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Added 2025-07-31 16:18:28 +0000 UTCChapter 301: A Beat Too Late
First, One Day King swept seven Grammy nominations, leading the pack and raising eyebrows everywhere. “Wait, where did this band even come from?” people asked in confusion. But after digging deeper, they realized just how much praise Seven, their album, had received from professional critics.
Without those Grammy nominations, Seven might have ended up like Ten Free Summers—a critical darling that the mainstream completely overlooked. Another example of this was Channel Orange, the debut album by emerging soul artist Frank Ocean, which also received an impressive average score of 93 from critics.
Frank Ocean had already made his way into the public eye the year before. His mixtape had garnered recommendations from heavyweights like Beyoncé and Kanye West, paving the way for his debut album Channel Orange to gain traction. The album sold 110,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
In comparison, One Day King’s impact was on another level entirely. Yet the North American music market is notoriously complex and competitive. Even with its strong sales and backing from top-tier stars, Channel Orange failed to make a splash on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. That meant, to the general public, Frank Ocean was still largely invisible, and the brilliance of his album remained underappreciated.
Thankfully, the Grammys have a knack for spotting hidden gems. They awarded Channel Orange six nominations, putting it right behind Seven. That’s when people started to recognize another critically acclaimed album they had missed.
However, don't assume that a score of 90+ from critics is easy to achieve. In all of 2012, only five albums received such high praise according to Metacritic. In contrast, 136 albums scored between 80 and 89, highlighting the steep gap between excellent and extraordinary.
For reference, Taylor Swift’s new album Red, released in October, scored 77—matching the score of her previous release and marking the highest of her career. This again proves that it's rare for an album to truly bridge the gap between mainstream appeal and critical acclaim.
Now, let’s shift our focus back to One Day King.
Seven seemed to come out of nowhere, suddenly dominating with seven Grammy nominations and causing a stir among the general public. As people prepared to complain and criticize, the album’s high critical scores quickly silenced the backlash.
The problem wasn’t that Seven wasn’t good enough—it’s just that people hadn’t discovered it yet.
With nominations for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, One Day King was dominating the major categories. On top of that, they snagged nods for Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album, launching them to the peak of their career—unexpectedly and unprepared.
What’s even more intriguing is that the nominations weren’t for their widely popular track Chasing the Light, but for the more recently spotlighted My Demon. That song alone accounted for four nominations: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rock Performance, and Best Rock Song.
Was this a fluke? Or a sign of true talent?
Could it be that Atlantic Records had inside info and decided to release My Demon as the second single, even if it meant disrupting Chasing the Light’s promotion? Or was it all just coincidence?
At this point, it doesn’t really matter—because My Demon is already in the spotlight.
Looking further down the list of Grammy nominations, six other artists also earned six nominations, heating up the competition: The Black Keys, Jay-Z, Mumford & Sons, Frank Ocean, Kanye West, and fun.
Among them, The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, and fun. are all considered rock acts (though fun. was categorized under pop at the Grammys), Jay-Z and Kanye West represent rap, and Frank Ocean brings soul to the mix. This diversity reflects the broader direction of today’s music scene.
Of course, pop music still reigns supreme in the mainstream. Stars like Adele, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Maroon 5 continue to dominate. But the Grammys seem to be striving for more balance between commercial success and artistic value.
This year’s nominees also reflect a noticeable trend toward youth. While veterans like Jay-Z and Kanye West are long-established icons, the rest—aside from the decade-old Black Keys—are relatively new.
Mumford & Sons and fun. both released their debut albums in 2009. Frank Ocean and One Day King only debuted this year.
Setting aside the years they spent struggling in obscurity before their official debuts, these are fresh faces for the general public. Even counting their earlier underground days, they still make up one of the youngest nominee groups since the turn of the millennium.
You can see this most clearly in the nominations for the “Big Four” Grammy categories.
So, what exactly are the “Big Four”?
The Grammys have about 80 different award categories, but due to time constraints, only around 20% of them are presented during the live broadcast. The rest are awarded off-air.
Among the few awards featured on the live stage, the four most prestigious are:
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
Song of the Year
Best New Artist
Each of these is a major honor. Winning even one is a remarkable achievement. To date, the only artist who’s come close to sweeping all four in a single night is Norah Jones.
At the 45th Grammy Awards ten years ago, Norah Jones took home six trophies for her debut album Come Away With Me, including all four major categories. However, the Song of the Year award actually went to Jesse Harris, who wrote her hit Don’t Know Why. That award is given to the songwriter, not the performer.
Even so, Norah Jones remains the closest anyone has come to a clean sweep of the Big Four in Grammy history.
Chapter 302: A Newcomer Appears
Among the four major Grammy general categories, “Best New Artist” honors emerging singers, while “Album of the Year” recognizes an entire body of work. However, “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year” can be a bit more confusing.
“Song of the Year” is awarded to the songwriters. So when you look at the nominations, you’ll see the names of the lyricists and composers, not the performer—though the original singer is often mentioned in parentheses.
“Record of the Year,” on the other hand, celebrates the entire production team behind the song. That includes producers, engineers, mixers, and other technical staff—along with the original singer, who often takes the stage to accept the award on behalf of the whole team.
About ten years ago, Norah Jones made history by sweeping all four major categories. Interestingly, the Song of the Year was awarded to the writers of “Don’t Know Why,” a song Norah didn’t write herself, which sparked some controversy. Still, her win was historic.
Then, eight years later in February 2020 at the 62nd Grammys, history was rewritten. At just nineteen, Billie Eilish swept the big four with her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?—winning Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, bringing home five trophies in total.
In Billie’s case, the winning song “Bad Guy” was co-written with her brother Finneas O’Connell, making her victory even more definitive and undisputed.
Yet, despite their similarities, what Norah and Billie achieved remains rare and unique. In the long history of the Grammys, such sweeps are virtually unprecedented.
Technically, no one of the four general awards is ranked higher than the others—they all represent the highest honors in the industry. But if we were to split hairs, Record of the Year is often considered the crown jewel, similar to Best Picture at the Oscars, since it recognizes the entire creative and technical effort.
That’s why the nominations for these four categories carry symbolic weight. They reflect not only current trends in the music industry, but also forecast future directions and show where critical acclaim and industry support are shifting.
It’s simple: if a rock album wins Album of the Year, it could spark renewed interest in rock, encourage record labels to invest more in the genre, and lead to a wave of new releases and rising talent.
Just last year, Adele’s Grammy success opened doors for many young female singer-songwriters. Even Taylor Swift transitioned from country to pop. As the most influential awards show in the industry, the Grammys’ nominations and winners deeply impact the direction of the music business.
This year, once again, the Grammy general categories are spotlighting youth.
Starting with Best New Artist, the nominees are:
Alabama Shakes
fun.
The Lumineers
One Day Kings (一日国王)
Frank Ocean
Alabama Shakes represent blues rock; fun. is known for pop rock; The Lumineers specialize in folk rock; One Day Kings leans toward electronic and grunge rock. Only Frank Ocean stands out with his soulful style—truly a “rose among thorns.”
Even Alabama Shakes, who formed in 2009 and released their debut album in 2011, belong to this youthful group. The five nominated acts have an average age of just 25, and all of them endured at least five years in obscurity before finally breaking through in 2012 and landing Grammy nominations.
Interestingly, both fun. and The Lumineers gained exposure through hit TV shows featuring their songs. The other three acts built grassroots fanbases through relentless touring before catching the attention of music critics and, eventually, the Grammys.
Alabama Shakes performed on Saturday Night Live, while One Day Kings appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!—television exposure clearly played a key role for many nominees. When you include fun. and The Lumineers in the mix, it’s clear just how closely TV and the music industry are now connected.
Next up: Album of the Year. Nominees:
El Camino by The Black Keys
Babel by Mumford & Sons
Some Nights by fun.
Channel Orange by Frank Ocean
Seven by One Day Kings
While the Black Keys’ members are in their thirties, the rest of the bands—especially Mumford & Sons—mostly consist of musicians born around 1987–1988. Once again, the average age of nominees hovers around 25, confirming the youth-dominated trend.
Now for Song of the Year:
“The A-Team” — Written by Ed Sheeran
“Call Me Maybe” — Written by Josh Rae Gibson, et al. (performed by Carly Rae Jepsen)
“Stronger” — Written by David Gamson, Greg Kurstin, et al. (performed by Kelly Clarkson)
“We Are Young” — Written by Nate Ruess, Jeff Bhasker, et al. (performed by fun.)
“My Demons” — Written by Ronan Cooper, Ollie Knopf, et al. (performed by One Day Kings)
The eldest among them is Kelly Clarkson, the original American Idol winner, who is only thirty and has been in the industry for eight years. The rest average around 25 years old, showing a clear continuation of this year’s trend.
Notably, except for Clarkson’s entry, all the other songs were written by the performers themselves—another sign that the Grammys are embracing the rise of singer-songwriters, something the Academy has consistently encouraged.
Finally, Record of the Year:
“Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye
“Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys
“Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson
“We Are Young” by fun.
“Thinking About You” by Frank Ocean
“My Demons” by One Day Kings
Yes, six nominees. Usually there are only five, and the Grammys are known for sticking to tradition. But this year, they made an exception, citing special circumstances after careful consideration—though they insisted that the quality bar remains just as high.
Still, many media outlets weren’t entirely satisfied with that explanation and continued to challenge the decision.
303. Overwhelmed with Emotion
Although the Grammys claimed that the decision to make an exception by adding a sixth nominee was not a compromise but rather a sign of the overall high quality of this year’s music—and that it should be seen as something to celebrate—their explanation felt more like self-consolation. It didn’t manage to convince anyone.
Major media outlets didn’t let the Grammys off the hook. While they acknowledged that all six nominated works were outstanding and deserving, they argued that this wasn’t a valid reason to break the rules. After all, if rules can be bent like this, then what’s the difference between the Grammys and the entertainment-driven Golden Globes?
Yes, the selection process is tough. Yes, competition is fierce. But five nomination slots mean five slots. There will always be winners and losers, joy and regret. The essence of an awards show is to find the best among the best. So if the Record of the Year category can have an extra nominee, does that mean other categories should follow suit too? If not, it’s unfair to all the other great works that barely missed the cut.
Besides, whether there are five or six nominees, there’s still only one winner. So what’s the point of adding another slot? Just to acknowledge one more good piece of work? Then why don’t other categories get a sixth nominee too?
It’s absurd. Ridiculous. Outrageous.
Or... could it be that the Grammys are gearing up for a “double win” this year?
That would be a total disaster—completely undermining the Grammys’ authority and reputation.
The media went all in, showing no mercy as they lambasted the Grammys from every angle. But from another perspective, this firestorm of criticism also proves something important: the public is paying attention. The Grammy nominations have sparked widespread discussion, which is a huge win for the show, especially as its influence has been waning in recent years.
Regardless, the Record of the Year category ended up with six nominees, and even with the extra slot, the quality of the nominees remained high. The nominations also continued this year’s trend toward younger talent.
While Gotye, The Black Keys, and Kelly Clarkson are all over thirty, which slightly raised the average age, Gotye—like One Day King, fun., and Frank Ocean—only broke out in the last two years. So rather than looking at age, it’s better to look at experience. The most seasoned act, The Black Keys, have been in the business for just ten years. Add Kelly Clarkson’s eight-year career, and it’s no wonder people are calling this the youngest Grammys since the turn of the millennium.
Following Adele’s explosive success last year, this marks the second year in a row that the Grammys have focused on fresh talent—an effort to highlight a new generation of artists. After all, they’re the future. If the Grammys remain stuck in the past, they’ll quickly become irrelevant.
Some say the Grammys’ renewed focus on newcomers is also a response to the rapidly changing global music market. Physical albums are under immense pressure, and the way people listen to music is evolving fast. That’s why, some argue, the Grammys should help younger listeners experience the charm of traditional music instead of just going with the flow. Following the trends blindly, they say, is a mistake.
There’s no shortage of controversy. But standing at a crossroads, everyone must make a choice—Grammys, Oscars, Golden Globes included. Whether the choice is right or wrong, or what results it brings, only time will tell.
But the Grammys have made their choice. The die is cast. And now, the storm begins.
The Los Angeles Times gave the Grammy nominations front-page treatment in its entertainment section. At the heart of this youth-driven whirlwind stood One Day King, who seemed to have leapt from nowhere into the spotlight—like a monkey bursting out of a rock. Overnight, they became the focus of every media outlet. A wave of hype was crashing in.
The spotlight blazed to life.
As they stared at the Los Angeles Times—their hometown paper, the one they’d always dreamed of seeing their names in—they were overcome with emotion. Time and again, they had imagined their names printed in bold black letters, symbols of all their hopes and dreams. But they never expected this. Not in this way.
A jaw-dropping, mind-blowing way.
As their eyes landed on the article, their minds went blank. One second. Two. Three. Then, like a Big Bang, emotion exploded.
“AHHH!”
Maxim let out a scream—but then his voice caught in his throat. Instead, he began bouncing up and down like a rabbit, expressing himself with his whole body. After a few excited hops, he finally found his voice again.
“AHHHHHHHHHH!”
This time, the scream rang out in full, as he turned to his bandmates, eyes wide in disbelief. “Best New Artist! We’re nominated for Best New Artist!”
His voice cracked and twisted—it didn’t even sound like him anymore. And although they’d only received a nomination, not the actual award, the emotion in Maxim’s broken words was crystal clear: he was completely overwhelmed.
Best New Artist—the one-time chance in a lifetime. One Day King had actually made it to the final cut.
Maxim was bursting with energy but couldn’t fully express his excitement. So he grabbed the nearest person—poor Cliff—and started shaking him like mad, yelling the same phrase over and over:
“Best New Artist! Best New Artist! Best New Artist! AHHHHHHHHHH!”
His voice began to tremble. He tried to hold it in, but the emotional floodgates had burst open. There was no stopping it. His eyes grew misty, and he shouted louder and harder, as if trying to hide his feelings behind the noise.
Cliff, meanwhile, looked like a ragdoll being violently shaken—more intense than any amusement park ride. He fought the urge to throw up, and his own joy and excitement were shoved aside just to survive Maxim’s grip.
Even though Maxim wasn’t as muscular as Ollie, he still had no trouble overpowering Cliff. The strength gap was just too wide. With no way to fight back, Cliff could only go along for the ride. Caught in a storm of chaos and happiness, he was helpless but also… strangely content.
