Vanyaland Predicts the Grammys: Winners, losers, and those bold enough to upset

Record of the Year

“Hello”, Adele
“Formation”, Beyoncé
“7 Years”, Lukas Graham
“Work”, Rihanna featuring Drake
“Stressed Out”, Twenty One Pilots

Who Will Win: “Formation,” hands down. This award is meant to capture the zeitgeist of the recording industry, honoring the artist, the producers, and the engineers and mixers responsible for it. In a turbulent political year, to say the least, “Formation” transcended music and became one helluva co-or-dinated rallying cry. From the lyrics to the production to that Big Freedia sample, it wasn’t the song anyone expected from Beyoncé but it was the song we all needed.

The Dark Horse: “Hello” may have been a major win for Adele — and the most anticipated single of this eligibility period — but its success didn’t hold up. Record-breaking sales, absolutely, but it failed to garner the same public reception across the long term. That’s why the follow-up, “When We Were Young” was released so soon thereafter. Instead, “Work” could surprise us with a win. Put simply, it’s the only song here, besides “Formation,” that you can hum the chorus to. Checkmate Rihanna.