Kanye West’s lyrical claims that he made Taylor Swift famous irked the “Shake It Off” singer this week, but now it’s her chance to get revenge and show her power where it matters most — the Grammys.
It’s music’s biggest night, and for once, it really does contain some of music’s best acts.
The 58th Grammy Awards airs Monday night on CBS at 8 p.m. Unlike previous years, when fans have rolled their eyes at the bland nominees served up by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the class of 2016 has some serious credibility.
Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar is up for 11 awards. The gritty, sexually explicit songs by Canadian R&B artist The Weeknd have landed him seven nods. Swift is also in the running for seven categories, following a hugely successful, stadium-filling campaign for her “1989” album.
Of the 83 award categories, the following four are the ones that make the headlines. Here are The Post’s predictions on who will win big.
Record of the year
“Really Love” — D’Angelo and The Vanguard
“Uptown Funk” — Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
“Thinking Out Loud” — Ed Sheeran
“Blank Space” — Taylor Swift
“Can’t Feel My Face” — The Weeknd
The Post’s tip for winner: “Uptown Funk”
There can’t be anyone in the civilized world who doesn’t have at least a grudging appreciation for “Uptown Funk.” The smash hit pleased the music nerds with classic funk references, caught the ear of radio listeners with sharp hooks, and made partygoers go wild with an irresistible beat. (Fun trivia: Bruno Mars also plays drums on the track.) The fact that it spent 14 weeks at No. 1 (just two weeks behind the all-time record set by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men for “One Sweet Day” in 1995) only adds to the case. The closest thing to a shoo-in at this year’s ceremony.
2015 winner: “Stay With Me” (Darkchild version) — Sam Smith
Album of the year
“Sound & Color” — Alabama Shakes
“To Pimp a Butterfly” — Kendrick Lamar
“Traveller” — Chris Stapleton
“1989” — Taylor Swift
“Beauty Behind the Madness” — The Weeknd
Post tip: “To Pimp a Butterfly” — Kendrick Lamar
The complexity and intelligence of Lamar’s hip-hop masterwork is still revealing itself almost a year after its release. But in the same period of time, it’s an album that has become emblematic of the Black Lives Matter movement and a broader conversation in American culture. It’s rare for any album to be so good and so successful, and have such a huge social resonance. The Grammys voters would be foolish to ignore that.
2015 winner: “Morning Phase” — Beck
Song of the year
“Alright” — Kendrick Lamar
“Blank Space” — Taylor Swift
“Girl Crush” — Little Big Town
“See You Again” — Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
“Thinking Out Loud” — Ed Sheeran
Post tip: “Blank Space” — Taylor Swift
This category recognizes the songwriter (as opposed to Record of the Year, which rewards the performance and production), and by playing with the image of her as a man-eater, it’s where Swift (alongside Swedish co-writers Max Martin and Shellback) showed her lyrical wit and self-awareness. It’s a catchy little number, too.
2015 winner: “Stay With Me” (Darkchild version) — Sam Smith
Best new artist
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor
Post tip: Meghan Trainor
The hip choice for this award would undoubtedly be Australian indie-rocker Courtney Barnett, but Meghan Trainor is the one with the hits. Her throwback, doo-wop-inspired sound isn’t the most interesting or innovative, but with her debut album “Title” spawning two Billboard Top 10 hits and a No. 1, the figures are likely to speak very loudly to the voters.
2015 winner: Sam Smith