The eight songs that have been nominated for Song of the Year at the 2024 Grammys are all more than deserving of the title. Looking at a list of performers for these songs–Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Jon Batiste, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, and Billie Eilish–it’s hard to think of a group that defined 2023 more.
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Nevertheless, there are a few songs that we personally loved and think would be equally worthy of this Grammy nod. Find five of them, below.
[RELATED: 2024 Grammy Nominations Revealed]
1. “Cruel Summer” (Taylor Swift)
Now Swift already has a nod in this category, but with how massive her year has been, there are many of her songs that could’ve received a spot among these nominees. Though “Cruel Summer” was originally released back in 2019, it got re-released as a single this year. Thanks to its Eras Tour-fueled resurgence, it immediately flew to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It’s Swift’s year, so her nomination in this category was inevitable, but we would’ve liked to see this track get even more of its dues–albeit four years late.
2. “Fast Car” (Luke Combs)
Earlier this year, Luke Combs made Hot 100 history, clinching the No. 2 spot with his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” The milestone marked the first time country artists held the top two spots on that particular chart in over 42 years (Morgan Wallen was holding on tight to his No. 1 spot at the time). Needless to say, the success of “Fast Car” was no easy feat. Because of this, we’d like to have seen Combs earn a nomination in this category. When you think of runaway successes from 2023, this song undoubtedly comes to mind.
3. “Watermelon Moonshine” (Lainey Wilson)
Sticking to the country theme, we also think Lainey Wilson‘s “Watermelon Moonshine” would’ve fared well in this category. Country music is historically left out of the Best Song conversation, but no one can deny Wilson’s star power. She did earn a nod for the accompanying album, but “Watermelon Moonshine” was everywhere this year. It wouldn’t have been out of place in this list of mammoth hits.
4. “Not Strong Enough” (boygenius)
boygenius is a big contender this year. The supergroup was nominated for Record of the Year for “Not Strong Enough,” but we think this song would’ve stood a strong chance at winning “Song of the Year” as well. Their harmonies are as strong as ever here and their passion is deeply apparent. boygenius received more than enough nods this year, but we would’ve given them one more.
5. “My Love Mine All Mine” (Mitski)
Mitski shared her latest album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, earlier this year. Among the track list was a gorgeously simple tune called “My Love Mine All Mine.” The tender love song not only excited Mitski’s longtime fans but also earned cross-over success into mainstream pop. If you’ve opened up TikTok in the last few months, odds are you’ve heard this song. The album arrived just in time for the eligibility cut-off for next year’s Grammys and thus this song should’ve been a contender.
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