The Nominees for Best Original Song Academy Award in 2015

The 87th Academy Awards will be taking place on Sunday, and I'm hugely excited to be once again having an Oscar Party with my best friends – unlike last year, now I've actually seen some of the nominated films: Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game and the last Hobbit film.

However, none of those films are going to be the real subject of this post. Just like last year, I'm going to rank the nominees for Best Original Song and comment on them – again, without having seen the movies for which these songs were written. All in all, though, I have to say that the competition in this category is appallingly mediocre in my opinion. There is no Let It Go this year. Alright, let's take a look at the five nominees. Or a listen.

#5. 'I'm Not Gonna Miss You' from Glen Campbell... I'll Be Me

Music and lyrics by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond

This melody and the instrumental background bore me so much that I could use this as a lullaby. Except that I've actually made a "go to sleep" playlist for myself and I tend to only include songs that I like in there. I don't like this song at all. I have no patience for the kind of break-up songs where they say "I don't need you in my life" but really they think the opposite and they're just desperate for attention.

#4. 'Everything Is Awesome' from The Lego Movie

Music and lyrics by Shawn Patterson

I still haven't figured out exactly what a song like this – with lyrics about as meaningful as an empty balloon and not even a decent dance beat to save it – is doing on a list of nominees for the Academy Awards. Seriously, try listening to this so that you actually concentrate on the lyrics. Did you? Yep, I know – that's a minute and a half that you'll never get back. 

#3. 'Glory' from Selma

Music and lyrics by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn

I liked how this song started off. The background instruments set the atmosphere very well and the chorus works. Then the rap verses kick in, with lyrics so overwhelmingly preachy that they must have been written while ticking off the "Most Clichéd Phrases for Freedom-fighting Songs" list. If you want to handle a theme like this with beauty and earnestness, try a little subtlety, please. 

#2. 'Grateful' from Beyond the Lights

Music and lyrics by Diane Warren

Finally, moving up on the list to songs that do not annoy me in almost every possible way. "Grateful" is very listenable indeed. Too bad that practically every female pop singer does a variation of the "I endured hardships but I'm glad about it because it made me a stronger person" ballad and this song doesn't have anything terribly interesting or creative to say on the subject.

And the Oscar should go to... 'Lost Stars' from Begin Again

Music and lyrics by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

I wouldn't say this is a great song, but it's the only one out of these nominees that doesn't feel pretentious, boring or meaningless to me. It has a nice, relaxed feel about it, but if you listen to the lyrics properly it is actually quite thoughtful. I will of course always appreciate a touch of the piano and the guitar on the background, and the chorus has a good beat about it.

Are you going to watch the award show this year? How much do you usually care about the Original Song category? I'm off to do some more Oscar blogging!

Romantic Duets for Valentine's Day

Romantic duets are one of the basic ingredients in the musical genre – which is why they have to be really good in order to stand out from the mass. A simple, dull "I love you", "I love you too" will not do. The best lovers' duets express joy and affection, and occasionally the hardships of love, without resorting to sappy lyrics riddled with clichés.

So, what else should a musical-loving blogger do on a Valentine's Day than list her Top Ten romantic musical duets? I know, right!

10. 'We Kiss in the Shadow'  

The King and I
Tuptim and Lun Tha
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Tuptim and Lun Tha have to meet in secret because Tuptim is a concubine of the King of Siam. The agony of forbidden love ensues. The lyrics aren't as memorable as some of the others on this list, but I do like the melody.

9. 'Sixteen Going On Seventeen'

The Sound of Music

Liesl and Rolf
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Alright, so this song is maybe a tiny bit depressing in hindsight, knowing what Rolf decides to do with his life in the end. I think for me, most of the appeal is in the specific performance by Charmian Carr and Daniel Truhitte in the film version (which I've linked above) rather than in the song itself, which frankly doesn't have an awful lot to say. I just love Liesl's dress and the dance in the gazebo.

8. 'A Heart Full of Love'

Les Misérables

Marius and Cosette
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg
Lyrics by Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer

I adore every bit of music that Claude-Michel Schönberg has ever composed, but even considering we're in the realm of theatre where the rules of credibility are frequently experimented with, I find myself shaking my head at Marius and Cosette who vow eternal love after literally just bumping to each other on the street for a couple of seconds.

7. 'As Long As You're Mine'

Wicked

Elphaba and Fiyero
Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Rather than a promise of eternity, Elphaba and Fiyero go for "just for this moment". I love the intro to this song, it enticingly foreshadows the passion for life and the slightly fatalistic tone of the rest of the tune.

6. 'Mountain Duet'

Chess

Florence and Anatoly
Music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus
Lyrics by Tim Rice and Björn Ulvaeus

Once again we get a bit of a different angle to the traditional "love duet" because this is set in a reluctant, awkward meeting between Anatoly the Russian chess player and Florence, the assistant to his American opponent. It begins with the characters wondering what the heck they are supposed to be doing here, and then Anatoly goes "Listen, I hate to break up the mood..." And the mood really gets going from there!

5. 'I'll Cover You'

RENT

Angel and Collins
Lyrics and music by Jonathan Larson

I'm sure I've already gushed about the earnestness of Angel and Collins, the absolute joy that this song expresses, and Angel's overall awesomeness as a character. Lyrics, melody, mood, characters, I just adore the whole package.

4. 'One Hand, One Heart'

West Side Story

Tony and Maria
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

This is on a much more solemn side. So why am I pointing the finger at Marius and Cosette's sudden confessions of love but ranked Maria and Tony practically rehearsing their wedding on fourth place? Well, I think West Side Story devotes a bit more more time and explanation to the main couple's character histories and setting up the premise that their lives are lacking fulfillment which they try to patch up with an admittedly hasty commitment. The tune overall has a beautiful simplicity to it. If I ever happen to get married, I want this song at my wedding.


3. 'Come What May'

Moulin Rouge!

Christian and Satine
Music and lyrics by David Baerwald

What power there is in three short words, 'Come what may'. I never get bored of this song! Once again, the tactic of starting soft and quiet and building up to a massive power blend of two voices works wonders.

2. 'Last Night of the World'

Miss Saigon

Kim and Chris
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg
Lyrics by Alain Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr.

Claude-Michel Schönberg does it again, there's something about this melody that makes me obsess over it. The world around Kim and Chris is dark and dangerous, but they have this lovely song. And the solo saxophone.

1. 'All I Ask Of You'

The Phantom of the Opera

Raoul and Christine
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe

There never was any debate in my mind as to which duet should be the top of the list. Out of the overall amazing score in The Phantom of the Opera, this song has always been my favourite (though Past the Point of No Return and The Music of the Night aren't far behind). As a rule, I turn into an emotional wreck as soon as 'Anywhere you go, let me go too' comes out. I'm also eternally thankful to whoever oversaw the casting of the 25th Anniversary performance because they gave us the chance to hear Sierra Boggess and Hadley Fraser sing this song to perfection.