BY: Alexis Eichelberger

Nominations for this year’s Grammy Awards were announced last week, and we’re thrilled by the diversity of artists represented. From the hottest pop stars to our favorite indie bands, everyone seemed to have a place.

We’ve been obsessing over all of the albums nominated for Album of the Year all year long. Here are our favorite tracks from each of the nominees:

“Hey, Ma” from Bon Iver’s i,i

Bon Iver’s gotten more sonically experimental with its last two albums, and this year, its experiment paid off, earning the quintessential indie band three Grammy nominations. “Hey, Ma” was one of the earliest singles released before the album. It’s a calmer, more blissful track than many on the album, and it captures the sweet nostalgic feel that Bon Iver’s come to be known for.

 

“Venice Bitch” from Lana Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell!

Always sexy, always provocative, we at PROVOKR love Lana Del Rey. Her dreamy pop style is on display at its best in Norman Fucking Rockwell!, which seemed to solidify her as one of the most admired artists of the decade. “Venice Bitch” somehow has both an old Hollywood and thoroughly modern feel, melancholy, sweet and just a little rough around the edges.

 

“I love you” from Billie Eilish’s WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

Billie Eilish blew up the charts this year with hits like “bad guy” and “you should see me in a crown.” As much as we love those tracks with their high tempos and heavy production, we have a special appreciation for her more stripped-down tracks like “i love you.” The melody is simple and acoustic, allowing her lovely but haunting voice to beautifully convey the song’s emotion.

 

“Needy” from Ariana Grande’s thank u, next

Among the many smash hit singles on Ariana Grande’s phenomenal album (and our pick to win the award), one lesser-known track stands out. It’s sweetly honest and thoroughly relatable, validating all our clingy feelings while acknowledging their problematic nature, too. We can be needy, too.

 

“Could’ve Been (feat. Bryson Tiller)” from H.E.R.’s I Used To Know Her

H.E.R. turned plenty of heads last year, earning her a Best New Artist nod and several others. Impressively (and deservingly), she followed that up with five more nominations this year. With 19 tracks, we had plenty of great material to choose from when picking our favorite from I Used To Know Her. “Could’ve Been,” a collaboration with Bryson Tiller, is currently the most-played track from the album on Spotify, and for good reason. It’s slow and sexy, and H.E.R. and Tiller are a vocal match made in heaven.

 

“Rodeo (feat. Cardi B)” from Lil Nas X’s 7 EP

The shoo-in for Best New Artist finessed his way into an Album of the Year nomination for a EP with just seven tracks, two of which are “Old Town Road.” We love the Billy Ray Cyrus remix as much as anyone, but a true sleeper track on 7 is Lil Nas X’s collab with Cardi B. It keeps the hip-hop/western blend we know and love and adds a great verse from the reigning hip-hop queen. We couldn’t ask for anything more.

 

“Juice” from Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You

We weren’t surprised to find out Lizzo took home the most Grammy nominations this year. All of her talents are on full display in Cuz I Love You, and picking a favorite from this album was our hardest choice. Nevertheless, we went with “Juice” a funky and flirty bop all about self-love.

 

“This Life” from Vampire Weekend’s Father of the Bride

If Jimmy Buffet was a hipster, he would’ve made this song. “This Life” is a whimsical, tropical delight, and we couldn’t be happier that Vampire Weekend got so much recognition for its fantastic return. Father of the Bride, the group’s first album since 2013, is everything we needed and more, and it reminded us why we fell in love with Vampire Weekend at the beginning of the decade.