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, "All the Stars" by Kendrick Lamar & SZA, "Rockstar" by Post Malone and "The Middle" by Zedd.

Of all the tracks up for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year, Drake's "God's Plan" is the one that is the best-selling. What's interesting is that two of the songs up for the two major categories are from movie soundtracks. Lamar's "All the Stars" and Lady Gaga's "Shallow" are from two of the most popular films of the year, Black Panther and A Star is Born.

Why it's interesting is because there hasn't been a track from a movie soundtrack that has also been nominated as either Record of the Year or Song of the Year since 2004 when Eminem's "Lose Yourself" from 8 Mile was released. Before that, the last time was 1999 when Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" from Titantic was released. That song won both prizes at the 41st Grammy Awards, whereas Eminem's song lost. Therefore, it's been about 20 years since a movie song has been as celebrated or with as strong a possibility of winning at the Grammys.

Best Music of 2018...

Best Folk / Country

BY THE WAY, I FORGIVE YOU by Brandi Carlile
SPARROW by Ashley Monroe
CRY PRETTY by Carrie Underwood
GIRL GOING NOWHERE by Ashley McBryde
TEARING AT THE SEAMS by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
ENCORE by Anderson East
RIFLES AND ROSARY BEADS by Mary Gauthier

Best Rock / Alternative

THE HEX by Richard Swift
LAMP LIT PROSE by Dirty Projectors
PERFORMANCE by White Denim
PREMONITIONS by Miya Folick
RAISE VIBRATION by Lenny Kravitz
SIMULATION THEORY by Muse
ALWAYS ASCENDING by Franz Ferdinand

Best Pop / Electronic

A STAR IS BORN by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
PALO SANTO by Years & Years
EVERYTHING IS RECORDED by Richard Russell
I CAN FEEL YOU CREEP INTO MY PRIVATE LIFE by tUnE-yArDs
PRIMAL HEART by Kimbra
CAMILA by Camila Cabello
CASTLES by Lissie
MAN OF THE WOODS by Justin Timberlake

Best R&B / Soul

DIRTY COMPUTER by Janelle Monáe
PLEASE DON'T BE DEAD by Fantastic Negrito
SATURN by Nao
I USED TO KNOW HER - PART 2 by H.E.R.
VENTRILOQUISM by Meshell Ndegeocello
HEAVEN BEFORE ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE by Plan B

Best Rap / Hip Hop

BLACK PANTHER: THE ALBUM by Kendrick Lamar
YSIV by Logic
CARE FOR ME by Saba
COCOA SUGAR by Young Fathers

Best Song from Non-Listed Album

"Let Me Go Now" by Brigid Mae Power
"Love Was the Excuse" by DeAndre Brackensick
"We Don't Care" by Børns
"Revelation" by Troye Sivan & Jónsi
"Treasure" by Sampha
"All Directions" by Son Lux
"Wreckless Heart" by Glen Hansard
"Forever on Your Side" by NeedToBreathe
"I Feel You" by Alexis Taylor
"Optimistic" by August Greene f/ Brandy
"Once in My Life" by The Decemberists
"Goin', Goin', Gone" by Robert Glasper, Anu Sun & Ro James
"When You Come For Me" by H.C. McEntire
"Smile" by Jungle
"Vessel of Love" by Hollie Cook
"Where It's At Ain't What It Is" by Tom Morello f/ Gary Clark & Nico Studi
"American Bad Dream" by Kane Brown
"Right Back Home to You" by Chromeo
"We Always Change Reprise, Pt. 2" by Jennifer Castle