Does the '2018 Grammy Nominees' album deliver? Breaking down all 21 tracks

Here's a head-scratcher right out the gate. Bruno's ode to excess and bling was a hit, certainly, and "24K Magic" snagged a Record of the Year nomination (to go with Album of the Year), but "That's What I Like" – itself nominated for Song of the Year – not only had a longer-lasting impact, but also topped the charts, which "24K Magic" simply couldn't do. This may have been the lead single, but it's not the one we're gonna be remembering years down the line.

By not nominating him for Album of the Year, the Grammys must have generated some bad blood with Ed Sheeran, as his two nominations aren't represented on this album in any capacity. Thus, we're left with lesser fare like Kelly Clarkson's underperforming lead single from her latest album, "Love So Soft," her only nomination this year. Maybe instead of this we could've gotten something by SZA? LCD Soundsystem? Sylvan Esso? This feels it was included more out of obligation than anything else.

This isn't merely a song: this was a cultural moment, one that broke down cultural and language barriers in a fairly unprecedented manner. In fact, it held onto No.1 for 16 weeks, tying Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" as the longest-running chart-topper in recorded history. Whether it wins the Grammys for Record or Song of the Year is almost beside the point: this is a watershed moment that no one is going to forget anytime soon.

The great thing about Kendrick Lamar's inescapable instant-classic "DAMN." was how it wasn't anchored by one single game-changing song. Sure, "HUMBLE." topped the charts, but fellow Grammy nominated-song "24K Magic" gets sampled in "LOYALTY.", while the sexy "LOVE." was climbing Billboard just as this Grammy compilation came out. There are fans of all of these stellar rap numbers, but we can't fight it: populist as it was, "HUMBLE." had to be here.

It's kind of amazing how Lorde ended up topping the charts as we well as numerous critic lists with her album "Melodrama," but even more strange is how she did so with virtually no radio support, her songs become cult and tastemaker favorites but rarely burning up the Top 40. "Green Light" is still a heck of a number, but between her, St. Vincent, and of course Taylor Swift, we really aren't giving a Best Producer nod to Jack Antonoff? Lorde's album is going to be cherished, but Antonoff's snub will be a mystery for the ages.

In some senses, Donald Glover's music career has been more loved by critics than it has by the mainstream public, but by changing up his style to create the retro-soul throwback album "Awaken, My Love!", he captured the world's interest all over again, and "Redbone" turned into a multi-platinum smash for the most talented multi-hyphenate working today. What a pleasant surprise his Grammy nominations were. The album still came out to mixed reviews, but even his harshest critics couldn't deny the power of "Redbone."

The Mark Romanek-helmed music video for "The Story of O.J." (wherein Jay is animated like an old-school racist cartoon), is an explosive, controversial piece of art – just like the song itself, which has lyrics that many accuse of being blatantly anti-Semitic. Yet Jay is no stranger to controversy, and even with his album "4:44" dividing as many fans as it won new ones over, this remains one of the album's most striking cuts, and one we'll be debating about long after the Grammys are over.

Despite rolling around in hits from her surprising 2015 debut album, Cara has never received andy Grammy love despite having carved out quite a niche for herself, carefully selecting her guest verses while managing her inspirational message. Now, between her dance-ready Zedd collaboration and a cut you'll see later on this Grammy nominations album, she's ended up scoring four nominations this year including a coveted nod for Best New Artist. As for the song itself, "Stay" is fun but inessential, as producer Zedd is in the hit-making business these days, cashing checks while being far less concerned with pushing his art forward.

To say that Gaga's country-ish turn "Joanne" was divisive would be an understatement. Some fans rejected it, others appreciated its boldness, and others dug what she dished out during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. During that performance, the classic-sounding ballad "Million Reasons" had the biggest impact, hitting the Billboard Top 10 immediately afterwards. The album "Joanne" may be an odd experiment, but "Million Reasons" is clearly the biggest takeaway.

Well, between this and "Fighter," the Recording Academy at least nominated the better of the two Imagine Dragon singles. Still doesn't change the fact that they just handed out some nominations for one of the five worst-reviewed albums of the year though.

John Gourley is basically having his Modest Mouse moment this year, as despite having put out seven albums, it's his band's eighth effort, "Woodstock," that finally has people talking, as the groove of "Feel It Still" makes full use of its "Please Mr. Postman" sample and not only rolls bit damn well revels in it. Plus, there's already a Kidz Bop version of it, so it's basically part of the cultural fabric right now, even if the band end up turning into one-hit wonders.

Ah yes, "gold" – the one thing we know Achilles for. Chris Martin's lyrics have gotten continually worse over time, and even with The Chainsmokers' moment having passed virtually as quickly as it came, there's still something undeniably catchy about their collaboration, which netted Coldplay their second-highest charting song ever. Was nice knowing ya, Chainsmokers. We expect them to now disappear in a smoke bomb made out of Axe Body Spray mist.

This is rough: despite pouring her heart and troubles into a ballad-heavy, dour set of pop songs, the magic that we've come to love P!nk for has faded somewhat, and her album "Beautiful Disaster" received her poorest critical notices in years, to say nothing of the underwhelming chart performance of her singles, "What About Us" included. We expect P!nk to fully bounce back (she's done it before), but her nod for Best Pop Solo Performance feels like an obligation nomination more than anything else.

You can make arguments whether or not rapper Logic's suicide-prevention anthem is really one of the best songs of the year, but there's no denying it's the most important, with the national suicide hotline of its namesake receiving unprecedented spikes in call volume after the song came out and after various TV performances. It's pop with pathos, an aching number that grabbed the nation's attention.

Ugh. Although she's written songs for other pop acts before, Julia Michaels' first real hit was this painfully obvious, cloying piece of pop pulp that netted her a Best New Artist nomination for some reason. There's a chance she'll be able to spin this off into a viable pop career, but we're betting she'll join The Ting Tings and The Tony Rich Project in Best New Artist nominee obscurity.

Once Kesha's struggles with her former producer were made public and she was enmeshed in one legal drama after another, her "comeback" could have made for a lot of indulgent, woe-is-me sentimentality. Instead, she delivered a lively, rocking album that was anchored by this incredible ballad of forgiveness. With lush production by Ryan Lewis and a high note for the ages, this is unquestionably the best comeback story that 2017 had to offer.

When it comes to songwriters-come-artists stories, Chris Stapleton's turn towards fame has been one of the most welcome, as his ace lyrics are matched by his huge vocal range, making for an artist that is already a good friend of the Grammys. Taking lesser country meditations and crushing them up into a fine powder, this stunning mid-tempo number on admitting that no one knows life's answers is a remarkable country highlight from an artist who looks like he's gonna have a career chock full of them.

For one of the blandest country-pop acts in existence, it's amazing how close Little Big Town came to making something truly unique and distinct with 2014's "Girl Crush," a breakup song that touched on modern sexuality that was unlike anything they had done before. Grammy took notice and is nominating them once again... with this, um, song. "Better Man" is absolutely passable fare, but it could have been recorded by anybody, and ultimately signals that the unique moment that the band had with "Girl Crush" may have only been a one-off.

Others have pointed out how, for a "country" song, "Craving You" is basically a rewrite of M83's far superior "Midnight City," all sleek and synth-y in a way most country hits just aren't these days. Rhett has had no problem embracing his role as a country-pop chameleon, but when you have the incredibly talented Maren Morris on as a guest and you barely let her near the mic, what you end up with is a song that should've been nominated for Worst Missed Opportunity.

Oh yeah, these guys. "You got everyone watchin' you / Like cameras in Hollywood / Baby, you look good" – yeesh. Who would've guessed that the omnipresence of "Need You Now" was actually Lady Antebellum's golden era? After dolling out bland couplets like this, it's clear that that one-time Grammy darlings are basically coasting now and bringing nothing fresh to the table.

Hate on Kenny all you want, but at the very least you know what you're getting when you listen to a Kenny Chesney album. He remains nothing if not consistent, and "All the Pretty Girls" is yet another ode to a sort of projected, idealized Midwest innocence that Chesney's been cashing in on for years now. Hate the player as much as you want, but Chesney's still winning the game.