For those not alive to witness the 90s in all its dayglow glory, trust me when I say film soundtracks had the decade on lock. Anyone whose eardrums lived through Brian Adams, Witney Houston, and Celine Dion hogging the charts for an eternity will know full well what a dominant time it was for movie tunes.
From “Men In Black” to “Gangsta’s Paradise” and every power ballad in between, these songs dominated the charts just as much as their films dominated the box office. And yes, while such ascendency annoyed everyone within earshot, it’s hard to deny their prestige-driving power and marketing might.
While they wouldn’t always win the top prize, just having otherwise unremarkable films like The Bodyguard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Armageddon in the Oscars conversation shows you just how much a good tune could elevate the prestige of even the most humdrum 90s movie.
But alas, this bubble was always likely to burst, and burst it did as the relevance that movie soundtracks once had gradually faded. As the industry began leaning more into huge franchises and a Christopher Nolan-led age of stoic prestige blockbusters, the belief that a single catchy song could elevate a film soon became passé. That is, until a notable recent trend has brought with it hope that another original song golden age may be upon us.
Of course, like cinema, the music industry has altered beyond all recognition since artists like Celine Dion and Wet Wet Wet had a stranglehold on the charts, yet there’s something undeniably timeless about the way movie soundtracks have found themselves lodged back in our hearts (and ears). And just one listen to KPop Demon Hunters’ ubiquitous Oscar frontrunner “Golden” will tell you all you need to know about where we now stand.
This song, by fictional K-Pop girl group Huntrix, is an earworm of epic proportions and the bane of every parent’s life this past year. With infectious hooks, precision engineered melodies, and a chorus to die for, this is an immaculately constructed pop tune that may not initially look like the movie songs of the 90s, yet it’s one that embodies the spirit and energy that made its predecessors such a success.
The belief that a song can be a beautifully succinct way to distil a movie’s message while also building an emotional connection with an audience are things that have never truly left us, however, after years in the wilderness, their importance is something that studios are finally re-evaluating. Yes, record sales and singles charts aren’t what they once were, yet this hasn’t stopped the likes of “Golden” and recent Academy Award winners like Barbie’s “What Was I Made For?” and A Star Is Born’s “Shallow” from becoming vital marketing tools.
While once these songs were thought of as obsolete, their importance to the overall success of a film has returned in full force. Honestly, without the viral sensation of “Golden” and the rest of the film’s Platinum-selling soundtrack, KPop Demon Hunters would be left with zero Oscars buzz and buried in the Netflix animation graveyard – and the studio knew it.
Taking full advantage of modern music’s streaming landscape, the unstoppable cross-platform momentum of “Golden” has firmly embedded its film in the cultural zeitgeist and into the consciousness of young audiences in a way that’s hard to ignore, especially for something like the Oscars that’s been haemorrhaging viewers (particularly young ones) for years.
From every angle, the re-emergence of the original song is a win-win. As audiences, we’re given a way to connect with a film beyond the screen. For studios, they offer instant prestige and a marketing approach that goes beyond traditional cinematic means. And for the Academy Awards, they once again have a category (beyond the biggies) with the power to put bums on seats and eyeballs on the product (that “Golden” live performance will be ratings dynamite, trust me).
Beyond the Oscars, the future of the original soundtrack is looking rosy. From Billie Eilish and Barbie to Lady Gaga and Top Gun Maverick via Kendrick Lamar and Black Panther, cinema is fully in its collab era right now, and with the gigantic gothic moodiness of Charlie xcx’s ‘Wuthering Heights’, it feels like we’re at the start of something truly special.
With original songs now back on the playlist, we’re on the edge of a movie music movement not seen in decades. And as Hollywood continues to chase emotional resonance in an increasingly fragmented media landscape, it’s clear that original soundtracks remain the most immediate and long-lasting way for cinema to regain its shine with audiences.
