For Good’ Lead Original Song Race
The song “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” has been the talk of awards watchers for months, based on its phenomenal popularity with both moviegoers and record buyers. But what other songs from this year’s movies are likely to make Oscar’s shortlist?
“Golden’s” biggest competition comes from a pair of high-profile films, each of which is entering two songs: “Sinners” and “Wicked: For Good.” Two-time Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson is the co-writer of both blues-based “Sinners” songs, “I Lied to You” (with Raphael Saadiq) and “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” (with Alice Smith and Miles Caton, who sings both songs in Ryan Coogler’s period piece).
Three-time Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz penned two new songs for part 2 of “Wicked”: “No Place Like Home,” sung by Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and “The Girl in the Bubble,” sung by Ariana Grande as Glinda. All four of these are strong contenders as they’re all performed on screen as a part of the narrative.
Pop stars add visibility that can pay dividends in terms of voter attention. Miley Cyrus has contributed a song to “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Dream as One” (co-written with Oscar winners Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt), and Shakira performs the energetic dance number “Zoo” (co-written by Ed Sheeran) in Disney’s animated, big-grossing “Zootopia 2.”
From “Tron: Ares,” Nine Inch Nails—aka Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who’ve won two Oscars for their scores, including Disney’s “Soul”—has entered “As Alive as You Need Me to Be,” a rock anthem with Reznor on vocals. In a similar hard-rockin’ vein is another Ed Sheeran song, “Drive” from “F1.”
Nick Cave co-wrote and sings the evocative title song from “Train Dreams” with composer Bryce Dessner, both of whom have so far been denied Oscar attention; the film’s rave reviews could make this their best shot yet.
Spike Lee’s film “Highest 2 Lowest” has entered two songs: the title tune, written and performed by Aiyana-Lee (who sings it on camera in the film’s finale), and the hardcore hip-hop track “Trunks,” written and performed by A$AP Rocky (who plays rapper Young Felon in the film), although its liberal profanity marks it as more of a longshot.
From a pair of female-centric films come two more entries: “Stolen Tale” from “Hedda,” by Oscar winner Hildur Guðnadóttir and director Nia DaCosta, and “Clothed by the Sun” from “The Testament of Ann Lee,” written by another Oscar winner, composer Daniel Blumberg, who sings alongside the film’s star Amanda Seyfried.
Indie pop band Japanese Breakfast was recruited by filmmaker Celine Song for her rom-com “Materialists,” and they came up with “My Baby (Got Nothing at All),” which could surprise as a shortlist entry.
Songs from documentaries have a harder time gaining traction, although when Diane Warren is the writer, that’s a powerful impetus to listen—she’s been nominated every year for the past eight years (16 total since 1987) and received an honorary Oscar in 2022. Kesha sings Warren’s latest, “Dear Me,” from the documentary about the songwriter’s life and career, “Relentless.”
Three others could make the shortlist. Punk-rock icon Billy Idol collaborated with doc veteran (and three-time Oscar nominee) J. Ralph on “Dying to LIve,” from “Billy Idol Should Be Dead,” while Grammy-winning opera star Ana Maria Martinez lends her soprano to “Sweet Dreams of Joy,” an aria by Nicholas Pike from “Viva Verdi!” And Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile co-wrote and perform “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” for the moving doc “Come See Me in the Good Light”; they also served as exec producers for the film.
Voting begins Dec. 8, with the shortlist announcement scheduled for Dec. 16.
