Oscars 2023: Ranking every ‘Best Original Song’ nomination
It’s easy to forget how important music is to every film we watch. While something like No Country For Old Men thrived with no music at all, having the correct song at the right time puts an entire movie into perspective. Given its significance, the Oscars pay tribute to the importance of music in cinema every year.
Of course, with the lure of the most glamorous annual event on the Hollywood calendar up for grabs, it some of the greatest songwriters of a generation attempt to have their say. Outside of the orchestral score, the ‘Best Original Song’ category is always key to making sure an audience leaves the movie on a high note.
Even if some fans have never seen the movie, they can point to certain songs and get the full picture of what they’re getting into in the cinema. And with the latest Oscar nominations out, the latest original songs run the gamut of emotions, from innovative to inspiring to heartbreaking.
So, before going into one of the biggest nights for movie fans, here’s a look at the nominees for ‘Best Original Song’ and how they stack up against each other.
Ranking the 2023 ‘Best Original Song’ Oscar nominations:
5. ‘Hold My Hand’ – (Lady Gaga, Top Gun: Maverick)
Top Gun: Maverick is the kind of over-the-top movie that we don’t see as much in Hollywood anymore. And what would an over-the-top Tom Cruise be without a kick-ass theme song behind it?
Fresh off writing the Oscar juggernaut ‘Shallow’, Lady Gaga teamed up with BloodPop for ‘Hold My Hand’, which taps into the same feeling as ‘Take My Breath Away’ from the original soundtrack. While Gaga is in prime form here, there might not be as much bombast to carry her through Oscar night. Despite having some amazing moments, ‘Hold My Hand’ doesn’t necessarily tie itself to the movie as much as the others do.
The performance is stunning, but if you took it out of the context of the movie, no one would automatically think that this was a staple of Top Gun. Although ‘Hold My Hand’ is a great way to kick the movie into high gear, it’s not exactly on the same level as ‘Danger Zone’ by any means. The song makes a lot more sense within the context of the movie, but if you had no context, it would still have the exact same effect.
Even though Lady Gaga does an amazing job selling the song, this might be one of the safer picks should this be given the prize on award night. Then again, this being in last place isn’t a slam against Gaga. It’s a compliment to how stiff the competition was this year.
4. ‘Applause’ – (Diane Warren, Tell It Like a Woman)
There’s something to be said for songwriters that keep getting better with age. Even though most pop stars have their time in the sun for a few summers before slipping away, Diane Warren has spent all of that time honing her craft and churning out one hit after another. If you were a casual fan, though, you probably wouldn’t know her name.
Although Warren has been a songwriter for years, she has turned in most of her time as a songwriting doctor of sorts, giving classics like ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ to Aerosmith. Teaming up with Sofia Carson, ‘Applause’ is the kind of song that feels lived in before you even get through the first verse. Coming from Tell It Like a Woman, this is the kind of anthem that can build people’s confidence and make them weep at the exact same time.
Although the format is still a pop song, the lyrics paint a beautiful picture of growing up and having the confidence to pat yourself on the back every now and again, albeit with a more subdued slant with the piano. While this might be the underdog for Oscars night, this is a safe pick that will most likely get many nods of approval should the Academy go this way.
While it’s not as over the top as the track that Gaga put out, it’s not trying to be. In a world trying to outdo each other, sometimes it’s nice to have a great pop song that does its job effectively.
3. ‘Naatu Naatu’ – (M. M. Keeravani, RRR)
Part of the job behind a movie tie-in song is to get people acquainted with the world of the movie. Even if fans haven’t seen the film, they can hear the song and know everything to expect when they sit down in the theatre. And if ‘Naatu Naatu’ is any indication, you’re in for a hell of a good time when you see RRR.
Drawing inspiration from traditional Indian music, this tune is the first song from an Indian film to get nominated for ‘Best Original Song’. It’s not hard to see why, either. From the opening notes, this entire tune is an adrenaline rush you won’t soon forget, with both singers playing off each other perfectly and the over-the-top energy matching perfectly to the music behind it.
Although this might be a little too over the top for some, this is probably the most likely to get the prize on Oscar night. After taking the prize at this year’s Golden Globes, ‘Naatu Naatu’ might fit the title of ‘Best Original Song’ the most on the list. It might not be the best song included, but we don’t come to the cinema to listen to music. We come to the cinema to be entertained, and this is one of the most entertaining songs to come to the screen this year.
2. ‘Lift Me Up’ – (Rihanna, Wakanda Forever)
Marvel fans were devastated when Chadwick Boseman passed away from cancer back in 2020. Although the MCU was already on pause due to a global pandemic, Ryan Coogler was hard at work making a sequel to Black Panther without King T’Challa. Just like Wakanda Forever, Rihanna found the best way to move on from the tragedy on ‘Lift Me Up’ and confront it head-on.
From the starting notes of this song, the lyrics aren’t trying to hide anything. Everyone in the audience knew that this film couldn’t go on without T’Challa, and this song is an opportunity to grieve alongside the characters. As opposed to other tribute songs, Rihanna is talking about more than just celebrating Boseman’s work. This is about taking Boseman’s influence and using it to move on from tragedy, even when the world seems like it’s grinding you down.
The characters in Wakanda Forever have their enemies leaning on them at their weakest moment, and this is the kind of song that carries enough dramatic weight to keep pushing forward no matter what.
This is not the way that Boseman was meant to go out in the MCU, but as long as we have this song to keep us company, we can move alongside the people of Wakanda and keep improving day after day.
1. ‘This Is a Life’ – (Son Lux featuring Mitski & David Byrne, Everything Everywhere All At Once)
Never has a title been more aptly named than Everything Everywhere All At Once. Throughout just two hours, Michelle Yoeh’s Evelyn Wang learns to be the best version of herself by finding merit in what she does in alternate universes. So, how the hell do you distil something like that into a short few minutes of music?
While the initial sounds of ‘This is a Life’ are very subdued, the ambience behind everything slowly builds to a brewing intensity, as Mitski’s soft alto carries the entire song. With some energetic yelps from David Byrne, every part of this song seems to be playing on what the film has to offer. There’s a lot to latch onto in Everything Everywhere, but the core message of learning to love yourself is a very introspective prospect, and this song plays on that idea.
Instead of the over-the-top visuals that you get in the movie, Mitski’s voice almost feels like your conscience in your headphones, pushing you to keep going and not give up on the life that you’re living.
Living day by day might not always be easy, but this is a life that you were given, and it’s up to you how you want to spend it.
