I remember last year first really hearing about the category when I went and saw Les Mis. Halfway through the movie, Hugh Jackman suddenly starts singing this song I had never heard before. I know Les Miserables like the back of my own hand but this random ass song was never one that I had ever heard.
Once I got past the fact that the song wasn't in the show, I started listening to it a little bit more and realized I really liked the song. I thought it fit well in context and it was a cute little song. Well I didn't think too much about it until I saw that the song was up for an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
I think last year I was just rooting for Les Mis to get as many Oscars as it could because I didn't really see many of the other movies, so this kind of fell on my list of hopefuls.
Well it didn't win, Skyfall did, which I understand, its a pretty badass song. But the entire process kind of got me interested. Its not the most glamorous Oscar category but it is an interesting one and a great way to hear good music.
So this year came along and I had only heard of one of the songs nominated for Best Original Song and that was Pharrell's Happy from Despicable Me 2.
Now a quick disclaimer, I really haven't seen any of the movies that these movies are from. I watched a little bit of Despicable Me 2 on a bus a week ago but I didn't really feel like I saw enough of it to warrant a review, so in short, I didn't watch it.
Another disclaimer: A lot of this review is just going to be off my opinion. I'm not a musical genius and the most experience I have with music is my college choir and a couple voice lessons. I'm not going to claim I know which song is a superior song, I'm just going to explain how I felt when I heard each song and how that adds to my decision.
So we'll start out with Happy from Despicable Me 2.
Now I heard this song on the radio a couple weeks ago and I instantly started humming it. When I hear a song I like, I don't stop listening to it until I am worn out of it and this song was one of them. Its got a very catchy RnB feel to it that people just find catchy. You should watch the music video because its just different people from different walks of life just dancing and looking happy. But you don't even need to watch the video, all you need to do it listen to the lyrics. It just kind of makes your day a little bit brighter. I don't know how you could listen to this song and not smile just a little bit.
Its fitting that this song came with Despicable Me because while I don't really feel I fully watched the second one, I remember watching the first one and just thinking this movie is not out to prove something, its just having fun with little yellow monsters. Hopefully I can do a review of both because I'd like to see if they keep that fun easy going feel or if they change it up in the second one.
The only complaint I have with the song is the length. Now there are different lengths of the song but if you haven't already noticed, the music video is about four minute longs and eventually its just the chorus over and over again. I think this was mainly for the sake of getting people like Jimmy Kimmel and Steve Carrell in there while still having a focus on normal different people for the music video. This isn't a huge complaint because its a fun song and the length is just something I've noted.
The funny part about the length of the song is there's actually a website of the song going on a loop for 24 hours. Pharrell was involved but it was also a number of random people just dancing to this song.
Here's the link to that website
Its suppose to be the world first 24 hour music video. I'm not sure why the world would want a music video that runs for 24 hours but its an interesting concept and worth checking out. Its fun seeing different dance moves and there's a segment on youtube for each hour of the day.
Overall, Happy is a catchy bright feeling tune that just makes you feel happy. Regardless of whether or not it wins, you should definitely download it. Its really fun.
The next song is Let It Go from Frozen
Now I haven't seen Frozen and I'm bummed about that because I have heard nothing but great things about it. I know the basic premise of the movie, but I'm going to try and keep the story aside and just judge the song off its own merits.
In short, I love this song.
For a while before I heard it, I thought it was just another Disney Princess song and while those are great, especially from the old 2D cartoon era, I don't listen to those songs over and over again. Like Happy, I am doing that with this song.
The song is performed by Idina Menzel which should be saying something right there. I may have given her some crap in my Rent review but Menzel is a talented singer. Her voice combined with the piano in this song is just a perfect combination to make a really powerful and entertaining ballad. You don't really need to know the plot of the movie to know this song is a huge symbol in the movie for womanhood and things I will not claim to be an expert on. (Listen to the lyrics and you'll know what I mean)
A complaint I have with the music video, not so much the song, and hopefully this is something I will address in my Frozen review after I watch it eventually, is that Idina Menzel's voice doesn't really match with the character in the music video. Again, this is not knocking the song so I won't dwell on it too much but when I watch the video above, I hear Idina Menzel's voice as opposed to seeing the character sing the song. If that makes sense. Maybe that will change when I see the movie.
Now, I'm pretty sure the nomination is for Menzel's version... but there's another version done by Demi Lovato.
Here's that version
I don't think that one is as good. Just my opinion.
Overall, this song is great. The song alone really is making me itch to watch Frozen and I think that's a good sign right there.
The next song is Moon Song from the movie Her
This song is... Ehhh to me.
Its a really short song that kind of reminds me of all those weird little songs from Juno that they would do in the middle of the movie.
Here's that song
Its hard for me to really like a song that sounds like Ellen Paige and Michael Cera singing it like out of tune teenagers and I thought they sang that song better than the original song.
And what puts this song apart is the fact that I keep forgetting this song after I listen to it. Obviously its going to be easier for me to remember a song like Happy and Let It Go because they're grandiose and catchy songs whereas this one reminds me of a sadder version of Tonight You Belong to Me from the Jerk
Here's that song
And that song was really great and very catchy. (I just listened to it and I already forgot Moon Song again!)
Maybe if I listen to the song some more this sentiment will change but its such a short and forgettable song that I don't see it winning by a long shot.
Overall, Moon Song is definitely not my favorite song on this list. I think its quite an accomplishment to get a song nominated for an Oscar but I don't think its going to win.
The next song is Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
What can I say about this song? Its U2. That's a good sign right there. I think the real measurement of whether or not you're going to like this song is if you enjoy U2. If you do, you're going to feel right at home with Ordinary Love. If you don't like U2, chances are you won't fancy this song very much.
I personally really like U2. I think this song is a great. You can tell in the music video I have above that it really is a tribute to the life of Nelson Mandela and the lyrics really have a deeper meaning to them if you take a listen.
Overall, I don't think there's really anything wrong with Ordinary Love coming off my personal opinion. I think its a good U2 song and is a good tribute to Nelson Mandela. However, I feel it isn't really a song that totally stands out and says Oscar winner right there.
Now there's a fourth song that was nominated for a while but got its nomination revoked. I thought I'd mention it since I'm on the subject.
This was the final song that was nominated for Best Original Song. However, the nomination was rescinded due to one of the producers or someone involved with the movie reaching out to gain support from the academy.
Frankly, I don't know if it would have made much different either way if the Academy had kept the nomination or it hadn't, the song is only alright.
It's a pretty song and the story behind it, that the woman singing it has a disability that prevents her from singing on her own so her husband needed to push on her diaphragm in order for her to breath properly for the higher notes.
Overall, its a pretty song, I just don't think it would have gotten very far if it was in the running for the award. I'm more curious about the movie because its not a movie that I've ever seen and it looks kind of cheap. I don't know the story, I don't know what its about and frankly I don't really feel the need to.
So if you probably haven't guessed from my reviews, I think this will come down to Let It Go or Happy. They're just the more entertaining and, I think, better made songs. I wouldn't be unhappy if Ordinary Love won and it might just come back and take the award in the end. Hell what do I know. In the end I think I'm going to put my bet on Let It Go. Its just a beautiful song and I think it has a pretty powerful chance of winning the award.
But we will see in the end won't we?
So what do you think? Have you heard these songs? Which of them do you think will win Best Original Song? Or do you care? Comment and discuss below.
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