SZA could be one of the top nominees at 2024 Grammys thanks to historic success of ‘SOS’
2023 has been the year of SZA. Her sophomore album, “SOS,” debuted in mid-December and has only seen more success in the months since then. It spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and was acclaimed from the get-go, especially for its versatility. That part has been crucial to SZA’s success, as the album easily walks the lines between pop, R&B, hip-hop, and even alternative, making it digestible for most music lovers. So with such a diverse sound, what does this mean for her possible Grammy submissions?
It’s only fair to start from the top. It’s almost certain that SZA will submit the single “Kill Bill” to the general categories. Not only is it her biggest hit, it’s also acclaimed and will surely be her best bet at a nomination and perhaps a win. But there’s likely to be some debate over whether to submit the song to pop or R&B, as it could potentially fit in either. SZA does have options for each genre: she could pick the pop radio top-20 hit “Nobody Gets Me” for Best Pop Solo Performance and enter “Kill” to R&B, or she could submit the streaming hit “Snooze” to R&B and let “Kill” compete in pop. If she wants to maximize nominations, the latter is probably more convenient.
However, “Kill Bill” might have an easier time winning in R&B since it won’t face as many big hits there (judging from what’s been released so far in the eligibility period, which ends September 30). In the pop field she’d be up against songs like Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers” and Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero.” Meanwhile, also on the topic of pop, SZA could possibly submit to Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, either with her Travis Scott collab “Open Arms” or the Phoebe Bridgers-assisted “Ghost in the Machine.”
If SZA opts for “Kill Bill” in pop, then she has a couple of options for R&B. “Shirt” was a big hit, so she could save that for Best R&B Performance and try submitting “Snooze” to Best Traditional R&B Performance. Alternately, “Gone Girl” could be a Traditional contender, in which case “Snooze” could be submitted to R&B Performance. For Best R&B Song, SZA’s team could opt for either of those, though “Gone Girl” would have the advantage of being higher on the ballot since songwriting categories are organized in alphabetical order by song title. As with “Kill Bill,” the album as a whole could be torn between R&B and pop, although a Best Progressive R&B Album submission might be the smartest bet, again due to the relative lack of competition thus far (although SZA is win-competitive wherever she submits).
But what about other genres? “SOS” is so diverse that SZA could try her luck in other places. “Ghost in the Machine” could be slotted in alternative thanks to Phoebe Bridgers, or she could try in that field with the 2000s-esque “F2F.” That song could also be slotted in rock, although alternative voters might be more in tune with SZA’s music than the older crowd that tends to vote in rock. SZA could also try submitting in rap, a genre where she’s been nominated twice before. “Low” sounds like it was made for a Best Melodic Rap Performance nomination, and there’s also “Forgiveless” and even “Blind.” Besides those, you can expect SZA to submit to Best Music Video, likely “Kill Bill” since most artists just go with their biggest hit of the season.
SZA’s wide-ranging sounds could make her one of the biggest nominees at the 2024 Grammys. While she might not get all the nominations she submits for, it wouldn’t be a shocker if voters want to honor her as much as they can, especially if they know how much history she’s making for women in R&B right now. Let’s just hope the Grammys don’t shut her out again like they did with her debut album “Ctrl.”
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