Oscars 2017: Predicting The Winners
10. Best Original Song
Will Win: "City of Stars", La La Land Should Win: "How Far I'll Go", Moana Surprise Win: "How Far I'll Go", Moana
La La Land is nominated for two songs- "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" and "City of Stars". The melancholy yet touching City of Stars, sung by Ryan Gosling, will win because it manages to translate the romance seen on screen into a single song. Audition is focused solely on Stone, lacking the appeal of a duet and is not strong enough compared to City of Stars. It seems odd trying to decide with of the two songs from one film will win the award, but it's that kind of an awards season.
City of Stars has the kind of melody that one will be whistling long after Oscar night, whereas Audition works well within the context of the film but less so as a standalone song.
If anything can stop either of La La Land's nominations, it's the star-power of Lin-Manuel Miranda with the power ballad "How Far I'll Go". Moana has the second-catchiest collection of songs from last year, and their single nominee is the one song that stands a chance of beating either of La La Land's songs. How Far I'll Go is a powerful song of longing for a frustrated young girl, unaware of her destiny.
The crossover appeal of Miranda's work to various generations and demographics exceeds the appeal of La La Land, and this might cross over into Oscar territory. La La Land has revived the Musical genre, but Miranda is behind a stage Musical that has captured the zeitgeist, and his talents translate very well to screen- Moana is full of songs that cannot be ignored, and How Far I'll Go is the most heartfelt of the bunch.