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With Academy Award nominations finally announced, many will flock to their local theater for a chance to catch some of this year’s critically acclaimed films. Although you may have to pay a pretty price to watch every film nominated for an Oscar, you are able to listen to every nomination for Best Original Song for free. From musicals to animated films to a documentary, this category features an array of different songs and genres that encapsulate each film it represents.
Here are the films and songs that are nominated for Best Original Song for this year’s Academy Awards.
1. “City of Stars” and “Audition” – La La Land
It’s no surprise that two of the 14 Academy Award nominations for “La La Land” are for Best Original Song. The musical has easily conquered the box offices and critics alike, making it one of the most beloved films of the year. Beyond its favored odds of winning, both of “La La Land’s” songs would be a great bet due to its sweeping wins at the Golden Globes, where “City of Stars” took home the Best Original Song award.
2. “Can’t Stop the Feeling” – Trolls
While it failed to land a Best Animated Feature Film nomination, “Trolls” earned itself a nomination for its song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” The song marked Justin Timberlake’s first Oscar nomination, as he performed it and wrote it along with Max Martin and Shellback for the film. Beyond the Academy Awards, the song debuted atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was the best-selling song of 2016.
3. “The Empty Chair” – Jim: The James Foley Story
The HBO documentary “Jim: The James Foley Story” chronicles the life of American photojournalist James “Jim” Foley, who was abducted in northwestern Syria in 2012, and killed in 2014 – becoming the first American citizen killed by the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS). Along with J. Ralph, English singer Sting wrote and recorded the song, which also appeared as the last track of his latest album “57th & 9th.”
4. “How Far I’ll Go” – Moana
Ever since I went to go see Moana I have not been able to get the soundtrack out of my head. Naturally, I have made everyone in The DePaulia office listen to the Moana soundtrack on repeat with “How far I’ll go” being my number one jam.
Definitely the standout song of the entire film, Moana sings this ballad lamenting her attraction to the ocean instead of succumbing to her father’s wishes of becoming the next queen of the island.