If I Was the Only One Who Voted for the Grammys, Vol. 3
“Them ‘ho’ accusations weak, them ‘bitch’ accusations true.”
Music in 2022? Well, it’s not the same as it was in 2021. (How’s that for an anti-heroic pun?) What a year for music! I think the pop scene and the indie scene began to blur for me a bit, whether that was inadvertent (“As It Was”) or intentional in either direction (Maggie Rogers and Mitski). I feel 2022 was the best year I’ve had when it came to striking the balance between new music and artists versus old classics who will always be reliable aspects of my music rotation. I felt this way in the article for my favorite albums of the year, too! As such, despite perhaps some initial apprehension, I have given the green light to my third-annual If I Was the Only One Who Voted for the Grammys article, in the same vein as my pieces for the Oscars and Emmys! They are very appealing to the list-oriented part of my brain, but so are a couple pieces I’m about to unleash upon you that are list-heavy and potentially embarrassing. Until then, though, let us simply enjoy a magical river cruise through the year in music that was 2022 via the eyes of someone who has a niche and populist taste in music simultaneously. It’s specific to me, so I don’t know why you’d care, but let’s have fun talking about music, all the same! Too self-deprecating? I thought so. But Midnights taught me that’s okay.
Album of the Year
Harry’s House — Harry Styles
Laurel Hell — Mitski
The Loneliest Time — Carly Rae Jepsen
Midnights — Taylor Swift
Panorama— Hayley Kiyoko
SOS — SZA
As I mentioned above, I’ve already talked about my favorite albums of the year, much in the same way that Best Picture comes first for the Oscars posts I do. Taylor Swift is the winner! For a while, it was Styles in pole position, but Midnights (and its 3am Edition) exceeded too many expectations (that were nonexistent for the majority of the year, as well) and Swift is too undeniable as an artist not to win her second trophy for this category in the third year we’re doing this. And let’s be honest, she deserves a lot more for the past, too. All great albums are mentioned here. SZA’s grows on me by the day, for example. And Mitski might be my pick for the singer who could win one year. But for now, it remains Taylor’s.
Previous Winners: Folklore by Taylor Swift, Sour by Olivia Rodrigo
Soundtrack of the Year
Elvis
Spirited
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Top Gun: Maverick
The White Lotus
Is it a cop-out to award Soundtrack of the Year to a compilation album comprised of songs and covers of songs from over fifty years ago by one of the most incredible, dominant musicians to ever live? Perhaps. Spirited contained original music, Summer boasted its fair share of Swift (and beyond) needle drops that were perfect. Even Top Gun and Lotus managed to blend moving, thought-provoking scores with well-known lyrical anthems. But ultimately, what Baz Luhrmann was able to achieve with the Elvis soundtrack was impeccable. Yes, it contains a voice from the 1950s through the 1970s, but it also blends that with the classic Baz anachronisms in music from Kacey Musgraves and Doja Cat. It’s an impressive spectacle of what a soundtrack can be.
Previous Winners: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Music Video of the Year
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
“As It Was” by Harry Styles
“Bejeweled” by Taylor Swift
“The Loneliest Time” by Carly Rae Jepsen
“Love Me More” by Mitski
There are fun disco vibes in “The Loneliest Time” (and “Bejeweled,” to be honest); I dug them. Mitski always knows how to position herself as a performance artist in tandem with being a music artist. “Anti-Hero” has a lot of fun aspects as a music video and, while I love Mike Birbiglia, the comedic bits were too shaggy and shouty for my ultimate liking. “As It Was,” though, was a perfect music video. It kept the focus on the performer and a select cast and crew, emphasized the musical elements (complete with dancing that persisted through to a reverse-rotating Grammys stage), and was simple without being bland. In a year when Styles was routinely criticized for “doing too much,” there was a refreshing sense that “As It Was” was stripped down and its music video reflected the reverence that can come across in the song.
Previous Winners: “Savior Complex” by Phoebe Bridgers, “I Still Have Faith in You” by ABBA
The Paul McCartney Award for Lifetime Achievement in Music
Elton John
I know there’s a running bit with Elton John that he’s been on a retirement tour for forever. Like, when he said he was doing one last tour, we never could have realized it was a multi-year tour that would be certain to emphasize “This is my last time playing here!” or “I won’t be playing this particular corridor of the midwest again, so let’s mark the occasion like I’m the Milwaukee Brewers trying to think of some connection we have to Derek Jeter on his farewell tour!” Something about his live concert event in 2022 made me think that Elton John might really be winding down now, though. And with the grandest musical retirement finally on the downward trajectory, it seemed appropriate to honor him now. He’s never been one of my core guys in the world of music, but he’s definitely in my pantheon (and perhaps I should be embarrassed that he’s been on the retiree train for years and I never saw him live). “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Daniel,” “Step into Christmas,” “Rocket Man,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “Your Song”! The Lion King soundtrack! The entirety of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the best album of 1973! And these are just the hits. What defines Elton John’s musical career is an infinite pursuit of artistic greatness that he not only achieved, but redefined. Beyond the realm of the staff, Elton John has been an unabashed pioneer of living queer, but — just as important — living exactly the way you want to, even if it’s in a bedazzled Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. Even his self-produced, somewhat-sanitized biopic, Rocketman, dared to reach for magical realism only one year after Bohemian Rhapsody would not. With Disney Plooos live-streaming his farewell to North America concert live from Dodger Stadium (and it running nearly three hours) this year and Elton charting two songs in his seventh decade of music (“Cold Heart” with Dua Lipa and “Hold Me Closer” with Britney Spears), there’s no better time to recognize the legend. If there’s a God, he better bless this man.
Previous Winners: Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson
Best New Artist
Conan Gray
Hayley Kiyoko
Mitski
Stephen Sanchez
Tems
It has to be Mitski! Back at the beginning of 2022 (over a year and a half ago), someone whose opinions I trust told me that Mitski was the new artist I should be listening to and I’m so glad I heeded her suggestion. Mitski has rocketed up my list of anticipated, young musical performers as quickly as the past winners of this category have. She’s a must-listen for me now and I’m so excited to see where her career goes. Hayley Kiyoko was a strong runner-up for me, but I just dug Laurel Hell a bit more than Panorama. They’re both making stellar music, though; this is just for fun and not a competition. Tems, I can also see being someone I’ll come back to in the future. As for Stephen Sanchez, he may be here only for trending on TikTok with “Until I Found You,” but a lot of songs trended on TikTok and his was one of the only ones I added into my library. Otherwise, Conan Gray has written a couple songs I dig, but none that I really adore. If he keeps honing his abilities, he can get there one day, too!
Previous Winners: Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo
Producer of the Year
Jack Antonoff
Kid Harpoon
Patrick Hyland
Beyoncé Knowles
Rick Rubin
Like Will Arnett reigning supreme in the Best Voice Acting category at my Emmys for BoJack Horseman, it’s hard to imagine anyone dethroning Jack Antonoff anytime soon. Kid Harpoon produced magic with Harry Styles, Rick Rubin managed to find meaning in what was surely (originally) an aimless Red Hot Chili Peppers album and B-side, Patrick Hyland made a name for himself (to me) with Mitski, and Beyoncé remains the person best-suited to get the gold out of Beyoncé, but it’s still Antonoff. I know he’s not for everyone, but I’m a Bleachers fan and I’m a devotee of his influence on pop music. I believe he has absolutely been for the better and, in helping to tilt many artists a few degrees in the right direction, he has deliciously shattered the axis of the ship of pop music. Just in 2022, he managed producing credits with Tame Impala, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Phoebe Bridgers, The 1975, Lana Del Rey, and — of course — the essential-entirety of Taylor Swift’s Midnights. There’s no one doing it like Antonoff right now. (Plus, I was able to see Bleachers live this year, so it makes sense to heap the praise once again!)
Previous Winners: Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff
Group of the Year
The 1975
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
De La Soul
OneRepublic
Red Hot Chili Peppers
This was a hard one to parse, but I did ultimately side with Red Hot because they’ve always been one of my favorite bands and even if their 2022 albums weren’t my favorites (in a discography that features By the Way and Stadium Arcadium, how could they be?), there were two of them and they maintained a strong sound at a time in their careers when most groups tend to be 100% washed or just play the hits. Being Funny in a Foreign Language was a solid return (every two years!) for The 1975 and I know some friends cherished seeing them live, but there’s still a few elements missing from anointing them as a top-tier Dave Wheelroute band. Bruce and OneRepublic are also both prolific enough to be here relatively regularly (they’ve both been nominated before and the former has won). De La Soul is not prolific, on the other side (right, RHCP?). They haven’t had an album since 2016, but their reemergence on the public scene was meritable enough for a nomination here; they remain effortlessly cool, but we do mourn the recent loss of Trugoy the Dove. De La Soul will never be whole again, but it’s important to recognize them here, even in a silly exercise like this. Ultimately, I do land on RHCP and Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen. I miss Josh Klinghoffer, but it’s certain that bringing back John Frusciante to play with Chad Smith, Anthony Kiedis, and Flea again was a smart move that injected a bit of forgotten heart into a band that was also adrift since 2017. I’m glad to have them back, but just not in the same way that Edward Norton was in Glass Onion.
Previous Winners: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, ABBA
Artist of the Year
Beyoncé Knowles
Mitski
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift
SZA
I know I continue to insist that Taylor has entered an echelon only occupied by Beatles, but I do also want to be conscious of spreading the wealth. While I was able to find an avenue for Mitski as an individual, I think this is the spot to do that for Harry Styles. He didn’t have my favorite album of 2022 (and he should be lucky that Taylor didn’t also put out a re-record or two), but he does kind of feel like the Artist of the Year, especially for someone who isn’t crazy about Lizzo and has always liked, but never loved Beyoncé. Yes, he won the real Grammy for Album of the Year (somewhat controversially, but I ride for it), but he’s also become one of the greatest shows on earth. Not in an exploitative, dehumanizing way, but in an electrifying way. Styles clips have permeated my TikTok feed all year long and every time I see them, I find myself wishing that one of his residencies was nearer to me. Couple that with an album that was filled with melancholic ruminations and dance-worthy jams (plus an all-time pop song in “As It Was” — more on that later) and I feel confident in saying that Harry Styles’ music was gleefully pervasive from spring to winter in 2022. I never got sick of it or him and I loved seeing him continue to ascend in “my kind of pop music” over the course of the year. It has to be Harry!
Previous Winners: Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo
Record of the Year
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff
“As It Was” by Harry Styles, Kid Harpoon, and Tyler Johnson
“Cuff It” by Beyoncé Knowles, Nova Wav, Rissi, Raphael Saadiq, and The-Dream
“Karma” by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Sounwave, Sweet, and Keanu Beats
“Kill Bill” by SZA, Carter Lang, and Rob Bisel
“Late Night Talking” by Harry Styles and Kid Harpoon
“Love Me More” by Mitski
“Lift Me Up” by Rihanna and Ludwig Göransson
“Maroon” by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff
“The Only Heartbreaker” by Mitski and Dan Wilson
As always, I’ll clarify that I think of Record of the Year as being more on the production/musical side of things and Song of the Year as being more on the lyrical/written side of things. There is also a lot more overlap between the two this year than I’ve had in the past! Nominated for both, but (spoiler) only winning one is “Maroon”! “Maroon” is absolutely my favorite song from my favorite album of the year and it’s probably in my top ten Taylor songs, which is quite a feat. The soaring Antonoff production combines with one of the most awesome (in the truest sense: “full of awe”) Swift melodies to craft a ringer for “Red” in the best of ways. It’s mature and moving and a dazzling display of music’s capabilities. Swift, Styles, and Mitski are all represented multiple times here and I was delighted to be able to find a place for Rihanna for the first time since I’ve been doing this. (Hopefully, Rihanna will be here a lot more next year.) Ultimately, though, the production on “Maroon” was immaculate and I’d be remiss if I wasn’t able to find someway to specifically commemorate that song, as it was one of the best I heard throughout the year.
Previous Winners: “‘Tis the Damn Season” by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner, “Don’t Shut Me Down” by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Song of the Year
“Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff
“As It Was” by Harry Styles, Kid Harpoon, and Tyler Johnson
“Go Find Yourself or Whatever” by Carly Rae Jepsen and Rostam Batmanglij
“Keep Driving” by Harry Styles, Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson, and Mitch Rowland
“Kill Bill” by SZA, Carter Lang, and Rob Bisel
“Lift Me Up” by Rihanna, Ludwig Göransson, Robyn Fenty, Ryan Coogler, and Temilade Openiyi
“Love Me More” by Mitski
“Maroon” by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff
“The Only Heartbreaker” by Mitski and Dan Wilson
“Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner
So many great contenders here. “And now that I’m grown, I’m scared of ghosts.” “I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money.” “I could spend the whole day just getting by.” “If you would just make one mistake, what a relief that would be.” “Hash brown, egg yolk, I will always love you.” “I chose you, the one I was dancing with in New York.” “Rather be in hell than alone.” “We’ll pretend it ends tomorrow.” “Drowning in an endless sea, take some time and stay with me.” These are just some examples of the powerful, emotionally charged lyrics that defined the best songs of the year. Whether they were testaments to stolen innocence, reflections on being in the wrong in a long-term relationship, or tributes to the love that’s lost and never coming back, they helped shape an understanding of the common heartbreak and hope many of the world’s most talented musicians were working through over the course of 2022. But as I’ve said time and again, I am floored by “As It Was” in the way I’ve been floored by very few pop songs before. There are hundreds of pop songs I love from the past couple decades (“Call Me Maybe,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “We Can’t Stop”), but only a select few I feel are transcendent (“We Are Young,” “We Found Love,” “Take Me to Church”). I think “As It Was” belongs to the latter category. It is just so fully formed and euphoric and it feels, to me, like the current apex of Harry Styles’ career. Whatever went into creating it, I salute the process because this is unlike any other Styles song, but it’s still his. All these months later, it’s still my Song of the Year.
Previous Winners: “August” by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff, “Mr. Perfectly Fine” by Taylor Swift
As always, the Grammys list is a bit shorter than the Oscars and Emmys lists, but always fun to navigate my way through my favorite music of the year and what it means to look beyond the album. And a good way to know myself as an endless Swiftie. What do your lists look like? Do you make lists like these? Or are you not obsessive and are able to manage your interests more concisely and discreetly? Who among us, right?
Most Individual Nominations
Taylor Swift (10)
Mitski (8)
Harry Styles (7)
Jack Antonoff (6)
Kid Harpoon (5)
SZA (4)
Carly Rae Jepsen, Tyler Johnson, Beyoncé Knowles (3)
Rob Bisel, Ludwig Göransson, Hayley Kiyoko, Carter Lang, Dan Wilson (2)
The 1975, Rostam Batmanglij, Keanu Beats, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Ryan Coogler, De La Soul, Aaron Dessner, Robyn Fenty, Conan Gray, Patrick Hyland, Elton John, OneRepublic, Temilade Openiyi, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rissi, Mitch Rowland, Rick Rubin, Raphael Saadiq, Stephen Sanchez, Sounwave, Sweet, Tems, The-Dream, Nova Wav (1)
Most Album Nominations
Midnights (9)*
Harry’s House, Laurel Hell (6)
The Loneliest Time, SOS (3)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2)
Elvis, Panorama, Renaissance, Spirited, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Top Gun: Maverick, The White Lotus (1)
*=New record, topping Folklore by Taylor Swift (8)
Most Individual Wins
Harry Styles (3)
Jack Antonoff, Taylor Swift (2)
Kid Harpoon, Elton John, Tyler Johnson, Mitski, Red Hot Chili Peppers (1)
Most Album Wins
Harry’s House, Midnights (2)
Elvis (1)
