\n<\/p>\n
\n\tLeading up to\u00a0the Grammy nominations on Nov. 7, <\/em>Rolling Stone is breaking down 10 different categories<\/a>. For each, we\u2019re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tThis year\u2019s Album of the Year field isn\u2019t lacking for front-runners: Any one of these eight LPs would be a worthy victor. But Lady Gaga<\/a>\u2018s Mayhem<\/em> is poised to overshadow the rest. The ever-evolving singer, songwriter, and performer has been nominated for the top album prize before but never took home the gold. That could change in February.<\/p>\n \n\tKendrick Lamar<\/a>, GNX \n\tLady Gaga, Mayhem<\/em><\/strong> \n\tLady Gaga, Mayhem<\/em><\/strong> \n\tWhile Lady Gaga has the mojo, don\u2019t sleep on the Weeknd, another former Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner who, perhaps more importantly, returned to the Grammy fold on this year\u2019s telecast; Hurry Up Tomorrow,<\/em> is the purported final album that Abel Tesfaye will release under the Weeknd brand, and could get a nod to make up for lost time. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBad Bunny\u2019s album is also worth a conversation,\u201d Stein says. \u201cHe\u2019s never won outside a Latin category before, and it\u2019s overdue. The Super Bowl Halftime Show announcement<\/a> helps his case, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tAlbum of the Year \u2013 Our Predictions\t<\/h2>\n
<\/em>Bad Bunny<\/a>, DeB\u00cd TiRAR M\u00e1S FOToS<\/em>
Lady Gaga, Mayhem
<\/em>The Weeknd<\/a>, Hurry Up Tomorrow<\/em>
Elton John<\/a> & Brandi Carlile<\/a>, Who Believes in Angels?<\/em>
Lainey Wilson<\/a>, Whirlwind (Deluxe)<\/em>
Tyler, The Creator<\/a>, CHROMAKOPIA
<\/em>Laufey<\/a>, A Matter of Time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\t\tWho Will Win?\t<\/h2>\n
Gaga scored three consecutive Album of the Year nominations beginning in 2010 with The Fame<\/em>, followed up by The Fame Monster<\/em> the next year, and Born This Way<\/em> in 2012. But more than a decade later, she has experience on her side now, not to mention a stunner of an LP in Mayhem<\/em>. \u201cLady Gaga always feels like a strong contender for this category,\u201d says John Stein, head of North America Editorial at Spotify. \u201cAnd [her being a] household name helps here.\u201d Mayhem<\/em> may actually benefit from the competition too, Stein says: \u201cI think it might win based on vote splitting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\tWho Should Win?\t<\/h2>\n
Gaga leaned hard into her own history on Mayhem<\/em>, a record many considered a return to her dance-pop roots. She turned her own name into a chorus on \u201cAbracadabra,\u201d got macabre at the club in \u201cDisease,\u201d and brought it all to vivid life with a career-defining Coachella performance earlier this summer. It\u2019s her time.<\/p>\n\n\t\tForecasting the Field\t<\/h2>\n