Pop
Best Female Pop Vocal
- Mariah Carey - "It's Like That"
- Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
- Sheryl Crow - "Good is Good"
- Bonnie Raitt - "I Will Not Be Broken"
- Gwen Stefani - "Hollaback Girl"
Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow are long-time Grammy favorites, but I believe Kelly Clarkson should and will take this category. Her performance on "Since U Been Gone" is one of the great ones of the decade so far.
Best Male Pop Vocal
- Jack Johnson - "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing"
- Paul McCartney - "Fine Line"
- Seal - "Walk On By"
- Rob Thomas - "Lonely No More"
- Stevie Wonder - "From the Bottom of My Heart"
This is one of the weakest pop categories this year at the Grammys. Neither Paul McCartney nor Stevie Wonder are at their best on these songs. It still seems like Rob Thomas is trying a bit hard to sound like Justin Timberlake on "Lonely No More." There are better performances on his album. I predict an upset with the Grammy going to the good-time guitar-strumming and singing of ex-surf champ Jack Johnson.
Best Pop Duo or Group With Vocal
- The Black Eyed Peas - "Don't Lie"
- The Killers - "Mr. Brightside"
- Los Lonely Boys - "More Than Love"
- Maroon 5 - "This Love"
- The White Stripes - "My Doorbell"
I think the Killers will be difficult to beat in this category, but they will have to overcome the middle-of-the-road appeal of Maroon 5 and strong support of Jack and Meg White as two of the most consistently creative and fascinating figures in pop music.
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
- The Black Eyed Peas & Jack Johson - "Gone Going"
- Foo Fighters featuring Norah Jones - "Virginia Moon"
- Gorillaz featuring De La Soul - "Feel Good, Inc."
- Herbie Hancock featuring Christina Aguilera - "A Song for You"
- Stevie Wonder featuring India.Arie - "A Time to Love"
This is always a bit of an odd category, but those superstar duets do need a place to compete. Herbie Hancock and Norah Jones have already added on new rooms to their houses just to store their Grammys. If Gorillaz are going to win an award this year, this just might be the category. I lean toward seeing Noodle dancing to the podium for "Feel Good, Inc."
Best Pop Instrumental
- Burt Bacharach & Chris Botti - "In Our Time"
- George Duke - "T-Jam"
- Herbie Hancock featuring Trey Anastasio - "Gelo Na Montanha"
- Daniel Lanois - "Agave"
- Les Paul - "Caravan"
Hmmm...does anybody really listen to these nominees? I'll take a stab and give it to Les Paul in recognition of being the man without whom so much of what is being honored would not have been possible.
Best Pop Instrumental Album
- Burt Bacharach - At This Time
- Eric Johnson - Bloom
- Earl Klugh - Naked Guitar
- Daniel Lanois - Belladonna
- Jeff Lorber - Flipside
Here is where it becomes difficult to discern boundaries between pop and jazz. I'll lean in the lifetime achievement direction again here and predict Burt Bacharach will take home another award to add to his 5 previous accolades.
Best Pop Vocal Album
- Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
- Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
- Sheryl Crow - Wildflower
- Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
- Gwen Stefani - Love, Angel, Music, Baby
Without a doubt, I think the most consistently impressive vocal performances in this category belong to Fiona Apple, but I predict the award will go to Gwen Stefani and her 6 (count 'em - 6) hit singles form Love, Angel, Music, Baby. Plus, we all want to see the latest in cutting-edge maternity fashions.
