Oscars Predictions 2017: Best Song

The mark of a truly great song is one that sticks in your mind even hours after you hear it. One that becomes synonymous with the film itself and has us singing or humming along like complete idiots because it is just so compelling. These are our predictions for the winner of Best Song Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards.

Nominees:

Caryn

How Far I’ll Go – Moana

The obvious answer here is the popular ‘City of Stars’ from La La Land, but while I think that ‘Audition’ was the better song out of the two, I’m hoping that the two nominated songs might cancel each other out with split votes (like what previously happened with Enchanted) and the award can go to my boy, Lin-Manuel Miranda for Moana. It’s a song that is inspiring, is beautiful, written by Miranda and Mark Mancina, with the excellent vocals of Alessia Cara as well as Moana actress, Auli’i Cravalho. It is a dream team who created a dream classical Disney song.

 

Dean

City of Stars – La la land

OK I have to concede. I’m going with the obvious choice and choosing a La La Land song: City of Stars. Even though I think its kinda unfair to have two songs in the category. The song encapsulates everything about the film and explores the blissful yet relentless and sometimes melacholy nature of Hollywood all in one song. A truly great song for a great film and my winner for Best Song.

Jeslyn

Can’t Stop The Feeling! by Justin Timberlake – Trolls

My vote for Can’t Stop the Feeling! (Trolls) is purely based on popularity, and me not wanting La La Land to win everything, because where’s the fun in that. Catchy: check! Toe tapping: check! Humming without realizing: check! Radio stations played this song all summer and I can’t deny that I sang along every single time.

Stephen

City of Stars – La la land

It’s one of the songs from La La Land, right? I mean, if this film is going to win any of its 14 nominations, it’s got to be for this category because it’s a fucking musical!

Audition was the more heartfelt song and the deeper narrative moment in the film I guess, but City of Stars is the one that everyone is going to remember and be singing for decades to come. I think it also touches on what the actual film is about, whereas Audition is more about Mia’s personal story. And, duet… so, yeah.

Tendai

Can’t Stop The Feeling! by Justin Timberlake – Trolls

This is a wildcard pick considering there are two songs from La La Land in this category but this is Justin Timberlake. The feel good song of 2016 and the song that got people feeling great when they walked out the cinema, I strongly support this movie for the win. The lyrics, the video and the essence of the song should take the nod for the Oscar. And the trolls weren’t all that of a population but you could see this song being played as their national anthem.

 

Vernon

The Empty Chair by STING and J Ralph – Jim: The James Foley Story

This category worried me immensely because of it’s previous winners, the 90’s were the best time for Academy Award wins for Best Song, as soon as the 21st Century dawned on us the Academy’s choices quickly lost quality, talent and popularity. Thus my choice of Sting.

I love when legendary musicians get the opportunity to do music for film and I think its high time that quality music producers take the thrown again, no disrespect to John Legend and Common for Glory – but The Empty Chair echoes classic Oscar song much like Carly Simon’s Let The River Run.

Also it doesn’t help that La la Land has 2 entries into this category (which should not be allowed actually because criteria for Original Song is that the song HAS to be played at the end through the credits as well as featured once in the body of the film – upsetting).

 

What is your prediction for Best Song?

For more film ramblings, you can follow us on Twitter:

Caryn @carrieanne07

Dean @deeno15

Jeslyn @jeslynczee

Stephen @thesnagel

Tendai @TendaiSibindi

Vernon @VernonKallis

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