Ariana Grande is aiming for the Oscars with her best original song contender, “Just Look Up,” and she’s bringing Kid Cudi with her.
The song features in Adam McKay’s new comedy satire, “Don’t Look Up,” (in theaters Dec. 10) about a giant comet headed for earth. Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Jennifer Lawrence (“Silver Linings Playbook”), Meryl Streep (“Sophie’s Choice”), Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”) and Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) all appear in the film. Grande and Cudi also drop in with cameos and perform “Just Look Up,” a soaring pop ballad.
It’s not just Grande and Cudi who could crash into the original song race; Nicholas Britell, who composed the film’s score, teamed up with songwriter Taura Stinson and also shares writing credits.
Should Grande and Cudi earn nominations, it would be a first for both. So far, their trajectory is looking good. The song recently was nominated for best on-screen performance at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards.
However, it’s a competitive race, and Cudi is also seeking to earn a nomination for “Guns Go Bang,” which he co-wrote with Jay-Z for fellow Netflix film, “The Harder They Fall.”
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In what’s looking to be a who’s who of Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning artists, they could be up against H.E.R., last year’s original song winner. She has “Automatic Woman,” from “Bruised,” this year. Lead actress contender Jennifer Hudson teamed with Carole King for “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home),” a potential contender from “Respect.” Billie Eilish’s title song from “No Time to Die,” is looking to take home an Oscar, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who penned eight songs for Disney’s “Encanto,” is seeking to achieve EGOT status.
Watch the official lyric video for “Just Look Up” below.
