Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jan 31, 2024 20:10:11 GMT
it's that time of the year to start putting things into lists! Original song is an interesting one. It's an easy category to lose track of throughout the year so I like to do these check-ins to see if anyone clocked things I missed and see what other people are liking. I usually work from the official list of eligible songs submitted to AMPAS for my own lineup but obviously that list has gaps (for example: "Con La Brisa" from last year's Wakanda Forever).
annnyways, these are some of my favorite original songs from last year but please share your own:
"Am I Dreaming" - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
this track was straight fire. The classical violin sample integrated into the intensifying beat makes the song feel like it's constantly building towards something. Roisee's melodic vocals combined with the thudding beat and string/synth mixing and ASAP's propulsive verse comes together in a perfect storm. Thrilling and satisfying.
"Camp Isn't Home" - Theater Camp
while the lyrics hew a bit precious, the reveal of this song was actually a really sweet moment in a surprisingly fresh and funny movie, and it perfectly captures the film's balance between self-deprecating parody and warm celebration of artistic comradery and fellowship.
"Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)" - Asteroid City
delightful oddity from a delightfully odd film. Probably too slight and short to make my final 5 but it sure is a kneeslapper and it's impossible not to grin when you hear it.
"Everything's Gonna Be Alright" - Bobi Wine: The People's President
impossible not to read a level of bitter irony into Wine's upbeat optimism delivered via this catchy reggae song or help but wonder if everything is actually going to be all right. I can see someone write this off as a generic pop song but I can't separate it from its political context as a piece of art calling for collective strength and created under an oppressive regime. Bobi Wine is a fascinating doc, as inspiring as it is tragic.
"It Never Went Away" - American Symphony
as much as I disliked Heineman's doc, Batiste's music is undeniable and I'm a sucker for piano ballads.
"Spinning Globe" - The Boy and the Heron
Miyazaki films often end with a beautiful credits song and Heron was no exception with Kenshi Yonezu's resonant vocals overlaid onto pleasing piano and distant bagpipes building towards a surging chorus, but it has a really sweet backstory too. Yonezu wrote the song four years ago after being approached by Miyazaki, and Yonezu having grown up with Miyazaki's films was honored to contribute. The song is a tribute to Miyazaki, and if the film can be seen as Miyazaki's farewell to cinema, "Spinning Globe" is Kenshi Yonezu's farewell to Miyazaki.
"Steal the Show" - Elemental
nothing terribly special about this one, just a super feel-good earworm with a catchy hook!
"This Wish" - Wish
a classically-inspired Disney anthem in search of a better movie. I just saw Wish yesterday and practically everything about it was bland and forgettable, and while this song isn't among the best in Disney's canon, DeBose's stirring performance and the Mediterranean-inspired instrumentals elevate the song.
"What Was I Made For?" - Barbie
Eilish's most accomplished and meaningful song, grappling with her place as a woman and artist in a profit-obsessed world that commodifies everything. Her lyrics convey a universal thirst for self-understanding and discovery was perfect for Barbie but also a beautiful song in its own right.
"Wild Uncharted Waters" - The Little Mermaid
total guilty pleasure. This was one of my least favorite movies of 2023 (I still have nightmares from "Scuttlebutt") but I love the swelling classic Disney melodrama of this track, and Jonah Haur-King nails the performance.
I also liked what little I heard from "Live That Way Forever" from Iron Claw but I want to wait to experience that song with the movie. Other songs I liked were "Meet in the Middle" from Flora and Son, "Can't Catch Me Now" from Hunger Games, "A World of Your Own" from Wonka, and "Welcome to Rosas" from Wish.
annnyways, these are some of my favorite original songs from last year but please share your own:
"Am I Dreaming" - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
this track was straight fire. The classical violin sample integrated into the intensifying beat makes the song feel like it's constantly building towards something. Roisee's melodic vocals combined with the thudding beat and string/synth mixing and ASAP's propulsive verse comes together in a perfect storm. Thrilling and satisfying.
"Camp Isn't Home" - Theater Camp
while the lyrics hew a bit precious, the reveal of this song was actually a really sweet moment in a surprisingly fresh and funny movie, and it perfectly captures the film's balance between self-deprecating parody and warm celebration of artistic comradery and fellowship.
"Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)" - Asteroid City
delightful oddity from a delightfully odd film. Probably too slight and short to make my final 5 but it sure is a kneeslapper and it's impossible not to grin when you hear it.
"Everything's Gonna Be Alright" - Bobi Wine: The People's President
impossible not to read a level of bitter irony into Wine's upbeat optimism delivered via this catchy reggae song or help but wonder if everything is actually going to be all right. I can see someone write this off as a generic pop song but I can't separate it from its political context as a piece of art calling for collective strength and created under an oppressive regime. Bobi Wine is a fascinating doc, as inspiring as it is tragic.
"It Never Went Away" - American Symphony
as much as I disliked Heineman's doc, Batiste's music is undeniable and I'm a sucker for piano ballads.
"Spinning Globe" - The Boy and the Heron
Miyazaki films often end with a beautiful credits song and Heron was no exception with Kenshi Yonezu's resonant vocals overlaid onto pleasing piano and distant bagpipes building towards a surging chorus, but it has a really sweet backstory too. Yonezu wrote the song four years ago after being approached by Miyazaki, and Yonezu having grown up with Miyazaki's films was honored to contribute. The song is a tribute to Miyazaki, and if the film can be seen as Miyazaki's farewell to cinema, "Spinning Globe" is Kenshi Yonezu's farewell to Miyazaki.
"Steal the Show" - Elemental
nothing terribly special about this one, just a super feel-good earworm with a catchy hook!
"This Wish" - Wish
a classically-inspired Disney anthem in search of a better movie. I just saw Wish yesterday and practically everything about it was bland and forgettable, and while this song isn't among the best in Disney's canon, DeBose's stirring performance and the Mediterranean-inspired instrumentals elevate the song.
"What Was I Made For?" - Barbie
Eilish's most accomplished and meaningful song, grappling with her place as a woman and artist in a profit-obsessed world that commodifies everything. Her lyrics convey a universal thirst for self-understanding and discovery was perfect for Barbie but also a beautiful song in its own right.
"Wild Uncharted Waters" - The Little Mermaid
total guilty pleasure. This was one of my least favorite movies of 2023 (I still have nightmares from "Scuttlebutt") but I love the swelling classic Disney melodrama of this track, and Jonah Haur-King nails the performance.
I also liked what little I heard from "Live That Way Forever" from Iron Claw but I want to wait to experience that song with the movie. Other songs I liked were "Meet in the Middle" from Flora and Son, "Can't Catch Me Now" from Hunger Games, "A World of Your Own" from Wonka, and "Welcome to Rosas" from Wish.
