Could it finally be Beyonce’s time to land the top prize?
“I think she’s got a great shot,” said Jason Lipshutz, executive editor of music at Billboard.
It is unclear, however, how voters will view her foray into new musical territory, he said.
“You could tell me that this kind of reaching across the aisle, appealing to country listeners, does power Beyonce to her very first album of the year win,” Lipshutz said.
“You could also tell me that it kind of vexes people and voters a little bit, and kind of perplexes them to the degree that it falls short again,” he added.
New artist showdown
In the best new artist field, Espresso singer Carpenter will face fellow pop singer Roan, pop-rock singer Benson Boone, hip-hop/country artist Shaboozey, multi-genre musician Teddy Swims and others.
Carpenter and Roan are likely to pick up trophies on Grammys night, Lipshutz said.
“Chapell is the more kind of eccentric and outlandish artist and people love it and really, really respect it,” he said.
Carpenter “is the hitmaker,” he added. “She has scored three of the biggest songs of this year with Espresso and Taste and Please, Please, Please.”
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s, also landed on this year’s nominations list.
Now and Then, a Beatles song produced with artificial intelligence to bring the voice of John Lennon to life, was nominated for song of the year.
The Stones were recognised with a nomination for rock album of the year for Hackney Diamonds, their first album of original music in 18 years.
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