There are only a few weeks left before the most anticipated awards ceremony in the world of cinema: the 91st Academy Awards ceremony will take place at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on February 24.
It is set to be the first ceremony in three decades to be conducted with no host. And that’s not the only change: it was reported initially that ABC was looking to have just two live performances but that plan appears to have been changed with Variety reporting that all five nominated acts have been invited to perform live.
The Best Song category at this year’s Oscars features Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper‘s A Star Is Born hit “Shallow”, Kendrick Lamar and SZA‘s “All The Stars” from Black Panther, RBG song “I’ll Fight” performed by Jennifer Hudson, “The Place Where Lost Things Go”, from Mary Poppins Returns and “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings”, from The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs.
So voters being asked to choose between classic songs and monster hits. From Kendrick Lamar to Lady Gaga, each stands a fighting chance at winning the statue.
Shallow – A Star Is Born
“Shallow” was the first single from A Star Is Born soundtrack, written by Lady Gaga with Andrew Wyatt, Anthony Rossomando and Mark Ronson.
The song is a nostalgic and romantic ballad that captures all the feelings showed on Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born.
It should win the award because…
… that sweet acoustic guitar intro reminds us Ronan Keating’s “When You Say Nothing at All” from Notting Hill, a film that we’ve always loved since 1999.
“Shallow” should win also because it helped lead the soundtrack album to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Moreover, in a recent interview with Variety, Gaga said that “Shallow” is one of the most authentic songs she has ever written.
If you need proof of authenticity, watch this performance.
All The Stars – Black Panther
Epic track for a not epic film. The lead single from the Black Panther soundtrack (entirely curated by Kendrick Lamar) is a collaboration between the Compton’s rapper and SZA. It snagged high spots on the commercial charts, behind more than 400 million on-demand streams in 2018, earning also 4 Grammy Awards nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
You will have to listen to it on the radio just a couple of times.
It should win the award because…
… Lamar actually deserves it. On May 2018 he made history being the first hip-hop act to win a Pulitzer Prize in music for his acclaimed 2017 album DAMN.. Moreover, Black Panther The Album should prove to Hollywood that Afro-American culture has the power to generate big resonance.
I’ll Fight – RBG
RBG is a documentary film directed and produced by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, focusing on the life and the career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, ironically called Notorious RBG. Since the 1960s she fought for gender equality while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.
The Oscar-nominated song “I’ll Fight” was written by Diane Warren and performed by the classic voice of Jennifer Hudson.
It should win the award because…
… 2018 was the year of a new wave of feminism. So, if “I’ll Fight” wins, it’s going to be a women’s victory.
The Place Where Lost Things Go – Mary Poppins returns
The original soundtrack for Mary Poppins returns was composed by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. On the Oscar-nominated “The Place Where Lost Things Go” Emily Blunt brings a soft touch to the soothing tune, carrying listeners to a magic world far from their own.
The heartbreaking song is about the sense of loss:
Do you ever dream
Or reminisce
Wondering where to find
What you truly miss
Well maybe all those things
That you love so
Are waiting in the place
Where the lost things go
It should win the award because…
Mary Poppins won in 1964 and its sequel should continue the tradition, showing, once more, the power of Disney songs.
When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings – The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an amazing western anthology film by the Coen brothers, sold to Netflix for distribution. It features six epic vignettes that take place in the American frontier soundtracked with traditional country songs. The melancholic ballad “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” accompanies the ending of the first episode, capturing its dark and otherworldly atmosphere.
It should win the award because…
… Netflix has won two Oscars for documentary films, but never any for Best original song. There’s always a first time!