by Abb Jones
The Reelness

Earlier this month, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed its shortlist of 15 songs moving on to the next round of voting to land the five coveted nominations for the 2025 Oscar.

Here is our take on which ones likely will get the nod. Click on the movie titles highlighted in gold for our review.

The Likely Nominees:

“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight

This inspiring, emotional ballad written by songstress Diana Warren and performed by 2022 Oscar-winning entertainer H.E.R. (Judas and the Black Messiah), is the perfect accompaniment to the story of the first all-Black female battalion in World War II, who unclogged a whopping seven-month logjam of mail between soldiers and their loved ones, boosting troop morale at a very important time during the war. A heavy favorite.

“Kiss The Sky” from The Wild Robot

This uplifting song from singer/songwriter Maren Morris plays a pivotal role in bringing on the waterworks in one of the best movies of the year, about a robot stranded on a planet populated only by animals, seeking purpose by becoming a mother to an orphaned baby goose. With its heavy Wall-E vibes, this is a serious contender.

“Harper And Will Go West” from Will & Harper

It will be an absolute crime if this sweet and hilarious song written and performed by their former Saturday Night Live colleague and friend Kristen Wiig during the closing credits of the Netflix documentary Will & Harper does not get some Oscar love. In an era where trans rights are under continuous attack by the far-right, the film does a fantastic job of explaining transgenderism in simple, relatable terms and Wiig’s tune injects it with great humor. How awesome would it be to see Wiig perform this at the Oscars?

“Forbidden Road” from Better Man

Robbie Williams is a big name in music, and as such, this heartfelt song from his semi-biographical musical/fantasy about a monkey-turned-pop sensations has a great shot. The monkey, by the way, is a symbol of Williams’ prior addiction to cocaine.

“Out Of Oklahoma” from Twisters

Lainey Wilson’s hit country ballad from the tornado action/adventure Twisters is catchy with a haunting melody, strong enough to land it a nomination.

The Possibles:

“Sick In The Head” from Kneecap

If there was any justice in the world (and let’s face it, there isn’t), this baller tune from Ireland’s Best International Film shortlistee, Kneecap, about the Irish-language rap group’s reintroduction of the Irish language to a new generation, would be a shoo-in. It’s fresh, unique and speaks out on some important social issues.  If you like this song, click on our review to see the even catchier H.O.O.D.

“Beyond” from Moana 2

Auli’i Cravalho’s song from the blockbuster Moana 2 is exactly the kind of nice but somewhat bland tune that Oscar voters seem to gravitate towards, which means it would not be surprising if it slides into a nomination, especially given the film’s popularity.

“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez

This is one of two songs from Emilia Pérez, and while Zoe Saldana does a fantastic job performing it, it will be a bit of a surprise if this unique Spanish-language rap tune gets nominated over any of the above, more memorable songs.

“Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez

This other shortlisted song from Emilia Pérez is this more traditional one from Selena Gomez.

“Compress/Repress” from Challengers

This ditty from Oscar darlings Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is catchy and captures the frenetic spirit of the high-stakes tennis drama, but a nomination would be a surprise.

The Unlikely Ones:

“Winter Coat” from Blitz

It’s performer, Saoirse Ronan, no doubt helped it earn a spot on the shortlist, but the limp dud of a World War II drama itself isn’t strong enough to progress further.

“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late

If The Academy is feeling sentimental, then maybe this tune from the Elton John musical documentary that he sang with Brandi Carlisle will make it, but we are guessing they won’t be.

“Tell Me It’s You” from Mufasa: The Lion King

Aren’t we all a bit tired of Lin-Manuel Miranda? Performed by Aaron Pierre and Tiffany Boone, it is a nice song but if there’s room for only a couple of animated movie tunes to be nominated, this one won’t be among them.

“Piece By Piece” from Piece by Piece

Its a catchy tune from Pharell Williams in his life story, as illustrated by Legos, but like the aforementioned song, there are other stronger animated film tunes.

“Like A Bird” from Sing Sing

This Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada tune from the prison drama Sing Sing is nice but the movie has had a very limited theatrical exposure, which hurts it.

The five nominees for Best Original Song and all the other categories will be announced on January 17, 2025. What is YOUR favorite? Chime in, in the comments below.