With Billie Eilish, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Beyonce Competing, the Oscar Song Race Is the Category to Watch
variety.comJon Burlingame editorThis year’s Oscar song race may be more competitive than initially thought. Billie Eilish’s James Bond theme “No Time to Die,” long believed the front-runner, has been out for over two years (awaiting a COVID-delayed release of the film it was written for) and now faces opposition from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Encanto” song.While it’s not “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the TikTok sensation driving the Disney soundtrack to no.
1 and gold-record status, Oscar voters could choose its companion, the nominated “Dos Oruguitas,” as “close enough.” And don’t count out Queen Bey.“Be Alive” from “King Richard”Superstar Beyoncé is, at long last, an Oscar nominee for this inspirational, Black-pride song from the finale of the film about Venus and Serena Williams’ hard-working tennis-coach dad.
Last year’s surprise win by H.E.R. and her songwriters (for “Fight for You”) suggests this song cannot be counted out. Beyoncé’s co-writer Dixson says his father “was very similar to Richard Williams.
He had a strategy for his kids. I didn’t need to see the film to know the story; I lived it myself.” Further inspiration came from his mother: “Every major accomplishment in my career so far has come of knowing and being attached to a very powerful, strong woman.”“Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto”Lin-Manuel Miranda’s touching ballad from the climax of the animated Disney story is also the first song he’s ever written in Spanish.
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