Taylor Swift is yet again in the running for a motion picture award, as her “Sweeter Than Fiction” joins other big-name acts like U2 and Coldplay in the 2014 Golden Globes category for Best Original Song. The single from the film “One Chance” was co-written by fun. guitarist Jack Antonoff, giving “Sweeter Than Fiction” an extra edge of star power (though Swift can typically hold that down on her own).
The country crossover star was up for a Golden Globe Award last year, too, for “Safe & Sound” with The Civil Wars, though Adele’s “Skyfall” took home that music award because she’s Adele and she takes home all of the awards.
U2 signaled a bout of action with their “Ordinary Love” for “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” their first new material since 2009’s “No Line on the Horizon.” The rock crew purportedly contributed at the behest of Harvey Weinstein; they’ve gone on to hint that a new album may arrive in Q2 of 2014, which is good timing should they make an appearance at the January Globes ceremony.
Music from actual musicals made their way into Best Original Song, as “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Frozen” both get their nod. Idina Menzel sings on “Let It Go” from the latter film; it was composed by “Winnie the Pooh” collaborators and husband-and-wife duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (it is a decidedly safer song than Robert’s “Book of Mormon” compositions). When you see “Inside Llewyn Davis” — no “should” about it — you may find the “Please Mr. Kennedy” nod particularly comedic, given the context of its novelty. Oscar Isaac has better performances and better tunes out of his titular role, but the Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver support certainly gave this a boost on the ballots.
What you don’t see on here? Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful” from “The Great Gatsby” which was, notably, one of the rare “new” movie musics representing on the woefully 2012-based 2014 Grammy nominations list.
The Best Original Score tally is just as competitive as Best Original song, with mainstays like Hans Zimmer (“12 Years a Slave”) and John Williams (“The Book Thief”) facing off against scores like Alex Ebert’s pensive and isolating “All Is Lost.” Ebert is perhaps better known as the eccentric frontman of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, making the sound and nomination reminiscent of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ get for “The Social Network.
Alex Heffes’ “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” has a decent shot, too, given the eclectic winners over the last five years. Foreign-language and foreign lands featured prominently in recent winners “Life of Pi,” “The Artist,” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” Another Brit, Steven Price, simply went out of this stratosphere for “Gravity” — that’s a story sort of similar to former honoree “Up,” right?
Best Original Score
“All Is Lost” – Alex Ebert
“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” – Alex Heffes
“Gravity” – Steven Price
“The Book Thief” – John Williams
“12 Years A Slave” – Hans Zimmer
Best Original Song
“Atlas,” Coldplay (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”)
“Let It Go,” Idina Menzel (“Frozen”)
“Ordinary Love,” U2 (“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”)
“Please Mr. Kennedy,” Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver (“Inside Llewyn Davis”)
“Sweeter Than Fiction,” Taylor Swift (“One Chance”)