Topical Tuesday 06.12.16

So what could be more be more topical that the Grammys?

The list of Grammy 2017 nominees were announced this afternoon by last year's Best New Artist winner Meghan Trainor. The pop-singer unveiled the contestants for the marquee categories live on CBS. The field is led by Beyoncé with 9 nominations, followed by similarly huge stars Drake, Rihanna and Kanye West (8 each).

This week’s Topical Tuesday is dedicated to the front runners and Chooniverse’s best bets for the accolade.

Beyoncé - All Night

Leading the way in nominations is Queen Bey, who is the proud owner of 20 Grammys for her solo work and time with girl power group Destiny’s Child. Her album, Lemonade, has scored her 9 nominations, putting her in the lead. While she is facing some serious competition in all her categories she’s likely to walk away with a fair few. She’s looking to take home the gold for Best Album, Best Record, Song of the Year, Best Solo Performance, where she will be going up against Adele.

Adele - Hello

Both Adele and Beyoncé are certified members and veterans of the Grammy hall of fame. Beyoncé has taken home 20 Grammys and is nominated for nine this year while Adele has taken home 10 (in a considerably shorter career) and is nominated here for five—so watching them go head-to-head over three of the most high profile awards, Song, Record, and Album of the Year will be interesting to say the least.

The Chainsmokers- Closer (Featuring Halsey)

Best New Comer is always one to keep your eye. It’s a sneaky little insight into where music is heading in the next few years. Over the last year, The Chainsmokers have picked up a massive following and are definitely one of the front runners in the race to Best New Comer.

Justin Bieber - Love Yourself

At the beginning of 2015, you would have been forgiven for missing Justin Bieber off your party playlist, however, 2015 and 2016 changed the game for the Canadian singer. We saw some unlikely collaborations (Major Lazer and DJ Snake) and solo success which has landed him in a prime spot to claim the Song of the Year.

Sia - Cheap Thrills (featuring Sean Paul)

Sia has been working the circuit a lot longer than she gets credit for. Almost every pop artist touring today has a song written by Sia in their repertoire, including Rihanna, Beyonce and Katy Perry. But now, singing her own songs she is possibly about to win her first Grammy for it. She is a strong contender for the Best Duo alongside Sean Paul. She’s also up for the Best Pop Vocal Album.

David Bowie - Blackstar

Noticeably absent in the major categories was David Bowie for his final album Blackstar,a critical favourite that translated into a commercial success, becoming the Thin White Duke’s first-ever album to hit No.1 on the Billboard 200 this past January. That said, he did manage to snap up nominations for Best Alternative Album, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. While he has been nominated for 12 Grammys he only won once during his lifetime despite almost 50 years as a music legend.