Best Song: "City of Stars" (2016)

Scene from La La Land

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

"Moana" vs. "La La Land": Who Should Win Best Original Song?

Ryan Gosling in La La Land

While the Best Picture category may be the biggest award given out on Oscar Night, there's few other categories that could be as exciting as Best Original Song. This is because, unlike having to watch hours of movies, it's a category that distills the art form to a brief ditty. They are the indicator that most will have for these movies, and it's none more present than for soundtrack-turned-radio hits. This year has a phenomenal list (and Sting) to choose from, but there's probably only two that are neck and neck with each other: La La Land and Moana. Which film should win the category, and in the case of La La Land: which one of its songs? The following is a defense and exploration of each of the three songs likely to take home the top prize.

Why "Moana" is One of the Most Timely Movies of 2016

Scene from Moana

*NOTE: Spoilers for Moana

It is hard to undermine the magic of Disney and their ability to open each new movie big. The studio known for releasing quality entertainment has made almost every one of their films a guaranteed smash, especially their animated princess movies. Moana is their latest and features beautiful animation, great music, and one of their most compelling protagonists in years. While the film is enjoyable on a surface level, it's interesting to consider how the film relates to the moment of its release. It may not seem like it, but Moana is one of the most timely films of 2016 with plenty to say on xenophobia, cultural tradition, and learning to overcome prejudice. The film may be based off of an old folk tale, but it couldn't have come out at a more appropriate time. It isn't an allegory about the presidential election, but it may as well be about the modern American political climate. 

Review: "Moana" is One of the Most Fun Films of 2016

Scene from Moana

With each passing year, it becomes more difficult for Disney to keep making new iconic princesses. This is in part because of the limited supply of fairy tales that the studio has pulled from over close to a century. It makes sense then that they hit the high seas to explore South Pacific folklore in Moana: their latest musical that also features the likes of Hamilton composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, and reliable Disney co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin among others). By exploring a new subject matter, Disney has managed to open up their potential while delivering one of their most electric stories of the 21st century so far. With heart and humor, Moana is another gem from the studio known for going above and beyond. So say hello to one of the best Disney animated films and prepare to have a new soundtrack stuck in your head for awhile. Moana is great.