Song of the Year Grammy Predictions 2025: Berklee Online Songwriting Instructors Weigh In

The 2025 Grammy for Song of the Year has some fierce contenders, but when we asked a dozen Berklee Online songwriting instructors for their predictions, the overwhelming favorite was Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” 

Every one of the songwriting instructors agreed it’s a tough call though—this year’s nominees are stacked. 

Though Taylor Swift holds the record for most nominations in this category—she has been nominated eight times, including for 2025—she has never won. And she won’t be taking the Song of the Year award home this February, say all 12 songwriting instructors, including Scarlet Keys, who teaches a course on campus about the songwriting of Taylor Swift!

Let’s break down the predictions, spotlighting the songs that got our instructors talking (and humming) the most.

If you want to listen while you read, check out this short playlist of the eight nominees for the Song of the Year Grammy for 2025.

‘Good Luck, Babe!’ performed by Chappell Roan

Songwriters: Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (a.k.a. Chappell Roan), Daniel Nigro, and Justin Tranter

Andrea Stolpe, who wrote the Commercial Songwriting Techniques course, says: If a Grammy could be given for a song that is both artistic and accessible, it might be delivered to Chappell Roan. The melodies are undeniably contagious at first listen. I believe that she’s not even trying, allowing the chaos to shine in that bridge, and maybe even channeling a little Tori Amos. I’ve got to give her props for the prosody happening at the ending, with symbolism dripping from the slowing of the track while she sings “you’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.” Where Chappell grows from here we’ll have to see, but I’d pick her out of a mix any day on the basis of her melody writing and overall mood she’s able to paint with just a few chords and lyric language that isn’t trying to sell me any cheap tricks.

Bonnie Hayes is program director of the Songwriting graduate program and author of several Berklee Online songwriting courses. She wrote two songs on Bonnie Raitt’s Nick of Time, which won the Album of the Year Grammy in 1990. Hayes also cites that same lyric as a standout in “Good Luck, Babe!”: In terms of which song should get the award, I would love to see Chappell Roan, Justin Tranter, and Daniel Nigro—all astonishingly talented songwriters/producers—get the award. The song is by far the most interesting of the bunch, with these acrobatic/operatic melodic leaps and a lyric that combines sarcasm and a beautiful truth wrapped in a metaphor—“you’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.” And an actual bridge! We who write thought bridges were gone forever!

Kareem Clarke, who teaches Music Production Fundamentals for Songwriters, cites that line as well: There are some amazing songs in this category this year but I think that “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan is a likely winner. The song has great writing and appeal with a lot of power in phrases like “You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.” Paired with the melody chosen in the chorus and bridge, I think it has a strong chance.

Chad Shank, who teaches Lyric Writing: Tools and Strategies, says: My instinct is telling me the song of the year is a toss up between “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Please, Please, Please.” When both of those songs dropped, I was hit with a feeling of being refreshed. It felt like some light was coming back into the pop songwriting world. Both songs are very strong melodically and lyrically, and they feel both modern and retro. I think that freshness is what puts those on the top, for me. I am also pumped that both songs were co-written by Berklee alums! Amy Allen and Justin Tranter have been very successful after Berklee, and it makes me proud to teach at a place like Berklee. I can’t wait until I see some of my students’ names on the list! I do think Chappell is going to win. I love that pop is finding a new creative and rebellious streak … and led by females! We need more female producers, writers, and engineers.

‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ performed by Shaboozey

Songwriters: Sean Cook, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Chibueze Collins Obinna, Nevin Sastry, and Mark Williams

Prince Charles Alexander—himself a Grammy winner for his engineering work—wrote the Genre Survey for Songwriters: Analysis and Application course as well as several music production courses. Talking through his thought-process, he settles on “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” by Shaboozey, with a little bit of difficulty: Wow. This is not easy. My top three are “Please, Please, Please,” “A Bar Song,” and “Die With A Smile.” From a songwriting and classic “great performance” point of view, I would give this to “Die With A Smile.” For a “tongue in cheek” freshness and a daring key change in the second verse, “Please, Please, Please” piques my interest. For sheer No. 1 stamina, you have to give the nod to “A Bar Song.” Chappell Roan is having a great year with a great song and could be a sleeper. Taylor Swift is a consummate songwriter and always has a shot. I think “A Bar Song” will win. I think “Die with a Smile” should win.

While Bonnie Hayes is putting stock in Chappell Roan, she says she also thinks Shaboozey could get the Song of the Year award: While I never put it past the Recording Academy to pick the most established, iconic artist for the Song of the Year award, regardless of the song, I’m feeling like the song that’s chosen will be Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song.” Though he’s a new artist, he might get that award. It’s definitely a huge story: first release from a Black country artist and spending 19 weeks at No. 1 (tying Lil Nas X’s record for longest running No. 1 of all time!) and 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Country charts. 

Kareem Clarke, who predicted “Good Luck, Babe!” as his top pick, is also hedging his bets: I think it would be amazing if “A Bar Song” were able to come away with the award with its hip-hop and country cross. It felt extremely authentic and the writing appeals to many audiences.

‘Birds of a Feather’ performed by Billie Eilish

Songwriters: Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell

Bora Uslusoy, who teaches several courses, including Writer, Engineer, Producer in the Home Studio, says: It is hard to predict who is going to win but I vouch for Billie. Even though I am not so keen on the saturated drum sound and the slight change from the regular vocal tone we are used to hearing from her, “Birds of a Feather” has my vote, as I am a big fan of catchy and memorable choruses. The effective use of dynamics and melodic range strengthens the delivery of the emotion on this track.

Scarlet Keys wrote the Songwriting Tools and Techniques online course, and has taught courses dedicated to the songwriting of Taylor Swift on campus at Berklee College of Music as well as a two-hour online masterclass, but she agrees that Billie Eilish should win the Song of the Year Grammy: I think Taylor Swift is one of the best songwriters of our time but she has songs that are much more dazzling than “Fortnight.” “Fortnight” didn’t bring anything new to the table musically or lyrically compared to some of Swift’s other work. “Fortnight” is a good song but if I had to pick a song of the year that stands out musically and lyrically, it would have to be Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” for its uniqueness, and iconic pop writing. It’s a hard call since there are so many great nominated songs but for my musical sensibility, the lyrics to “Birds of a Feather” are beautiful, and the melodic hooks just keep on coming. The song avoids the tonic note for the most part, which keeps the song moving and engaging and I find this song to be the most unique lyrically and compositionally.

‘Not Like Us’ performed by Kendrick Lamar

Songwriter: Kendrick Lamar

Christina Mattei, who teaches Music Production Fundamentals for Songwriters, says: Kendrick Lamar’s will hands-down be the most remembered song and should win the Grammy for Song of the Year. Not only did the hook catch on fire in 2024, but Kendrick’s anthem proves how mainstream pop culture is greatly inspired by complex, intellectual, and in-depth cultural discourse, and people want those statements and conversations to be brought to the main stage.

‘Please Please Please’ performed by Sabrina Carpenter

Songwriters: Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, and Sabrina Carpenter

Ben Camp, who wrote several songwriting courses, including AI for Songwriters, says: I do like that Kendrick is the only writer on his song, while all the others have multiple songwriters. That being said, “Please Please Please” is incredibly well written—great melody, clever lyrics, even has a modulation—and is just so wonderfully tailored to Sabrina as an artist. 

‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ performed by Beyoncé

Songwriters: Brian Bates, Beyoncé Knowles, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro, Raphael Saadiq

Jimmy Kachulis, who has written several Berklee Online songwriting courses, including Songwriting: Melody, Songwriting: Harmony, and Writing Hit Songs, predicts that Beyoncé will win: “Texas Hold ‘Em” is a unique blending of three classic styles—combining the musical and lyrical vocabularies of country, R&B, and gospel. As for its form, it’s a classic prechorus song—using different progressions in each of the three sections. The chorus harmony is based on the 12-bar blues—like many classic Chuck Berry songs. The melody uses shorter phrases, over the bar line. The harmony in the verse is a variation on the 12-bar blues, using only measures 1-8, like the Beatles’ “Day Tripper.” The melody uses the same shorter phrases, over the bar line. The prechorus has a surprising connection to verse—initially you don’t realize the prechorus has begun—and surprising phrases of different lengths.

Rodney Alejandro is up for a Grammy this year. He’s also Chair of the Songwriting department at Berklee College of Music, and the author of the online course Topline and Vocal Production, as well as an instructor for Music Demo Production for Songwriters and Culminating Experience in Songwriting 1 and 2. He says he’s betting on Beyoncé for the Song of the Year Grammy: “Texas Hold ‘Em” disrupted R&B/Country radio and the effects eased the road for Black artists singing country music to have their music heard. And it is up in several categories!

‘Die With a Smile’ performed by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars

Songwriters: Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Andrew Watt

Alejandro also says “Die With a Smile” could be a dark horse in this race: We can’t sleep on “Die With a Smile,” a late summer release, but a well-crafted song! Everything about this song is a worldwide banger; the melodies and lyrics fit together as nicely as Bruno and Gaga’s vocals. 

Chloe O’Brien, who teaches Songwriting: Melody, says: All of these songs are well-written and had huge moments in pop culture this year, so it’s a tough call to say which one will win, but my personal favorite on the list is “Die With a Smile.” I get goosebumps every time I listen to it!

If the Song of the Year Grammy were up to the amount of goosebumps Berklee Online instructors got from listening, Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” would already have its trophy. But with so many standout nominees, predicting a winner still feels almost impossible. 

“It’s hard to pull the song apart from the story of the song/artist,” says Hayes. “Beyoncé’s country record (she looks amazing in a cowgirl hat too!), Shaboozey having the biggest song of the year without question, Sabrina Carpenter’s super witty hits (co-written by a Berklee grad, who’s also up for best songwriter), Taylor teaming up with Posty, Kendrick keeping the beef going!”

Whether the award goes to a trailblazer or an underdog, this year’s nominees remind us why we love music: for its power to move us, surprise us, and keep us talking long after the final note. It’s anyone’s game, and we’ll be tuning in to see who comes out on top!