Music to our ears
Melissa Ruggieri has been going to the Grammys for decades.
No, she's not a nominated pop star. She's Paste BN's music journalist, and she'll be attending music's biggest awards show for the 30th time this year (her favorite Grammy moment ever? A giddy Adele entering the press room after winning five awards in 2017). As a veteran member of the Grammy press corps since the 1990s, she is ready to sit alongside reporters this weekend with caffeine and a laptop ready to cover every moment for Paste BN's readers.
👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers (that's you!). This week, we talk with Ruggieri about the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, what she's listening to and the albums that will make 2025 (and here's how to tune in to Sunday night's show!).
But first, here are a few must-read stories from Paste BN:
- Here's why RFK Jr.'s misinformation on antidepressants matters.
- Recent wildfires will have a lasting impact on LA's Latino community.
- Here's how Project 2025 is showing up in President Trump's actions so far.
- Column: Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are living counters to a wave of anti-Blackness.
- Your view matters. At Paste BN, we're creating space for all perspectives. Join the Forum.
Music's biggest night (for Beyoncé)
At this year's Grammy Awards, Paste BN's Melissa Ruggieri will be thinking about one particular artist: Beyoncé.
The Texas native leads the nominations with 11 for her country album, “Cowboy Carter." She's followed by Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone, who all received seven nods. They’re succeeded by three artists who scored six nominations each: Taylor Swift and Grammy newcomers Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.
"I think you can look for Beyoncé having the night everyone's been expecting her to have for several years now," Ruggieri said. "She's got the leading nominations, and this is the year her album could take home the Album of the Year Award. It's the one she's coveted."
This could be the weekend Beyoncé finally achieves the accolade she's desired from the recording academy, an organization that has often overlooked her accomplishments. "Cowboy Carter" has already won the hearts and minds of fans across the country, Ruggieri said. The award is a final step for Beyoncé to solidify a position many Black women haven't reached in the industry.
The year of women in music
If she could describe 2024 in music, Ruggieri would call it "the major year for women." Only a few male artists, including Kendrick Lamar and Jacob Collier, are nominated for major Grammys. Why is that?
"It's a female-centric year and award show," she said, listing Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish as trailblazers who crafted their own sound this year, paving innovative lanes for women in music through their instrumentalism, performativity and songwriting that just weren't captured by their male counterparts.
Both Carpenter and Roan are up for best new artist.
"Sabrina may have the edge awards-wise due to her popular personality, but it's a great opportunity for Chappell to get in front of a broad audience," she said of the performances set for Sunday night.
One male newcomer she's rooting for could be Shaboozy, a pop-country singer who won hearts with his song "A Bar Song (Tipsy)."
"Shaboozy is a really cool story as far as diverse voices," Ruggieri said. "He won people over immediately this year."
And a less current name that could win this year? The Beatles. The iconic British rock group is nominated for record of the year for their tune "Here and Now."
"If the Beatles win, it would complete their big four Grammy wins of best new artists, best song and album of the year, sealing their legacy," Ruggieri said. "But I don't know if I see today's Grammy voter giving the award to The Beatles. Maybe 20 years ago they would have won this category."
New sounds, old artists
Music has certainly changed a lot since the days of "Yellow Submarine." The voters who make up the Recording Academy are younger, more diverse and familiar with an entirely different musical tool kit. Sure, the same musical instruments are available, but so are new digital tools to form sounds for online audiences. These new sounds definitely reference old tunes, Ruggieri said. But listeners ask for different experiences from musicians, from their tours to their digital presence to their merchandise.
An artist demonstrating a new approach to modern expectations was Roan. She has been vocal about protecting herself from fan demands and speaking about how she was coping with newfound fame.
"I love 'Good Luck, Babe' and 'Hot to Go'," Ruggieri said. "I grew up in the 1980s and have an affinity for that sound, that tinge. It reminds me of 'Mickey' by Toni Basil. I love that she's challenged norms and been so open about her mental health."
In 2025, Ruggieri will be paying attention to new songs from Taylor Swift, of course, but she's also got her ear out for musical experiments by Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus. AC/DC is headed out on an exciting tour, and she's not discounting the legacy Coldplay has crafted in their epic multi-year tour schedule. Follow her work for Paste BN here as she tracks the charts and the best new sounds of 2025.
"I don't care if it's a veteran artist or a newcomer ‒ there's always something to anticipate."
Read more music coverage from Paste BN:
- Here's a quick history of the prestigious music award.
- See the full list of every Grammy record of the year winner since 1959.
- What's the difference between album and record of the year?
- Taylor Swift has six nominations and is a confirmed presenter!
- Teddy Swims tells Paste BN he "hit some gold" with a Grammy nomination.
- These are the most shocking moments in Grammy awards history.
- Don't try to categorize Khruangbin, just absorb the Grammy-nominated trio's music.
Thank you
I'm going to go listen to all the nominees in preparation for the Grammys! Thank you for supporting our journalism with your subscription. Our work wouldn't be possible without you.
Best wishes,
Nicole Fallert