Album of the year: Who will take home Grammy gold in 2021?

Kristin Barrientos, Staff Writer|October 1, 2020

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The Grammys have expanded the album of year category to once again include eight records. The 63rd Grammy Awards will be held on Jan. 31, 2021.

While this year hasn’t been ideal for concerts, it has given artists a lot of time to produce and release new music. This is perfect timing because Grammy season is among us. Although this iconic award show isn’t until late January 2021, rumors are already swirling about potential nominees. Here are my predictions for album of the year nominees: 

“Fine Line” by Harry Styles

This beautiful man released this phenomenal album on Dec. 19, 2019. It is his second album post-One Direction and his best one yet. He is my number one pick for album of the year. 

“YHLQMLG” by Bad Bunny                                                                         

Bad Bunny released “YHLQMLG” and the world went crazy. If he were to be nominated for album the year as a Latin Artist, it would be a huge success for the Latinx community. This album helped shape Bad Bunny into the outstanding artist he is today. 

“folklore” by Taylor Swift

With 10 Grammy awards under her belt, including two album of the year wins for her albums “Fearless” and “1989,” it would not surprise me if Swift was nominated this year. She released “folklore” on July 24. Swift surprised us with this album, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see her name on the category list.

“Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa surprised everyone with her unique pop album. She has previously won two Grammys, but none for album of the year. “Future Nostalgia” was released March 27 and has been playing in my mind ever since. 

“Chromatica” by Lady Gaga

Gaga is not new to the Grammy scene. With 11 wins and three previous nominations for album of the year, “Chromatica” is a shoo-in for a nomination. This album, the first in a while since her 2018 acting debut in “A Star is Born,” was released May 29.

“Ungodly Hour” by Chloe x Halle

This amazing sister duo has been getting a lot of attention from TikTok users, with the album reaching over 100 million streams on Spotify. With two previous Grammy nominations, the two are expected to be nominated for their album “Ungodly Hour,” which was released June 12.