Player - Baby Come Back

Barbra Streisand - Don't Lie to Me (Official Video)

I hope Grammy takes notice.  I could see nods for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Pop Solo Vocal Performance and Short Form Video cats.  This is EXCEPTIONAL!!! And VERY timely. Brava!

JOHN LEGEND - Love Me Now (Acoustic Cover) by Evan Taylor Jones

FUNKY CHICK - Model: Anya - Original Makeup and Styling by Diva Kingsley - Photography by Cassone

Remedy | Adele Cover

GRAMMY WATCH – Pop Music Categories: My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions in the Pop music categories for The 58^th Annual Grammy Awards.

Best Pop Solo Performance
• Heartbeat Song
      Kelly Clarkson
      Track from: Piece By Piece
      [RCA Records/19 Recordings Limited]

• Love Me Like You Do
     Ellie Goulding
      Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
      [Republic]

• Thinking Out Loud
      Ed Sheeran
      Track from: X
      [Atlantic]

• Blank Space
      Taylor Swift
      Track from: 1989
      [Big Machine Records]

• Can't Feel My Face
      The Weeknd
      Track from: Beauty Behind The Madness
      [Republic]

My Pick: CAN’T FEEL MY FACE

My Prediction: THINKING OUT LOUD

~

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
• Ship To Wreck
      Florence + The Machine
      Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
      [Republic]

• Sugar
      Maroon 5
      Track from: V
      [222 Records/Interscope]

• Uptown Funk
      Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
      Track from: Uptown Special
      [RCA Records]

• Bad Blood
      Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
      [Big Machine Records]

• See You Again
      Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth
      Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
      [Atlantic]

My Pick and Prediction: UPTOWN FUNK – Tough and tight category though.

~

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
• The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern
      Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap
      [RPM Records/Columbia Records]

• Shadows In The Night
      Bob Dylan
      [Columbia]

• Stages
     Josh Groban
      [Reprise]

• No One Ever Tells You
     Seth MacFarlane
      [Republic]

• My Dream Duets
      Barry Manilow (& Various Artists)
      [Verve Music Group]

My Pick: NO ONE EVER TELLS YOU – Seth MacFarlane delivers the goods here and I hope he wins, but it is very competitive.

My Prediction: THE SILVER LINING: THE SONGS OF JEROME KERN – though Manilow could pull it off (duets means everybody on that album will probably throw support his way).

~

Best Pop Vocal Album
• Piece By Piece
      Kelly Clarkson
      [19/RCA]

• How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
      Florence + The Machine
      [Republic]

• Uptown Special
      Mark Ronson
      [RCA Records]

• 1989
      Taylor Swift
      [Big Machine Records]

• Before This World
      James Taylor
      [Concord Records]

My Pick and Prediction: 1989 – Swift should have no problem getting the win here, but don’t count out James Taylor.

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

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GRAMMY Watch - Pop Music Categories - Picks & Predictions

As I wind up my Grammy Award preview, I do so while nursing a bad bug. I had planned to post real time tomorrow evening both here and on Twitter, but in lieu of me fighting whatever bug is currently going around, I have decided to rest up tomorrow. I guess, for what it is worth, it is a bit better than my coverage last year - where I waited till the last minute to post my predictions then caught one helluva flu bug and couldn't even finish my picks & predictions. I didn't even watch any of the telecast, I was so bad off. And anyone who knows me, knows, that was a first time ever life experience. I normally make it a point to catch all of the major show business awards shows. To miss an Grammy Award telecast is unheard of! Well, it happened. My best case scenario will be to rest up as much as I can tonight and tomorrow, nurse this bug, watch the Awards telecast, go back to sleep and wake up Monday and carry my fat behind on into the office. Not an exciting plan, but a plan nonetheless.

It is what it is. It is what I can do.

That being said, I still have some picks and predicting to do.

Best Pop Female Vocal Performance

Did they REALLY have to nominate a live performance of Halo by Be-YAWN-say? Seriously. I already told you I was under the weather. Are they trying to kill me already? Norah Jones has already been over rewarded as well. I wouldn't mind seeing Sara Bereilles pull an upset, but I am betting that won't happen. It is definitely between Gaga and Perry, at least - it should be.

My Pick: BAD ROMANCE - Lady Gaga (Track from: The Fame Monster)

[Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope]

My Prediction: TEENAGE DREAM - Katy Perry (Track from: Teenage Dream) [Capitol Records]

Best Pop Male Vocal Performance

Though he doesn't deserve it, Michael Jackson will receive the first of many (to come over the next several years) posthumous Grammy Awards this year. And it is a shame, because actually his This Is It is the weakest of the five nominees. I actually hope he loses here, but I know better. Don't mean to sound cold and heartless, but that was just about how I felt about his delivery in this wretched song.

My Pick: JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - Bruno Mars [Elektra]

My Prediction: THIS IS IT - Michael Jackson [Epic]

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

The Glee cast is nominated? Really? WTF? Are you effing kidding me?

My pick: BABYFATHER - Sade (Track from: Soldier Of Love) [Epic]

My Prediction: HEY, SOUL SISTER (LIVE) - Train (Columbia)

I also wouldn't mind Maroon 5 winning here.

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

I almost kinda want California Gurls by Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg to win, only because poor ol' Snoop has never gotten Grammy gold. Always the nominee, never a winner. Poor fella. And I would pick Telephone, but that would mean Be-YAWN-say would have another undeserved Grammy Award. Love Lady Gaga, but that is where I draw the line.

My Pick: IMAGINE - Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff

Beck & Oumou Sangare (Track from: The Imagine Project) [Hancock Records]

My Prediction: AIRPLANES, PART II - B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams (Track from: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray) [Rebel Rock/Grand Hustle/Atlantic]

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

My Pick: NESSUN DORMA - Jeff Beck (Track from: Emotion & Commotion) [Rhino]

My Prediction: SLEEPWALK - The Brian Setzer Orchestra (Track from: Don't Mess With A Big Band) [Surfdog Records]

Best Pop Instrumental Album

My Pick & Prediciton: EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING: THE MUSIC OF DONNY

HATHAWAY - Kirk Whalum [Rendezvous Music/Mack Avenue]

Best Pop Vocal Album

I kinda want Susan Boyle to win here, even over Gaga. Tough competition. Anyone, but Bieber will do - and I truly think Perry has the edge. Her album screams Pop music of today. I think she will prevail.

My Pick: I DREAMED A DREAM - Susan Boyle [Sony/SYCO Music/Columbia Records]

My Prediction: TEENAGE DREAM - Katy Perry [Capitol Records]

GRAMMY WATCH - Dance and Traditional Pop Music Categories - Picks & Predictions

While I may be gaga over Lady GaGa, I wonder about how the Academy may feel about her. Seeing as the jury is still out as to why Bad Romance wasn't a Record or Song of the Year nominee - it is tough to call her as the winner in the wee dance cat. That being said, I am hopeful. As for Traditional Pop - Michael Buble seems to be the popular choice, I am always a fan of Barbra Striesand - and, hey, Johnny Mathis has never even won a Grammy Award, although he is in the Recording Academy's prestigious Hall of Fame - I think he is way overdue, as he still sounds as smooth as silk. We shall see, if Grammy does the right thing here.

Don't bet on it though.

Best Dance Recording

My Pick: DANCE IN THE DARK - Lady Gaga; Fernando Garibay & Lady Gaga, producers; Robert Orton, mixer (Track from: The Fame Monster) [Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope]

My Prediction: ONLY GIRL (IN THE WORLD) - Rihanna [Island Def Jam]

And don't count out LaRoux - they are the only ones in this category nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album - so they may pull an upset...BUT, I think Rihanna's ties with R&B, Rap & Pop voting members will pull her through over La GaGa.

Best Electronic/Dance Album

My Pick & Prediction: FURTHER - [Astralwerks] - The Chemical Brothers

Chemical Brothers is well known and beloved in this category. However, and again, don't count out LaRoux. People who didn't for them in the previous category may think they are worthy here. And then there is always Groove Armada - just depends how electronic they want to go here.

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

My Pick & Prediction: LET IT BE ME: MATHIS IN NASHVILLE - Johnny Mathis

[Columbia Records]

I really want Mathis to win, so I will predict him...lol, as if that will make it so. Michael Buble, Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart & Barbra Streisand are all here - WOW! What a competition, when you really look at it. Shall be interesting... Part of me still thinks Buble really, but I am putting the positive vibes in the universe to finally give Mr. Mathis his due already.

GRAMMY WATCH - Latin Music Categories - Picks & Predictions

While I personally don't understand, or perhaps do not agree with NARAS continuous inclusion of the Latin music categories for the regular Grammy Awards (since they have a Latin wing to the recording academy now that also present the Latin Grammy Awards), the fact remains these categories still exist. So, here goes with my picks and predictions in these categories. It just seems like the Latin artists get to double dip every year now and I don't understand why they branched off in the first place, other than to pull more money out of it's membership and advertisers to have a separate awards show for this particular wing.

Best Latin Pop Album

My Pick & Prediction:

PARAISO EXPRESS - Alejandro Sanz [Warner Music Latina] (pictured)

Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album

My Pick: 1977 - Ana Tijoux [Nacional Redcords]

My Prediction: BULEVAR 2000 - Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich+Fussible

[Nacional Records]

Best Tropical Latin Album

My Pick: VIVA LA TRADICIÓN - Spanish Harlem Orchestra [Concord Picante]

My Prediction: IRREPETIBLE - Gilberto Santa Rosa [Sony Music Latin]

Best Tejano Album

My Pick: COOKIN - Tortilla Factory [Tortilla Records]

My Prediction: RECUERDOS - Little Joe & La Familia [TDI Records]

Best Norteño Album

My Pick: CLASSIC - Intocable [Sony Music Latin]

My Prediction: INDISPENSABLE - Angel Fresnillo [Disa Universal Music]

Best Banda Album

My Pick & Prediction: CON LA FUERZA DEL CORRIDO - El Chapo [Disa Universal]

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 13, 2011 on CBS at 8pm, EST. For complete coverage and full list of nominees, please visit the Grammy website.