The Grammy Award nominations were out, which hardly excited my flatmates. "Hello" seemed like a hit of yesteryear, but no one in the room would predict against Adele's chances of grabbing the lion's share of the Grammy Awards once more. After all, "Hello" was a massive hit. Adele's albums would still be seen in the Billboard 200. (Adele's debut album would go in and out of the chart.) And the British singer relocated to L.A. Beyoncé, Drake, and Rihanna, who also have multiple nominations, would likely be left out to fight it off for the other categories. The Big Four would be Adele's.
Everyone talked about Bruno Mars's number in the American Music Awards, which was reminiscent of Michael Jackson. The release of "24K Magic" was a strategic move, where Mars would have a greater chance of winning multiple Grammys on 2018. And then the conversation shifted to the Golden Globe Awards. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) will release the complete list of nominees next Monday, prompting us to recall the songs that the members of HFPA have honored in the past. This was fun to talk about, as one could love (or hate) a song. There won't be anything between it. In this regard, the HFPA made some questionable omissions. Let's have a look:
127 Hours (2010) by Danny Boyle. A. R. Rahman's score complimented the roller coaster of emotions that Aron Ralston experienced during his ordeal at Blue John Canyon. I wished "Lovely Day" would be nominated, but this was a hit of yesteryear. HFPA made a huge mistake by passing up Rahman's score, opting to recognize Gwyneth Paltrow (for "Country Song"). It was a good thing that the Academy voters saw the light.
Rio (2011) by Carlos Saldanha. The trio of Carlinhos Brown, Sérgio Mendes, and Siedah Garrett would guarantee a hit, but it didn't get a Golden Globe nod. The big names in the recording industry were nominated (for a Golden Globe) instead. It was all about popularity, which left me with a bitter taste. I had the impression that the HFPA wanted the Golden Globes to be different from the Oscars, opting for a festive atmosphere. But not this one.
Life of Pi (2012) by Ang Lee. Everyone wanted to hear the soundtrack of "Les Misérables" one more time, but I wasn't one of them. I thought Mychael Danna's meditative score (in "Life of Pi") would stand out. I might be the only one who thought otherwise.
Frozen (2013) by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. My friends were annoyed at the soundtrack while I was guilty of listening to it more than once. (My family loved it. Dad fell asleep during the screening, but he would go where the flock would go.) It wasn't bad as they thought it was, as long as they won't listen to it too often.
Selma (2014) by Ava DuVernay. John Legend co-wrote the theme song. Enough said.
Love & Mercy (2015) by Bill Pohlad. It was about the life of Brian Wilson, the founder of the Beach Boys. It would recall a place where the dirt meets the water, the sun never goes down, and beach bums thinking of a sun-kissed paradise (and nothing else). Who wouldn't want a relaxing music?
I almost blurted out "Blaze of Glory", which the HFPA honored many decades ago. My buddies weren't huge fans of Jon Bon Jovi, though.
