Doja Cat’s ‘Elvis’ Song Deemed Ineligible for Oscar

[BUtterfield 8 41,037]

“Vegas,” the Doja Cat song from “Elvis,” has been debated for months. The lead single from the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s Presley biopic, it was written by Doja Cat and producers Roget Chahayed and Yeti Beats, but its interpolation of the Presley classic “Hound Dog” (by Mike Stoller and the late Jerry Lieber) apparently doomed it for consideration.

Oscar rules demand that both words and music must be “original, and written specifically for the motion picture” and must be the result of “creative interaction between the filmmakers and the songwriters who have been engaged to work directly on the motion picture.”

“Vegas” reached no. 10 on the Billboard charts and was the only song from “Elvis” entered for awards consideration.

[Roughhouse Dandy 9,263]

Well that's dumb af but okay. 

[Stephen 30,326]

I LOVE Doja Cat but this song is so grating.

[butthole 9,865]

36 minutes ago, Roughhouse Dandy said:

Well that's dumb af but okay. 

but did you really listen to this song and think "yeah, that needs an oscar"

[TEANUS 13,039]

I love Vegas but would it really be Oscar material either way? When songs like Carolina, Hold My Hand, etc. exist? 

[bionic 44,740]

if nominated it would've been frontrunner, so this is welcome news

[Roughhouse Dandy 9,263]

52 minutes ago, Hold My Ham said:

but did you really listen to this song and think "yeah, that needs an oscar"

Not at all lol but that's not my point. 

Being disqualified for not being deemed "original" because of a small sample is wild. There is barely any of the previous song in there. 

[StrawberryBlond 14,263]

This was clear as soon as the song came out. It's not just that the sample is there, it's the repetition of it. I really don't know what's expected when a sample is put in a song that's primed for Oscar consideration. I thought everyone knew how strict the rules were by this point. Perhaps it was just to become a hit on the charts and promote the movie and an Oscar wasn't the end goal but I still find it weird that there was such a push for it to win big when it was obvious for anyone who had read into the rules that it wouldn't qualify. This was Doja's big chance to win an Oscar so I don't know why she was ok with such a heavy sample being utilised which would deem her ineligible from the get-go. It reminds me of when Madonna's Masterpiece was deemed ineligible because it featured in the closing part of the credits and the rules state that for a song to be nominated, it must start around the first 2 minutes of the credits. She won a Golden Globe for that song, so her chances of winning the Oscar would've increased tenfold had she just put the song in that bit earlier and considering it's from a movie she directed, she had all the power to do that. You'd think anyone who really wants an Oscar would have gone over those rules with a fine-toothed comb before writing had even begun.

[butthole 9,865]

1 hour ago, Roughhouse Dandy said:

Not at all lol but that's not my point. 

Being disqualified for not being deemed "original" because of a small sample is wild. There is barely any of the previous song in there. 

the sample/cover is repeated throughout the entire song though, isn't it? that's not small.

[Roughhouse Dandy 9,263]

7 minutes ago, Hold My Ham said:

the sample/cover is repeated throughout the entire song though, isn't it? that's not small.

1 line of it (7 words) split up by Doja's additions and practically zero instrumentation of the original and a whole song's worth of new lyrics. To me that's pretty small. 

It's like saying Ariana's "Break Up with your girlfriend I'm bored" isn't her original song because she uses a line from NSYNC. 

[butthole 9,865]

1 hour ago, Roughhouse Dandy said:

1 line of it (7 words) split up by Doja's additions and practically zero instrumentation of the original and a whole song's worth of new lyrics. To me that's pretty small. 

It's like saying Ariana's "Break Up with your girlfriend I'm bored" isn't her original song because she uses a line from NSYNC. 

a line used once vs the entire song being made around a line. I don't even understand what you think you're arguing for. did you forget what it sounds like?

[Future Lovers 6,578]

1 hour ago, Roughhouse Dandy said:

1 line of it (7 words) split up by Doja's additions and practically zero instrumentation of the original and a whole song's worth of new lyrics. To me that's pretty small. 

It's like saying Ariana's "Break Up with your girlfriend I'm bored" isn't her original song because she uses a line from NSYNC. 

It’s not that it isn’t her song, it is. It’s that the Academy is a voting body concentrated on film and only award efforts for films and the people who make them. 

If Vegas, or any other song that interpolates or samples, were to be nominated and win, they would have to award someone who did not work on a film. Hound Dog’s original writers are credited on the song, but they did not work on the film and are therefore not eligible to receive and Oscar for that film. 

They cannot award someone an Oscar for work that had nothing to do with a film, even if other people on the credits DID have something to do with a film. 

[RAMROD 105,749]

Honestly, I am not mad at it. Especially all the songs that been, both, nominated and wins the trophy have been as specified.
It will not be fair for past winners and nominees if the Academy are letting Vegas passed. And will set a bad future with musicians/artists will delved in non original and non collaborative songs for soundtracks more. 

[Roughhouse Dandy 9,263]

1 hour ago, Hold My Ham said:

a line used once vs the entire song being made around a line. I don't even understand what you think you're arguing for. did you forget what it sounds like?

Lmao I'm not arguing for anything at all. I stated my opinion and then answered the two questions you asked me. I didn't forget what it sounds like; that's why I mentioned it sounds nothing like the original. 

So I'm not sure why the tone is getting spicy, Mx. Ham 🤔 

[Roughhouse Dandy 9,263]

1 hour ago, Mr Mendes said:

It’s not that it isn’t her song, it is. It’s that the Academy is a voting body concentrated on film and only award efforts for films and the people who make them. 

If Vegas, or any other song that interpolates or samples, were to be nominated and win, they would have to award someone who did not work on a film. Hound Dog’s original writers are credited on the song, but they did not work on the film and are therefore not eligible to receive and Oscar for that film. 

They cannot award someone an Oscar for work that had nothing to do with a film, even if other people on the credits DID have something to do with a film. 

See, this response is friendly, very helpful, and offers a new point I didn't see before. Thank you very much