While music normally gets its time to shine in awards season through the Grammys, the various achievements made in music in the world of cinema has its own spot of appreciation through the Best Original Song awards from various awards bodies. The Academy Award for Best Original Song especially has stood as a massively varied and prominent award, won To say that Emilia Perez was an incredibly divisive Oscar contender would be an understatement, as it arguably had some of the largest disconnects between industry love and mass hatred from moviegoers.

It went from the most nominated film of the night to only winning two awards, though it isn't exactly surprising that "El Mal" won Best Original Song, considering it was a relatively slow year for the category. Sung It's a song that works well enough in the context of the film, with some fun cinematography making it one of the few shining points in an otherwise dismal experience.

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Core Findings and Detailed Timeline

Still, it isn't exactly surprising that the song has been entirely forgotten about in the short time since its win , as it really doesn't hold a candle to the other winners this decade. The song simply doesn't really have much weight or impact outside of the context of the film, with its win almost feeling out of inevitability and due to a lack of other major options instead of the song's quality (or lack thereof).

One of the most classic methods for a film to earn a nomination for Best Original Song is to get a prominent rising artist to write a song that doesn't actually play during the film itself, but instead plays during the credits and sticks in Academy members' minds as the film ends. While this trend often results in a lot of nominations, the only time that one of these songs actually received a win was in the 2021 ceremony, where D'Mile & H.E.R 's "Fight for You" from Judas and the Black Messiah won.

Even if not directly playing during the film itself, the song largely ties into the film's themes of revolution and fighting for freedom against cultural oppressors. It also helps that H.E.R's vocals are exceptional on the track, making it the undeniable fan-favorite among the limited song selection that was hindered While the song may have been similarly forgotten over time, like "El Mal", the actual song is of a prominent quality and is worth listening to on its own, which cannot be shared about any of the songs from Emilia Perez .

Broader Implications and Future Outlook

The original songs made for the stylish opening credits of James Bond movies have been a frequent place to find success in the Best Original Song category, especially in the Daniel Craig era , where Skyfall and Spectre 's songs both previously won the award. This is to say that it wasn't exactly a surprise that "No Time to Die" from the titular final chapter of the Craig era would win the award, but the song itself may just be the best original song of the Craig era .

Billie Eilish 's vocals perfectly fit the energy of the opening credits, with a sense of finality and sadness to this chapter as it keeps the energy both impactful yet respectfully somber. No Time to Die as a film couldn't have opened in a better way, making this the first no-brainer exceptional Best Original Song winner of the decade.

It ended the Craig era on such an exceptional final note that it leaves massive shoes to fill for whoever ends up doing the song for the eventual reboot under Denis Villeneuve . Six actors. One role.

Your answers point to the Bond who shares your presence, your method, and your particular way of carrying the weight of being the most dangerous person in the room. You are the original — and you carry that fact without needing to announce it.

There is an authority in the way you occupy a room that others spend careers trying to replicate.

You understand something that more serious people miss: that wit is its own form of intelligence, and that making people laugh is not a retreat from danger but a way of mastering it. You took the role seriously when everyone wanted you to coast — and that refusal to take the easy version of anything is the most defining thing about you.

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You are the complete package — and you know it, which is part of what makes you so effective and occasionally so infuriating to the people around you. You stepped into something enormous with less preparation than anyone around you thought was sufficient — and you delivered something genuine anyway, which is the more impressive achievement.

You stripped everything back and found what was underneath — and what was underneath was harder, more honest, and more human than anyone expected. If sheer popularity were the only criteria for success on this list, then "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters would be the undeniable #1 slot without question.

Its overwhelming global dominance as one of the biggest pop songs of 2025 helped KPop Demon Hunters soar into modern classic status as one of the most celebrated animated films of the decade so far.

While many of the songs in the film were massively successful and helped amplify the staying power of the film, Golden stands out among an entire catalog of catchy pop icons . It's reached a level of success for an original animated movie song that can only truly be paralleled to that of the Best Original Song winners from classic Disney movies, though this makes sense considering the entire film centers itself around the culture and power of KPop as a genre of music.

The legacy and overwhelming success of this song directly complements the success of the film itself, if not even more so. The only thing holding it back is how the two songs above it were more effectively used in some of the most iconic and effective moments in their respective films, while Golden's greatest strengths are arguably independent of the film itself.

Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell 's second Oscar victory in a row as the only artists who have won the Best Original Song award multiple times this decade, "What Was I Made For?" stands as the emotional crux of Barbie that amplifies its exceptional emotional climax. This song prominently plays during the final act sequence of Barbie talking with her creator, Ruth Handler, and experiencing the beauty of humanity and motherhood in all of its hardships.

It's a beautiful moment that is made all the better thanks to the exceptional song that elevates it. It exemplifies everything that made the film such a universally beloved masterpiece , all in one hard-hitting song.

While "No Time to Die" was a great song within the context of a Bond film, "What Was I Made For?" is not just amazing in the context of Barbie, but is also a deeply personal and impactful Billie Eilish song that stands on its own as a highlight of her discography.

It's the type of song that will continue to be celebrated for years to come, both as a fundamental aspect of the film as well as its own standalone song of beauty and pain . A great musical sequence to complement a song can go a long way in terms of its impact and memorability on an audience, although calling the "Naatu Naatu" sequence in RRR simply a "great musical sequence" is massively understating just how legendary it feels at the moment.

The song plays when the main characters are out-dancing the various elitist British attendees of a fancy party, using their stylish dance moves and exceptional choreography to a masterful level. It's the undeniable standout moment of one of the best action movies of the decade and manages to get even the most jaded of moviegoers pumped and jamming along to its high energy.

While this type of wild, high-energy dance number is much more common in blockbuster films from India, it made such a shockwave and impact on global audiences that it helped catapult the film and this song into immediate fan-favorite territory. Even as the rest of the film got snubbed The song even managed to beat out high-profile competition like Lady Gaga 's "Hold My Hand" for Top Gun: Maverick and Rihanna 's "Lift Me Up" for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever .

"Naatu Naatu" is a song that, no matter what else wins the Best Original Song award this decade, will define the award as the absolute highlight victory of the modern age .