The Song Of The Year GRAMMY Award honors the best releases in the music business, and the eight nominees for the golden gramophone at the 2024 GRAMMYs come from a variety of established singer/songwriters. From dance anthems to pop bops, ballads and R&B smashes, the nominees for Song Of The Year showcase the breadth of emotions of the past year.

Before tuning into the 2024 GRAMMYs on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, learn more about this year's Song Of The Year nominees below.

"A&W" - Lana Del Rey

Songwriters: Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew

The second single from her ninth studio album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, "A&W" is a refreshing addition to Lana Del Rey’s expansive discography.

Another shattered portrait of the American Dream, the seven-minute epic, oscillates from madness to exhaustion, as Del Rey described feeling burned out by being objectified and perceived as an "American whore." What begins as a psychedelic folk ballad erupts into a defiant trap number interpolated with a doo-wop standard by the four-minute mark of the chaotic number.

"I’m a princess, I’m divisive/Ask me why I’m like this/Maybe I just kinda like this," Del Rey anxiously warbles. Later, she expresses her resignation surrounding rape culture: "If I told you that I was raped/ Do you really think that anybody would think/ I didn't ask for it? I didn't ask for it/ I won't testify, I already f—ed up my story."

"Anti-Hero" - Taylor Swift

Songwriters: Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift

"Anti-Hero" showcased a new side of Taylor Swift — a rare moment where the 33-year-old pop star confronted her flaws in the public eye.

"I really don’t think I’ve delved this far into my insecurities in this detail before," Swift said of the track in an Instagram video. "Not to sound too dark, but, like, I just struggle with the idea of not feeling like a person."

The self-loathing synth-pop anthem — with its cheeky chorus — catapulted "Anti Hero" into virality. With its ubiquitous meaning, the song topped charts and became a staple of pop radio. Now, it’s enjoying the highest praise as a contender for Song Of The Year. 

"Butterfly" - Jon Batiste

Songwriters: Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson

Beyond its sound, what makes Jon Batiste’s "Butterfly" so stunning is the story behind it. The touching jazz-soul fusion track is an iteration of the lullabies Batiste penned while his wife Suleika Jaouad was hospitalized during her cancer treatment.

"It’s just such a personal narrative song in relation to my life and what my family has gone through and my wife and all of the things she’s been able to overcome," the 36-year-old GRAMMY winner told PEOPLE.

"Butterfly" is featured on Batiste's latest album, World Music Radio. Like much of his discography, "Butterfly" is inherently uplifting but there’s an underlying yearning for freedom. "Butterfly in the air/ Where you can fly anywhere/ A sight beyond compare," Batiste croons over stripped-down keys.

"Dance The Night" (From Barbie The Album) - Dua Lipa 

Songwriters: Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt

With the release of her pop-funk epic Future Nostalgia during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dua Lipa proved she could master the art of escapism. On "Dance The Night," a thrilling dance-pop number from the star-studded Barbie soundtrack, she channels that same inspiration with a side of glitter and glam.

"Greta said that the whole film was inspired by disco. There’s a lot of very glittery and pop moments in it," the 28-year-old singer said of how the track fits into the movie in an interview with Dazed.

Over a sleek synth, the pop star reflects the unwavering joy Barbie outwardly emanates while she’s crumbling inside: "Even when the tears are flowin' like diamonds on my face/I'll still keep the party goin', not one hair out of place (yes, I can)."

"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus

Songwriters: Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack

Miley Cyrus has perfected the art of reinventing herself. With the post-breakup number "Flowers," she reclaimed her independence and took a hard turn from gritty rock back into pop music. "I can take myself dancing, yeah/ I can hold my own hand/ Yeah, I can love me better than you can," she belts over a disco-pop beat.

While the 30-year-old musician wouldn’t share if "Flowers" was indeed about her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth, the song became an empowering earworm from a more refined version of the longtime musician.

"The song is a little fake it till you make it," she said of "Flowers" in an interview with British Vogue. "Which I’m a big fan of." It turns out she made it with a nomination for Song Of The Year at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards.

"Kill Bill" - SZA

Songwriters: Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe

On the psychedelic R&B groove of "Kill Bill," which references the legendary Quentin Tarantino film, SZA dreams up her own unfiltered revenge fantasy. "I might kill my ex / Not the best idea / His new girlfriend's next / How'd I get here?" she ponders over an airy melody.

The song stands out on the R&B singer’s latest album, SOS, for not only its cheeky wordplay but for how visceral she portrayed the devastation of a breakup. 

Despite its popularity, the 34-year-old singer initially thought one of the other songs on her 23-track album would have topped the charts. "It's always a song that I don't give a f— about that's just super easy, not the s— that I put so much heart and energy into. 'Kill Bill' was super easy — one take, one night," the singer told Billboard of "Kill Bill’s" success.

"Vampire" - Olivia Rodrigo

Songwriters: Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo

Like her explosive debut "Drivers License," Olivia Rodrigo opted for a swelling power ballad for the lead single of her sophomore album Guts. On "Vampire," the singer/songwriter recalls a parasitic relationship with a swelling power ballad that erupts into a booming guitar breakdown. "Bloodsucker, famef—er/ Bleedin' me dry, like a goddamn vampire," she sings with a bitter lilt.

While many speculated the song was about a toxic relationship, Rodrigo claimed it’s more nuanced than that. "It’s more about my regret and kind of beating myself up for doing something that I knew wasn’t gonna turn out great and kind of just taking ownership of that and dealing with those feelings," she told Sirius XM Hits 1.

Regardless, the 20-year-old artist turned something bitter into something sweet by landing a Song Of The Year nomination.

"What Was I Made For?" [From The Motion Picture "Barbie"] - Billie Eilish

Songwriters: Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell

Not only was the Barbie movie a massive hit, its soundtrack was, too, thanks to a slew of chart-topping artists including Dua Lipa, HAIM and Sam Smith. So it’s no surprise that Billie Eilish made that list as well, and delivered a gutting ballad that soundtracked one of the most heartbreaking moments of the film.

The wistful single, which arrives at the devastating realization that you’re not real and are instead meant to be consumed, aptly embodies the narrative arc of the box office smash. "Looked so alive, turns out I'm not real/ Just something you paid for/ What was I made for," the 21-year-old musician sings with a heartbreaking lilt. 

While writing the sobering number, Eilish tried to embody the essence of the life-sized doll herself. "I was purely inspired by this movie and this character and the way I thought she would feel, and wrote about that," she told Zane Lowe of Apple Music. 

The 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards, returns to Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, and will broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET/5-8:30 p.m. PT.

The Recording Academy and GRAMMY.com do not endorse any particular artist, submission or nominee over another. The results of the GRAMMY Awards, including winners and nominees, are solely dependent on the Recording Academy’s Voting Membership.

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

The final month of 2024 is upon us. Filled with a festive — yet a little chaotic — mood, it's a great month to discover new albums to soundtrack your trips, block out the noise outside, or find the perfect gift for the music aficionados in your life.

In the upcoming weeks, Dua Lipa will release the live recording of her concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, Lucinda Williams will pay homage to the Beatles with a new LP recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, and Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre will try to replicate the magic of 1996's Doggystyle with upcoming Missionary.

K-pop lovers will rejoice with a new EP by TWICE, BLACKPINK's Rosé long-awaited debut album, and a brand new Stray Kids mixtape. For those who also enjoy J-pop, Travis Japan will come back with VIIsual. And for those who like completely different stuff, Hepcat will release a dub version of their classic Scientific, a new posthumous LP from late rapper DMX will drop, and Pure Prairie League will bring forth their first album in almost two decades.

Travis Japan — 'VIIsual' (Dec. 4)

J-pop sensation Travis Japan are gearing up for a comeback on Dec. 4 with their sophomore studio album, VIIsual. The 13-track collection showcases the septet's synergy and creativity in its best form. Each member produced one song in the album, reflecting their individual styles while still forming a propulsive whole.

Spearheading the project, Travis Japan released the buoyant pop-rock singles "Crazy Crazy" and "Fly Higher," as well as "Sweetest Tune," the theme for TV Asahi's "Tokyo Tower" (starring group member Genta Matsuda), and the '80's chill of "T.G.I. Friday Night."

VIIsual follows 2023's Road to A, and the band's recently wrapped first world tour, including sold-out stops in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York.

Dua Lipa — 'Dua Lipa Live From the Royal Albert Hall' (Dec. 6)

Dua Lipa fans can soon relive her extraordinary Royal Albert Hall concert with the release of her live album, Dua Lipa Live From the Royal Albert Hall, available Dec. 6. The performance, held on Oct. 17 at the prestigious London venue, was a dazzling showcase of her songs from Radical Optimism.

"For the longest time, I've had this idea to reimagine my music with an orchestra," Lipa said in a recent statement.  "When I was making Radical Optimism, I was constantly thinking about the live element and how these songs would transform on stage."

Accompanied by a seven-piece band, a full choir, and the 53 members of the Heritage Orchestra, Lipa described the opportunity as "perfect" for reconstructing and celebrating her music "in such a beautiful and intimate way."

"The experience was entirely thrilling and equally rewarding. It was a dream come true, and something I'll always take with me," she added. Now, fans can take the experience with them too, as they await the North American leg of her Radical Optimism tour, set to begin in September 2025.

TWICE — 'STRATEGY' (Dec. 6)

Following a remix of Megan Thee Stallion's viral hit "Mamushi," K-pop girl group TWICE will join forces with the Houston rapper once again. Their upcoming fourteenth EP, Strategy, features Stallion on the title track of the album, set to drop Dec. 6.

In a 15-second snippet of the song, TWICE sing lines such as "Hey boy, once I get ya/ You'll be oh so glad that I met ya," while Stallion announces her name, foreshadowing a fun and sassy collaboration. Strategy follows TWICE's February EP, With You-th, and new solo music from vocalist Nayeon and youngest member Tzuyu, as well as Japanese subunit MISAMO.

In October, during their ninth-anniversary fan meeting, TWICE delighted fans with a surprise performance of their upcoming b-side "Sweetest Obsession." Although the group concluded their Ready to Be World tour in July, their prolific track record suggests it won't take long before new live dates for 2025 are announced.

Scientist Meets Hepcat — 'Scientific Dub Special' (Dec. 6)

After the passing of founding member Greg Lee in the beginning of the year, California ska legends Hepcat will keep his memory alive with a dub reissue of their 1996 masterpiece, Scientific. The album was produced by one of dub music's forefathers, Scientist, and is set to drop on Dec. 6 via Trust Records.

"Greg Lee believed it would be cool if Scientist would dub Scientific. He liked the play on names and the historic implications," the band shared in a statement. Said and done, Hepcat eventually met Scientist, who agreed to produce the LP. Back in January, Lee was still alive to approve the final mixes, making it even more special. "Greg Lee is Hepcat personified," they added. "One of the strongest and greatest songwriters of Hepcat's history. A mastermind. A positive source of inspiration. A leader. An eternal flame."

The album will be accompanied by a deluxe reissue of Scientific, and by limited vinyl copies included in the deluxe set. Along with the announcement, Hepcat shared Scientist's "Bobby & Joe (Rambo Dub)."

Lauren Mayberry — 'Vicious Creature' (Dec. 6)

After embarking on her first solo tour last year, CHVRCHES lead singer Lauren Mayberry will finally drop her debut studio album, Vicious Creature, on Dec. 6. The project has been teased through singles  "Are You Awake?," "Shame," "Change Shapes," "Something in the Air," and "Crocodile Tears" — all of which expand on her keen lyricism and nostalgic electronic beats.

"So much of this process has been an exercise in empowering myself to listen to my own intuition — something I really trained myself out of," said Mayberry in a statement. "That's ultimately why you start making things — because you felt a feeling, and you wanted to articulate that somehow. I think it was important for me to relearn that kind of independence, and recognize what I bring to any table I choose to sit at."

The Scottish singer worked on Vicious Creatures with producers Greg Kurstin, Matthew Korma, Tobias Jesso Jr., Ethan Gruska, and Dan McDougall. Starting January 2025, Mayberry will embark on a 24-stop North American tour and will head to the U.K. for six shows in March.

Lucinda Williams — 'Lucinda Williams Sings The Beatles From Abbey Road' (Dec. 6)

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, acclaimed singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams started Lu's Jukebox. Initially a six-part series of full-band, HD video performances in-studio, Lu's Jukebox featured sets of cover songs curated by Williams and streamed for a fee, with proceeds going to venues suffering from the lack of live performances at the time. 

Four years later, Williams turned to the Jukebox again — this time to record The Beatles' songs at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Serving as Vol. 7 of the series, Lucinda Williams Sings The Beatles From Abbey Road will be released on Dec. 6.

Featuring 12 tracks that range from big hits like "Can't Buy Me Love," "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "Something," to hidden gems such as "I'm So Tired," "I've Got A Feeling," and "Yer Blues," Williams and her band inhabit the Beatles' timeless songs and give them a singular soul.

Pure Prairie League — 'Back On Track' (Dec. 6)

Country-rock mavens Pure Prairie League are Back On Track with their new album. After nearly two decades without studio releases, the '70s and '80's formative ensemble prove that they are still on top of trends while never losing their essence.

Back On Track is set to release on Dec. 6 and, according to a statement, "flows like a freshwater river making its way through moss-covered rocks to its home in a cool clear lake." Spanning 12 cuts that display a "rejuvenated band," the album blends country, rock, pop, and R&B into an accessible, unique sound.

Produced by bandleader and veteran PPL bassist Michael Reilly, Back On Track was recorded at Riverfront Recorders in Madison, Tennessee with additional recording at Twilight Zona Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. "We're hoping that our fans will be as pleased with the new record as we are proud of what we've done," Reilly said.

Angel Olsen — 'Cosmic Waves Volume 1' (Dec. 6)

"As someone that emerged into the music scene through a small tape label, I've wanted to continue the spirit of discovery and of my debut release, Strange Cacti, while supporting and collaborating with artists and friends whose music I have been moved by," said indie star Angel Olsen in a press release about her upcoming album, Cosmic Waves Volume 1.

Outlined as "a compilation reimagined as a dialogue," Cosmic Waves is composed of sides A and B. The first features artists selected by Olsen, with each of them choosing a song of their own for the collection. The latter comprises songs from the same artists, but chosen and recorded by Olsen.

"I feel there is something unique and special about covering another artist's song. We all make it our own, or we try to, but I personally always learn something new about the process when I'm engaging someone else's words and melodies in such a close way," she added.

Among the artists contributing to Cosmic Waves Volume 1 are Poppy Jean Crawford, Coffin Prick, Sarah Grace White, Maxim Ludwig, and Camp Saint Helene. To celebrate, Olsen and all the artists will be having a release party at Los Angeles venue In The Meantime.

Rosé — 'rosie' (Dec. 6)

If you had never heard of Rosé before, October's viral "APT." with Bruno Mars certainly changed that. The addictive track brought even more people to see what fans of the BLACKPINK vocalist have seen for almost a decade — Rosé is destined to shine.

Her upcoming debut studio album is scheduled to drop on Dec. 6 through Atlantic Records. Rosie is "the name I allow my friends and family to call me," she shared on Instagram. "With this album, I hope you all feel that much closer to me."

Rosé described the year-long process of making the record as "walking in and out of the studio, writing songs with songwriters and producers I'd met for the first time, trying to figure out the next chapter in my career," and that she poured her "blood and tears" into it. The result is a relatable, emotional "little journal" (as she called it) of a promising global star.

Read more: Breaking Down Every Solo Act From BLACKPINK

Roddy Ricch — 'The Navy Album' (Dec. 6)

Roddy Ricch has been largely out of the spotlight since 2022's mixtape Feed Tha Streets III, but this December will mark his awaited return. The Compton rapper is set to release his third studio effort, The Navy Album, on Dec. 6.

Although the official date might change (Ricch has since deleted the announcement post on X/Twitter), there's a great chance The Navy Album will still come out this month — it follows 2019's Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial and 2021's Live Life Fast, which were both released in December of their respective years.

Throughout this year, Ricch featured on Gunna's "Let It Breathe" and Kendrick Lamar's "dodger blue." Off the new album, he shared the rumoured lead single "Survivor's Remorse" and "911."

Laura Nyro — 'Hear My Song: The Collection, 1966–1995' (Dec. 6)

One of the most brilliant folk singers of the U.S., Laura Nyro, is getting a deserved rediscovery this month. Hear My Song: The Collection, 1966–1995 is coming Dec. 6, and includes a massive 19 albums, plus a 90-page coffee-table book with unseen photos and a foreword by Elton John.

Hear My Song compiles Nyro's 10 studio albums, from her 1967 debut More Than a New Discovery to 2021's posthumous Angel in the Dark, six live albums — two of which are previously unreleased — her 1966 Go Find The Moon demo tape, and a rarities CD.

Nyro's work was a major influence on the work of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Alicia Keys, St. Vincent, Tori Amos, and more. "She wrote songs that had no kind of fixed compass point," said Elton John in a statement about the collection. "They remain as unique and absolutely spellbinding to this day as when I first heard them in the '60s."

Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre — 'Missionary' (Dec. 13)

In 2022, Snoop Dogg teased the idea of a 30th-anniversary album to honor his 1993 masterpiece, Doggystyle. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rap records of all time, Doggystyle showcased the unparalleled synergy between Snoop and producer Dr. Dre.

Now, after much anticipation, the celebratory album — titled Missionary — finally has a release date: Dec. 13. Also produced by Dr. Dre, the project features 15 tracks, including the singles "Gorgeous" with Jhené Aiko and "Outta Da Blue" with Dre and Alus. On the remaining tracklist, there are stellar participations by Tom Petty, Sting, Jelly Roll, 50 Cent, Eminem, and more.

In an interview for ET, Dre said that working with Snoop was "much more fun" this time around. "We were kids at that time, you know what I mean?" he added. "This one is gonna show a different level of maturity with his lyrics and with my music. I feel like this is some of the best music I've done in my career."

DMX — 'Let Us Pray: Chapter X' (Dec. 13)

While mostly known for his violent lyrics, late rapper DMX was a born-again Christian, and a deeply spiritual man. Therefore, his upcoming posthumous album, Let Us Pray: Chapter X, aims to explore a less-popular side of the iconic star. 

Coming out Dec. 13, Let Us Pray will reflect on DMX's complexity and emotionality by pairing his prayers with original music from GRAMMY-winning songwriter and producer Warryn Campbell. The album also packs a stellar line of contributors, including Snoop Dogg, Mary Mary, Killer Mike, MC Lyte, Lecrae, and more.

"Working on Let Us Pray: Chapter X has been one of the most fulfilling experiences for me as a creative," Campbell said in a statement. "When you hear the voice of DMX, it inspires instant creativity and what better way to showcase who X really was than through prayer."

Stray Kids — '合 (HOP)' (Dec. 13)

As prolific as their labelmates TWICE, K-pop boy group Stray Kids are also closing 2024 on a big note. Their upcoming mixtape, 合 (HOP), is the first installment of a new project titled SKZHOP HIPTAPE — a name that combines Stray Kids' abbreviation "SKZ" with "hip-hop."

In a press release by their label JYP Entertainment, 合 (HOP) is said to carry a double meaning, combining "hop" from hip-hop and its Korean homophone, the hanja 合, which means "unity."

The record is also described as containing "songs in Stray Kids' own 'new genre' that can't be officially defined."

Stray Kids have been sharing sneak peeks of the songs through their "Unveil: Track" videos on social media. The tracklist also includes each member's new solo songs — first performed during their ongoing Dominate World Tour. Track "U" features a first-class feature by Epik High's frontman, Tablo.

Read more: What's Next For K-Pop? A Roundtable Unpacks The Genre's Past, Present And Future

Mario — 'Glad You Came' (Dec. 13)

It's been six years since R&B notable Mario released a studio album, 2018's Dancing Shadows. The much-anticipated Glad You Came will break that spell on Dec. 13.

"My successes and failures in the department of love and my imagination are what helped me to create this body of work," Mario told Billboard in a recent interview about the new LP. "I had the pleasure of creating alongside James Fauntleroy, who executive-produced this project and wrote multiple songs with me. We have the same mission in our hearts of helping to preserve the art form."

The Baltimore native added that Glad You Came "embodies the very essence of the quality of classic R&B and retro-futuristic sound that can be played in any space" and that it is permeated by "vulnerability and confidence."

Mario shared the smooth singles "Space" and "Glad You Came" to preview the album. In January 2025, he will join Ne-Yo and Mary J. Blige on her The For My Fans Tour.

Sharing an album with the world is an artist’s way of immortalizing a fragment of their life. Though virality can propel music to the mainstream, releasing an album is a profound accomplishment that can have a deep and laying impact. Albums are more than an encapsulation of a musician’s lived and learned experiences: they’re a way to cherish them forever.

The Recording Academy is proud to present the 2025 GRAMMYs nominees for Album Of The Year, honoring both artistic and technical skill of the highest degree in music. The Category is notably dominated by women this season, while several entries see established artists tapping into new genres and sonic arenas. 

Check out the nominees below and read the full 2025 GRAMMYs nominations list ahead of Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. 

André 3000 — 'New Blue Sun'

André 3000 might be best known for his role in Outkast, but recently, the Atlanta rapper has been busy carving out a new reputation as André the flutist.

In the years following Outkast’s split in 2007, André 3000 has been spotted wandering everywhere from LAX to Japan with his flute in tow. Now, the opening track of his first-ever solo album amusingly calls out his genre switch: "I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time."

To record improvisations that eventually birthed New Blue Sun, the flutist worked with producer Carlos Niño, keyboardist Surya Botofasina, and guitarist Nate Mercereau to craft a surreal, textured soundscape. Throughout, André 3000 plays the contrabass flute, Maya flute, wood and bamboo flutes, and more wind instruments — harmoniously uniting to create the artist’s first release in over 17 years.

Composed of eight tracks with bizarre, lengthy titles, the lyricless New Blue Sun is labeled as new-age and experimental jazz. It’s fairly shocking that André 3000 is not a trained musician, given the project’s brilliance; led primarily by rhythm, and using his instincts developed from rapping, the expert flutist embeds New Blue Sun with an organic authenticity. The album feels limitlessly atmospheric, dipping into an ambience that teeters between peaceful and precarious.

With Big Boi in the ‘90s, André 3000 undoubtedly helped shape hip-hop, pushing the genre forward with creative integrations of funk, jazz, rock, and gospel. In 2024, he continues to break rules as he champions alternative jazz — all with his flute by his side.

When Beyoncé’s first country song came out in 2016, people questioned if the icon belonged on the country radio — despite the indisputable impact of Black artists on the genre. Eight years later, the genre-bending diva is still drowning out the noise by switching on her very own radio station: COWBOY CARTER’s KNTRY Radio Texas, that is.

The fantasy station is one of the many visionary elements of COWBOY CARTER, an album that honors the cultural contributions of Black artists to American country music. The eighth studio project is Act II of her album trilogy; while the first installment RENAISSANCE (2022) focused on futuristic escapism, COWBOY CARTER looks to the past. It pays vibrant tribute to the Black community’s roots in country music, offering a glorious reimagination of Americana.

Not just championing but also reinventing Southern subgenres, COWBOY CARTER is yet another example of Beyoncé’s revolutionary versatility. From horseshoe steps to boot stomps to Beyoncé’s fingernails as percussion, the album unites bluegrass, zydeco, folk, R&B, and more to craft a majestic testament to Beyoncé’s boundless artistry.

Boasting 27 tracks and five years in the making, the Texas-born legend’s album includes features from Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Brittney Spencer, embracing country legends as well as making space for up-and-coming Black artists on the scene.

While Beyoncé has yet to take home GRAMMY Gold for Album Of The Year, she remains the artist with the most GRAMMY wins of all time. After all, this isn’t her first rodeo.

"Oh, I leave quite an impression," Sabrina Carpenter croons on Short n’ Sweet, with a nonchalance that’s virtually intoxicating. While the 25-year-old indeed stands at just five feet tall, it’s evident the actress-turned-songstress has enough talent to fill a stadium.

Glowing with lighthearted, honest-to-goodness genius, Short n’ Sweet is the cherry on top of Carpenter’s already extensive discography. Her sixth studio album spawned a trinity of 2024 hits: "Espresso," "Please Please Please" and "Taste." With this remarkable trio, Carpenter became the first artist since the Beatles to chart their first three top five US hits in the same week. Short n’ Sweet's success was boosted by her Coachella debut earlier in the year, and furthered during her first arena tour.

On her delightful summer hit "Espresso," Carpenter explicitly mentions that her "twisted humor" is what makes her lovable, which might remind older fans of her 2022 single "Nonsense." The pop track went viral for its raunchy, often silly outros that Carpenter lovingly tailored to each city she toured in — and on Short n’ Sweet, she taps into her risqué wit much more fully, rocketing her album to another level of memorable.

Undoubtedly, it’s Carpenter’s bright confidence that makes space for her playful pen game on Short n’ Sweet. With her signature plucky yet composed soprano, she balances her soulful ardor with her deadpan humor expertly, allowing her to explore the nuances of romance in new and clever ways — all while maintaining her infectious charisma that earned her her first GRAMMY nominations this year.

Charli xcx knows how to throw a party, and on June 7, 2024, she turned the world into her own nightclub. BRAT, her sixth studio album, gloriously splattered the globe a garish green, with hits like "360," "Apple," and "Von Dutch" soundtracking the summer.

Ten years after scoring her first GRAMMY nominations for "Fancy" with Iggy Azalea, the British queen of "brat summer" continues to crank out bangers about chandelier swinging and driving in the fast lane. Working with producers A.G. Cook, EASYFUN, Cirkut, her fiancé George Daniel, and other longtime collaborators, Charli conjured her own genre: a chic, club-ready pop blend of electroclash and hyperpop.

Though the self-proclaimed 365 party girl sings about dancing until dawn and sipping one too many aperol spritzes, BRAT is also Charli’s most vulnerable album, her long nails gingerly peeling back the sticky layers of fame and womanhood. BRAT makes blunt confessions about jealousy, questioning motherhood, grief, and intergenerational trauma. Brilliantly, she’s dauntless and exposed all at once — and still bumpin’ that at the club.

Her popular co-headlining SWEAT Tour with GRAMMY-nominated collaborator Troye Sivan vroom-vroomed BRAT to arenas across the U.S. Charli xcx might have had her shades on while performing, but make no mistake: she has nothing to hide.

When people think of contemporary jazz, rollercoaster might not be the first word that comes to mind — but Jacob Collier is nothing if not ambitious. As the climax of his four-album project dating back to 2018, Djesse Vol. 4 triumphs as an odyssey through genre.

What makes Collier such a prolific musician is his refusal to distill abundance. He sees the beauty in anything and everything, and Djesse Vol. 4 brings his perspective to life. The project not only centers but celebrates the human voice; in fact, about 150,000 voices feature on Djesse Vol. 4 — many from his own concert audiences that he transformed into improvised choirs. 

Collier has won multiple GRAMMY Awards for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals, and Djesse Vol. 4 continues to showcase his mastery of sound via genre diversity. The nominated album is modern and sprawling, from the serenity of his audience-choirs to howling of heavy metal. Djesse Vol. 4 is thought-provoking, engrossing, and oftentimes surprising; who else would have aespa and Chris Martin on the same track?

Collier is the first British artist to win a GRAMMY for each of his first four albums, and Djesse Vol. 4 already boasts a GRAMMY-nominated track on it (2022’s "Never Gonna Be Alone," featuring Lizzy McAlpine and John Mayer, which was later announced as the album’s first single). Collier was previously nominated for Album Of The Year for Djesse Vol. 3 and also received a nod at the 2023 GRAMMYs in the same Category for Coldplay’s nominated Music of the Spheres.

Djesse Vol. 4 has redefined Collier’s perspective on life, and in a way, Collier’s album is more than a reflection: it’s an open invitation.

Billie Eilish had a fear of water as a child, yet to capture the album cover for HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, she spent six brutal hours on-and-off submerged underwater with a weight on her shoulders. "A lot of my artwork is painful physically in a lot of ways, and I love it," the 22-year-old told Rolling Stone. "Oh, my God, I live for it."

Eilish delves beneath the surface in more ways than one on HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. As rippling, immersive alt-pop, the album swims through similar topics covered in her first two studio albums, including coping with fame, body image, and post-breakup grief. Yet Eilish is no longer the proudly self-proclaimed "bad guy"; instead she doesn’t tether herself to a persona.

In this way, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT holds dear a newfound, striking level of maturity. Eilish is incontestably true to herself, and lyrically, the album feels especially unbridled and attentive. With its title a paradoxical demand, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT powerfully represents the impossible struggle between intensity and tenderness — both in love and in life.

Though the album cascades as an emotional torrent, it’s as cohesive as it is potent. It’s (unsurprisingly) produced by her brother and day-one collaborator, FINNEAS, whose minimalistic but nevertheless hard-hitting soundscape gives bedroom pop a makeover. Eilish’s third Album Of The Year nomination shows that, once again, she isn’t treading water; she’s plunging straight into the deep end.

In the prismatic world of pop, Chappell Roan knows how to rotate through every color in the rainbow. A kaleidoscope of wistful yet intense romance, Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess churns with the unabashed authenticity that only true superstars can craft — and on a debut album, nonetheless.

Although Roan’s career began 10 years ago on YouTube, the Missouri-born singer skyrocketed to fame in the last year following spectacular festival performances and an opening slot on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour. Her 2020 single "Pink Pony Club" pushed the singer toward a massive 2024 breakthrough, the song an open proclamation of queer joy (amid understanding her evolving relationship with religion).

Inspired by drag queens, Roan’s aesthetic is breathtakingly campy and sparkly — much like her striking debut album. Championing female and queer freedom, The Rise And Fall gushes with yearning in a way that’s both carefree and confessional. From the hungry, heart-shattering "Casual" to the kinky pleasure of "Red Wine Supernova," each track showcases Roan’s sharp dynamism.

The Rise And Fall bursts with radiant '80s-inspired and 2000s synthpop from GRAMMY-winning producer Dan Nigro, all of which only highlights her dynamism. Beyond her vocal flips and cutting lyricism meant for laughing and/or crying, what’s special about Roan’s album is its defiance. Chappell Roan is the definition of unapologetic, and The Rise And Fall is all the evidence anyone needs.

Before it was even released, The Tortured Poets Department had already made GRAMMY history: during her acceptance speech for the 2024 GRAMMY Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, Taylor Swift surprised audiences by announcing the album’s upcoming release. And just one year later, Swift is making history yet again with her seventh Album Of The Year nomination.

Serving as a creative "lifeline" for Swift during the Eras Tour, working on The Tortured Poets Department reminded the star of how integral songwriting is to her wellbeing. Consequently, the 16-track album (plus an additional 15 tracks in an expanded version of the labrum) unveiled some of her most diaristic songwriting yet. Swift's meandering lyrics stand out as particularly candid, dramatic, and whimsical — though it’s far from the first time the prolific songwriter has used or referenced poetry in her work.

For a return to her folksy synthpop sound, Swift turned to her close friends Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, who most recently helped produce her GRAMMY-winning album Midnights among other projects. Showcasing Swift’s collaborative brilliance, The Tortured Poets Department also features Post Malone on the hauntingly atmospheric opener "Fortnight" and a stirring "Florida!!!" verse from Florence + the Machine.

As the Eras Tour comes to a close (unless, of course, she has another surprise up her sleeve) on Dec. 8 in Vancouver, The Tortured Poets Department’s nomination is one of the many recent reminders of Swift’s staggering legacy. Swift is the first and only person to have won Album Of The Year four times, and The Tortured Poets Department could score her a legendary fifth win — further solidifying her as a breaker of records and rules.

The Record Of The Year Category honors some of the year's biggest recordings — and at the 2025 GRAMMYs, the nominees are hits by a mix of newcomers and superstars.

Throughout the past year, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, and Chappell Roan proved why they're at the top of pop's current class. The Beatles and Kendrick Lamar both cemented their respective legacies, while Beyoncé and Taylor Swift continue to challenge their own musical boundaries.

With a range of unforgettable music moments, there's no telling who will take home the golden gramophone for Record Of The Year — which is awarded to the artist and the producer(s), recording engineer(s) and/or mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s) — at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards. But one thing is for sure: the eight nominees make for quite an exciting contest.

Check out the nominees below and read the full 2025 GRAMMYs nominations list ahead of Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.

It can take years for an artist to work on their masterpiece. In the Beatles' case, the journey of "Now And Then" took 45 years. John Lennon originally wrote the demo in the late '70s. It's a mournful, piano-backed confession: "I know it's true/ It's all because of you/ And if I make it through/ It's all because of you."

The song remained unfinished long after Lennon's tragic 1980 passing, but — in a powerful act of love — his bandmates completed it for him. Paul McCartney enlisted Giles Martin (the son of Beatles' former producer and longtime collaborator George Martin) as the song's co-producer, using Lennon's original 1977 demo, George Harrison's guitar melodies from the 1995 Anthology sessions, and Ringo Starr's drumming and backing vocals from 2022. "Now And Then," which marked the Beatles' 35th top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100, is a tearful close to the band's legacy. 

"Obviously, it hasn't been, but it sounds like John's written it for Paul now, in a very emotional way," Martin told Rolling Stone. "It's a bittersweet song, which is very John. But with a combination of happiness and regret." 

McCartney never gave up on the song, which is a testament that true friendship never dies.

Beyoncé — "TEXAS HOLD 'EM"

After shimmying underneath a disco ball for 2022's GRAMMY-winning RENAISSANCE, Beyoncé wanted to keep the dance party going on 2024's COWBOY CARTER — except this time around, she traded Studio 54 for a honky-tonk. But "TEXAS HOLD 'EM," the album's joint lead single alongside "16 CARRIAGES," is much more than an instructional hoedown.

The 32-time GRAMMY winning icon has long incorporated African American history in her music, and "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" is no different. The single, like many tunes on COWBOY CARTER, is rooted in liberation. Country music is the backbone of America, but its roots in Black culture are often hidden. With "TEXAS HOLD 'EM," Beyoncé lifts the veil off the genre's true history by celebrating both her Houston heritage and the Black country artists that paved the way for her.

The song's message is clear, but it's balanced by playful melodies, Beyoncé's signature stacked harmonies and a plucking banjo (played by Rhiannon Giddens, an advocate for the reclamation of country music instruments by Black musicians). While Beyoncé is no stranger to chart-topping hits ("TEXAS HOLD 'EM" is her ninth solo No. 1 single on the Hot 100), she made history as the first Black woman to score a No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.

Sabrina Carpenter does whimsy so well. Chalk it up to her Disney Channel roots, but the singer's innate ability to craft an earworm is why she's skyrocketed as one of the biggest pop stars of the new generation. "Espresso," the lead single from 2024's Short n' Sweet album and unofficial song of the summer, encapsulates Carpenter's irresistible charm.

"The song is kind of about seeing femininity as your superpower, and embracing the confidence of being that b—," she told Vogue in April. 

That confidence is found all throughout "Espresso," from her cooing vocals to her cheeky songwriting ("I can't relate to desperation/ My give-a-f—s are on vacation"). Topped off by an irresistibly catchy, undulating chorus, "Espresso" helped Carpenter reach several career milestones that kickstarted a year full of them — including her first GRAMMY nominations.

Charli xcx has long been one of the coolest girls in pop, and her sixth album brat cemented that fact. On "360," the album's second single, the British star not only acknowledges her own cool factor, but of those around her. Produced by longtime collaborator A. G. Cook, the song trades in the producer's signature exaggerated hyperpop sonics for more minimalistic synths that complement Charli's auto-tuned vocals.

"I went my own way and I made it/ I'm your favorite reference, baby," Charli xcx exclaims on the cocky opening line before comparing herself to friends like model/musician Gabbriette and actress Julia Fox. "360" is a cheeky reflection of the ever-growing digital era, giving fellow internet "It" girls an anthem for the ages.

Billie Eilish — "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"

The beauty of Billie Eilish's artistry is in her vulnerability. For the nine-time GRAMMY winner's third album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, she pushed herself into her deeper territories with the assistance of her brother and go-to collaborator FINNEAS.

Second single "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" best exemplifies the album title's meaning in both its tenderness and desperation. It was initially intended to be a traditional love song, but given the siblings' unorthodox track record, they couldn't resist making it slightly untraditional: "I want you to stay/ 'Til I'm in the grave/ 'Til I rot away, dead and buried/ 'Til I'm in the casket you carry," Eilish sings on the opening verse in her signature whisper. 

Even with the juxtaposing lyrics, the song's airy production and wistfully gauzy synths still make for a beautiful, adoring statement piece. And the heartfelt sentiment paired with Eilish's breathy vocals quickly made "BIRDS OF A FEATHER" the biggest hit from HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, already garnering nearly 1.5 billion Spotify streams as of press time.

Branding Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" as merely a diss track would be doing it a disservice. The 17-time GRAMMY winner's tune is not just a rap song, but a cultural phenomenon. A seething finale to his (very public) feud with Drake, "Not Like Us" is a triumphant win for both Lamar and rap music as a whole.

Atop a buzzing sample of Monk Higgins' 1968 "I Believe to My Soul" cover, Lamar delivers slick wordplay and calls out Drake's presumed cultural appropriation of Southern rap: "You run to Atlanta when you need a few dollars/ No, you not a colleague, you a f—in' colonizer."

Following its release, the song took on a life on its own: tennis icon Serena Williams (Drake's alleged former lover) crip walked to the track at the 2024 ESPY Awards, Megan Thee Stallion and Janet Jackson incorporated it into their concerts, and many national sports leagues used it in their game broadcasts.

Drama aside, "Not Like Us" — which also scored a Song Of The Year nomination — is a celebration of West Coast hip-hop. Lamar, a proud Compton native, enlisted Los Angeles-born DJ Mustard to produce the track. The chopped-up sample is inspired by Oakland's "hyphy" rap subgenre, while Lamar exaggerates his already-animated cadence, paying homage to late Los Angeles rapper Drakeo the Ruler. While "Not Like Us" is a targeted diss, it's also a reminder of California's historical impact on rap — and Lamar's place within that legacy.

Chappell Roan grabbed the world's attention with her bombastic interpretation of baroque pop and her knack for highlighting queer romance. "Good Luck, Babe!," April's breakout hit following her 2023 debut LP, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, ushered in a new chapter.

The song discusses compulsory heterosexuality, as Roan sings about a woman she's dating who tries to deny her feelings for Roan: "You can kiss a hundred boys in bars/ Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling." 

"I knew exactly what I wanted. I wrote it in three minutes," Chappell Roan told Rolling Stone of the song's creation, which she co-wrote alongside Daniel Nigro and Justin Tranter. "I felt so much anger. I was so upset. It all came out and I didn't add anything when I wrote it all done. It was a perfect storm."

The anger definitely explodes on "Good Luck, Babe!," with Roan channeling '80s divas like Kate Bush and George Michael. The singer's goal was to make a "big anthemic pop song," and "Good Luck, Babe!" soared beyond all expectations.

Taylor Swift Feat. Post Malone — "Fortnight"

Despite nailing a formula that has made her one of the biggest pop stars of all time, Taylor Swift is still willing to take risks.

"Fortnight," from the 14-time GRAMMY winner's The Tortured Poets Department, serves as both the LP's first single and opening track. The chart-topping smash introduces the album's moodier tones, telling the story of a woman in an unhappy marriage who is now the neighbor to her ex-lover and his new wife. 

Atop '80s-inspired electropop synths courtesy of longtime collaborator and co-producer Jack Antonoff, the lyrics are unexpectedly dismal for Swift: "I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary/ And I love you, it's ruining my life." Featured artist Post Malone then sweeps in with his melancholic harmonies, giving more emotional weight to Swift's brilliant storytelling.

Lyrics have a unique way of validating and soundtracking our real-world experiences. Perhaps this year, a celebratory drink called for Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" on repeat. Or maybe you professed your love with a playlist containing Billie Eilish's "BIRDS OF A FEATHER," and Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars' "Die with a Smile."

It's those small but significant moments that showcase the power of songwriting — and what makes GRAMMY's Song Of The Year award so necessary. In the 2025 SOTY nominee list, you'll find the above hits, plus Taylor Swift's "Fortnight" (feat. Post Malone), Chappell Roan's "Good Luck, Babe," Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," Sabrina Carpenter's "Please Please Please" and Beyoncé's "TEXAS HOLD ‘EM."

Ahead of the 2025 GRAMMYs, take a deeper look into all the tracks that made the nominee list for Song Of The Year. Be sure to check out the full 2025 GRAMMYs nominations list ahead of Music's Biggest Night on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.

Shaboozey — "A Bar Song (Tipsy)"

Songwriters: Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Nevin Sastry, Chibueze Collins Obinna & Mark Williams

Before this year, Shaboozey was just another rising artist ready to make a name for himself. With the April release of "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," he blossomed into the most prolific country musician of 2024, coinciding with his 10th anniversary in the music industry.

By July, the J-Kwon interpolation simultaneously hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and the Hot Country Songs charts, making him the first Black man to conquer a feat. On Oct. 29, it broke the record for the longest-running No. 1 hit, previously set by "Old Town Road (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus)" by Lil Nas X.

Billie Eilish — "BIRDS OF A FEATHER"

Songwriters: Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell

Most know Billie Eilish for her "sad girl" anthems, scaling topics of body dysmorphia, cruel exes and the relentless dissection of her life under the public eye. But on "BIRDS OF A FEATHER," a single from 2024's HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, the 22-year-old songbird unveils a softer, sweeter side of herself over a twinkling synth. The track details an unwavering connection.

"I don't know what I'm cryin' for/ I don't think I could love you more," she muses in the song's pre-chorus. "Might not be long, but baby, I/ Don't wanna say goodbye."

As Finneas O'Connell, Eilish's brother and longtime collaborator, explained on their American Express "Story of My Song" segment, "There's a lot of songs about dying for somebody and loving them until they die, and I thought it was really fun to lean in."

Songwriters: Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Andrew Watt

Put two musical legends together, and you get a masterpiece. For Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, that piece of artwork is "Die with a Smile," a grandiose ballad about not taking your relationships for granted. It's reminiscent of the sultry duets of the 1960s, such as Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" or Frank & Nancy Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid."

The unexpected collaboration unfolded while Gaga finished her upcoming album in Malibu. "After a long day, he asked me to come to his studio to hear something he was working on [...] We stayed up all night and finished writing and recording the song," Gaga said in a press release.

As Gaga mentions in her announcement post, the song is a treat for Little Monsters "while you wait for LG7." But if the rest of the project is anything like "Die with a Smile," it's already looking like a hit.

Taylor Swift — "Fortnight" Feat. Post Malone

Songwriters: Jack Antonoff, Austin Post & Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has become increasingly transparent in her artistry through whimsical lyrical metaphors and cinematic music videos. "Fortnight," the opening track of The Tortured Poets Department, is no exception as Swift likens a crumbling relationship to the failure of the American dream. In its sepia-toned visual, she's an asylum escapee taking the "Forget Him" pill, washing away their million-paged saga.

"'Fortnight' is a song that exhibits a lot of the common themes that run throughout this album. One of which being fatalism — longing, pining away, lost dreams," Swift told Amazon Music. "And 'I love you, it's ruining my life,' these are very hyperbolic, dramatic things to say. But it's that kind of album."

Swift first announced Tortured Poets during her acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Album (Midnights) at the 2024 GRAMMYs. At the 67th GRAMMY Awards, Swift will again vie for a chance to win Song Of The Year — her eighth nomination in the Category.

Songwriters: Daniel Nigro, Kayleigh Rose Amstutz & Justin Tranter

Chappell Roan might have written "Good Luck, Babe!" in three minutes, but this breakthrough single has left the impact of a lifetime as the singer's debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

The cathartic indie rock track wishes a hopeless flame well after denying their queer identity: "When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night/ With your head in your hands, you're nothing more than this wife/ And when you think about me, all of those years ago/ You're standing face to face with, 'I told you so.'"

"I think throughout the year, I'm like, "What can I get away with?" Because right now it's pretty tame for what it is like to be a gay artist," Roan told GRAMMY.com in March. "But I just want to push it to see how far can I go — with the most controversial outfits or things to rile people up. I'm not really afraid to do that."

Songwriters: Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar and Drake have been throwing shots at each other for the past decade, but it wasn't until Drake's claims of being the best of the "Big Three" rappers (including him, Lamar and J. Cole) in 2023 that the battle climaxed. 

The next six months saw back-and-forth diss tracks, such as Lamar's "Euphoria" and "Meet the Grahams." In a sweeping moment in May, Lamar reigned superior with "Not Like Us," poking fun at Drake's OVO brand alongside accusations of pedophilia and disingenuous relationship with other artists.

Upon its release, "Not Like Us" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and might be Lamar's first gramophone in the Song Of The Year category. 

Sabrina Carpenter — "Please Please Please"

Songwriters: Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff & Sabrina Carpenter

If "Espresso" hadn't already catapulted Sabrina Carpenter as one of the biggest stars of 2024, "Please Please Please" solidifies her status as one of the music industry's key players.

In typical Sabrina fashion, this '70s-inspired tune features witty and playful lyricism, with the Short n' Sweet singer begging her new lover to stay faithful and true: "And please, please, please/ Don't bring me to tears when I just did my makeup so nice/ Heartbreak is one thing, my ego's another/ I beg you, don't embarrass me, motherf—."

The single, co-written with Jack Antonoff, also marks Sabrina's first No. 1 track on the Billboard Hot 100, sitting comfortably above "Espresso's" No. 2 placement.

Beyoncé — "TEXAS HOLD ‘EM"

Songwriters: Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro & Raphael Saadiq

After more than two decades as a solo artist, Beyoncé's latest era has been defined by risk-taking experimentation. The first installment of her trilogy project, RENAISSANCE, revived house. Her latest addition, COWBOY CARTER, invites listeners to throw on their Western boots in her first full-length venture into country music, led by "TEXAS HOLD 'EM."

Aside from its addictive twangy instrumentation and chant-worthy lyrics ("This ain't Texas, ain't no hold 'em"), the COWBOY CARTER lead confirms Beyoncé's artistic range while simultaneously encouraging much-needed conversations about the diversity of the country genre. An ambitious venture, indeed, but one that paid off, making Queen Bey the first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and earning her a spot on this year's Song Of The Year nominee list.