{"id":632529,"date":"2026-10-16T15:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T15:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/632529\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T15:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T15:22:10","slug":"2027-grammys-nominees-best-country-song-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/632529\/","title":{"rendered":"2027 Grammys Nominees: Best Country Song Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tLeading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 16, Rolling Stone is breaking down 11 different categories<\/a>. For each, we\u2019re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.<\/p>\n

\n\tThere\u2019s probably no time in recent history when a country song has been such a dominant part of the cultural conversation, thanks to Ella Langley<\/a>\u2019s \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas.\u201d<\/a> It\u2019s a track that has broken records<\/a> and spurred a million conversations (and arguments, too). But will it dominate the 2027 Grammy Awards? Smart bets say yes, but that doesn\u2019t mean that there aren\u2019t plenty of other songs worthy of the trophy this year. \u201cAll eyes are on Ella Langley,\u201d says Ward Guenther of Nashville\u2019s live institution Whiskey Jam and a country music host for Apple Music. \u201cBut she faces significant competition across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tBest Country Song \u2013 Our Predictions\t<\/p>\n

\n\tKelsea Ballerini<\/a>, \u201c\u201cI Sit in Parks\u201d
Ella Langley, \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d
Megan Moroney<\/a>, \u201c\u201dBeautiful Things\u201d
Kacey Musgraves<\/a>, \u201cDry Spell\u201d
Taylor Swift<\/a>, \u201cI Knew It, I Knew You\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tWho Will Win?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tElla Langley, \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d
It\u2019s hard to see a scenario where the omnipresence of \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d doesn\u2019t lead to a Grammy win, though nostalgia does often take precedence over popularity with voters. But in a year where there\u2019s likely no Willie Nelson track or similar in contention, this is Langley\u2019s to lose. Not only is the song a record-breaker, it\u2019s also refreshingly relaxed, twangy, and organic in an overproduced, AI-looming world. It feels almost impossible for Grammy voters to ignore.<\/p>\n

\t\tWho Should Win?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tElla Langley, \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d
What Langley and \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d have been able to achieve is a bit of a magic trick: bringing such a classic country sound to the mainstream. With gorgeous production from Langley and co-producer Miranda Lambert, relatable storytelling and clear staying power, it deserves to be awarded not just for the song itself, but what it\u2019s done for the genre of country music this year. Some experts wonder, however, if voters may look toward something more critically acclaimed than just explicitly popular. \u201cThe Grammys have a long history of occasionally confusing critical acclaim with cultural relevance,\u201d says RJ Curtis, executive director of Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. \u201cArtistic achievement matters, of course, but so does connecting with an audience. And there have been times when the Academy seemed to overlook the latter in its pursuit of the former. I hope this year isn\u2019t a repeat performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tForecasting the Field\t<\/p>\n

\n\tJust because America chose Texas this year doesn\u2019t mean voters have to. \u201cIt would be very easy to just vote Ella all the way down the ballot because she\u2019s the most familiar name,\u201d says Guenther. \u201cI just hope the voters will be aware of the other nominees or at least take the time to learn and listen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n

\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n

\n\tHe\u2019s right: It\u2019s been an incredibly strong year for country music even if your name isn\u2019t Langley. Though a nomination at minimum is likely, Moroney\u2019s tender, confessional \u201cBeautiful Things\u201d could be the dark horse to take the title from Langley, and it would be just as worthy. So is Ballerini\u2019s exquisite mediation on all we give up for success, \u201cI Sit In Parks.\u201d And though they might not make the final cut, songs from Midland<\/a> (\u201cMarlboro Man\u201d), Carter Faith<\/a> (\u201cSix String\u201d), Ashley McBryde<\/a> (\u201cBottle Tells Me So\u201d) or Charley Crockett<\/a> (with two albums released in the eligibility period, take your pick) could claim a spot. Luke Combs\u2019 \u201cBe By You\u201d is also a worthy contender, but voters may look more toward giving him an album nod rather than focusing on one song. \u00a0And, as always, don\u2019t count out Taylor Swift, whose return to the genre<\/a> that made her picked up major steam with \u201cI Knew It, I Knew You.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tOur pick, if the Academy is willing to dig deep? Ashley Monroe\u2019s<\/a> \u201cI Hate Nashville.\u201d A terminally slept-on artist singing about being terminally slept-on isn\u2019t the usual path to awards season, but it\u2019s easily one of the best, most gut-wrenching country songs of the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 16, Rolling Stone is breaking down 11 different categories. For…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":632530,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[12733,156,286848,308366,217075,48591,12735,157,111,139,69,6456],"class_list":["post-632529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-ella-langley","tag-entertainment","tag-grammys-2027","tag-grammysfyc2027","tag-kacey-musgraves","tag-kelsea-ballerini","tag-megan-moroney","tag-music","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-taylor-swift"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}