Leading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 10, Rolling Stone is breaking down 16 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.
This category can feel like a grab bag of indie and alternative experiments that don’t fit elsewhere (Rosalía’s Motomami at the last Grammy show). This year, though, it seems straightforward Latin rockers have the best chances: Juanes’ Vida Cotidiana is an industry favorite from one of the most beloved stars in the Spanish-speaking world, and Fito Páez showed he has tons of tricks up his sleeve almost four decades into his career. Juanes won this category in 2022, and Páez took home the award in 2021, but Juanes’ commercial edge — as well as his tour dates, which included a New York SummerStage concert that had to be canceled when the crowd that showed up overwhelmed Central Park — makes him the likely winner here.
Juanes
Vida Cotidiana
SHOULD WIN
WILL WIN
Three decades in the industry haven’t dampened Juanes’ creativity, and his 10th studio album, Vida Cotidiana, proves it. The album comes just after Origen, a collection of covers from Juanes’ biggest inspirations that was nominated in this category in 2021. Vida Cotidiana is full of lessons from his heroes, but it’s made up of original songs charged with new energy and some of Juanes’ best writing in years. The production is also razor-sharp, the work of his frequent producer and Recording Academy favorite Sebastian Krys, a seven-time Grammy winner. Juanes has only two features on the record, but his collaborators are powerful: Bachata veteran Juan Luis Guerra and Colombian newcomer Mabiland join him for some of the album’s strongest moments. “Those collaborations show that he’s thinking about legends as well as the future, and that he’s contributing to that future,” says Albina Cabrera, KEXP’s Latin partnerships and editorial manager.
Fito Páez
EADDA9223
The prolific Argentine rock star already has 11 Latin Grammys and one Grammy under his belt. EADDA9223 should earn him another nomination: The project is a stunning reimagining of his 1992 record, El Amor Después Del Amor, boosted by youthful collaborations and fresh arrangements. Dipping into Latin-rock history, Páez also maps out the future. “[Fito] was able to respark the excitement for one of Argentina’s best rock albums,” says Cabrera. His classic “La Verónica,” for example, gets a sweeping ballad makeover with singer Nathy Peluso, while a new version of “Sasha, Sissí y El Círculo de Baba” features Chilean musician Mon Laferte and intricate Mexican instrumentation.
Monsieur Periné
Bolero Apocalíptico
The vivacious Colombian band has been a Grammy favorite since it broke through with its second album, Caja de Música, an LP that won the group the Best New Artist award at the Latin Grammys in 2015, as well as a nom in this category the following year. The charming ensemble, led by singer Catalina García and musician Santiago Prieto, has always blended a sound that’s eclectic, sweet, and a little twee, with flashes of old-school swing, Latin jazz, and mambo. But Bolero Apocalíptico takes a bolder and more mature approach. The band blends strains of reggaeton, R&B, and corridos into its folksier fare, coming up with new fusions that show just how much it is still bubbling over with ideas.
Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado
Súper Terror
Together for 20 years, these Argentine rockers have been on a roll of late. The 2021 album Unas Vacaciones Raras won them the Latin Grammy for Best Rock Album, and Súper Terror has kept that momentum going. Though the band has often gravitated toward dark, dense soundtracks for the end of times, Súper Terror is lighter, more pop-oriented material, deeply indebted to the sounds of the Eighties. Songs like “Un Segundo Plan” and “El Número Mágico” shine with bright, synth-driven grooves and hooky choruses, letting lead singer Santiago “Motorizado” Barrionuevo try out somewhat sweeter, soaring melodies; he even slows things down for the rock ballad “El Universo.”
Diego Raposo
Yo No Era Así Pero de Ahora en Adelante, Sí
The academy doesn’t always pay close attention to what’s flourishing in the underground, but Diego Raposo is the rare producer able to strike a balance between pop that’s just left of center and chaotic, almost manically experimental sounds. His debut album, Yo No Era Así Pero de Ahora en Adelante, Sí, captures the full, wild range of what he can do, with catchy R&B songs that suddenly morph into razor-sharp electronic club bangers. Though he’s already worked with bigger artists like Danny Ocean, he stays close to the indie scene, highlighting the best of what’s to come from rising talent. “Beyond being an excellent album for this category, this feels like a blueprint of the future, with international gems featuring his contemporaries like Blue Rojo, MedioPicky, Okeiflou, and more,” Cabrera says.
This story is adapted from Rolling Stone’s fourth annual Grammy Preview issue, released ahead of the start of first-round voting on Oct. 13th. We featured SZA on the cover, spoke to some of the year’s biggest artists about the albums and singles that could earn them a statue come February, made our best predictions for the nominees in the top categories, and more, providing a full guide to what to watch for in the lead-up to the 2024 awards.
