NOMINEES FOR BEST COUNTRY ALBUM:
Night Train by Jason Aldean
Two Lanes To Freedom by Tim McGraw
Same Trailer Different Park by Kacey Musgraves
Based On A True Story... by Blake Shelton
Red by Taylor Swift
WHO SHOULD WIN: Same Trailer Different Park by Kacey Musgraves
Country music was dominated by edgy, counterculture female performers during 2013, and we're not talking about Taylor Swift. Kacey Musgraves, Ashley Rose and Brady Clark released three of the best, and certainly three of the most original country LPs of the year, and as Musgraves is the only one of those three nominated, we're going to give her the nod. Same Trailer Different Park gave a more honest look at both the ups and downs of the rural life praised in nearly every other country release, and Musgraves is awfully clever while doing so.
Aldean and McGraw delivered albums that satisfied in the mold set for mainstream country music. Shelton deserves kudos for pushing his songwriting forward, delivering an even better product than 2011's Red River Blue, but it doesn't quite match up with Musgraves. And, at the risk of bring the hellfire of a million Taylor Swift fanatics down upon us: Regardless of quality, we just can't acknowledge Red as country music. That being said...
WHO WILL WIN: Red by Taylor Swift
Three of the nominees have an arguable chance for taking home the Best Country Album Grammy. Musgraves has been on the lips of music publications across genres this year, and Shelton has made himself marketable to a much wider audience thanks to his hosting (and success coaching) on The Voice.
Still, neither can live up to the juggernaut that is Taylor Swift. As much as the committee might claim public opinion doesn't affect the decisions, Swift's sales numbers and concert numbers are just huge. Swift is also nominated for Album of The Year, but we don't see the Grammy voters giving the award right back to her following 2010's Album of The Year victory for Fearless (it's an award category they don't like repetition for). She can look forward to another Country Album of The Year as a consolation.
