Who should win the APMA for Best Song?

With the second annual AP Music Awards taking place July 22 (get your tickets now), at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, we thought we would use the weeks leading up to this epic event to give you a category-by-category breakdown of the nominees, so you can be an informed voter. Read on to learn about the Best Song nominees, and cast your vote at altpress.com/apmas!

Beartooth – “Beaten In Lips”

“I’m not trying to write songs to change the world.” That's what Beartooth vocalist Caleb Shomo told AP back when the band released “Beaten In Lips” in May 2014. Whether or not the band has changed the world (yet) is up for debate, but there's no question that everything has changed for Shomo and Beartooth since we first heard “Beaten In Lips.” The song represents everything Beartooth accomplished on their debut record, Disgusting. Aggression laced with epic melody, a proud sense of revolt, and a uniting spirit all on display, showing the world Beartooth is here to stay.

Motionless In White – “Reincarnate”

Motionless In White have never been a band to conform to what the world wants them to be, so it makes sense that the group's aptly titled 2014 record Reincarnate and the eponymous single break every trope in the modern metalcore world. With “Reincarnate,” the band introduces more industrial electronics than ever, a darker, doom-driven atmosphere and a sense of attitude that shows Motionless would rather play by their own set of rules. “Reincarnate” deviates from the norm in all of the best ways possible.

Real Friends – “I Don't Love You Anymore”

It may be difficult to believe—given Real Friends' incredible popularity and surprisingly deep discography—but the band's debut full-length Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing, is their first on a proper label. Considering how they've come up organically on the rungs of the pop-punk ladder without corporate backing the hallmark single “I Don't Love You Anymore” is particularly impressive. The song is endlessly catchy, with lead singer Dan Lambton delivering an impassioned performance that rivals any other in the pop-punk scene, and the song's lyrical content is perhaps the best example of the trademark Real Friends writing style. The song is a snapshot of everything a pop-punk band should be—five people with instruments, creativity and something to say.

Set It Off – “Why Worry”

“Why Worry,” the lead single from Set It Off's latest record Duality, is a perfect example of what happens when a band seamlessly aligns the mood and lyrical content of a song. The track is a sugar-coated pop smash that begs to be played for the heavens with the windows rolled down. As if the supernatural pop goodness of the song's chorus wasn't enough, vocalist Cody Carson reminds you on every listen that there's no point in stressing out over the trivial minutia of life. If music is supposed to serve as escapism, “Why Worry” is a perfect route.

Sleeping With Sirens – “Kick Me”

“Kick Me” is all about beginnings. It’s the band's first single from their latest record, Madness, their first song released on Epitaph Records, and their first single since parting ways with former guitarist, Jesse Lawson. Considering the expectations weighing on the band's shoulders after the massive success that was Feel, “Kick Me” is a sharp left turn that explores a completely unexpected direction and succeeds unquestionably. Even if all of the symbolic weight of the track is stripped away, it sparks in a way that only Sleeping With Sirens can deliver.

PVRIS – “My House”

PVRIS seemingly came out nowhere last year, a name overheard between sets at a show, a small footnote on the Vans Warped Tour lineup or a song title glanced over on a blog or Twitter. PVRIS have steadily grown to become one of the scene's most important new bands through word-of-mouth, and “My House” is the single from White Noise that started it all. Vocalist Lynn Gunn's dynamic vocal range is in full effect as she shifts between quiet murmur and powerful belting over a soundscape of haunting electronics and a dance beat fading in and out of prominence. “My House” is a triumph to songwriting in this music scene, and shouldn't be overlooked because of PVRIS's newcomer status.

Feel educated yet? Good—now go cast your vote at altpress.com/apmas! Tickets for the award show are on sale now.