GRAMMY SHOWDOWNS

What will the matchup card look like going into music’s biggest night?

Billie vs. Lizzo
After having breakthrough years that propelled them to superstardom, Billie Eilish and Lizzo are expected to go head to head in Best New Artist, Song and Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

The first half of the year belonged to Eilish, whose debut LP exceeded every expectation, as she opened with the second-biggest bow of the year at the time. The teen phenom’s ascension made her a household name, and “bad guy” became her first bona fide smash single. Will an AMAs performance—her first awards-show gig—along with the release of a new single shift the momentum back in Billie’s favor?

Lizzo has been riding a hot hand since summer, as “Truth Hurts” hit #1 at Pop radio and topped the Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks. As “Truth Hurts” begins to fade, recycled single “Good as Hell” is now climbing the charts.

Billie and Lizzo both have enough acclaim and numbers to lead the field in nominations. Will either one sweep? In the Best New Artist category, who is the favorite? And from there, will voters lean toward “bad guy” or “Truth Hurts” in Record and Song?

Beyoncé vs. Taylor
On the other end of the spectrum are proven icons Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. While neither are a lock for SOTY or ROTY, their star power holds plenty of weight, which could lead to nominations in any category they’ve submitted in.

Also, the Secret Nominating Committee and Grammy voters could feel like they have a lot of making up to do with these two icons. In 2017, Beyoncé earned nine nominations but won only two, losing in Album, Record and Song. Swift’s reputation earned just one nomination in 2019, for Best Pop Vocal Album.

Next-gen vs. veteran stars
How will newcomers like Billie, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Lewis Capaldi and Maggie Rogers fare against seasoned stars like Taylor, Beyoncé, Ariana, Lady Gaga, Jonas Brothers and Lana Del Rey? Will the SNC embrace the of-the-moment stars who kickstarted their stardom in 2019, or will they opt for the familiar faces?