Grammy countdown: Coldplay vs. Mraz in best song race?

Grammy countdown: Song of the year

The field at a glance: There's Coldplay, and then there are four artists who will lose to Coldplay.

Face it, the Brit pop stars have this field, as well as record of the year, likely locked up. "Viva La Vida," with its triumphant strings, momentous church bells and seemingly important lyrics -- something about revolution and/or religion is mixed in there -- moves swiftly and feels significant. It even made a commercial for a MP3 player seem like an extravagant occasion.

Adele's "Chasing Pavements" is nice. The song builds to a heavily orchestrated chorus, one that lends the soulful tale of heartbreak a bit of an epic feel. And Adele is certainly the best pure singer of the bunch, but she's a newbie, and not as obvious a vocal force as an Amy Winehouse. She'll be rewarded elsewhere -- hopefully as best new artist.

Compared to Adele and Duffy, Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" is downright slight, and forgettable. Not that such traits take it out of Grammy contention. Our Grammy prognosticating pal at HitFix reminds us that this is an award show that once bestowed accolades upon a song such as "Wind Beneath My Wings." Yet "Love Song" was propelled to the top of the chart solely because it was in a commercial, and Bareilles doesn't have much of an identity beyond it.

But surely there must be someone who can upset Coldplay?

It won't be Estelle and her "American Boy" featuring Kanye West. For one, we'll bring up the Kanye Curse. The man has 10 Grammys in his trophy chest, and all of them are confined to genre fields. This is an amazing feat, considering he averages eight to 12 Grammy nominations per album.

So Estelle, despite releasing a bashfully playful dance number, is out. Additionally, Estelle clearly is not a favorite of Recording Academy voters, having been wrongly shut out of the best new artist field and any major R&B nominations.

That leaves Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," the male bookend to Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly." Pop & Hiss is going to get right to the point here: While this was a top-10 hit, it's also the most ingratiating song nominated for a Grammy in 2009. There's no reason to listen past the first verse, when Mraz sings like a little puppy dog that you're "so hot" that he's melted. Enough, but what follows is a balmy, day-at-the-beach guitar, and show-off vocal phrasing -- there's no reason to try to say the word "do" a dozen different ways.

Regardless, the song isn't a serious contender to best Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," but it is not to be taken as lightly as it sounds either. Look for it to win best male pop vocal performance. Here, the prize should be awarded to Estelle, but it will go to Coldplay.

-- Todd Martens

Photo: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Steve]

Coldplay deserves this reward. I can just see the haters coming in talking about satrani but the songs are nothing alike. Do ppl honestly think they are stupid enough to copy that guy? Theres only one similar beat. The fact is Coldplay makes catchy music....and some ppl enjoy catchy inspiring music.

[jack]

Nothing against Estelle with "American Boy"; but Coldplay should & deserve to win for "Viva La Vida". Your just wrong, Viva La Vida is the better song of the two.

[chico]

I prefer the originality and honesty of Jason Mraz over the commercialism and plagarism of Coldplay, thank you very much.

[Danielle]

Jason Mraz is the most amaing and inspiring artist of our time... if any one took the time to listen to what he hae to say thet would live their lives a better way...he makes me want to be a better person eveyday...as far as iI'm concerned there is no comparison and whoever wrote this article knows nothing about music...

[Jen]

Have you actually listened, I mean, really listened to Satrani's song while listening to Viva la Vida? It's not that the songs are exactly the same. Where the alleged plagiarism comes in is with the melody of the words sung in Viva la Vida. The words are sung to a melody that sounds just like Satrani's main melody.

I'm not trying to bash Coldplay because everyone is entitled to listen to the music they want. I just find it more than a coincidence that the two songs sound so close. Not to mention the fact that the lead singer of Coldplay has recently mentioned plagiarizing one of his songs already. Who in their right mind would admit to something like that when you're in a legal battle for the same thing with another song?

I just have a few issues with Coldplay and the Grammy's. I am curious as to how a song that is in a current legal battle for possible plagiarism can even be nominated for song of the year. (Will the title be stripped if it is determined the song was plagiarized?) And, they need to have several rock categories not just one lumping all sounds in one - I mean can you really put Coldplay and Metallica in the same category? Not saying one is better than the other, but rather that they are two completely different sounds.

[Hethler]

I am not surprised that Mraz didn't win over John Mayer for best pop vocal. The latter has been Grammy favorite eversince he landed hi music career. But Coldplay taking hom the plum for song of the year? Seriously? They could have give it to Mraz. C'mon, don't get me wrong. I love Coldplay too, I love their new album but c'mon Mraz deserves it than Coldplay. But who am I to question Grammy. Oh well, blessed be Mraz.

[Jerry]

I love Coldplay, but they have nothing on the creativity of Jason Mraz. It really is sad to see such a talent looked over when there are a million bands out there that sound like Coldplay. Oh well, the Grammys really don't mean anything anymore anyways.

[GRIM]

Dudes...Jason mraz-Prettiest Friend is really CANON by pachebelle and has anothere pasage in from a song i cant remember now and That ..I'm yours the harmonics are form What a wonderfull world just sing along ;),i dont think Coldplay did it on purpouse it just happend...

[Sue]

You what? What did you just say about Jason Mraz?! You know who he is right? Just the one with 6 different hits, I'm Yours being the biggest and being the longest lasted song in CHART HISTORY, oh and is the 4th most downloaded song on iTunes EVER. I know this was a few years now BUT John Mayer did want to actually share the Grammy with Mraz because he was that impressed about how much impact Mraz had made. Mayer said he had said it set a new limit.
That song isn't even Jason Mraz's best song, you ever heard the other songs. THEY ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD. OH and by the way, he sings the 'do' bit 'a dozen times' because its called SCATTING! IT'S A JAZZ TERM!