SOPHIA ARNDT: Hi, this is Sophia Arndt.

ABBEY MULCAHY: This is Abbey Mulcahy.

ARNDT: From the Minnesota Daily, and welcome to The Daily Beat, our podcast dedicated to the Arts and Entertainment scene of the Twin Cities. Yay. 

MULCAHY: Yay!

ARNDT: Let’s just go for it. OK. Hi everybody, and welcome to the very first episode of The Daily Beat. I wish we had like little music to play.

MULCAHY: Woo!

ARNDT: Woo! And today we are talking about the highly anticipated award season, starting up with Grammy season. Abbey, are you excited for Grammy season?

MULCAHY: So excited. I usually just wait for the results, but this year I’m really getting into it.

ARNDT: So today we’re gonna be talking about our thoughts on the nominations, who we think is gonna win, who we don’t think is gonna win. I don’t know if we’re gonna get super controversial, but guess we’ll find out starting out with Record of the Year. So probably one of the biggest awards of the night. But Abbey, I’d love to hear who you think is gonna win first.

MULCAHY: I think this is the one I feel the strongest about. And I hope, and I think that the winner will be Bad Bunny this year. I loved “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” just the entire album title track, everything about it. So I’m very, very hopeful and feel very strongly that this one will win.

ARNDT: I agree. However, I will put forward “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar with SZA, so I loved that album. It was my soundtrack for spring and I just, I think it’s a song that stuck through the summer.

So I will also say, I think honorable mentions go to “The Subway” by Chappel Roan and “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter. And I’ll also throw out for “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga, just because those songs were, I think ones you couldn’t escape for better or worse. I love them all. So like.

MULCAHY: They were catchy too. I feel like you heard them everywhere. People humming and singing them too.

ARNDT: I, there was a solid month where I had “Manchild” stuck in my head. OK. Up next we’re gonna talk about Album of the Year. Do you wanna start off again?

MULCAHY: I will, and I’m gonna enter the exact same thing I said last time “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” I think was fantastic. I was studying abroad in Spain in the spring, so I heard it everywhere on the streets, in the club from my own Spotify. So that’s probably my top entry, but then otherwise, “CHROMAKOPIA” by Tyler, The Creator, I think, is also a really strong contender.

ARNDT: Mm-hmm. We were told by our lovely fellow, A&E reporter, Miss Emma Vasa, to say that Tyler, The Creator should sweep every single category he’s in. She could not be here today for the episode, but she feels very, very strongly about this.

I will also agree with the sentiment that she put forward, and I think Kendrick Lamar may sweep this year’s Grammys with his album of “GNX,” which is also nominated for Album of the Year and what I will pick. OK, up next we have Song of the Year. I am going to say, I think this might be a controversial take, but I think it might be “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter.

I think they’re gonna throw one award to her. Rightfully so. She wrote a fantastic album that was just huge. “Manchild” was top of the charts for a majority of the year I believe.

MULCAHY: Yeah.

ARNDT: And I think that this award could go to her. I will also say also nominated is “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar. And another nominee would be “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters. Yeah. We’ll see if that one wins.

MULCAHY: Yeah. My roommate was in love with the song “Golden,” so I’ve heard it sung acapella, sung late at night, early in the morning. So that one I’ve been thinking about a lot.

ARNDT: Sung acapella.

MULCAHY: Yes. But I agree with you. I think “Manchild” had a very special hold on people this summer. It was fun, upbeat, fun music video too.

ARNDT: Mm-hmm.

MULCAHY: So I think. I agree with everything you said.

ARNDT: Wonderful. Some consensus from the desk? 

MULCAHY: Yes. 

ARNDT: OK. Up next we have Best New Artist, and I’m gonna read off the nominees for this just because I think it’s fun to shout out all the new artists that really took to the stage this year. 

So we have Olivia Dean, KATSEYE, which there is an article from A&E desk about that concert if you wanna go read. The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young. 

So personally for me, I am torn with this category. I adore Olivia Dean, but I have been a longstanding fan of The Marias, and I would love to see them get some Grammy recognition. I’ve been there since like 2016, middle school era. I do, however, think it’s gonna go to Olivia Dean. She just. Absolutely exploded this year and rightfully so. Wonderful music. But yeah, what about you?

MULCAHY: I have been kind of torn between The Marias and Addison Rae for this category because I don’t know if it was just the circles I ran in, but I feel like Addison had a very strong presence this summer, even into the fall. But then I, at the same time as I saw her around less, I saw Olivia Dean more so. For me, it’s between those two.

ARNDT: I will agree. I do think Addison Rae has that like special quality to her where she really started doing music this year-ish.

MULCAHY: Mm-hmm. 

ARNDT:And then immediately skyrocketed. I mean, you couldn’t go anywhere on TikTok, without hearing “Fame is a Gun,” which great song. So I will say Olivia Dean and The Marias were both kind of established artists before this year. 

MULCAHY: Yeah. 

ARNDT: So I do think Addison Rae, and I’ll also put forward sombr both kind of embody those like new artists on the scene that’s taking over. 

MULCAHY: Definitely. 

ARNDT: I will also say I loved Leon Thomas. I think he had a great year. I don’t know if he’s quite at the Best New Artist Grammy Award winner yet, but I think he’s one to keep an eye on. I’ll eat my hat if sombr wins, and that can be my statement. I know we talked about Sabrina Carpenter possibly taking home Song of the Year. 

MULCAHY: Mm-hmm. 

ARNDT: I will say. If she doesn’t take it home in that category, she might take it with Best Pop Solo Performance. I will say it’s a stacked category. She’s among the greats of Lady Gaga, Chappel Roan, and then also Lola Young and Justin Bieber. That may be a controversial take, but that’s just mine. But I do think she could probably take it home for Best Pop Solo Performance. If she doesn’t, I’m sure it’ll go to Chappel Roan for “The Subway.” Great song.

MULCAHY: Yep. I second that. I feel like I heard “Manchild” and “The Subway” far more than the rest of these other songs, and I think the way that these two delivered them on stage every time was constantly captivating.

ARNDT: Yes, very much so. I agree. Shall we talk about Best Pop Duo Group Performance? Ceci has opinions. Get in here.

CECI HEINEN: I’m weighing in. This is my category because this is where BTS has been nominated and snubbed. 

ARNDT: Ah. 

HEINEN: But I think it’s going to Rosé and Bruno Mars.

ARNDT: Really?

HEINEN: I really don’t think. OK. I feel like its only competitor is “Golden” if we’re being so for real.

ARNDT: Really?

HEINEN: Yeah. 

ARNDT: I will say in this category we have “Defying Gravity” with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the aforementioned “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters, “Gabriela” by KATSEYE, “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars and “30 for 30” with SZA and Kendrick Lamar.

HEINEN: I just think, I know the Grammys are like an American music award show, which is why I think a lot of like international groups and international singers and songwriters usually get snubbed because sometimes people are like, “Oh, they aren’t looking at the entire global, you know, impact of their song.”

But if they do do that, then I think “APT.” is gonna win just because that song like, like Rosé has already won a ton of awards for it, first of all. And second of all, it has been like out of all the girls in BLACKPINK, it’s been the top grossing song, listened to song of any of them, which is insane. That’s why I think it’s gonna win. And it’s also Bruno Mars. Like, who doesn’t love Bruno Mars?

ARNDT: We love Bruno Mars. 

MULCAHY: Of course. 

HEINEN: But I don’t know. That’s just my take. You guys can go for it now.

ARNDT: Oh, thank you. I’ll be so honest. I don’t have an opinion on this category very much. I think. Yeah, it’ll probably go to “APT.” 

MULCAHY: Yeah. 

ARNDT: Out of left field, just as a suggestion, maybe “Gabriela” by KATSEYE, just because they’ve been nominated a couple times and loves them, they’re not gonna take best new artist. 

MULCAHY: No. 

ARNDT: If they do, I’m sorry, but.

MULCAHY: I feel like “Gabriela” though isn’t even their strongest song. I’m a bit surprised to see it nominated here over some of their other ones.

ARNDT: So true. OK. Best Pop Vocal album. I’m torn. I’m torn terribly between “Man’s Best Friend” and “MAYHEM” by Lady Gaga. So either one of those that win. I’m happy. I will say this, and again, this might be a heated take, if “SWAG” by Justin Bieber wins. Once again, I’m eating my hat because. No.

MULCAHY: Yeah, I’ll join you on that. Um, I agree it’s between “Man’s Best Friend” and “MAYHEM”. Hopefully not “SWAG.” For me, “MAYHEM” kind of, it didn’t fall flat, but I don’t think it carried throughout the year as much as “Man’s Best Friend” did.

ARNDT: Mm-hmm.

MULCAHY: So, I’m gonna go with “Man’s Best Friend” on this one.

ARNDT: I think that it was a really fun, very cohesive album.

MULCAHY: Mm-hmm.

ARNDT: We can skip along down to, oh, shout out Midnight Sun by Zara Larsson for Best Pop Dance Recording. I hope that wins. Yep. Get in here.

HEINEN: Um, I like this category.

ARNDT: This is a. 

HEINEN: This is a good category. 

ARNDT: Looking at, at it. This is a really good category.

HEINEN: I really like “Bluest Flame,” good song, “Abracadabra” duh, “Midnight Sun,” duh, “Just Keep Watching” from F1 was actually a fire song. 

ARNDT: Yes. 

HEINEN: And so is “Illegal” by PinkPantheress.

ARNDT: Isn’t it? 

MULCAHY: Stacked. 

ARNDT: Very good.

HEINEN: Yeah.

ARNDT: Very good at category.

HEINEN: I honestly, my take before I go silent again. I would die to see “Midnight Sun” win just because I love Zara Larsson. 

ARNDT: Yes. 

HEINEN: But I would also equally die to see “Illegal” by PinkPantheress win because I love PinkPantheress.

ARNDT: This is a category where any of these can win and I’m like happy and content. You know?

MULCAHY: Me too.

ARNDT: Great. I love that. This is we’re, there’s such a consensus.

MULCAHY: I will say I feel very strongly about the Best Dance Electronic Album category.

ARNDT: Oh, talk about it.

MULCAHY: I love FKA Twigs and I think if she doesn’t take this for EUSEXUA I don’t know what to say. It’s rigged, it’s wrong. Something, Something’s amiss. I love the album. And she released like a follow up to it with a couple new songs and even that one was great. So hoping she wins, need her to win. Although PinkPantheress is also in this category.

ARNDT: OK. Best Rock Album. I love YUNGBLUD and I really hope “Idols” wins. And I, that’s my one statement. I think it’s such a fun album and it’s about time, you know.

MULCAHY: Yeah. I, this is not my category, not big into listening to all this, so I’ll just follow you.

ARNDT: Great. Yeah. OK. Best Alternative Music Performance for me, this is such a stacked category. We have “Everything is Peace and Love” by Bon Iver, one of my favorite artists and honestly, like one of my favorite albums that came out. “Alone” by The Cure, “Seeing Stars” by Turnstile, mangetout. 

MULCAHY: Yeah. Yeah.

ARNDT: Guys, I will say I love Wet Leg and I love their self-titled album. I’ve been listening to it a lot recently or haven’t listened to this album yet, but I do love Wet Leg, just so like they’re wonderful. And then “Parachute” by Hayley Williams. 

MULCAHY: That’s a good one. 

ARNDT: Oh, Hayley Williams. You’re gonna take it. As much as I love Bon Iver, then like, that’s a Minnesota boy. I have to go with Hayley Williams.

MULCAHY: You can’t fight her power. 

ARNDT: It’s Paramore. Well, not anymore, but, OK. Once again, Best Alternative Music Album. I think that the, oh, wait. The longer I look at it, the more I have opinions.

MULCAHY: As you worked on the list, it’s another and another. 

ARNDT: I’ve read ’em and I’m like, “Oh, great category,” and now I have to make an opinion. OK. Best Alternative Music Album. We have nominated “Sable, Fable” by Bon Iver, “Songs of the Lost World” by The Cure, “DON’T TAP THE GLASS,” by Tyler, The Creator.

Once again, Emma Vasa wants us to make a large, overlapping statement that Tyler, The Creator, should take home whatever he’s nominated for, “Moisturizer” by Wet Leg, and then “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” by Hayley Williams.

For me personally as someone who grew up listening to Paramore, would love for “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” by Hayley Williams to take it home. “Sable, Fable,” fantastic album. 

MULCAHY: Yes. 

ARNDT: Uh, just wonderful. But quite frankly, I don’t think it had the same impact that “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party” did. Like I heard that song at karaoke at Como Tap.

MULCAHY: That’s huge. It’s like a Hayley Williams resurgence. I think people are listening again after it, so.

ARNDT: Yeah. Oh, Best Rap Performance. OK. Best Rap Performance, obviously “tv off” by Kendrick Lamar.

MULCAHY: 100%.

ARNDT: Hello. That is, oh, that is like one of my songs of the year. I love that song. I could listen to it like on loop for a full day and not be upset. That’s a great album.

MULCAHY: Best Rap Song.

ARNDT: Oh, “Sticky!” 

HEINEN: I think. I think. Yeah. Well, I think “tv off”  is gonna win, but it’d be so fun if “Sticky” won.

ARNDT: I know, I agree. I, I mean I loved those two albums. 

HEINEN: Or “Anxiety.”

ARNDT: So wonderful. I could see “Anxiety” taking home something. It was such a huge song.

HEINEN: But I feel like it was also, this might just be me, like in my feed, but I feel like it was kind of a fad.

ARNDT: Yeah.

HEINEN: Like it’s not a song that people are like, “Oh yeah, I could listen to that, like forever.”

ARNDT: Not really.

HEINEN: It’s kind of just like, oh, you listened to it a couple times, and you’re like, “Oh, this, yeah, she sounds good. Cool. Moving on.” OK. Best Rap Album. 

ARNDT: Best Rap Album. 

HEINEN: “Glorious” by GloRilla. Oh my God, I hope GloRilla wins.

MULCAHY: Agreed. Need to see her on that stage.

ARNDT: Yes. Yeah.

HEINEN: I need her to go up there with her cute little accent and say, oh, I can’t even, I can’t even do her accent. I just love the way she talks.

ARNDT: I will say other strong contenders are “CHROMAKOPIA” by Tyler, The Creator, and “GNX” by Kendrick Lamar. Honestly, guys, I know I’ve said Kendrick a lot this, this time I’m gonna say “CHROMAKOPIA” by Tyler, The Creator. Controversial take.

MULCAHY: I think it’s like a pretty tough race.

ARNDT: It’s tough race for this. This is another out like category for me where any of these artists could take it home and I would be so happy. 

MULCAHY: Mm-hmm. 

ARNDT: I think that each one of them had a great year when you look at it, so, OK. I do have opinions about country and American roots music.

MULCAHY: OK. 

ARNDT: The, this whole like, OK, Best Country Solo Performance. It has to be “Nose on the Grindstone” by Tyler Childers. I, his album that came out this year was so wonderful. I think “Nose on the Grindstone” is gonna win. Tyler Childers, I love you. Please come to Minneapolis, please. I didn’t know that Chris Stapleton did music for the F1 movie. Did anyone see the F1 movie? 

HEINEN: Me. 

ARNDT: This will tie, this will tie into our discussion later about Oscar’s preview, but I did not see that movie.

MULCAHY: I didn’t either. 

HEINEN: I did. It was lit.

MULCAHY: Good feedback. 

ARNDT: The only thing, the only thing I know about it is that like Ed Sheeran did the song for it and Brad Pitt and the beautiful male lead, whose name I can’t. 

HEINEN: Damson Idris. Oh my God. 

ARNDT: Yes. This doesn’t have to, is this gonna go in? 

HEINEN: Yeah.

ARNDT: OK,great. 

MULCAHY: The people need to know.

ARNDT: Guys, the people need to know.

HEINEN: He might be the next Black Panther and that has me freaking out. But it also makes me sad because, what do you mean?

ARNDT: I know. 

HEINEN: Chadwick is forever my Black Panther. But anyways, OK. Sorry.

ARNDT: Yeah, just I had to bring that up. I just remember seeing him from press and I was like, oh my God. Wow.

MULCAHY: Maybe I will watch it now. As long as it’s not Shaboozey, I’ll be pleased.

ARNDT: Speaking of Shaboozey, him and Jelly Roll are nominated for Best Country Duo and Group Performance. I have so many opinions just about like everyone who’s been nominated. “Love Me Like You Used To Do” by Margo Price and Tyler Childers is wonderful. I will also say “Trailblazer” by Reba. Ah, love. But yeah, this is my other, I’ll eat my hat is if Shaboozey wins this just on, just on principle.

MULCAHY: Agreed.

ARNDT: OK. Best Country Song, “Bitin’ List,” that’s, I think Tyler Childers is gonna sweep. Hopefully. Hopefully. And “Bitin’ List” is a great song. Going over to Best Contemporary Country Album. 

I think that it’s probably a tight race between “Patterns” by Kelsea Ballerini and “Snipe Hunter” by Tyler Childers. Those were two really big albums in the country world, so I don’t know. I’m happy with either of those. 

MULCAHY: Mm-hmm. 

ARNDT: I mean, we all know which one I’m gonna be more about, but. I can, I can say Kelsea Ballerini had a great year. Skipping along to Best Americana Performance. I would love to see “Horses” by Jesse Welles win. I think just as someone who’s been following his career very closely since he first started like making music, even just like music on social media. 

He’s had a fantastic year. I’ve been lucky enough to see him perform live when he came here for Farm Aid 40, which is another article you can go read, but he’s, he’s had a fantastic year. He’s really grown a lot. 

I’m quite frankly shocked he wasn’t nominated for Best New Artist this year and he’s just been so great and he’s also done a lot of music about just ongoing situations in the world. And I think that that’s really cool to see like a traditional grassroots or a bluegrass response to like.

MULCAHY: Yeah.

ARNDT: To like ongoing current events. Like he really is the definition of like that bluegrass, soulful music that I love so much that is like now modernized.

MULCAHY: It’s interesting to see that traditional style kept up with current events.

ARNDT: When looking at the category like all the country Americana categories, I do foresee Jesse Welles doing a sweep.

HEINEN: Best African Music Performance, I pray goes to Tyla, my queen.

ARNDT: Yes. 

HEINEN: I love her and I love “PUSH 2 START.” That’s such a good song.

MULCAHY: Best New Age Ambient Chant Music. Of course.

ARNDT: Naturally. How could we not? Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. 

MULCAHY: I’m just looking at that.

ARNDT: OK.

MULCAHY: It’s pretty good.

ARNDT: This is a very stacked category, and I’m gonna say this and I’m gonna say it with my whole chest. Sinners needs to win this. I don’t care. I don’t care about K-pop Demon Hunters or F1, I’m sorry. Sinners was such a like moment, and I think if it doesn’t take the Grammy for this. I’m, I’m gonna be so heartbroken.

MULCAHY: I think the soundtrack had a lot of soul to it too, and like it, the movie couldn’t have functioned without this amazing soundtrack.

ARNDT: Yeah. 

MULCAHY: So I think it’s time for it to get its flowers. I liked A Complete Unknown’s soundtrack. 

ARNDT: Yes.

MULCAHY: But I think it was just very different than that of Sinners.

ARNDT: Yes. I will say for A Complete Unknown, my statement, and this I guess also kind of applies to Wicked, is that these albums both had already existing music.

MULCAHY: Mm-hmm.

ARNDT: Like these are pulling from long, beloved and known discographies that I’m of the opinion that I want it to be an original soundtrack. So an original soundtrack like Sinners. 

MULCAHY: Sinners. 

ARNDT: Sinners we loved you on the A&E desk. With that, I hope you enjoyed and agreed with some of our opinions. I’m really sorry if you didn’t. Grammys are this Sunday, February 1 at…

MULCAHY: 7:00 p.m. central time.

ARNDT: This episode was produced by Ceci Heinen and if you have any questions, comments or concerns, you can reach us at [email protected]. 

This is Sophia Arndt. 

MULCAHY: This is Abbey Mulcahy. 

ARNDT: Thank you so much for listening, and this has been The Daily Beat.