2019 Grammy’s Watch: Best Rap/Sung Performance

CMN’s team of music writers is previewing the 2019 Grammy Awards. The 61st annual ceremony will take place Sunday, February 10 in Los Angeles. You can see all of our Grammy coverage here. 

Christina Aguilera Ft. Goldlink: “Like I Do” – Reminiscent of Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey, this track was released as a second promotional single back in June of 2017.  Many positive reviews came from this song as being flirty.  Patrick Ryan of USA Today even said “the verse from Goldlink will be logged in your brain all summer.”

6lack Ft. J.Cole: “Pretty Little Fears” – This song comes from East Atlanta Love Letter , which peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album’s predecessor Free 6lack, came in a #34 on the 200 chart, boasting the single “Prblms” which went on to be his first platinum record. 

Childish Gambino: “This is America” –  Debuted at #1 on the US Hot 100 chart and pondered themes of gun violence, mass shootings, racism and discrimination. The video to accompany this song showcased the extreme and wild world we are living in today. 

Kendrick Lamar and SZA: “All the Stars” – Lead single off the soundtrack to Black Panther debuted at #43 on the Hot 100 chart. By its fifth week on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop it rose to #5. 

Post Malone Ft. 21 Savage: “Rockstar” – Lead single from Malone’s second album Beerbongs and Bentleys debuting at #1 on the Hot 100 chart. This song became Malone and Savage’s first number one song. It debuted at #2 right behind Cardi B’s Bodak Yellow with 25 million streams on Spotify. 

Who Will Win:

Gambino/Lamar/Malone. Any of them could walk away with this. “Rockstar” feels like it should be on the lower end, but Malone has an incredible following. 

Who Should Win:

Childish Gambino. The song with the best and strongest message. This song picks up on some sad truths about America today and tied in with the video, is immensely powerful.

Side note: “Pretty Little Fears” shouldn’t be anywhere on this list and I’m trying to wrap my head around how this song is Grammy worthy in the slightest.

Got on your bodysuit, you know I’m on your ass today
Would you let me hit it thrice if I asked today?
She know my stick nothin’ but magic bae
I’ll be swinging it back and forth, ’til you in your casket, bae

There’s a lot more I detest about this song but the above lyrics the tip of the iceberg, especially the last line. So, you’re saying you’re going to have sex with her until she dies? Now maybe some take that as romantic and I slightly see were it could be, but the lyrics present themselves it’s just weird and disgusting.