Last night LL Cool J licked his lips, hosted, and helped announce the 2014 Grammy Nominations.

I’m not sure what I expected, but I wasn’t on the look out for the 35 year old woman who’s excited about Windows tablets and her trip to Target to be the main voice in selecting the best music of the year.

What is this Carol?

Album Of The Year

Sara Bareilles “The Blessed Unrest”
Daft Punk “Random Access Memories”
Kendrick Lamar “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis “The Heist”
Taylor Swift “Red”

Record Of The Year

Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams “Get Lucky”
Imagine Dragons “Radioactive”
Lorde “Royals”
Bruno Mars “Locked Out Of Heaven”
Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell “Blurred Lines”

Song Of The Year

Pink Featuring Nate Ruess “Just Give Me A Reason”
Bruno Mars “Locked Out Of Heaven”
Katy Perry “Roar”
Lorde “Royals”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert “Same Love”

Alright, so these are the big three. There’s a few things they got right. The Macklemore & Ryan Lewis album deserves high praise, especially “Same Love” which still is one of the most important songs of the year. Lorde demands attention, as does “Royals” just for the sheer talent and the young package it comes in.

But…

Sarah Bareilles? Album Of The Year?

Katy Perry‘s “Roar“? Song Of The Year?

This doesn’t come from a place of some cultured look down upon things that are popular. That’s not my style. However, when Bareilles’ “The Blessed Unrest” dropped earlier this year it quickly was set aside because it never really left an imprint. As I type this I’m giving it another listen…it still feels like waiting room background music, or leftovers for the Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack.

As for “Roar”, I guess it makes sense considering they we’re in a Bareilles State Of Mind.

Moving On…

Best New Artist

James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

It’s tough to see Lorde not get love here. However, It’s still a strong fight likely between Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore, and the Kacey Musgraves album is one of the most surprising of the year. Is Ed Sheeran still new?

Best Pop Solo Performance

Sara Bareilles “Brave”
Lorde “Royals”
Bruno Mars “When I Was Your Man”
Katy Perry “Roar”
Justin Timberlake “Mirrors”

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams “Get Lucky”
Pink Featuring Nate Ruess “Just Give Me A Reason”
Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko “Stay”
Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell “Blurred Lines”
Justin Timberlake & Jay Z “Suit & Tie”

Best Country Album

Jason Aldean “Night Train”
Tim McGraw “Two Lanes of Freedom”
Kacey Musgraves “Same Trailer Different Park”
Blake Shelton”Based on a True Story”
Taylor Swift “Red”

Best Rap Album

Drake “Nothing Was The Same”
Jay Z “Magna Carta…Holy Grail”
Kendrick Lamar “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis “The Heist”
Kanye West “Yeezus”

Best Rock Album

Black Sabbath “13″
David Bowie “The Next Day”
Kings Of Leon “Mechanical Bull”
Led Zeppelin “Celebration Day”
Queens Of The Stone Age “…Like Clockwork”
Neil Young With Crazy Horse “Psychedelic Pill”

Best Alternative Album

Neko Case “The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You”
The National “Trouble Will Find Me”
Nine Inch Nails “Hesitation Marks”
Tame Impala “Lonerism”
Vampire Weekend “Modern Vampires Of The City”

The two best albums of the year get some recognition in their sub-category which is nice to see, still it would be great to see “Yeezus” and “Modern Vampires Of The City” duke it out for Album Of The Year.

I still need to digest this a little bit, it’s a lot to take on a Saturday morning. Just thought you should know the state of things. Be brave. Be Bareilles brave.