The Grammy best new artist nominees (according to me)

Plus: Gracie Abrams fans need help and 'Die With a Smile' is still No. 1

Jan 30, 2025

The Grammys are on Sunday. Music’s biggest night! The best new artist Grammy is one of the evening’s most coveted awards, often predicting which musicians might just have lasting power in the industry. In the last 10 years, it’s gone to Sam Smith, Chance the Rapper, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion…Today I’m sharing my thoughts on this year’s nominees, ranked from least to most likely to win.

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8 & 7. Benson Boone and Teddy Swims

These are two separately nominated artists, but they’re the same to me. I can never remember who is who. They both have names I’m embarrassed to say out loud, in the same way I’ll hesitate ordering a cocktail off a menu because I can’t bring myself to ask a mustached, tattooed bartender for the “Timothée Chala-Mai-Tai.”

Boone and Swims (lol) both perform with gravelly, overly emotional vocals that give me the vibe that they each just learned what “sapiosexual” means. That they want to sing about being simps like Ed Sheeran but they also punched a hole through a wall last week. That they want to sound like Gnarls Barkley, but they’re both white.

Every time I hear “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone, I swear I haven’t heard it. Then I hear the chorus, remember and ask you to turn it off. Teddy Swims’s album is called “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy” and I think that’s all I need to say about him. They each have one Grammy nomination.

6. Khruangbin

Khruangbin is a crowdpleaser. Easy, funky listening. If a man likes Khruangbin, that’s good news—You can probably fix his style and the lack of glasses in his kitchen cabinet. But Khruangbin has been putting out music since 2014. They’re nominated for the best new artist Grammy because they’re new to the Grammys, but they’re simply not bringing the same freshness that their fellow nominees are. This is their only Grammy nomination.

5. Shaboozey

I’ve been told I was too harsh on Shaboozey when I said I didn’t want him to reach a Billboard Hot 100 record. I stand by it! I do admit that “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is a good song, and I hope it wins a Grammy or two. The country/hip-hop artist has five nominations, including song of the year. But can you name one more song by Shaboozey? I feel bad calling him a one-hit wonder already, but he’s too close to that label to deserve this best new artist win.

4. Raye

The U.K. singer-songwriter Raye has the most diverse range of nominations in this bunch. Her last full-length studio album, “My 21st Century Blues,” came out in early 2023, so it’s not eligible at this year’s show. Instead she’s nominated for BNA; songwriter of the year for writing her own songs in addition to songs for Beyoncé, Halle, Rita Ora, Jennifer Lopez and others; and best engineered album for her work on Lucky Daye’s “Algorithm.” I could see her being a wild-card winner, but since her work isn’t represented in any of the major award categories, it seems unlikely.

3. Doechii

Doechii is my current musical obsession and I would be thrilled if she won. One of the most innovative artists I’ve heard in a long time. I fear Grammy voters won’t fully get her. And she’s nominated for best rap performance and album, which Grammy voters don’t typically get to begin with. Prove me wrong, please!

2. Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina is nominated for six awards, including nods for all of the major categories (Best song, record and album of the year). She was my second most-played artist of 2024 and “Short n’ Sweet” was one of my albums of the year. However…

1. Chappell Roan

I think this award is going to Chappell. Like Sabrina, she has six nominations, including acknowledgment in those major categories. If I taught a class on pop songwriting (I have zero qualifications) I’d put “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” on the syllabus. Her songs feel like they were made for right now, but are also undeniable classics. Apart from Doechii, she’s the most creative artist on this list. And her rapid rise to the top after years of work is a trajectory Grammy voters will eat right up—and they’ll want to be a part of her stardom story. I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t go home with at least 3 awards.

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💌 LOVE NOTES 💌

Rilo Kiley is reuniting at the Just Like Heaven festival !
Many have tried to make Limited Too playlists, but this is one I actually approve of. Accurate.
Huge news if you’re also someone who frequents the Rockefeller Center concourse during the work week (iykyk): Rough Trade is expanding into a SECOND Rock Center location. The space was formally a Paper Source that I visited for my last-minute gifting needs, so I’m experiencing a loss here. Also, I miss the old Williamsburg Rough Trade location alllll the time. I hope that this new location will at least make more space for signings and live sets, because the current RT store cannot accommodate those.
The fans are not okay. It’s actually one of the reasons I started this newsletter, and I have a lot more to say. But here’s the latest example: After it was announced that Dora Jar will open for Gracie Abrams on her upcoming Europe/UK tour, a petition on change.org called “Replace Dora Jar as the Opening Act for The Secret of Us Europe Tour” went viral. It looks like it’s been deleted, but here’s part of its description via Stereogum.

Many fans, including myself, are baffled by the recent announcement that Dora Jar will be the opening act for The Secret of Us Tour’s Europe Shows. We are perplexed as we do not recognize her, and with less than two weeks till the tour, it’s virtually impossible to familiarize ourselves with her slow-paced songs. For a memorable concert experience, an opening act should set the mood and get the crowd excited, but Dora’s slow tempo songs may not achieve this goal.

Dora and Gracie have both reacted. This is crazy to me because Dora is a rising pop star with songs that are more upbeat than many of Gracie’s…

I will likely stream Questlove’s “Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music” documentary this weekend. In a few weeks, we’ll have another doc from Questlove on Sly Stone, “SLY LIVES! (aka the Burden of Black Genius).” If either of these films are even half as good as “Summer of Soul” was, we’re all in for some seriously special footage.
Momma announced a new album and put out the song “I Want You (Fever). “ I heard this live a few months ago and have been patiently waiting for its release ever since! I wish more vocalists imitated their guitar sounds like Momma does here, just mouthing out “wowowowowowow.” It rocks. (I felt like this meme trying to type this out btw. Just watch the video.)
And Julien Baker and Torres announced their joint album, “Send a Prayer My Way.” I’m not as into the song they put out this week as I was with “Sugar in the Tank,” but this is still one of my personal most anticipated albums of 2025.

🚨 VIBE CHECK 🚨

What the people are actually listening to:

Billboard Hot 100

I wish I had more interesting news for you, but “Die With a Smile” is still No. 1. for its 4th week. January is a slow time for new pop music releases—the only additions here are a few songs from Mac Miller’s “Balloonerism” (see below), while Tyla’s “Push to Start” debuted at No. 80 and “GBP” by Central Cee feat. 21 Savage is at 92.

Billboard 200

Bad Bunny’s “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” is No. 1 for the second week. Mac Miller’s posthumous record “Balloonerism” debuted at No. 3. Hopefully February brings us more surprises.

Also, yesterday NPR reported the Imogen Heap news I shared last week. I am a hard-hitting journalist you guys!

💋 HOT DATE 💋

Last Friday I went to a rock show at Night Club 101, a nondescript black building in the same location as the old Pyramid Club. It’s extremely cute inside—you might even assume it’s only a cocktail bar if you don’t venture past the tables. $19 negronis in the front, dispassionate moshing in the back. Not bad! I went to see Greg Freeman, whose 2022 debut album “I Looked Out” was re-released this month—check him out if you’re a fan of Bob Dylan, Pavement, or more recently, MJ Lenderman.

I loved his live show, although I was distracted by the guys standing next to me, one of whom kept saying things like “Go Greggie!” probably in an attempt to make sure everyone knew that he was friends with the frontman. Unfortunately the men in this group were attractive, so I didn’t mind at all, even when one of them took out a flip phone (in addition to his regular smartphone) to film some of the show.

❤️ CURRENTLY CRUSHING ❤️

As a New Crush subscriber, you get EXCLUSIVE access to our Currently Crushing playlist, which I will update monthly with my favorite new songs. Here are three highlights I didn’t get a chance to mention in the newsletter this month:

“Girl Feels Good” by FKA Twigs
My favorite track from FKA Twigs’s acclaimed, techno-infused album “Eusexua” is a futuristic flow state. It’s also one of the theses of the album: If we trade toxic masculinity for the love women feel—for their lovers, for the dancefloor, for themselves—then the world will be a better place. “A girl feels good, and the world goes 'round / Turn your love up loud to keep the devil down.”
“Cradle the Pain” by Morgan Nagler
This is a twangy, fuzzy rock song about how life is hard, but you are a perfect angel and you should keep going. We all needed to hear that! I’d never heard of Los Angeles-based songwriter Morgan Nagler, even though she’s worked with some of my favorite artists, such as Phoebe Bridgers, Haim and The Breeders. Also, isn’t this cover art (below) lovely? It’s an oil painting by Nicky Giraffe. I’m moving next month and want it framed for my home!
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“Have Heaven” by Florist

This song is soothing and a little quirky at the same time, like many early 2000s indie-folk songs. It would fit right in on the “Juno” soundtrack. It will be on Florist’s fifth album, “Jellywish,” out April 4.