A look into the Album of the Year Nominees for the 2025 GRAMMYs
Between highly anticipated releases from major artists and breakthrough albums for first time nominees, 2024 was a massive year for music.
From experimental jazz to country, this year’s Album of the Year (AOTY) nominations for the GRAMMYs stretch across a wide range of genres. The AOTY category this year features many regular names such as Beyoncé and Billie Eilish, as well as first-time nominees like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.
Short n’ Sweet (Sabrina Carpenter)
Sabrina Carpenter saw widespread success last year as she redefined herself with the release of Short n’ Sweet. “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” are the undeniable hits on this album, cementing themselves within the sound of 2024. Carpenter excels at creating fun and care-free pop music on tracks like “Taste” and “Juno.” But, the deep cuts on this album are equally as captivating. “Lie to Girls” is an underrated track, as the build-up in the outro is beautifully executed. Carpenter seamlessly drifts between a variety of genres on this record. She dabbles in some country with “Slim Pickins” and embraces dreamy 80s-disco on “Don’t Smile,” all while maintaining the album’s cohesive focus.
COWBOY CARTER (Beyoncé)
COWBOY CARTER was announced as the highly anticipated ACT II from Beyoncé’s trilogy of albums. Beyoncé takes a sharp turn from the house genre of RENAISSANCE and returns to country. This album is largely motivated by her feelings of rejection from the genre following her performance at the 2016 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards. On COWBOY CARTER, Beyoncé celebrates the contributions that Black Americans have made and are continuing to make to the genre. Standout hits include tracks like “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “II MOST WANTED.” But what really elevates this album are songs like “ALLIIGATOR TEARS,” “DAUGHTER,” “RIIVERDANCE,” and “AMERIICAN REQUIEM.” On these songs, Beyoncé highlights the depth that country has to offer.
THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (Taylor Swift)
On THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, Taylor Swift carries on with the synth-pop themes of her preceding album, Midnights. However, the production on this album is very hit or miss. Tracks like “Fortnight,” and “The Alchemy” excel in their production. But songs like “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” and “Fresh Out The Slammer” feel oddly constrained. Swift is praised largely for her lyricism, but the album was disappointing in that regard. Certain lyrics are either awkwardly clunky or downright absurd, especially on the title track. However, “loml” and “Clara Bow” were executed quite beautifully. The latter offers a thoughtful reflection on the immense popularity that Swift has gained over the last few years.
Djesse Vol.4 (Jacob Collier)
Djesse Vol. 4 is the fourth volume from Jacob Collier’s Djesse album series. While Collier is an undoubtedly talented producer and the album is technically impressive, certain songs feel overpolished and artificial. The character of tracks like “Over You” and “WELLLL” gets lost in the busyness of the production and instrumentation. Although “She Put Sunshine” is also quite eccentric and peppy, it strikes a better balance between technical detail and Collier’s vocals. “Little Blue” is a pleasant collaboration featuring Brandi Carlile. Collier’s production on the track creates a beautiful backdrop that supports the song and allows room for the lyricism to breathe.
BRAT (Charli xcx)
While BRAT is defined by its upbeat party hits such as “365,” “Club Classics,” and “Talk Talk,” this album also offers a great deal of vulnerability and honesty. “Sympathy is a Knife” offers relatable commentary on feelings of jealousy and frustration over receiving seemingly disingenuous sympathy from others. On “Girl, so confusing,” Charli xcx expresses her uncertainty about the state of her relationship with Lorde. The song’s dialogue and the resulting collaboration with Lorde (where the two artists “work it out on the remix”) felt incredibly genuine.
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (Chappell Roan)
Chappell Roan had a monumental breakthrough in 2024. While The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess was released in September 2023, the album exploded in popularity following Roan’s Tiny Desk and Coachella performances. “Red Wine Supernova” is a standout hit on this album. Not only is the song infectiously catchy, but Roan’s vocal performance is outstanding. The instrumentals on this track will get you moving and singing along to the call-and-response ad libs. Roan is brilliant when it comes to creating upbeat tracks like “Femininomenon” and “HOT TO GO!.” Yet this album also offers more depth and vulnerability on tracks like “Casual” and the slow piano ballad “Kaleidoscope.”
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (Billie Eilish)
While “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” was a widely popular song from HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, to me “CHIHIRO” is the defining track on this album. The heavy synths create a rich and velvety backdrop that perfectly complement Billie Eilish’s vocals. Eilish stays true to her roots with more wistful tracks such as “WILDFLOWER” and “SKINNY,” where her breathy vocals take center stage. However, the lyricism on these tracks feels uninspired at times. Eilish leans into overdone cliches on “SKINNY” and monotony on “WILDFLOWER.” The production is definitely the highlight of this album. It strings everything together and creates a beautifully cohesive collection of songs.
New Blue Sun (André 3000)
André 3000 (André Benjamin) is known most notably for his membership in Outkast, the famous hip-hop duo that created tracks like “Hey Ya!,” and “Ms. Jackson.” New Blue Sun is an ambient jazz album that takes a sharp turn from his previous work. Benjamin explains this shift through the title of the opening track, “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time.” New Blue Sun stands out from other AOTY contenders in that it is an entirely instrumental album featuring flute, keyboard, bells, and synths. Overall, Benjamin crafts a very relaxing collection of experimental tracks that create a fluid and freeing atmosphere.
Who Should Win?
While COWBOY CARTER has not seen as much commercial success as some of its contenders, this album absolutely deserves to win AOTY. Despite featuring 27 tracks, the album offers a cohesive experience for the listener. The record is threaded together by various interludes that replicate country radio shows, featuring the likes of Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. COWBOY CARTER opens and closes with the same hauntingly beautiful harmonies and church bells, leading the listener right back to the beginning. The attention to detail from start to finish is remarkable.
Who Will Win?
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is the most likely to win AOTY. Narratively, I do not think this album is as successful as COWBOY CARTER, however HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is beautifully written and produced. The album received significant commercial success from tracks like “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” “LUNCH,” and “WILDFLOWER.” HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is refreshing — it reflects a sense of maturity that sets it apart from Eilish’s previous work. I would not be surprised to see Eilish win her second AOTY GRAMMY with this album.