Grammys 2015: Who Will Win Song Of The Year?

Mike Wass | February 4, 2015 5:30 am
Who Will Win Record Of The Year?
There's some stiff competition at the 2015 Grammys for Record Of The Year. Read our guide.

The nominees for Song Of The Year at the 2015 Grammy Awards have one thing in common — they were all massive hits. Meghan Trainor spent eight weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with debut single “All About That Bass” and possibly would have held on longer if Taylor Swift hadn’t spoiled the party with “Shake It Off.” Newcomers Hozier and Sam Smith both landed career-making hits with “Take Me To Church” and “Stay With Me,” while Sia made the belated leap from songwriter-for-hire to legitimate pop star with “Chandelier.”

All five contenders were big sellers but which anthem has what it takes to nab a Grammy? Let’s examine the nominees below.

SONG OF THE YEAR

“Shake It Off” — Taylor Swift
“Take Me To Church” — Hozier
“All About That Bass” — Meghan Trainor
“Chandelier” — Sia
“Stay With Me” — Sam Smith

THOUGHTS ON THE NOMINEES: There isn’t really a clear frontrunner this year. All the nominees were hits and, with the exception of Taylor Swift and Sia, recorded by relative newcomers. Of the contenders, Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” was the biggest commercial success and stands out as the catchiest pop song. The committee might want to reward the industry’s latest break-out star but the 20-year-old is probably a little too green to walk away with the Grammy at this stage.

Taylor Swift can do no wrong as far as the Grammys are concerned and she did single-handedly save album sales with 1989. As such, “Shake It Off” could well walk away with the prize — if only for launching the country queen’s transition to chart-conquering synth-pop diva. On the flip side, the Max Martin/Shellback co-write is probably the most generic song nominated and one of the least appealing on Tay Tay’s LP.

Next up is Sia, who is the dark horse of the category. After a decade in the game, “Chandelier” finally established the Adelaide-born singer/songwriter as a pop star in her own right. The fact that she did it without appearing in the video or showing her face during TV performances only strengthens her claim to the Grammy. After all, the song literally stood on its own merits and still sold platinum. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a critical darling and highly regarded in the industry.

That leaves us with newcomers Sam Smith and Hozier. According to some commentators, the selfie-loving Brit is going to sweep the 2015 Grammys. His debut LP In The Lonely Hour was met with near-universal critical acclaim and turned out to be a best-seller. He has been marketed as the male Adele since appearing on the scene and we all know how much the committee loves her. Controversy surrounding gospel-tinged hit’s writing credits could be the only thing holding Sam back. As for Hozier, the Irishman came from nowhere with his breakthrough smash “Take Me To Church.” It’s definitely the grittiest nominee, which could give it an edge.

WHO SHOULD WIN: It seems a little premature to honor complete newcomers with a Song Of The Year Grammy. As such, Sia is probably the most deserving candidate given her long track record of penning high-quality hits.

WHO WILL WIN: I wouldn’t be shocked if any of the five nominees walk away with the award but the buzz suggests Sam Smith. However, the committee might just go for an edgier option and pick “Chandelier” or “Take Me To Church.”

Who do you think will win? Let us know in the comments below.

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