The 2025 Grammy Awards are already shaping up to be one of the most controversial and coveted events this awards season, and as the 2025 Grammy eligibility date passes, fans are left to speculate which A-list albums are going to be up for grabs. With a year full of the biggest names in Hollywood releasing music, the Album of the Year award will have music fans around the country tuning in to find out which star will be crowned with the prestigious title.

From the opening date of September 16, 2023 to the closing date of August 30, 2024, a multitude of beautifully crafted and record-breaking albums have been released to adoring fans. From Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” to Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter”, each project created this year has been breaking not only impressive records, but also creative boundaries that will change the industry for years to come. Here are some of the albums being considered for Album of the Year nominations:

“Cowboy Carter” – Beyoncé

In the musical masterpiece titled “Cowboy Carter”, Beyoncé goes back to her Texan roots and explores country music in the most powerful way possible. The superstar’s lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 100 chart, and is the fastest country song in Spotify history to gain 100 million streams in about a month. The successful single also topped the Hot Country Songs chart, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to do so. 

The album itself is a collection of some of the most beautiful tracks created this year, one of the most notable being “Daughter,” in which Beyoncé’s hauntingly beautiful vocals truly stand out in an opera section that leaves listeners awed. In this project, Beyoncé finds love, hurt, motherhood and understanding throughout each of the 27 passionate tracks. As the artist says herself, “This ain’t a country album. This is a Beyoncé album.”

“Eternal Sunshine” – Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande returned from her three year hiatus with “Eternal Sunshine”, a vulnerable album carefully curated to represent Grande’s healing journey throughout the past few years of her life. The title, derived from the 2004 award winning film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, represents the strong themes of heartbreak and moving forward integrated throughout each track on the album.

Her song, “We Can’t be Friends (Wait for Your Love),” debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is Ariana Grande’s overall ninth streamed song. The track perfectly encapsulates all of the themes within “Eternal Sunshine” in just one song, and the music video ties it all together in one beautiful, soulful knot. Many fans have hailed “Eternal Sunshine” as one of her best albums, and its cohesiveness and emotional integrity makes it stand out from the sea of aimless pop music.

“The Tortured Poets Department” – Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s heavily anticipated eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department”, guides each fan through raw emotion, pain, and recovery as she addresses the emotional complexities of heartbreak and healing. Her sorrowful, authentic and masterful songwriting shines bright in every track throughout the album. It’s not a surprise the pop sensation broke numerous records with her latest album. “The Tortured Poets Department” was declared the best-selling album of 2024 which Swift accomplished in just under 48 hours of the release.

“The Tortured Poets Department’s” great success made Swift the only artist in history to have seven albums sell one million copies in one week. The candid vulnerability captured in each song is what really makes this project unlike any other. Taylor Swift’s effortlessly genuine and emotionally intimate songwriting is what makes “The Tortured Poets Department” so beautiful, and she has the records to prove it.

“Brat” – Charli XCX

This summer, an international phenomenon coined “brat summer” began circulating around the country following the release of Charli XCX’s hyperpop album. The British singer’s latest project, “Brat,” became more than just an album this year. In fact, its bright green staple became a global trend across all corners of the internet. From “Brat green” iced matcha lattes to various TikTok dances, there was no escaping “Brat” this summer. The notorious project debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, becoming Charli’s highest-selling album in her whole career. 

Even celebrities were hopping on the “Brat” trend. Actor Glen Powell, Ashley Tisdale, and even the United States women’s rugby team were all dancing along to the catchy electropop sensation that is “Brat”. The creative, cohesive, and overall fun aura of Charli XCX’s newest release is why it’s so captivating and why “Brat” is a great contender for Album of the Year.

“Hit Me Hard and Soft” – Billie Eilish

In “Hit Me Hard and Soft”, Eilish revisits her signature melancholic style through a mature lens. The album was beautifully produced by her brother, Finneas, who has helped her along her entire musical journey. The raw instrumentals represented throughout the album highlight Billie’s vocals in a new, distinctive way. This album portrays love, guilt, breaking out of one’s comfort zone and nostalgia in a beautiful string of emotions.

Each track on “Hit Me Hard and Soft” feels unique and different from the rest, but the album stays perfectly cohesive and balanced. As expected, Finneas’s production on this project is nothing less than spectacular, and lyrically, the album spoke volumes. “Hit me Hard and Soft” debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 charts, and marked Billie Eilish’s best sales week of her successful career. The album feels immersive and full of life in a way that only the Eilish sibling duo can effortlessly achieve.