Why Boygenius (‘The Record’) could be dark horse Grammy contenders for Album of the Year

Jaime Rodriguez
Updated ·5 min read
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If you’re an avid music fan, by now you might have heard of Boygenius, the supergroup trio made up of acclaimed indie singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers. The group, both as a trio and as soloists, have enjoyed critical acclaim, now more than ever with the release of their official, debut full-length album, “The Record.” It scored a 90 on Metacritic, indicating widespread critical acclaim. As such, it is one of the best reviewed albums of the year so far. So many are already touting the band to get some Grammy love in the alternative field. But what if they cross over to the big leagues?

SEEGrammy for Best Alternative Album: Lana Del Rey, Boygenius and Caroline Polachek look like early favorites

“The Record” has a few advantages. First and foremost, this year has been rather weak so far, with truly only Taylor Swift, SZA, and Miley Cyrus as strong bets for nominations in the general field (and Cyrus could miss Album of the Year since “Endless Summer Vacation” has faded a bit). So there could be space for albums with passion and widespread acclaim to sneak in. They’ve also achieved commercial success, as “The Record” proved to do well for an alternative album, opening at number-four on the Billboard 200 and number-one on the UK Charts.

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Critically acclaimed, decent-selling albums have made Album of the Year many times in the past: think of Bon Iver’s “I, I,” Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer,” and Sturgill Simpson’s “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” among others. One could argue that these kinds of nominees are less likely since the Grammys got rid of nomination review committees, but the past two years have been crowded with big Grammy favorites. Based on Boygenius’s competition that’s been released so far, they surely have a shot based on their acclaim. And it doesn’t hurt that they’ll be high on the alphabetical ballot too.

SEEEven Taylor Swift is raving about Boygenius’s ‘The Record,’ calling it a ‘masterpiece’

Something else that could help the band is their indie cred. Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker have been buzzing for a while in the indie-sphere, and many might think they’re overdue some nominations at this point. As for Phoebe Bridgers, who is a four-time Grammy nominee due to the success of her sophomore album “Punisher,” the industry could still truly be head over heels for her, which could lead to voters pushing them for top nominations. Even stars like Taylor Swift have shown public support for the album and love for the three women.

Additionally, there’s a chance that Bridgers’s “Punisher” wasn’t far off of an Album of the Year nomination back in 2020, and here’s why I think so. HAIM’s “Women in Music Pt. III” got into Album of the Year, meaning it had to have made the top 20 longlist from which the nominations review committee selected the final eight nominees. “Women in Music,” however, missed a nomination for Best Alternative Album, a category that’s never been filtered by a panel, so it’s likely that the five albums that got nominated there were on the Album of the Year longlist as well.

SEEBoygenius ‘The Record’ reviews: New album shows they’re ‘among the greatest American supergroups’

“Punisher” was one of those five Alternative Album nominees, alongside Beck’s “Hyperspace,” Fiona Apple’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” Tame Impala’s “The Slow Rush,” and Brittany Howard’s “Jaime.” While “Punisher” perhaps wouldn’t have made the final eight nominees for Album of the Year even without a panel, the fact that it was likely bubbling under in such a competitive year could mean that in a weaker year Bridgers’s fans in the recording academy can actually get her the nomination, especially with her being alongside two other acclaimed names this time around.

Whether Boygenius gets some general field love is going to depend on how the eligibility period finishes up with new releases. That said, it’s definitely smart to keep an eye on the group, especially since so many huge names like Harry Styles, Adele, and Beyoncé already dropped new albums last season and might not be coming back again so soon. Empty-ish field, major acclaim, decent sales, and a lot of possible industry love for the artists involved could mean that this is the year we see some alternative back in the mix after the genre’s drought in the Album of the Year category for the past two years. And don’t forget, the Grammys also really do love supergroups as much as we all do.

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