Soundtracking: 2018's Original Song nominees
Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 9:00AM by Chris Feil
Best Original Song always gets its fair share of side-eye among Oscar snobs and agnostics alike. Granted, some recent nominees have made a decent enough case for their argument - Alone Yet Not Alone, you are lost but not forgotten (or... alone in terms of being a bad nomination). But does this year's crop of tracks continue the category's uptrending in quality? I would argue it does and then some.
While our most expected nominee ("Shallow" obviously) provides the lineup a genuine hit song, we also have idiosyncratic picks as well as musicals and major artists nominated. This leaves the telecast with no rational choice but to allow all numbers to perform on the show, as they have been hesitant to do with lesser known nominees. So in addition to ranking the nominees, I have some suggestions on how to present all of them...
5. "I'll Fight" from RBG
Songwriters Diane Warren
Here's partly why this is a great crop of nominees: last place is still a solid ballad, and mostly occupies that space simply because it feels the most removed from what we remember about its film. Two things we should never doubt are the ability of docs to show up in Original Song and living legend songwriter Diane Warren. Sadly, this will likely be her tenth nomination without a win at Oscar. Next time, Diane, we promise for real this time!
How to Perform on the Telecast: Hurray for a triumphant return to the Oscar stage for singer Jennifer Hudson! An exciting opportunity here to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg - along with other trailblazing women of past and present. Bring all of the female nominees on the stage!
4. "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Songwriters David Rawlings and Gillian Welch
In hindsight, it feels a little foolish to have doubted the chances of this during the bakeoff stage. While the Coens' film itself was nominated beyond most expectations, maybe this song was the safest bet of its three? The charming song plays quite singularly in sequence, so you have to imagine that helped sway voters. A sly reflection of the film's gloomy themes.
How to Perform on the Telecast: If Tim Blake Nelson doesn't ascend into the rafters of the Dolby Theatre, why are we even here?
3. "All the Stars" from Black Panther
Songwriters Sounwave, Kendrick Lamar, Anthony Tiffith, and SZA
"Oscar nominee Kendrick Lamar" has felt inevitable along with his many other accolades but it is still richly earned here, particularly for how he helped shape the film's musical experience. This one closed Black Panther and sent us out of the theatre in a wave of heart-filled euphoria, so it feels inextricable from how the movie made us feel. Exactly what great Original Song nominees are supposed to do.
How to Perform on the Telecast: Open the ceremony!! Give us a massive experience with a slew of dancers dressed as all of the tribes of Wakanda - precisely the kind of Marvel spectacle ABC nakedly wants to provide viewers, so it's a win for everyone.
2. "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from Mary Poppins Returns
Songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman
The only film with two songs shortlisted and as you might expect, the emotional one was Oscar's preference. While I contend "Trip A Little Light Fantastic" would have given us a great moment on the telecast, this is the right call. Putting a delicate button on the film's themes of growing up while grieving, this song brings to the forefront the sad tones always lurking under Returns' (and the original's) whimsical surface.
How to Perform on the Telecast: While it seems cruel to have the still unnominated Emily Blunt sing the role she wasn't nominated for, wouldn't this make a nice contemporary choice for the In Memorium reel?
1. "Shallow" from A Star is Born
Songwriters Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt
The one to beat and for damn good reason. An authentic hit song is back among Oscar's ranks, a significant pop culture moment ever since the thunderous cascade of Ahhhs hit us when the trailer dropped in the summer, a meme, a new legendary song in a film legacy defined by them. All that and it still bursts with heartbreaking micronuances as it plays out in the film, dreams coming true and two people falling in love right before our eyes.
How to Perform on the Telecast: Bradley Cooper hinted during the film's press cycle that he had something in mind. I hope it's subtle actually - months later and we have still never seen the two of them sing live together. Simply recreating it will be enough.
All Soundtracking installments can be found here!
Related Articles:
• 12 things we learned from the noms
• Adams vs Weisz, Round Two
• Best Picture Silliness
• Deep Cut Oscar Trivia
• Mourning the Snubs
• Nomination Index (individual charts still being updated)
Reader Comments (29)
Prediction: Diane Warren wins on her tenth nomination a la Randy Newman winning his award in a surprise because the Academy isn't into A Star Is Born after all.
Ceremony prediction: Lady Gaga, Kendrick, and J Hud are the only ones to perform their songs fully. The other two get a shortened introduction (either brief performances or briefly played during category announcement like Scarlett's song for that doc a few years ago).
James-
I could totally see Diane Warren being a surprise upset here. I still think you'd be crazy to be against Shallow. But, they did pass over Gaga last time around too, so who knows?
All The Stars was a genuine massive hit song in the UK too - was it not elsewhere?
I'm all choked up
But I can't find the words
Sorry for being this annoying but I will never get over the fact that "Always Remember Us This Way" wasn't even a contender.
Chris, can you just direct the Oscar show? These are all BRILLIANT suggestions.
-David
They passed up on the Gaga song last time because it was a Diane Warren penned song from a documentary...
Peggy Sue, preach! That song is as great as Shallow and I wish they had tried to get both nominated. I honestly think it would have happened.
Gaga has already provided us with two iconic Oscar performances. This time, queen will outdo herself, I have no doubt at all.
Chris, you have outdone yourself--this write-up has me wishing I had worn my waterproof mascara this morning!
Sad about Revelation missing out.
Right? I don't know who handled the ASIB Oscar campaign but they really sucked.
Peggy Sue and brookesboy - It was the same studio that never got one nomination for my beloved Michelle Yeoh! (I know it was a longshot, but I really wanted it to happen.)
Seconding Kermit's point: as much as "Shallow" is a smash, so is "All the Stars". It peaked in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100 and, as a more conventionally structured pop number with two red-hot artists, did gangbusters on radio. That's not to say I give a snowball's chance of beating "Shallow" to the prize, but some respect is due!
Worth noting that these two Best Song nominees are concurrently nominated for both Song and Record of the Year at the Grammys. That's extraordinary! Big year for film soundtracks!
They better not maroon Emily Blunt on stage with no backup/dance/costume/set the way they did with Amy Adams and “Happy Working Song” from Enchanted. She was all right, but it was soooo uncomfortable, when compared with the all-out efforts other songs got:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JTcBeEdCNJk
I find it strange that they didn't campaign The Cover Is Not The Book from MPR. Not only is The Place Where Lost Things Go the dullest/most forgettable song on the soundtrack, but TCintB is a HOOT, Emily and Lin-Manual are great in that song (Emily especially) and that could have been really fun to see them perform it on stage.
Agreed on The Cover Is Not The Book. Best song of the film and Lost Things is so far down the list.
I have a feeling Shallow is going to be the only win for A Star is Born and where all the love will be concentrated. I actually wouldn't mind any of the nominees winning this year, though my own preference is All the Stars.
Was hoping for “A Place Called Slaughter Race” but still quite an exciting bunch of nominees! Not too fond of “I’ll Fight” but if it turns into a dance remix halfway through that’d be interesting.
About that Amy Adams’ “Happy Working Song” performance, does anyone know why hers was so plain in terms of being a production spectacle like the other two? Like, they could’ve had a green screen behind her with animated animals and such if she was nervous about learning choreography or something.
Regarding Emily Blunt, they did have an unnominated Amy Adams perform one of the songs from Enchanted... Or they can call kristin chenoweth to sing the MPR song, I wouldn't mind.
Yes, All the Stars was as big a hit as Shallow and both songs are nominated for Record and Song of the Year at the Grammys. Black Panther is also nominated for Album of the Year and had the ASIB soundtrack been released in Grammy's (totally arbitrary) eligibility period, we likely would have two hit soundtracks from two hit films contending in all three top categories. Amazing. Feels like a return to the 90s.
I wish "Revelation" was nominated, too, but great lineup still.
Oh, and I contend that they should have also submitted "Nowhere to Go But Up" from "Poppins." Or "Can You Imagine That?" Great soundtrack.
My gut reaction after the nominations is that this is still one of the worst Oscar categories. "Shallow" is the only one that feels worthy of the recognition.
Think about it: do any of the other nominees feel like a highlight from the year in cinema? No.
"The Place Where Lost Things Go" is sweet, I guess, and "All the Stars" is a fine enough nominee if we realize that it's just a popular song tacked onto a film and there were no other worthy nominees. The Buster Scruggs song is, at best, a small chuckle from a minor Coen and the RBG tune is gen-er-ic.
We're far from the shallow now. We're also far from the amazing options in this category during the '80s and '90s.
I'm interested in a Kendrick Lamar performance, since his live performances at VMAs are always so amazing - although I don't expect dancers who are literally on fire (see VMA performance of DNA./HUMBLE.), if he's involved in the planning it will be epic.
@James from Ames - they really just stranded her on the stage, and then did a bunch of stage production on the other numbers from 'Enchanted'.
Thanks Chris - great suggestions for performances.
JB & Mikey -- weird. I think THE PLACE WHERE LOST THINGS GO is the *obvious* best song in the film but that's why opinions are always so surprising. everyone's got a different one. But i love "cover is not the book" *way more than "Trip a Little Light" so i wish that had been the second option.
Yeah, I wish the Academy were a bit more creative like Chris. The choice to open it with BLACK PANTHER would be delicious.
That was my thought too - open the show with All The Stars like they did with Timberlake a few years ago. But don't do a cheesy "look at all the stars" montage like the Golden Globes used to do years ago with opening songs.
Cowboy is a duet but it would be amazing to have two duos perform each verse. Some folk / country singers like Emmylou Harris, Allison Krauss, Willie Nelson and Norah Jones, or Tim Blake Nelson and the writer Gillian Welch.
Agree on Shallow keeping it simple. If they don't perform on the Grammys this will be the only time seeing it. Just re-create the magic.
J Hud and all the female nominees - amazing. Or all the snubbed female directors this year!!!
I hope Emily sings the MPR number.
Everyone : the studio chose only to submit Shallow as Best Song for A Star is Born to avoid vote splitting. It is too bad we won"t get to see two Gaga performances at the ceremony. Can you imagine her performing I 'll Never Love Again or Always Remember Us This Way? She would have KILLED. That said, cannnot wait to see her and Cooper perform Shallow.
"Alone Yet Not Alone, you are lost but not forgotten (or... alone in terms of being a bad nomination)."
I'm still not over that for some reason. That nom was legit supposed to be for LDR's Young and Beautiful from Baz's The Great Gatsby,
"When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings", as presented in the film, anyway, isn't a very long song (2 and a half mins). It would be a great little way to salute the western genre, too. And without a host, how is it they don't have time for these songs? There isn't a dud in the bunch.
It would be interesting if Lady Gaga lost song and actress.
I can see her hitting a supporting part in a David O. Russell movie, or something, out of the park. Maybe Tom Ford? That could be brilliant or terrible. I'm sure she's not finished with the movie star thing.
The blessing and curse of A Star is Born is that she's great in it, but the part is so tailored to her pop stardom. It helped Cher to play against type in Silkwood, Mask, etc.