It’s the same thing every year. The best original songs aren’t ever original and the winners never deserve their plaudits. What will the Oscars have the Twitter finger warriors mad about this year?
When springtime creeps up, one event captivates audiences like no other. It’s the talk of the town and dominates the internet — it even turns the common people who usually have no interest in films into armchair experts. The Oscars, otherwise known as a party for the most important people on Earth, is set to take place this month on March 27.
As we know, the Oscars are historically racist, historically sexist, and historically full of controversy. In 2015, the award show was embroiled in the #OscarsSoWhite controversy because of its lack of inclusivity. In 2016, all 20 of the nominated actors were white and just two years ago, no female directors were nominated for best director despite their outstanding work. I haven’t even mentioned the pay gap in the industry yet either. People are fed up and if we’re being honest, did anybody even watch last year’s event? Who won best original song?
Gone are the days of Barbra Streisand and Lionel Richie, and in are the Gagas and H.E.R.s of the world. If this was high school, they’d probably win prom king and queen everytime. Now, I’m not saying that all of this year’s scores are terrible or even that the quality of music has regressed. That wouldn’t be fair; but the Oscars have never been about who won an award but rather, who beat who in the process.
Although the Oscars are a predominantly film-centered award show, music and film go hand in hand. I personally find this year’s best original song nominees particularly disappointing. “Be Alive” from King Richard, “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto, “Down To Joy” from Belfast, “No Time To Die” from No Time to Die and “Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days are the songs. Here are my honest opinions on each one, ranked from least to most deserving to win in ascending order.
5. “Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_sSxlIjDzE
“Somehow You Do,” written by Diane Warren and sung by Reba McEntire, speaks about drug addiction, abandonment and the hardships of a seemingly unwinnable battle. Beautifully produced and classic in its slow acoustic progression, Warren, for whom this is her 13th Oscar nomination in this category, knocks the feel of this song out of the park: solitude and uncertainty. That being said, what the song has in vibe, it loses in an overly repetitive chorus and cheesy lyrics. It’s always best to avoid sayings a five year old can come up with. Phrases such as “When you think that the mountain’s too high / And the ocean’s too wide, you’ll never get through / Somehow you do,” are just so incredibly cheesy and unoriginal. It’s like saying that the sun is too bright or the fog is too thick. Thank you Captain Obvious. “Somehow You Do” is a song that reminds me of a new job. The first day is amazing, the first week is great and by the end of the month, you want to get the hell out of there. For a four-minute song about coping with drugs, I would have loved to hear an explosive climax. A moment of triumph, a cry in C5, a moment where we can all let out our anguish and let the music consume us. Without it, this song just doesn’t have enough to be in winning conversations.
4. “No Time To Die” from No Time to Die
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BboMpayJomw
“No Time To Die” is a song many people think would’ve won last year, had the Bond movie been released on time. So it must be surprising that I have it this low. In all honesty, this isn’t a bad song. But it isn’t amazing and it isn’t something we’ve never heard before. Sorry Billie, but many of your songs kind of sound the same. Again, the vibe is immaculate and while I just hated Billie’s voice, she makes a damn good Bond song. I would have just liked for another four-minute song to have more of a climax; one carried by the vocals rather than by the sounds. A faster tempo and a more intricate bass riff would have helped too. A beautiful glimpse of that can be heard at around the 3:30 mark but that’s it. It’s incomparable to past winner “Skyfall” in my opinion.
3.”Down to Joy” from Belfast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6R_flCWidw
Belfast is a movie heavily inspired by the childhood of the director Kenneth Branagh during the times of the Troubles in Ireland. Without getting too historical, in many facets, this film and this song can be seen as an anti-war cry. The relevance is undeniable to the current political situation in Ukraine right now. Despite having a sad background, “Down to Joy” is upbeat, youthful, carefree, and bittersweet. Sadly, it is also a song I can plug into the background of about thirty different end credit sequences. It sounds like an all purpose cleanser for my face, body, hair and mouth. A jack of all trades but a master of none. For a song about facing immense struggles, fighting for your lives, “Down to Joy” lacks what The Cranberries did when they came out with “Zombie.” A song like that was just what the world needed. This is purely my bias but we can’t even compare the two.
2. “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUGtyj5QlEM
“Dos Oruguitas” roughly translates to “Two Caterpillars.” Listening to this song is like listening to a movie, or reading a book through hearing. Disney songs are always catchy and this song is the definition of an earworm. Singer Sebastián Yatras does an incredible job manipulating his voice. We go from anxiety and sadness to defiance and pride. This rollercoaster of a song takes some getting used to. The first listen is like “ok,” the second listen is “this is kinda good,” and after the third listen, you’re crying your eyes out. The progression, the pre-chorus are all just leading up to what in the end feels like a big hug after a tough day. If it weren’t for the first song on the list, “Dos Oruguitas” would have been my pick for number one.
1.“Be Alive” from King Richard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wYdZi3tFJ4
King Richard is the story of Venus and Serena Williams and their father Richard Williams. From a struggling neighborhood in California, with willpower and determination, Williams single-handedly pushed and clawed his daughters to stardom. “Be Alive,” performed by Beyoncé, is an anthem for all of those who take inspiration from their story and all those struggling within their own dreams. The voice, powerful. The lyrics, powerful. The imagery, powerful. Beyoncé starts us off with a big slap in the face. Her tone and the projection of her vocals takes us on a journey like only she can. The song is perfect for when you’re in the gym working out or just in need of some acknowledgement. What I take from this song is that no matter what happens, I’m doing great. There’s somebody out there who believes in me and that all my hard work will eventually pay off. The song really lives up to its name. After listening, you really do feel so grateful to be alive.
In the end, this list is subjective and by no way is this even an accurate attempt at projecting the eventual winners. All the artists did an amazing job and their passion really shone through. Something beautiful happens when movies and music combine and it’s a match made in heaven.
Always take everything written here with a grain of salt. If I write a book and a hundred people read it, it’s as if I wrote one hundred different books. Everyone has a different opinion and is going to feel a different way. This goes without saying for literature, art, and especially music. Your opinions are valid. These are just mine.
Graphic by Taylor Reddam
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