The pop princesses of the Grammys

Move over Taylor and Beyoncé, it's Sabrina, Charli and Chappell's time to shine

KARACHI:

The 2025 Grammy nominations are out, and let's just say the Recording Academy has outdone itself in the department of impossible choices. Forget Taylor, Billie, or even Beyoncé (though she's nabbing her 99th nomination) - this year's pop princesses to watch are none other than Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX, and Chappell Roan. With nods stacked in the top categories, these artists who have been nicknamed The Powerpuff Girls have the Academy and their fans caught in a high-stakes tug-of-war for Album, Record, and Song of the Year. So how do we, the devoted public, even begin to pick a side?

The Powerpuff Girls

I mean, if you're anything like me, you've probably found yourself belting out Sabrina's Espresso in the shower, in the car, and, embarrassingly enough, at that one party where you thought you knew all the lyrics but actually only knew the chorus. Sabrina was, without a doubt, the soundtrack to the summer. The album scored her nominations in six categories, including the Big Four, making it clear she's ready to graduate from "former Disney star" to chart-topping sensation. With hits like Espresso and Please Please Please taking Record and Song of the Year slots, she's clearly resonating with the Academy in a big way. There's also something significant about Short n' Sweet landing a Best Engineered Album nod - a subtle but real acknowledgment from the Recording Academy's more technical voters, who can be notoriously hard to impress.

Then there's Charli XCX, whose Brat seemed to define an entire era of 2024 club culture. Who could have predicted that Brat would also become a family's bizarre bonding experience? It's a mid-summer barbecue in London, and I've somehow convinced the entire clan of eight—my too-cool seven-year-old cousin, my slightly bewildered 40-year-old aunt, and everyone in between—to try their hand at Charli XCX's viral TikTok Apple dance. There we all were, flinging our arms and attempting Charli's choreography with varying degrees of enthusiasm. My cousin treated it like a live audition, my mother yelled, "I'm too old for this", and I was the ringmaster, forcing everyone into their positions.

Charli's always been pop's rebellious spirit, but Brat seems to have pushed her into uncharted territory with a whopping seven Grammy nods. Unlike Sabrina's more introspective work, Charli's brash, boundary-pushing dance tracks in Brat have practically shoved others out of the way into Album and Best Dance/Electronic Album categories, bringing her from the fringes straight into the centre of the spotlight.

Last but definitely not least, Chappell Roan has carved a place in Grammy history with her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, another Big Four nominee that brings queer anthems to the pop scene. This underdog debut album has skyrocketed her from indie newcomer to Grammy heavyweight, making it clear that she's here to stay. She's also received a nod in the Best New Artist category as well as her song Good Luck, Babe! receiving multiple nominations. And if her current trajectory is anything to go by, this won't be her last Grammy season.

The year of newcomers

Shaboozey's hit A Bar Song (Tipsy) may have been overlooked for Record of the Year—typically the most chart-driven category—but it still pulled a major surprise by landing a Song of the Year nod. Many doubted the Academy would embrace the clever twist on J-Kwon's Tipsy but this caps off a stellar day for him, as he also snagged spots in Best New Artist and country categories.

With Shaboozey in the running, there wasn't room for a fourth newcomer in the top categories—sadly leaving Benson Boone with only a Best New Artist nomination, despite having one of the year's biggest streaming hits, Beautiful Things.

Then there's Raye, a double threat. The Academy's recent rule change to open Songwriter of the Year to artists who pen songs for others worked in her favour. She scored nominations in both Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year, with a wildly varied songwriting portfolio that includes her own tracks, Beyoncé's Riiverdance, Jennifer Lopez's Dear Ben, Pt II, and a song for Rita Ora.

Powerhouses and a wildcard

Taylor Swift, ever the Grammy staple, cleaned up with nominations for The Tortured Poets Department and her collaboration with Post Malone, Fortnight, but even she hit a few snags. Fortnight missed the mark in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and in a shocker, her own single I Can Do It With a Broken Heart didn't make the Best Pop Solo cut. No one can deny that Taylor's talent and tenacity have kept her in the game - but this year, it may be Sabrina, Charli, and Chappell who ultimately steal the show.

Meanwhile, Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter may go down as the most significant crossover moment in Grammy history. Nearly a decade after Lemonade's Daddy Lessons was controversially dismissed from country categories, Beyonce's latest record has swept the Country & American Roots nominations. With tracks like 16 Carriages and the Miley Cyrus collaboration II Most Wanted setting the country world on fire, the Recording Academy has finally embraced an R&B icon's cowboy dreams.

This year's Album of the Year slate reflects both tradition and change, with frontrunners rubbing elbows with Sabrina, Charli, and even YouTuber-turned-artist Jacob Collier. Yet the real wild card in the mix is André 3000's New Blue Sun, a jazz flute journey that's as mesmerising as it is unlikely to clinch a Grammy. Nonetheless, its presence is a testament to a year of eclectic musical tastes and the Academy's shift toward inclusivity.