Ed Sheeran in the music video of “I See Fire.” Photo via Yahoo Contributor’s Network.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug garnered Oscar nominations in three categories (Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick, and Tony Johnson for Best Sound Mixing, Brent Burge for Best Sound Editing, and Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, and Eric Reynolds for Best Visual Effects), but was overlooked in other categories. According to Daniel Wood of the Yahoo Contributor Network (and admitted fan of Tolkien), “perhaps one of the strangest nomination snubs” for The Hobbit this year was the absence of a nomination for Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire,” heard during the film’s closing credits.
“I See Fire” was the first single that Sheeran wrote and performed in over two years. Wood observed that the song captured the spirit of the film, with lyrics tailored to the story and to Middle-earth. The song may not have won favor with the Oscars crowd, but the opposite appears to be the case with the general public. The latest figures from Spotify, the popular music streaming service, show “I See Fire” topping its most popular list as the most streamed movie soundtrack of the last 12 months. Two of the Best Song Oscar nominees also made the top 10 in soundtracks on Spotify. Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” from Despicable Me 2 came in second, and Frozen‘s “Let It Go” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez is in the ninth spot.
