The 2026 Grammys are definitely divisive

Graphic by Dane Hunter

Many Spotify Wrapped reports from 2025, which estimated a listener’s age based on their music taste, pegged people as much older than they actually were. But when looking at the top charting hits last year, you can’t blame us for turning to the classics. Viral TikTok soundbytes seem to have destroyed most artist’s motivations for creating songs with any staying power.

However, the eight nominees in each of the “Big Four” categories for the 2026 Grammys found international influences shining a light in what was overall a controversial year for music.

Record Of The Year

“WILDFLOWER” by Billie Eilish was a powerful song with influence throughout the year, nearly securing its spot as ROTY with almost two billion streams.

Chappell Roan’s “The Subway” was also an emotional ballad, with its notable “she’s got away” lyrics striking up social media trends, but the track didn’t have the lasting impact of Eilish’s.

Bad Bunny’s “DtMF” was an objectively good record from an objectively great album, but I wouldn’t consider it the most standout song from the album itself. However, it is definitely my second choice for this category. The Spanish song amassed over 1.3 billion streams, showing incredible influence across the United States.

One nominee for this category was more upsetting than exciting. While hot songs are often controversial, “Anxiety” by Doechii, which sampled Gotye’s 2011 hit, “Somebody That I Used to Know,” was recognized as a painful listen. The original song held so much depth; its TikTok rework held absolutely none.

I enjoyed Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” at its release, but forgot about it after a month. ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” was a chart-topping earworm, inspiring Fortnite emotes, but had its fair share of critics.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther” was definitely catchy.

“Fah-fah. Fah-fah-fah. Fah-fahhh! Fah.”

But the record’s impact didn’t extend beyond its release the way “WILDFLOWER” did.

Album Of The Year

Bad Bunny set the tone for the year by dropping “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” on Jan. 5, 2025. You’ll still hear multiple songs from the multi-platinum album played at clubs nightly over a year later, and the billions of streams can speak for themselves as to why this should win AOTY.

I don’t mean to minimize the competition. Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX” had a large cultural impact following the artist’s famous feud with Drake, becoming even hotter during his Superbowl halftime performance in 2025. “CHROMAKOPIA,” by Tyler, the Creator, also pushed boundaries, with “Sticky” and “Like Him” living in my playlists as regulars for years to come, but neither album came close to the lasting presence of Bad Bunny’s.

“Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter had its viral moments, but held more experimental and shock value than production quality, as we reported at its release. Lady Gaga is an icon, but the hits off “MAYHEM” definitely will not replace those she’s most known for.

I genuinely never heard a single song from Justin Bieber’s “SWAG,” Leon Thomas’ “MUTT,” or Clipse, Pusha T & Malice’s “Let God Sort Em Out” played or discussed before writing this review. That’s not meant to disrespect these artists, but their impact didn’t reach me, and I actively listen to their genres. Bad Bunny should secure this award, it’s not even close.

Song Of The Year

There is not a more obvious winner in this category than “Golden,” the breakout song from the Netflix film, “KPop Demon Hunters.” I only saw the June 2025 film the song stems from recently, but it’s catchy, it shows an incredible range of vocal talent and it’s got over a billion streams on Spotify.

I covered “Abracadabra,” “Anxiety,” “APT.,” “Manchild” and “luther” while discussing Record Of The Year and my feedback for each remains the same.

While “WILDFLOWER” and “DTmF” competed with “Golden,” Netflix absolutely cooked their ramen with this one. Give credit where credit is due, it’s their moment (ohhh).

Best New Artist

I might have a bias for the alt-psychedelic-Latin band The Marías, but finding their music this year felt like stumbling upon a classic. Their discography skyrocketed over the past year, earning them a spot as an artist with more than a few viral hits.

Addison Rae and Alex Warren were both TikTok stars in the collective “Hype House” before making their venture into music. While I do not want to discredit their ventures into music, their discography doesn’t fill any new niches in the industry. Lola Young and Olivia Dean are Brits with R&B and soulful influences, and I love these genres, but I wouldn’t say either reached the level of influence necessary to be deemed 2025’s breakout artist.

Leon Thomas and Sombr are talented contenders, but their songs did not have the same viral influence as my second choice for this category, KATSEYE. This group is genuinely full of breakout stars who developed a massive international influence with Kpop inspiration without even releasing a full album. Either group would be a great choice for Best New Artist.

Article originally published on Technician's website, found here.