Ahead of the  Grammy Nominations for this year of music, here is what I believe should have been nominated for the biggest music event of 2025. Every year, people always anticipate the Grammys, whether it be for Song of the Year, Artist of the Year, or my personal favorite: Album of the Year. I’ve been listening to music since I can remember, all thanks to my mom and dad. I grew up with music all around me, so I consider myself an expert in what songs sound good… and what songs aren’t produced too well. I listen to every genre of music, always discovering new artists, and I open myself up to the world of albums, EPs, and artists. I have even experimented with singing and playing instruments (trombone). With all of this knowledge, I consider myself to be a credible source of what albums I believe should’ve been nominated/should’ve won. Let’s get into it!

My top 8 nominations

The nominations for the 2025 Grammys weren’t that bad, and I even agreed with some of them. However, I added a couple albums in which I think would’ve suited the nominees better. My top 8 nominees are:

• Hit Me Hard and Soft – Billie Eilish

1. 1. Brat – Charli XCX
   2. We Don’t Trust You – Metro Boomin and Future

• Eternal Sunshine – Ariana Grande

1. 1. ATE – Stray Kids

• Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana – Bad Bunny

1. Golden – Jung Kook
2. For All the Dogs – Drake

The ones that are bolded are my top 3 on the hardest albums to pick between, and the albums I will be talking about in this article. My top 8 were chosen because of their backstories, production, features, and how they shaped a lot of people. My top 3 were chosen because of how impactful I think the backstories were. Let’s dive deeper into my top 3 nominations, and if you keep reading, you’ll find out what album should’ve been Album of the Year!

‘nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana’, album by Bad Bunny

NSLQVAPM was Bad Bunny’s album that was right after his hit album “Un Verano Sin Ti”. NSLQVAPM was an exceptional album with every song peaking my interest when I first heard it on October 13th, 2023. Every song felt powerful and really fun to listen to, which made me have a deep connection with the album. It also brings back a wave of nostalgia to 2023. 

This album is also amazing in terms of talking back to those who hate him or his music. As the Grammy website states in their article titled “5 Takeaways From Bad Bunny’s New Album ‘Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana’”, the author says: “Lines on “Nadie Sabe” can be translated as “This album isn’t meant to be played a billion times/It’s so that my real fans are happy/Although inside I don’t feel like it 100 percent/It’s so they can cancel me and hate me.””. This really brings out Bad Bunny’s character and how he just wants his fans to have fun listening, not caring about if this album gets him more views or gets him richer. He is also basically saying that he doesn’t care about what others have to say about him, and in his song Monaco, he basically talks about how much fun he’s having and how famous he is, in a way that won’t make someone listening mad. 

To wrap it up, this album deserves more hype, and it deserves Album of the Year because of its diverse genres in every song and how much he experimented with different sounds, such as Techno, Drill, and more. However, we aren’t there yet! Let’s get into the next album nominee.

‘Eternal Sunshine’, album by Ariana Grande

Eternal Sunshine by Ariana Grande was a hit, with people loving “the boy is mine” and “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”, making those songs two Number 1 hits. The album also charted Number 1 on the Billboard 200. Ariana Grande herself has said that this album is a “really vulnerable concept album” (Rolling Stones article titled “Ariana Grande Reaches Even Deeper on ‘Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead’”). This whole album has profound lyrics and amazing production, engaging her fans or casual listeners to feel for the album and have a sense of calm with the beats of the songs. Her voice can also be heard so well in every song, with her vocals always being incredible and soothing. This album was always going to be a hit with people all around the world, and when I heard it, it stayed on my mind for days. Every song was incredibly produced and profounding. Now, let’s get into my final nominee.

‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’, album by Billie Eilish

Hit Me Hard and Soft was an instant hit for Billie Eilish. Eilish has now 3 full albums, all of them charting on Billboard and reaching the hearts of many, even the ones of haters or people who don’t really listen to her music. The production behind HMHAS is incredible, knowing the fact that all her songs are written by Billie Eilish herself and produced/written by her brother Finneas Eilish. Knowing this information, it just makes me love her albums even more, knowing that every song is coming from her heart and soul. 

Billie Eilish has always been one of my personal favorite artists. I’ve been listening to her for around 6-7 years now, and I can say with confidence that her songs have never disappointed me. All being said, I feel that HMHAS was again another very vulnerable album, with tracks like THE GREATEST and SKINNY hitting people the hardest. “THE GREATEST” is very powerful in terms of the vocals, the production, and the lyrics. The track “SKINNY” is powerful for the same reasons as “THE GREATEST”. The opening track “SKINNY” was greatly explained by the Grammy website with the article titled “Billie Eilish Fully Embraces Herself On ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’: 5 Takeaways From The New Album”, saying “HIT ME’s album opener, “SKINNY,” mimics the self-reflection of Happier Than Ever’s “Getting Older” opener, where she painfully sings about Hollywood’s body image standards. “People say I look happy just because I got skinny/ But the old me is still me and maybe the real me/ And I think she’s pretty,” she muses.”. This touched deeply to many who struggle with body image, such as herself who had to go through many people online making fun of her image when she was “fat”. 

Now, let’s get into what album I think deserves Album of the Year.

So, who wins?

With all these albums being incredible in production, quality, vocals, and messages in the lyrics, I have chosen my final winner, which should’ve won the 2025 Grammys Album of the Year. ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ is the album winner in my book. This album was outstanding and incredibly heart-breaking at times. While I did choose HMHAS, I still think my top 8 nominations were all deserving of being Album of the Year. My 8 nominations all had their backstories and amazing production. While many may not agree that ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ should’ve won AOTY, I think that my thinking and review of the album is understandable because of how hard it must’ve been to write these lyrics. Congratulations to HMHAS for winning in my eyes!