Why Did Taylor Swift Get Snubbed From Two Major Grammy Nominations?

The 2020 Grammy nominations are out and Taylor Swift got edged out of two categories she knows all too well — album of the year and record of the year. 

This year's award show will mark the first time that Swift will miss out an album of the year nomination for two consecutive studio albums (via Billboard). It's a far cry from a few years ago when the pop sensation became the first woman in Grammy history to win album of the year twice for her own work. While it wasn't a shocker that 2017's divisive reputation only nabbed one nomination for pop vocal album (which ended up going to Ariana Grande for Sweetner), Lover was, well, loved by critics and fans alike. In fact, according to Forbes, at the time of this writing, Lover is the best-selling album of 2019. Multiple outlets, including Rolling Stone, predicted that Lover was just what the former Grammy darling needed to reclaim her throne. 

So how did an album that topped the charts manage to get shut out of several major categories?

While Taylor Swift will be headed into the biggest night in music with three nominations, Ariana Grande — who infamously refused to perform at the Grammys in 2018 — nabbed five nominations. 

According to Billboard, Grande and Swift both submitted different singles for song and record of the year — something that's not traditionally done. Swift put "You Need to Calm Down" up for record of the year and gave "Lover" a chance to shine as song of the year. Grande submitted "7 rings" for record of the year and entered both "Thank U, Next" and "Boyfriend" for consideration for song of the year. And while the petite pop star lost out on a nomination for song of the year, a category that Swift is up for, Grande does have the chance to take home record of the year and album of the year — two categories Swift isn't a part of this time around. Grande is also up for best solo pop performance (a category for which Swift is a contender), best pop duo/group performance and best pop vocal album (another one of Swift's categories). 

All that is to say that on Jan. 26, 2020, the two pop divas will go head to head in two of the only three categories Swift is nominated in. And seeing as how the two probably aren't on the best of terms anyways since Swift has been blasting Grande's manager Scooter Braun in the press, any win on the Sweetner singer's part could only add to the bad blood. 

This year's Grammys seem to be all about the newcomers, with first-time nominees like Billie Eilish, Lizzo, and Lil Nas X landing nominations in all the major categories. Lizzo actually leads the pack with eight nominations — the most of any artist heading into the 2020 award ceremony. Eilish and Lil Nas are tied for second with six nominations each — what a year to be a fresh face in the music industry! 

Over the course of her career, Taylor Swift has received 35 Grammy nominations and taken home 10 golden gramophones. And while Swift's definitely still at the top of her game, it takes a lot to stay there...and it seems like the newer artists are coming for her throne. Although Swift continues to evolve as a singer-songwriter, even tackling issues that are relevant and important to her in her music, it can be hard to compete with Gen-Z idols who are breaking records of their own and creating their own viral hit singles. It's strange to see the Recording Academy barely throwing a bone to an artist who they used to pile accolades upon. Only time will tell if Swift is able to get back in their good graces, or if her unprecedented reign is screeching to a halt.

While Lover wasn't nominated for album of the year, the album's title track will compete for song of the year alongside the likes of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" and Lizzo's "Truth Hurts." The singer-songwriter is also up for best pop solo performance for "You Need to Calm Down" and best pop vocal album for Lover.

Although Swift has three more nominations than a whole lot of other artists do, the 2020 Grammys will pale in comparison to recent years where the singer has received nods in several major categories. We wonder if she was more or less upset by this year's nominations, or lack thereof, than when she realized she didn't win album of the year for Red in 2014. Is it better to be nominated and lose than to never have been nominated at all? 

Regardless of the number of noms, if Swift manages to steal all three of the categories that she's nominated for, she'll bring her total Grammy count to 13. In addition to 13 being the 29-year-old's lucky number, it will also help Swift continue to inch up the list of the top Grammy winners of all time. 

While we wait and see just how much love Lover ends up receiving, here's why, Grammy snubs aside, it would actually kind of suck to be Taylor Swift.