GRAMMY CHEW: CHEWING ON ELECTRONIC/DANCE

It’s been a landmark year for the dance/electronic scene, with artists like John Summit, Anyma, Charli xcx and Fred again.. reaching new heights. As the Recording Academy gears up to recognize these trailblazers, here’s a look at potential frontrunners in the genre’s top categories.

Pop Dance

Last year’s addition of the Pop Dance category has opened the door for pop-infused dance tracks to shine. Among the likely contenders are Charli xcx’s “Von dutch” (Atlantic), Ariana Grande’s “yes, and?” (Republic), Dom Dolla’s “girl$” (Three Six Zero), Sia & Kylie Minogue’s “Dance Alone” (Monkey Puzzle/Atlantic), John Summit’s “Shiver” f/Hayla (Experts Only/Darkroom), Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Ready for Your Love” (Republic), Madison Beer's "Make You Mine" (Sing It Loud/Epic), David Guetta x OneRepublic’s “I Don’t Wanna Wait” (Warner), Nelly Furtado f/Tove Lo & SG Lewis’ “Love Bites” (Nelstar/21 Ent. Group) and Calvin Harris x Ellie Goulding’s “Free” (Columbia).

Warner’s Dua Lipa has multiple tracks that could contend in this space, but “Illusion” and “Houdini” are true dance-pop gems. And possibly making her electronic genre debut is Billie Eilish with “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” (Darkroom/Interscope), which quickly became a fan favorite with the release of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT—so much so that she released a club-ready extended version that will surely make its mark here.

Best Dance/Electronic Album

John Summit’s debut album, Comfort in Chaos, stands as a major achievement, underscoring his meteoric rise. The 12-track project yielded multiple hits and solidified his presence in the genre while also highlighting his evolution from club DJ to mainstay.

Charli xcx’s BRAT, which could vie for Album of the Year, is another strong contender here, alongside Fred again..’s ten days.

Additionally, Anyma has garnered plenty of attention with Genesys II. As half of electronic duo Tale of Us and co-founder of Afterlife Records, the Italian-American DJ has cemented his place as one of the hottest names in the genre while snagging the first-ever electronic-artist residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere.

Becky Hill’s Believe Me Now? (Polydor/Astralwerks), ZHU’s Grace (Astralwerks), Zedd’s Telos (Interscope), SG Lewis & Tove Lo’s HEAT (Pretty Swede), Justice’s Hyperdrama (Because), Gorgon City’s Reverie (Capitol), Peggy Gou’s I Hear You (XL) and Gesaffelstein’s Gamma (Columbia) are also among the albums likely to receive nominations.

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

John Summit continues to dominate with “Go Back” f/Sub Focus & Julia Church, making him a serious contender for this category—and possibly earning him a nod for Best New Artist.

And in brat fashion, Charli xcx’s “365” should find a place in this category. We’ll also likely see “Apple” up for Best Pop Solo Performance, while “Guess” w/Billie Eilish should claim a spot in Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Meanwhile, label mate Fred again.. will be another notable contender in this category with “leavemealone.”

And let’s not forget, dance/electronic music has always been a global genre—the Latin Grammys added a Best Latin Electronic Music Performance category this year—but tracks dropped during the eligibility period have extended far and wide. Deorro, who landed his first Latin Grammy nom with “BAMBOLE” w/Vikina (Mr. 305 Records) is just the tip of a molten iceberg. Topic, Arash & Hugel’s “I Adore You” (Astralwerks), Zerb & Chainsmokers’ “Addicted” f/Ink (TH3RD BRAIN), Adam Port & Stryv f/Malachiii’s “Move” (Keinemusik) and RAFFA GUIDO’s “Famax” (Three Six Zero) have dominated this year with their percussive influences and lush melodies, captivating audiences around the world.

And while I can’t possibly name all the potential candidates deserving of a spot in this category, it’s crucial to recognize hits like Anyma’s “Pictures of You,” Becky Hill’s “Multiply,” Chris Lake x Sammy Virji x Nathan Nicholson’s “Summertime Blues” (Astralwerks/Black Book), Chase & Status f/Stormzy’s “BACKBONE” (Astralwerks), Sammy Virji’s “If U Need It” (Astralwerks), ZHU’s “Settle for Less” f/Sabrina Claudio (Astralwerks), Kaskade’s “Tears Don’t Fall” f/Enisa (Big Beat/Atlantic), RÜFÜS DU SOL’s “Lately” (Warner), Justice x Tame Impala’s “One Night/All Night” (Because Music), Disclosure’s “She’s Gone, Dance On” (Capitol/Disorder) and Cloonee’s “Sippin’ Yak” (Hellbent Records/Astralwerks), among many others.

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

These days, the remix offerings are endless. From TikTok sounds to bootleg drops on SoundCloud, popular tracks generate many unofficial re-creations.

That being said, some of the official remixes worth mentioning include John Summit x Silver Panda x The Temper Trap’s “Sweet Disposition (John Summit & Silver Panda Remix)” (Experts Only), Dom Dolla’s “Saving Up (Odd Mob Remix)” (Three Six Zero), Anitta’s “Savage Funk (DJ Snake Remix)” (Republic), Ariana Grande’s “yes, and? (Jonas Blue Remix),” Sabrina Carpenter x Mark Ronson x FNZ’s “Espresso (Working Late Remix)” (Island), Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor (PNAU Remix)” (Republic), Taylor Swift f/Post Malone’s “Fortnight (BLOND:ISH Remix)” (Republic) and Coldplay’s “feelslikeimfallinginlove (Zerb Remix)” (Atlantic).

Clockwise from Top Left: John Summit, Charli xcx, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Anyma, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, sg lewis & tove lo, Fred Again.., Dom Dolla, Becky Hill