The most coveted awards in music are coming up in just a couple of days. That’s right, the Grammy Awards are being broadcast on February 2, with all of the year’s most popular artists being nominated for various honors, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.
But in case you’re a bit unfamiliar with this year’s nominated artists and their hit songs, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered! From Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” to a new track from The Beatles, these are some of the songs you should give a listen before the awards on Sunday night.
“Now and Then” — The Beatles
Nobody ever imagined there would be another Beatles song given that the band split up in 1970, but thanks to a 70s demo recording from John Lennon, enhanced with AI (artificial intelligence) and a reunion of the surviving Beatles, “Now and Then” has been nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance.
“When we were in the studio, we had John’s voice in our ears, so you could imagine he was just in the next room in a vocal booth or something and we were just working with him again, so it was joyful,” Paul McCartney shared of the song’s making. “It was really lovely, you know, because we hadn’t experienced that for a long time obviously and then suddenly here we were working with ol’ Johnny.”
AI assisted in isolating Lennon’s voice from background instruments, as well as adding in George Harrison’s guitar solo from a 1990’s track. “Now and Then” is the first AI-assisted track to be nominated for a Grammy and it’s the Beatles’ first nomination since 1997. The track rose to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained on it for two weeks.
Which artist do you want to learn more about?
“Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter had quite the impressive year, which began with the April 2024 release of “Espresso” ahead of her album, Short n’ Sweet. The track peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart but remained in the top 100 for a whopping 41 weeks.
“Full transparency: I’ve never really been on charts until quite recently, so it’s a newfound, like … I’m interested,” Carpenter said of the success. “It’s not the reason I write music and it’s not the reason I’ll ever write music.” Instead, Carpenter calls the recognition “sprinkles on top of the sundae.”
“TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” – Beyoncé
Beyoncé has been a hitmaker for years, but 2024 was the first time the artist chose to release a country album. While this was a surprise to many, Beyoncé is actually a born Texan. The artist has had much success with her pop and R&B hits and this country album was no different.
“TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” secured the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 chart and held it for two weeks. The song remained on the charts for a total of 20 weeks.
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Billie Eilish
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” was a huge success for Eilish and soared to the No. 2 slot, remaining on the charts for 36 weeks. Eilish has previously won nine Grammys and is nominated for seven more this year, with “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” in three categories.
“Good Luck, Babe!” – Chappell Roan
As a new artist, Chappell Roan certainly made a splash, receiving six Grammy nominations. “Good Luck, Babe!” was a smash hit for Roan, soaring to No. 4 on the charts and staying on them for 41 weeks.
“Fortnight” – Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone
Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, produced this No. 1 track which features Post Malone. “Fortnight” is nominated for three of Swift’s six Grammy nominations this year.
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” scored Shaboozey four of his five Grammy nominations in his first year of being nominated. The track hit No. 1, where it remained for 19 weeks — and on the chart for 41 weeks total.
“Die With A Smile” — Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga teamed up with Bruno Mars for the emotional ballad “Die With A Smile,” which rose to No. 1 for a total of four weeks. The duet remained on the charts for 23 weeks and has been nominated in two categories.
“We had been talking about working together, and we were trying to figure out what we were gonna do,” Lady Gaga recalled. “He called me, and he said, ‘I have this idea’… He had a couple different ideas, but I said, ‘This one is a love song — I think people would love to hear us do a love song.’”
“Please Please Please” — Sabrina Carpenter
If you thought “Espresso” was a hit, you should give Carpenter’s follow-up single, “Please Please Please,” a try. The song came a few months later, just in time for summer, and got everyone excited for the warmer months.
“Please Please Please” soared the charts to No. 1 and remained in the top 100 for a total of 31 weeks. The song blew up on TikTok, which likely contributed to its success. This is the first time Carpenter has been nominated for a Grammy.
