Album of the Year
Under Construction
Missy Elliott
Fallen
Evanescence
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast *
Justified
Justin Timberlake
Elephant
The White Stripes
Aside from Evanescence's metal-lite debut, which feels like a stretch (we'd have gone for Annie Lennox's Bare or Dido's Life for Rent), all the nominees have their merits. Elliott's old-school hip-hop homage seems too old, though, having been released in November 2002. Elephant, while a timely recognition of the garage-rock movement, doesn't have the heft of an Album of the Year winner. That leaves Justified and OutKast's double disc. If George Michael could win this trophy for his post-Wham! breakthrough Faith in 1988, then why not the erstwhile 'N Syncer for his surprisingly soulful solo makeover? But OutKast, with their visionary, genre-expanding tour de force, deserve to join Lauryn Hill as the only hip-hop winners in this category. The outsize, out-there brilliance of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below should have everybody shouting "Hey ya!" come Grammy night.
"Crazy in Love"
Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z *
"Where is the Love"
The Black Eyed Peas featuring Justin Timberlake
"Clocks"
Coldplay
"Lose Yourself"
Eminem
"Hey Ya!"
OutKast
Four out of five of these nominees are hip-hop records, with Coldplay's "Clocks" the sole exception. The Black Eyed Peas' peace anthem "Where Is the Love" seems to have made the cut more for its message than its music. (Timberlake's solo hit "Cry Me a River" would have been a better choice.) We'd show love if any of the other nominees won, though, as this is the toughest major category to call. Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack single "Lose Yourself," which already picked up the Oscar for best song in 2003, just missed the deadline for last year's Grammys, so we have trouble pulling for it here. The most current nominee, OutKast's No. 1 hit "Hey Ya!" is deliriously catchy, but feels a little too lightweight to be named Record of the Year (unlike OutKast's "Ms. Jackson" in the same category two years ago). So it comes down to the sweeping "Clocks," Chris Martin and company's Brit-pop breakthrough, and the Bootylicious One's omnipresent summer smash "Crazy in Love." Call it a virtual tie, but we're rooting for Beyoncé. From its Chi-Lites horn sample to its "Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh" riff to Jay-Z's perfectly chilled guest rap, the song still makes us go "Crazy" every time we hear it.
Christina Aguilera
"Beautiful" *
Kelly Clarkson
"Miss Independent"
Dido
"White Flag"
Avril Lavigne
"I'm With You"
Sarah McLachlan
"Fallen"
First, what were the voters thinking when they tapped Lavigne for "I'm With You"? It's a bit easier to understand how Clarkson, riding the wave of American Idol mania, got nominated for the Aguilera hand-me-down "Miss Independent," but her over-the-top vocals sink her chances with us. Dido's "White Flag," on the other hand, is an exercise in cool British restraint. McLachlan, after six years away from the studio, returned in typically sublime voice on "Fallen." But Aguilera may have a career song in the stunning self-love ballad "Beautiful," which finds the singer toning down her usual theatrics until the tune's emotional climax. It's somewhat of a surprise that the song didn't get nominated for Record of the Year, but Aguilera, deservedly, won't be brought down here.
George Harrison
"Any Road"
Michael McDonald
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
Sting
"Send Your Love"
Justin Timberlake
"Cry Me a River" *
Warren Zevon
"Keep Me in Your Heart"
This category pits the young gun (Timberlake) against the old guard (Harrison, McDonald, Sting, Zevon). Sentiment plays a big factor here, as both Harrison and Zevon are posthumous nominees, but those nods are probably victory enough. Ditto for McDonald, whose Motown album represented a bit of a comeback for the former Doobie. The always-stellar Sting seems to get nominated in this category every time he opens his mouth, so give the Grammy to the kid, Timberlake, for the real edge he brought to his funky, falsetto-tinged Britney kiss-off.
Evanescence
50 Cent *
Fountains of Wayne
Heather Headley
Sean Paul
Having been an underground rapper on the mix-tape circuit long before recording his multiplatinum major-label debut, Get Rich or Die Try in', 50 Cent isn't exactly a "new" artist. Still, he has emerged as the biggest hip-hop phenom since his mentor Eminem. That easily earns 50 props here, with pop-rockers Fountains of Wayne (who have also been around) a distant second. Rock act Evanescence, R&B diva Headley and dancehall star Paul are also-rans.
SONG OF THE YEAR "Beautiful," Christina Aguilera
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM Justified, Justin Timberlake
BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OF GROUP WITH VOCAL "Underneath It All," No Doubt
BEST ROCK ALBUM One by One, Foo Fighters
BEST ROCK SONG "Seven Nation Army," The White Stripes
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM Elephant, The White Stripes
BEST R&B ALBUM "Dance with My Father, Luther Vandross
BEST MALE R&B VOCAL "Dance with My Father," Luther Vandross
BEST URBAN/ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE "Hey Ya!," OutKast
BEST RAP ALBUM Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast
BEST FEMALE RAP SOLO "Work It," Missy Elliott
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION "Crazy in Love," Beyoncé with Jay-Z
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM My Baby Don't Tolerate, Lyle Lovett
BEST COUNTRY SONG "Celebrity," Brad Paisley
- Contributors:
- Chuck Arnold.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
