“Folklore”, Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album, took the spot for Album of the Year at the annual 63rd Grammy Awards hosted on March 14th, 2021. Since the last submissions for album of the year ended on August 30th, 2020, Taylor and many more artists have released incredible albums also worthy of the title, Album of the Year for the 2022 cycle. Check out my top four picks for this honor below!

Doja Cat – Planet Her

If I do “Say So” myself, Doja Cat’s 3rd studio album “Planet Her’ released on June 25th, 2021 with leading singles “Kiss me more” ft. SZA, “Need to Know”, and “You right” ft. The Weekend is eligible for this spot. “Planet Her” is the perfect mix of pop and R&B, containing 14 different tracks. According to Pitchfork, which rated Doja’s “Planet Her’ a 7.8, “Planet Her is a kaleidoscope of pop versatility that benefits greatly from a market that currently values eclecticism.”  Doja knows how to make music versatility, and she knows how to do it well. “Planet Her’ peaked at #3 on Billboard charts and #1 on R&B Billboard charts.

Donda – Kanye West

The long-anticipated album “Donda” officially released August 29th, 2021 has made big noise along with various different social media platforms. “Praise God,’ has made TikTok users go crazy with over a million different usages. Will “Donda” make the recording academy go crazy when choosing Album of The Year nominees? Billboard describes “Donda” as 2021s “Biggest Debut.” Kanye was able to land 23 different songs from “Donda” onto the Top 100 Billboard charts, pretty impressive. Will he impress us with his win at the 2022 annual Grammys? With this type of huge debut and amazing charting, there is no telling what Kanye West can do.

Evermore – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has used her time during quarantine to re-record her past albums “Fearless”  and “Red,” but she has also had time to write and put out her newest album “Evermore.”  Many people still and will always know  Taylor as someone who just writes sappy love songs and heart-wrenching breakup songs, but she is so much more than that. Taylor has created amazing “detailed production flourishes” according to Rolling Stones. Her productions and incredible storytelling lyrics will always be a perfect match. Every song from “Evermore” hit Billboards Top 100 as well as the album in general. Hopefully, she can come in clutch and get that #1 spot during the Album of The Year category.

Call Me if You Get Lost – Tyler The Creator

Tyler The Creator’s 6th studio album, “Call Me if You Get Lost” debuted at NO.1 on Billboard’s album charts and is also a NO.1 in Pitchforks eyes being rated an 8.3 and categorized under “Best New Music.” Tyler’s music is able to guide new listeners in, he has the “greatest gift is his inability to do anything predictable” and “his ethos is built around bringing outsiders into his world” according to Rolling Stone.  Remarkable ratings don’t always mean the Recording Academy thinks you have what it’s got, but with “Call Me if You Get Lost” charting and good reviews from critics, I’m sure he has a huge chance with taking this nominee.