by Chris Feil
Thank you Lady Gaga, all of the nominated Original Song performances were given a shot to perform on the Oscars! That "Shallow" leverage reportedly kept the ceremony as much of a musical night as possible. Sadly logistics kept us from getting a Kendrick Lamar and SZA performance of Black Panther's "All the Stars", but I found it frustrating that the producers didn't find some way to work the song into the telecast somehow. A montage needle drop, underscoring for the pre-commercial announcements, something?!
Even without Lamar (who also missed the Grammys), the night was a mostly solid salvage of Oscar musical tradition. It certainly fared better than some recent years, and also helped set variety and a pace for the night that otherwise felt a tad too amorphously rushed. A Star is Born's "Shallow" triumphed for the win as expected all season long, but what of the performances themselves? Time for a ranking!...
5. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings - "When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
You can't necessarily fault the performance itself - every telecast needs a lovely downshift to balance out the night. But one all of the night's performances, it is the most far off from what made the song special in the film. Instead of ironic whimsy with a hint of melancholy, the songwriters delivered something straight forward. Didn't help that they were enshrined in a neon sunset that was nothing like the Coens' parched palette from Scruggs. Where was the winged Tim Blake Nelson we all craved?!
4. Jennifer Hudson - "I'll Fight" from RBG
The collapse of that big note aside (one wonders if sound issues were involved considering every number had some pitch issues, mhmm even Adam Lambert), Oscar winner Hudson gave an efficient performance here. Most documentary Original Song performances appear at a disadvantage in recreating a film's narrative, but this should have been smoother sailing. Sadly, this uplifting ballad was given an almost funereal, dour presentation. Better luck next year should Hudson perform "Memory" from Cats!
3. Adam Lambert and Queen - "We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions"
As someone who only wants more and more musical numbers (and interpretive dance numbers, etc.) on the telecast, I can't rightly complain about the inclusion of Queen on the telecast despite my distaste for Bohemian Rhapsody. A Ray Charles or Johnny Cash number would have made equal sense in their respective biopic years. Starting the show with a big musical number was the right call without a host, even if we wish Kendrick Lamar had been their to give us a Wakanda extravaganza instead. Hope y'all sell those tour tickets, Queenbert!
2. Better Midler - "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from Mary Poppins Returns
A performance to sway those who disliked the song in the first place. Not to discredit Emily Blunt's one-take vocally stoic performance of the song in the film, but this was enough to deceive us at home to think it was written with the Divine Miss M in mind. Finding the layers of longing and sadness in the song's melody, Midler gave an emotionally subtle moment that both recalled the sweet film and stood on its own. I still argue she could have made this the In Memoriam song, particularly since that task was left to the orchestra.
1. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - "Shallow" from A Star is Born
Honestly, what would have had to have gone wrong for this to not be the top musical moment of the night? Regardless, the duo wisely kept this very simple and emotional, reminding us of the romance that ignited pop culture for a few wild months. If anything, it was such a perfect moment that you can imagine some voters watching and thinking they should have taken some of the film's gravitas more seriously. Oscar history right here. [Olivia Colman voice] Lady Gaga!!
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