The 2023 GRAMMYs first round of voting has concluded already, with chatter among The Recording Academy growing louder each passing day; the race for both the Record of the Year and Song of the Year goes tighter too.
According to Hits Daily Double, their GRAMMY Projections for the two coveted categories were divided into two as well - the "locks," and the "strong contenders."
The "locks" were chart leaders, critically-acclaimed records that the world has seen in the past months.
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Leading the pack is Adele's "Easy on Me," debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release; the "30" lead single is a shoo-in for both categories and a very strong contender too. It marks the British songstress' fifth career chart leader since "Hello," which was released in 2015.
Beyonce's "Break My Soul" was another one to watch. Queen B is locked in to sweep the Dance/Electronic categories with the album, performance, and song subcategories - but it would also be a treat to see her finally bag her very first Record of the Year GRAMMY and possibly her second Gramophone for Song of the Year.
"As It Was" was one of the longest chart-leader in the history of the charts. It has already breached 15 nonconsecutive weeks at the top, even breaking records as the track that has not left the No. 3 spot in weeks. Harry Styles' lead single is one of the strongest records among the pack.
After confusion about whether it would be technically accepted, Taylor Swift's "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)" might actually snatch the crown for either of the two categories. Swift has always been a GRAMMY darling, so her being given this award for her 2012 reworking isn't entirely off the table.
Kendrick Lamar's "The Heart Pt 5" was the dark horse of the pack. Among the five locked-in tracks, it was the only song that did not reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, not even Top 10, as it has only peaked at No. 15. Nonetheless, chart success isn't the only determinant for a Record of the Year of Song of the Year Award, it's critically-acclaimed craftsmanship and lyricism is what brought the record apart from the bill.
Among the other strong contenders on the HDD projections include Bad Bunny's "Me Porto Bonito," the Encanto cast's "We Don't Talk About Bruno," Future's "WAIT FOR U," and even Anitta's "Envolver."
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