2022 Grammys Best New Artist preview: Who to look out for BESIDES likely front-runner Olivia Rodrigo
With winners ranging from The Beatles to Adele, the Grammy for Best New Artist is an exclusive honor that every up-and-coming artist wishes to have. While the award has certainly gone to some questionable picks in hindsight (Milli Vanilli, anyone?), it seems like the Grammys are back on track with Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Megan Thee Stallion winning back-to-back-to-back. But will the 2022 winner live up to the expectations placed on them? How will the lineup look without anonymous nomination review committees choosing those WTF picks we’ve gotten in recent years? Let’s dive deeper and consider some of this year’s possibilities.
We can’t speak about this category without addressing the elephant in the room: Olivia Rodrigo is already a pretty safe bet for a win here. The singer-songwriter has had three big hits, two of which have debuted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 (“Drivers License” and “Good 4 U”), not to mention her album “Sour” is already the bestselling female album of the year and broke streaming records on Spotify. Point is, Rodrigo is likely winning.
At the end of the day, though, these are the Grammys, and weird stuff happens every year. Rodrigo’s strongest competition might be the two big country stars of the year: Gabby Barrett and Morgan Wallen, who were eligible last year but weren’t nominated in any categories, so they should be eligible again for consideration. Barrett has had an impressive debut, with her smash hit “I Hope” being one of the biggest country hits of the past decade. She followed it up with the number-one country hit “The Good Ones.”
On paper, Wallen’s case is perhaps stronger, given that his album “Dangerous” is the biggest of the year (so far) after spending 10 weeks at number-one on the Billboard 200, and he has scored multiple top-20 hits on the Hot 100 in the past two years. That said, country has a pretty bad track record in this category, winning only three times: LeAnn Rimes in 1997, Carrie Underwood in 2007, and Zac Brown Band in 2010. And Barrett might additionally have a MAGA problem, while Wallen was recently caught on video using a racial slur, not to mention that his COVID partying cost him an “SNL” appearance last fall. If not them, other country picks that could show up include ACM winner Jimmie Allen, Tenille Arts, and HARDY.
Meanwhile, there are always pop contenders in the conversation. In addition to front-runner Rodrigo, her friend and fellow Taylor Swift fan Conan Gray could get in due to the strength of his hit “Heather” and album “Kid Krow.” Alt-pop group Glass Animals could see their first taste of Grammy success this year, with their song “Heat Waves” becoming a sleeper hit. Tate McRae and Ava Max might get a look this year from the recording academy too, and we can’t count out critically acclaimed pop artists like Clairo, Rina Sawayama, Dominic Fike, and BRIT winner Griff. And while the Grammys aren’t necessarily big fans of K-pop, Blackpink could definitely earn the genre its first general field nom.
R&B and hip-hop also have their fair share of contenders. The biggest could be viral star 24kGoldn, whose song “Mood” with Iann Dior was one of the biggest hits of the last year, spending eight weeks at number-one. There’s also Saweetie, who has had a big year with her Doja Cat collab “Best Friend.” Polo G scored a number-one hit with “Rapstar,” which could translate into a BNA nom. That could also be the case for Lil Tjay on the strength of his hit song “Calling My Phone.” Other contenders could include Pooh Shiesty, Flo Milli, Celeste, Victoria Monét, The Kid Laroi, and Snoh Aalegra.
And many alternative and rock stars are vying for their first noms this year. That includes indie darlings Girl in Red and Arlo Parks; triple-A hit-makers Bakar, Jade Bird, and Julien Baker; and crossover artists like Joji and Beabadoobee. With so many to choose from, hopefully the academy gives us a fresh collection of great breakthrough artists that represent the best this new generation of musicians can offer.
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