Musically, “The Fire Inside” is an effervescent and thoroughly inoffensive trifle, brought home by a charismatic vocal from Becky G. As a whole, this is probably Warren’s best Oscar-nominated song since 2015’s “Til It Happens to You” (a Lady Gaga collaboration that should have beaten Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall”), which is at least saying something. Just, you know, not much. Had Flamin’ Hot never existed — and how sad it would have been for the world to be denied Eva Longoria’s sub-featherweight brand-fluffing biopic! — Warren would have just gotten nominated for “Gonna Be You” from 80 for Brady.
4. “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” Killers of the Flower Moon, performed by Osage Tribal Singers (Scott George, songwriter)
Maybe I’m riding high on the thrill of not having to write about Diane Warren for another 12 months, but this is a strong field! Next up is “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” which closes Martin Scorsese’s epic Killers of the Flower Moon — and pointedly gives the Osage Nation the last word. An unconventional entry in a field typically reserved for English-language songs by well-known artists, “Wahzhazhe” had an unusual number of hurdles to clear in order to get nominated, starting with the fact that it had never been written down prior to submission.
The first Native American nominated for best original song, songwriter Scott George crafted a rousing work that transcends its place in a movie’s closing credits: It’s a work of celebration that suits its moment in the film while speaking to the Osage Nation’s resilience in the face of systemic discrimination and murder. And it’ll surely sound terrific when performed on Oscar night, which is just one more reason among many to cheer its inclusion.
3. “It Never Went Away,” American Symphony, performed by Jon Batiste (Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson, songwriters)
American Symphony documents 2021 Oscar winner Jon Batiste’s efforts to write a symphony while his wife, bestselling author Suleika Jaouad, battled leukemia. As documentaries go, it’s moving without being terribly revealing — which can also be said for the Oscar-nominated ballad that plays over the film’s closing credits. But the gorgeous piano line that propels “It Never Went Away” sure does hit hard, as Batiste serenades his wife in a lullaby of devotion.
Unlike so many Oscar-nominated closing-credits songs before it, “It Never Went Away” feels richly connected to the themes of the movie preceding it. The words Batiste sings aren’t exactly novel — “Thought I was a wise lad / When you plan, God laughs” — but the song as a whole beautifully captures the experience of love as an accumulation of hard-won moments, forged in shared sacrifice.
2. “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie, performed by Ryan Gosling (Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters)
It’s virtually impossible to choose which eligible Barbie song most deserves this year’s Oscar: You could make a strong case for both nominated songs, as well as Dua Lipa’s effervescent “Dance the Night,” which was shortlisted but missed the cut. (These days, Oscar rules stipulate that no more than two songs can be nominated from a single film.)