Rone, Colin, And My Annual Grammy's 2022 Prediction Blog

Rolling Stone - Megan Thee Stallion, Joni Mitchell, and Questlove will serve as presenters at the 2022 Grammys, taking place this Sunday, April 3 in Las Vegas.

The presenter lineup also includes previous Grammy winners Dua Lipa, Lenny Kravitz, Ludacris, Billy Porter, Bonnie Raitt, and Keith Urban. Two previous Grammy nominees, Kelsea Ballerini and Avril Lavigne, will also appear at the show, as will Jared Leto, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and Anthony Mackie.

Megan Thee Stallion, Joni Mitchell, and Questlove are all nominated for Grammys this year. Megan Thee Stallion notched two nominations, one for Best Rap Performance for “Thot Shit,” and another for her contributions to Lil Nas X’s Album of the Year-nominated LP Montero. Questlove’s Summer of Soul — fresh off its Best Documentary Oscar win — will compete for Best Music Film, while Joni Mitchell’s Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years received a nod for Best Historical Album (Mitchell is also being honored before the Grammys as this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year gala).

The Grammys have already laid out a packed performance lineup for this year’s show. Artists taking the stage include this year’s most-nominated performer, Jon Batiste, as well as the likes of Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, Chris Stapleton, and BTS. A tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins is reportedly in the works, while there will also be a special “In Memoriam” tribute to Stephen Sondheim featuring Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt, and Rachel Zegler.

It's everybody's favorite blog of the year in honor of everybody's favorite awards show of the year, THE GRAMMY'S!

The past two years Rone and I have given our predictions on who will be taking home which awards, so we're here to continue the tradition. Rone's been slammed this year and said he wouldn't be able to provide enough insight so I brought along another Philly music head, my co-host from "On The Guest List" Colin to take his place. 

We'll be live-tweeting the awards show on @StoolBackstage 

Now I know what you're thinking. "Dante, haven't you been extremely vocal about how extra-terrible this years show is going to be?". 

Yes. Yes I have. 

I even went so far as predicting they'd be canceled altogether back in January before they announced a postponement date and relocation to Las Vegas.

Even though the INSUFFERABLE Trevor Noah is hosting and is without a doubt sure to deliver a cringefest opening monologue, and even though Page Six and Kelly Keegs are reporting that nobody is watching tonight and the awards are going to hell in a handbasket from a logistics standpoint, I'm pulling a John Kerry and am going to flip flop here. Looking at the silver lining here, there are actually way more performances worth watching tonight than I originally thought.

Scheduled to perform -

Allison Russell

Aymée Nuviola

Billie Eilish

Billy Strings

(I'm actually really looking forward to this one. I've been hearing about Billy for two years now nonstop it's seemed. Tons of twitter DMs, comment section suggestions, and other blogs I read have touted this guy endlessly. It'll be nice to see him on the big stage for all the world to see. Hope he crushes.)

Brandi Carlile

Brothers Osborne

(I love this song so much)

BTS

Carrie Underwood

Chris Stapleton

(It's almost like after decades of snubbing country music altogether the Grammy's in a state of panic realized they should start putting the genre and its stars front and center in hopes of re-attracting viewers)

Curtis Stewart

(Fucking love me some violin)

Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt, and Rachel Zegler

H.E.R.

(Possibly my new favorite artist in the past 5 years. This girl is off the charts talented. If you've never seen her video from when she was 10 years old on the Today Show, this is a must watch)

And then her living out her dream playing with Alicia Keys in real life… unreal stuff

J Balvin with Maria Becerra

Jimmie Allen

(my guy)

Jon Batiste

(Most nominated artist tonight. Guy has been EVERYWHERE the past year)

John Legend

(hard pass)

Justin Bieber, Daniel Cesar, and Giveon

(One of Biebs' best songs ever)

Lady Gaga

Ledisi

Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow

Madison Cunningham, Falu, Nnenna Freelon, Kalani Pe’a, John Popper, and the Isaacs

The Premiere ceremony will open with a performance from several nominees, including Best Folk Album contender Madison Cunningham and John Popper of the Best Traditional Blues Album–nominated band Blues Traveler.

Maverick City Music

Mon Laferte

Nas

(Big return for Nasir Jones. Hot off a blazing hot album. Can't wait for this tonight)

Olivia Rodrigo

(This song still BANGS)

Silk Sonic

(I'm calling it now, this performance will steal the show and be what everybody's talking about tomorrow)

Sadly, The Foo Fighters' scheduled performance has been canceled tonight due to the March 25 death of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Expect his name to be invoked at least once Sunday night.

- PREDICTIONS - 

- Olivia Rodrigo is nominated in every category of what Grammy experts call "the big four" (the non-genre-specific general categories that are considered the most important of the night): album of the year (for Sour), song of the year (for "drivers license"), record of the year (also for "drivers license") and best new artist. 

Rodrigo is considered a heavy favorite in the last three, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise for Sour to complete the sweep.

-  Tony Bennett's swan song.

The Grammys love Tony Bennett. 

His MTV Unplugged album won album of the year in 1995; he's notched 18 Grammy wins in 41 nominations dating back to 1963 and he picked up a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 2001. 

At age 95, he's bound to be a huge sentimental favorite among Grammy voters, especially after announcing his retirement from performing last year due to Alzheimer's. There's a very possible scenario in which Rodrigo, Eilish and Taylor Swift (nominated for evermore) all split votes, leaving a lane open for Bennett to win album of the year.

- Jon Batiste picked up an insane 11 nods — including record of the year (for "Freedom") and album of the year (for We Are). 

Batiste quickly has become an awards favorite (he picked up an Oscar last year for his work on Soul's score) so he certainly could pick up a ton of votes in one of the major categories.

- Get ready for some controversy tomorrow.  Jazmine Sullivan, who had one of 2021's best albums with Heaux Tales, could extend her Grammy losing streak to 0-for-15 — a travesty. 

And Louis C.K. could very well win best comedy album which you know what happens if that's the case. 

Record of the Year

• "I Still Have Faith In You" - ABBA
• "Freedom" - Jon Batiste
• "I Get a Kick Out of You" - Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga - Colin's Pick 
• "Peaches - Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon
• "Right On Time" - Brandi Carlile
• "Kiss Me More" - Doja Cat featuring SZA
• "Happier Than Ever" - Billie Eilish
• "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" - Lil Nas X
• "drivers license" - Olivia Rodrigo - Dante's Pick 
• "Leave the Door Open" - Silk Sonic

Album of the Year

• "We Are" - Jon Batiste -  Colin's Pick
• "Love For Sale" -Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
• "Justice" - Justin Bieber
• "Planet Her"- Doja Cat
• "Happier Than Ever" - Billie Eilish
• "Montero" - Lil Nas X
• "Back of my Mind" - H.E.R.
• "sour" - Olivia Rodrigo - Dante's Pick
• "Evermore" - Taylor Swift
• "Donda" - Kanye

Song of the Year

• "Bad Habits" - Fred Gibson, Johnny McDaid & Ed Sheeran
• "A Beautiful Noise" - Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile
• "drivers license" - Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo -  Colin's Pick, Dante's Pick
• "Fight For You" - Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas
• "Happier Than Ever" - Billie Eilish O'Connell and Finneas O'Connell
• "Kiss Me More" - Rogét Chahayed, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Carter Lang, Gerard A. Powell II, Solána Rowe & David Sprecher and more
• "Leave the door open" - Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II and Bruno Mars
• "Montero" - Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, Omer Fedi, Montero Hill & Roy Lenzo
• "Peaches" - Louis Bell, Justin Bieber, Giveon Dezmann Evans, Bernard Harvey, Felisha "Fury" - King, Matthew Sean Leon and more
• "Right On Time" - Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth and more

Best New Artist

• Arooj Aftab
• Jimmy Allen - Dante's Pick
• Baby Keem 
• FINNEAS
• Glass Animals
• Japanese Breakfast
• The Kid LAROI
• Arlo Parks
• Olivia Rodrigo -  Colin's Pick
• Saweetie

Best Pop Solo Performance

• "Anyone" - Justin Bieber
• "Right On Time" - Brandi Carlile
• "Happier Than Ever" - Billie Eilish
• "Positions" - Ariana Grande
• "drivers license" - Olivia Rodrigo - Dante's Pick

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

• "I Get A Kick Out Of You" - Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga - Dante's Pick
•  "Lonely" - Justin Bieber and Benny Blanco
•  "Butter" - BTS
•  "Higher Power" - Coldplay
•  "Kiss Me More" - Doja Cat featuring SZA

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

• "Love For Sale" - Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga. - Dante's Pick
•  "Til We Meet Again (Live)" - Norah Jones
•  "A Tori Kelly Christmas" - Tori Kelly
•  "Ledisi Sings Nina" - Ledisi
•  "That's Life" - Willie Nelson
•  "A Holly Dolly Christmas" -Dolly Parton

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

• "Hero" - Afrojack & David Guetta, Kuk Harrell & Stargate, producers; Elio Debets, mixer
•  "Loom" - Ólafur Arnalds Featuring Bonobo, Simon Green, producers; Ólafur Arnalds, mixer
• "Before" - James Blake, Dom Maker, producers; James Blake, mixer
• "Heartbreak" - Bonobo & Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Simon Green & Orlando Higginbottom, producers; Simon Green & Orlando Higginbottom, mixers
• "You Can Do It" - Caribou Dan Snaith, producer; David Wrench, mixer
• "Alive" - Rüfüs Du Sol, Jason Evigan & Rüfüs Du Sol, producers; Cassian Stewart-Kasimba, mixer - Dante's Pick
• "The Business" - Tiësto, Hightower, Julia Karlsson & Tiësto, producers; Tiësto, mixer

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album

• "Subconsciously" - Black Coffee
• "Fallen Embers" - ILLENIUM - Dante's Pick
• "Music Is The Weapon (Reloaded)" - Major Lazer
• "Shockwave" - Marshmello
• "Free Love" - Sylvan Esso
• "Judgement" - Ten City

Best Rock Performance

• "Shot In The Dark" - AC/DC
• "Know You Better (Live From Capitol Studio A)" - Black Pumas - Dante's Pick
• "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Chris Cornell
• "Ohms" - Deftones
• "Making A Fire" - Foo Fighters

Best Rock Song

• "All My Favorite Songs" - Rivers Cuomo, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson & Ilsey Juber, songwriters (Weezer) 
• "The Bandit" - Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon) - Dante's Pick
• "Distance" - Wolfgang Van Halen, songwriter (Mammoth WVH)
• "Find My Way" - Paul McCartney
• "Waiting On A War" Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett & Pat Smear, songwriters (Foo Fighters) -  Colin's Pick

Best Metal Performance

• "Genesis" - Deftones
• "The Alien" - Dream Theater
• "Amazonia" - Gojira
• "Pushing The Tides" - Mastodon
• "The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation And Superstition)" - Rob Zombie

Best Rock Album

• "Power Up" - AC/DC
• "Capitol Cuts - Live From Studio A" - Black Pumas - Dante's Pick
• "No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1" - Chris Cornell
• "Medicine At Midnight" - Foo Fighters
• "McCartney III" - Paul McCartney -  Colin's Pick

Best Alternative Music Album

• "Shore" - Fleet Foxes
• "If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power" - Halsey - Dante's Pick
• "Jubilee" - Japanese Breakfast
• "Collapsed In Sunbeams" - Arlo Parks
• "Daddy's Home" - St. Vincent -  Colin's Pick

Best R&B Performance

• "Lost You" - Snoh Aalegra
• "Peaches" - Justin Bieber Featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon
• "Damage" - H.E.R.
• "Leave The Door Open" - Silk Sonic -  Colin's Pick, Dante's Pick
• "Pick Up Your Feelings" - Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Song

• "Damage" - Anthony Clemons Jr., Jeff Gitelman, H.E.R., Carl McCormick and Tiara Thomas
• "Good Days" - Jacob Collier, Carter Lang, Carlos Munoz, Solána Rowe & Christopher Ruelas, songwriters (SZA)
• "Heartbreak Anniversary" - Giveon Evans, Maneesh, Sevn Thomas and Varren Wade
• "Leave The Door Open"  - Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II and Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic) - Dante's Pick
• "Pick Up Your Feelings" - Denisia "Blu June" Andrews, Audra Mae Butts, Kyle Coleman, Brittany "Chi" Coney, Michael Holmes and Jazmine Sullivan

Best R&B Album

• "Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies" - Snoh Aalegra
• "We Are" - Jon Batiste - Dante's Pick
• "Gold-Diggers Sound" - Leon Bridges
• "Back Of My Mind" - H.E.R.
• "Heaux Tales" - Jazmine Sullivan

Best Rap Performance

• "Family Ties" - Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
• "Up" - Cardi B
• "M Y . L I F E" - J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray - Dante's Pick
• "Way 2 Sexy" - Drake featuring Future & Young Thug
• "Thot S" - Megan Thee Stallion

Best Rap Song

• "Bath Salts" - Shawn Carter, Kasseem Dean, Michael Forno, Nasir Jones & Earl Simmons, songwriters (DMX Featuring Jay-Z & Nas)
• "Best Friend" - Amala Zandelie Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Randall Avery Hammers, Diamonté Harper, Asia Smith, Theron Thomas & Rocco Valdes, songwriters (Saweetie Featuring Doja Cat)
• "Family Ties" - Roshwita Larisha Bacha, Hykeem Carter, Tobias Dekker, Colin Franken, Jasper Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Ronald Latour & Dominik Patrzek, songwriters (Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar)
• "Jail" - Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Brian Hugh Warner, Kanye West & Mark Williams, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Jay-Z) - Dante's Pick
• "m y . l i f e" - Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph & Jermaine Cole, songwriters (J. Cole Featuring 21 Savage & Morray)

Best Rap Album

• "The Off-Season" - J. Cole - Dante's Pick
• "Certified Lover Boy" - Drake
• "King's Disease II" - Nas
• "Call Me If You Get Lost" - Tyler, The Creator -  Colin's Pick
• "Donda" - Kanye West

Best Country Solo Performance

• "Forever After All" - Luke Combs
• "Remember Her Name" - Mickey Guyton
• "All I Do Is Drive" - Jason Isbell
• "camera roll" - Kacey Musgraves
• "You Should Probably Leave" - Chris Stapleton - Dante's Pick

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

• "If I Didn't Love You" - Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood - Dante's Pick
• "Younger Me" - Brothers Osborne
• "Glad You Exist" - Dan + Shay
• "Chasing After You" - Ryan Hurd & Maren Morris
• "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)" - Elle King & Miranda Lambert

Best Country Song

• "Better Than We Found It" - Jessie Jo Dillon, Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins & Laura Veltz, songwriters (Maren Morris)
• "camera roll" - Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
• "Cold" - Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton) - Dante's Pick
• "Country Again" - Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley & Thomas Rhett, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
• "Fancy Like" - Cameron Bartolini, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins & Shane Stevens, songwriters (Walker Hayes)
• "Remember Her Name" - Mickey Guyton, Blake Hubbard, Jarrod Ingram & Parker Welling

Best Traditional R&B Performance

• "I Need You" - Jon Batiste - Dante's Pick
• "Bring It On Home To Me" - BJ The Chicago Kid, PJ Morton & Kenyon Dixon featuring Charlie Bereal
• "Born Again" - Leon Bridges Featuring Robert Glasper
• "Fight For You" - H.E.R.
• "How Much Can A Heart Take" - Lucky Daye Featuring Yebba

Best Comedy Album

• "The Comedy Vaccine" – Lavell Crawford
• "Evolution" – Chelsea Handler
• "Sincerely" – Louis C.K.
• "Thanks for Risking Your Life" – Lewis Black
• "The Greatest Average American" – Nate Bargatze
• "Zero Fs Given" – Kevin Hart - Dante's Pick

You can listen to our "On The Guest List" episode where we discussed our predictions for tonight with White Sox Dave and Kenny Carkeet. 

The ceremony will air on CBS and Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET, with red carpet coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

p.s. - when you're watching this circle jerk fest tonight, keep in mind the Recording Academy canceled Kanye West's performance because they were too afraid of an outburst or any comments he'd make. Pussies.