This is an opinion article piece. Katie Webber is a junior at Mendham who writes for Arts and Entertainment. All opinions expressed in the following editorial are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Patriot. 

With the upcoming Grammy Awards, there is a lot of talk as to who is going to be nominated for album of the year. Despite the fact that quarantine may not have been the most ideal situation, it gave everyone a chance to listen and enjoy all the new music released within the past year. Although they have not released the nominations for album of the year, there are some that should earn a guaranteed spot. 

‘Folklore’ by Taylor Swift 

‘Folklore’, despite only being released in late July 2020 she has managed to already be on the watch for a Grammy nomination. One of the reasons that Folklore caught the public eye is because it is nothing like Taylor’s previously released albums. Taylor may have been seen as a pop artist before, but after ‘Folklore’ she has everyone rethinking. Although she may have released some songs within the same genre, ‘Folklore’ takes Swifts to range to an all-new level. After previously releasing a heavy pop album ‘Lover’ in 2019, the sudden change of genres caught everyone by surprise. Despite only announcing the release a few hours before it dropped, Taylor Swift still managed to debut number one. According to Gold Derby, ‘Folklore’ is the highest-ranked of her 8 studio albums. Within this album, Taylor took her songwriting skills to another standard. With most of the production taking place in the first couple of months of the pandemic, most of the songs were inspired in isolation. When looking at Taylors other successful albums such as ‘Red’ and ‘1989’ it is obvious that Taylor is an amazing songwriter, but this level of talent was not expected by fans but highly enjoyed. The almost Lana Del Ray sounding songs are a whole new spectrum for Taylor. Tracks such as ‘Cardigan’ and ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ prove that Taylor has the range to write and sing anything. Although ‘Folklore’ is recently released it is safe to make the statement that it will earn a spot on the Album of the Year nominations list.  

‘Fine Line’ by Harry Styles

The album ‘Fine Line’ is one of the best albums to be released within the past year. Being released in late December of 2019, it has had a lot of time to gain popularity. Despite only being his second solo album, the buzz from one direction has definitely carried over into his solo career. ‘Fine Line’ was Harry Styles’s second number one debut album. This is a big accomplishment, considering he has only released two albums. According to the Billboard hot 100 charts, ‘Watermelon Sugar’, one of the singles from the album has been on the charts for the past 27 weeks and peaked at number 1. ‘Adore you’, another single from the album, has spent 42 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 6. According to  Capital FM, ‘Adore You’ is most likely going to be a candidate for record of the year. Not only does the album have well-known singles, but it is also a journey of raw emotion. The album takes you on a personal journey through Harry’s life of heartbreak and love. Songs such as ‘Falling’ and ‘Cherry’ take you deep into his mind as he captures his sorrow with the beauty of his songwriting skills. While the uplifting and promising melodies in ‘Sunflower, Vol. 6’ remind the listener that not every relationship ends in heartbreak. Throughout Styles’ past two albums he can proudly say that he has been a part of the songwriting process for every song. If Styles were to be nominated this year, it would be his first Grammy nomination as a solo artist. Not only does ‘Fine Line’ deserve a Grammy nomination, but it is also a candidate for the award. 

‘After Hours’ by The Weeknd

The Weeknd’s fourth studio album, ‘After Hours’ has been on the Billboard charts since it was released in March. According to Gold Derby, the album occupied the number one spot during the first three weeks after the release. The Weeknd, being a three-time Grammy winner, is a well-known name in the music industry. The two singles ‘Heartless’ and ‘Blinding Lights’ have had immense success as ‘Blinding Lights’ has been on the top 100 charts for the past 43 consecutive weeks and spent some time occupying the number one spot. Pitchfork describes the album as a blend between dream pop and R&B. The Weeknd goes back to the ways of his, also successful, album ‘House of Balloons’, released in 2011. The two albums have parallels in the music style as well as the combination of dubstep with delicate falsettos. The album from start to finish has absolutely no thumbs down. No matter what genre of music anyone thinks they enjoy, ‘After Hours’ accompanies something for everyone. From fast driving songs like ‘In Your Eyes’ to stare at the ceiling songs like ‘After Hours’ or ‘Snowchild’, it is easily enjoyable. After Hours is an amazing album and deserves the recognition of a Grammy award, which it will most be awarded. 

Although many additional albums are deserving of an album of the year nomination, these three albums are most deserving of the Grammy. ‘Folklore’, ‘Fine Line’ and ‘After Hours’ deserve to be nominated for the 63rd Grammys. These albums are easily the top 3 best albums of the year and are worthy of recognition via a Grammy nomination. Although the three albums are about equal, ‘After Hours’ will most likely win the album of the year.