2021 Grammy Awards Prediction: Why 'Everything I Wanted' Is the Best Record of the Year
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards is around the corner.
In 2019 the Recording Academy decided to expand the top four general field categories--Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist--to have a total eight nominees in each of the instead of just being five. We also have our respective dibs on who should win under each of these new category.
First up, for our 2021 Grammy Awards prediction for the Record of the Year, we choose "Everything I Wanted" by Billie Eilish. The other nominees are "Black Parade" by Beyoncé, "Colors" by Black Pumas, "Rockstar" by DaBaby, "Say So" by Doja Cat, "Don't Start Now" by Dua Lipa, "Circles" by Post Malone and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion.
Eilish's work is actually quite different from the rest, although all of them are enjoyable.
First off, Billie's record being nominated for this category is a mean feat. It made her the first Record of the Year winner to be nominated again in that category the following year. Only U2 was able to achieve this feat, and this was already almost 20 years ago.
But we can certainly see why.
"Everything I Wanted' Is So Different From "Bad Guy"
"Everything I Wanted," which actually has the soothing sound of a lullaby, is very different from most of Eilish's tracks and those other songs competing in the Record of the Year category--which is mostly fast and loud. It is certainly a stark contrast to the quirky offering of Billie Eilish in "Bad Guy," which won the 2020 Grammy Award for the "Record of the Year."
That alone already boosts its chances of winning. Had "Everything I Wanted" been similar to the track that won in this category last year, then the chances of winning might be reduced.
According to Billboard Magazine, the Nominations Review Committee, which makes the final determination in the Big Four categories--Album, Record and Song of the Year, plus Best New Artist--was probably inclined to nominate another Eilish song in the same category because of how different her new record is compared to "Bad Guy."
The Track Has Interesting, Humble Beginning
"Everything I Wanted" is actually just a bonus track on the Target re-issue of Eilish's album, "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"
This particular re-issue was aptly released during the current Grammy eligibility year, which started on Sept. 1, 2019.
The song was inspired by a particularly interesting event in Eilish's life. It was the song she was able to create after a bad fight over having suicidal thoughts.
According to Eilish, she was inspired to write the song in 2019 when she had a dream about taking her own life. When she shared the idea to her brother, he became uncomfortable with the unpleasant and worrying topic. "We had this big argument," she shared to Billboard.
"Because I admitted something that I was, uh. It wasn't a physical thing I was admitting. I don't know how to put it without actually saying it, and I don't want to actually say it. But it was me admitting to something that was very serious about my depression. A very serious step that I was admitting that I was planning on taking. And Finneas said, I don't want to write a song about you killing yourself and how that's everything you wanted!" Billie shared to the publication.
Eilish also shared that "this song is the way I can feel these things without doing something to myself.'" Billie has went through so much this year, and how she can stay positive and deliver relatable songs for people who experience dark times is a win for us.
