Oscar week continues to heat up as we inch closer to the prestigious awards ceremony honoring excellence in cinematic achievements in the film industry, and as we patiently wait for the Oscar gold to be handed out, we turned to industry insiders for their predictions. While mingling with VIP's from the movie industry, we took an informal poll regarding who will most likely win Oscar gold for Best Original Song, and while each nomination was certainly well deserved, the predicted win unanimously goes to "Earned It."
Long before “Earned It,” from Fifty Shades of Grey, The Weeknd was catching the public’s ear with hits such as “Often,” “The Hills” and “Can’t Feel my Face.” The theme song “Earned it” provides a provocative arrangement of feelings touching on desire, lust, and sensation for the popular film adaptation of E.L. James’ widely successful novel ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.’ The excellent casting of Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan contributed to the movies phenomenal success.
“Writing’s on the Wall,” the theme song from Spectre, starring Daniel Craig, is also nominated for Best Original Song. Written and performed by English singer-songwriter Sam Smith, the ballad serves as a beautifully illustrated introduction to the James Bond film. Much like "Earned it," this song is passionate, desirous, and even emotional. While watching Spectre for the first time, I was able to get incredibly lost in the introduction thanks to Smith’s vocals amongst the symphonic music which was irresistibly beautiful.
Also nominated are “Manta Ray,” from Racing Extinction, “Simply Song #3”, from Youth, and “Til it Happens to you” fromThe Hunting Ground. “Manta Ray” ties together the plot of Racing Extinction as it was performed by composer J. Ralph which is his second Oscar nomination. After being nominated in 2012 for “Before My Time,” J. Ralph’s game has remained strong. “Manta Ray” is the original song choice for the movie Racing Extinction, as it connects emotionally with the overall meaning of the movie.
David Lang’s song, “Simple Song #3” in Youth, is his first ever Academy Award Nomination. “Simple Song #3” is an emotional, artistic song that can provoke tears. It is a wonderful song and sets the mood ideally. On a side note, David Lang has worked his way up to receive this nomination unquestionably deserves to be here.
“Til it Happens to You”, is Lady Gaga’s well-deserved nomination for her work on The Hunting Grounds with the legendary Songwriter Diane Warren. This song is about women being sexually assaulted as the lyrics tap into depression, core to the bone feelings and cope many young women have encountered. Lady Gaga brings attention to the extremely dark topic with an emotional delivery.
Chris Rock will host the 88th Academy Awards Sunday, February 28 in a live ceremony airing on ABC.