King Richard

With the official Oscar nominations less than two months away, it’s time for a shortlist from the Academy. A shortlist is effectively a progress report for studios to track the success of their projects. Think of it as an “unofficially official” prediction list for the Oscar draft. Among the revealed categories was “Best Original Song,” where some 15 songs are competing for the Academy’s title of “best”. It’s a field packed full of hip-hop and R&B talent, with the likes of Beyonce, a Jay-Z/Kid Cudi combo, and much more.

Jay-Z vs. Beyonce?

Starting us off is Beyonce with her song “Be Alive”, featured in the Venus and Serena Williams biopic King Richard. Beyonce found herself on the shortlist last year as well, for her song “Spirit”, featured in 2020’s The Lion King.

Joining her in the competition is husband Jay-Z. Teaming up with Kid Cudi for their song “Guns Go Bang”, the two big names look to bring a win to the western The Harder They Fall. Should Jay find himself in the final list with Beyonce, it will be the first time in Oscar history that a couple has gone head-to-head for the title of Best Original Song.

Double Duty for Cudi

And Cudi’s got more. Turns out, you can enter a competition twice. A double nomination, if you will. Joining up with Ariana Grande, the two make The Shortlist, Vol. 1 with their song “Just Look Up”, for the satire sci-fi film Don’t Look Up.

The Best Song Champ Returns

However, the competition is far from decided. After all, there is a returning champ this year. Coming off her 2021 win, H.E.R. is back with “Automatic Woman”, featured in Halle Berry’s Bruised. H.E.R. won last year with “Fight for You”, bringing it home for Judas and The Black Messiah.

Turning up the Difficulty

Finally, we have Jennifer Hudson. She’s a vocal powerhouse. Her heaps of awards (musical and acting) speak for themselves. And now she’s up for Best Original Song with her “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from her Aretha Franklin biopic Respect. J-Hud leads a sharp cast as Franklin and is also an executive producer of the film.

The field is packed and there can only be one winner this March. Who do you think has the best shot? Let us know by interacting with us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Garrett C. Owen

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Cee has always been an artist who isn’t scared of experimenting with his art. From his early years in soul-driven groups like Soul District and Cee & Bekah, to his three-mixtape series The Indie Experiment, and even to recent trap singles like “Ramadan”, no one sound truly encapsulates the MC, something which has allowed him to move seamlessly between genres throughout his career.

Originally released in 2014 via the heavily slept-on Awkward Dance EP, Cee lent his vocals to Televangelista’s production on “…And You Know It Is”, creating a genre-bending piece of music deftly sweeping between Electronica and Hip Hop.

The arresting visuals, directed by Jonathan Emile and shot by King Richard, follow Cee as he discovers his neighbour (played by Angela Nashed) has been a victim of domestic abuse, so much so that she does something very drastic to escape her situation. The upbeat vibe and positive lyrical content are juxtaposed with the dark themes, providing a jarring and thought-provoking experience for the viewer.

Stream “…And You Know It Is” on Spotify, Apple Music and purchase on iTunes.

“…And You Know It Is” was mixed and mastered by Notion at Illnote Studios, Toronto, Canada.

Follow Cee on Spotify!

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@ceefor

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