Oscar night is almost here, and Below the Line closes out its 2026 Oscar series with a look at the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

This week, Skid is joined by returning guests Chris Molanphy, Louis Weeks, and Tom Peyton to break down the five nominees — a lineup that ranges from chart-topping K-pop to blues-infused cinematic spectacle, intimate indie folk, and even a rare operatic outlier.

As the ceremony approaches on March 15, the panel weighs not only which song will win, but how each nominee functions inside its film — and what that says about the evolving relationship between movies and popular music.

Among the highlights:

The conversation moves easily between technical craft and big-picture questions: What makes a song “original” in today’s industry? Should Best Original Song reward chart success, narrative function, or musical innovation? And in an era of streaming metrics and algorithmic pop, what still feels distinctly human?

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Best Original Song — and get ready for Oscar night. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.