Oscars 2014: Rate the Performances — Idina’s ‘Frozen’ Anthem, Pink’s ‘Wizard’ Tribute and More
It was a big year for songs in movies, and the Academy Awards paid to tribute to (almost) each and every one of them.
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Ditching his red-carpet tuxedo shorts for his trademark hat of ridiculousness, Pharrell got things started with Despicable Me 2‘s “Happy.” There were big lights, there were tiny dancers and there was so much shimmying from Meryl Streep.
Next up was Karen O with a far more low-key performance of “The Moon Song” from Her. Not only did Ms. O sound great, but she also went barefoot, which is a bold move for anyone at The Oscars.
Bono and his colorful glasses (and those others guys from U2) then took the stage for an acoustic performance of Mandela‘s “Ordinary Lives.” The song was met with a standing ovation, led by Jared Leto.
Not related to any of this year’s nominees, but still worthy of a spot in this post, was Pink’s cover of The Wizard of Oz‘s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” We weren’t surprised that Pink sounded great, but we were surprised she remained on the ground the entire time.
Another performance unrelated to any of this year’s films was Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings,” which she sang following the “In Memoriam” portion of the Oscars.
Lastly, and perhaps definitely most highly anticipated, Frozen star Idina Menzel belted out an unforgettable rendition of “Let It Go.” (And yes, her name is Idina Menzel, regardless of however John Travolta chose to introduce her. Seriously, what did he say?)
Which Oscars performance was your favorite? Cast your vote below, then drop a comment with more of your thoughts.
All of the performances have been amazing! It’s a shame Idina’s earpiece had difficulties towards the end. She was still stellar.
Love Pharrell and Pink! All of it was good.
In regards to Pink’s lauded performance at the Oscars…
In 1939, a 16 year old Judy Garland delivered a performance of “Over the Rainbow” that remains undiminished in spite of the passing of 75 years. Her performance was filled with nuance and character, with a chilling depth and truthful beauty… a performance that masterfully enveloped the scope of human emotions… so carefully phrased – each line bathed in the vast warmth and colors of her tone, each breath an event, each note a novel of life experience belying the age of the artist. With the tools of her artistry as a singer, Judy Garland transformed the well-crafted song far beyond bluebirds and rainbows into an indelible moment that has been realized by all walks of life in every generation since; an anthem for that within each of us that dares to dream beyond our circumstances.
In 2014, Pink performed “Over the Rainbow” at the Oscars. She was loud and sang many of the correct notes…”mainly” in tune. Her phrasing abilities were beneath those of someone unfamiliar with the language. In place of depth of interpretation, we got a plunging neckline. She possessed the ability to make Harold Arlen’s melody seem vapid and Harburg’s lyrics banal. And she sang loudly.
In 2089, guess who’s version of “Over the Rainbow” they’ll still be mesmerized by?
Shut up Jim… You doin’ too dadgum much. I mean really- they didn’t ask you to write a novel.
You got it exactly right Jim!
Agree. It’s a song about the very tragic “despair” of the young singer – “there’s a place that i heard of once…”. Really it’s a blank slate for interesting renditions, and that definitely wasn’t it. I don’t know much about Pink but I thought she sounded awful, like Vanessa Williams!
Dead on Jim. Since when is it fine art to breathe in the middle of words for God’s sake, let alone the middle of a phrase. NO MORE UNTRAINED POP SINGERS!
Well said! I am a bit of a Pink fan, but she needs to stay in her niche or take some training.
Does anyone here actually know how to sing?! Has anyone ever taken singing lessons?! Because I have an academic degree in music and I can’t believe the stuff you’ve been writing here. I hate it when people speak of things they know nothing about. You say Pink was “mainly” in tune, Jim?! Are you for real?! Do you have too much cerumen in your ears? She did NOT MISS a note, and yes, it IS ok to breathe in the middle of the phrase, Bob, because this is HER rendition of the song, and her phrasing was perfect, Jim (you again); English isn’t my first language and I had absolutely no trouble understanding her. Yup, Judy’s rendition was amazing… 75 years ago! It’s 2014, people, Garland’s song is an OLDIE and Pink’s version is contemporary, it’s sharp, it’s deep and it’s perfect for the time we live in. I wonder, do you believe Judy’s kids were crying at the end of Pink’s performance because she massacred their mother’s song? Or were they crying because she did the song justice and honoured their mother the best way possible? I know what I think! And as for your comment about her plunging neckline, Jim – oh, dear Lord man, wake up! Women can wear pants now and short skirts if they choose to do so, and we can vote also and have careers of our own and be mothers at the same time. Shocked? You must be, since apparently you’ve been living in middle ages…
My professional opinion (I wonder how many of you can say these words and mean them) is Pink’s performance was amazing and she looked and sounded absolutely beautiful!!!
Thank you Arya! I say no more.
Idina Menzel WAS AMAZING!
She was the worst singer tonight, I hate her voice, she was not singing on pitch. Pharrell was phenomenal.
Misilin, I totally agree with you she sounded like really raspy and hoarse in the movie too
She has a great voice, but this performance was terrible. I was looking forward to this more than anything else, but at the end of the song, Idina looked like she was going to burst into tears. I felt really bad for her.
Amen to this! I was ready to burst into tears for her by the end of the song. I love her and she is such a phenomenal singer but this was a horrific performance. Halfway through she was shaking she was so upset. I’m sure it didn’t help that she was following Bette Midler’s beautiful performance and that John Travolta butchered her name.
It was TOO forced. I didn’t like it at all- and was like “THIS is what people are going crazy over? No thanks”
It’s a horrible song though. Simply horrible.
I Love Idina but this was by far her worst performance. She was off key and her voice sounded very strained
I am a big fan of Idina Menzel and will see her in If/Then, however, this performance was far from her best. She did not hit her EB note at the end, had a voice crack, was pushing throughout the song. Maybe nerves or maybe back to her voice teacher for proper air placement. Somtimes great singers pick up some bad habits not even known to themselves when they pull too far away from the voice teacher they trust. She knows it believe me. Can’t wait to see her again in better form. Also a live performance is very different from a sound booth where pitch can be regulated. Song should have been lowered a bit so it was not forced.
I’m sorry Idina was “pitchy” that last big note was way off…pink all the way!
I noticed that last note too but I still thought she was great and it’s still an amazing song. P!nk was great as well
I thought she was pretty awful from beginning to end. And especially the beginning, where she was all mumbly and impossible to understand. I was like, well, maybe there’s another singer named Adele Dazim who stepped in and took over at the last minute. Because Idina Menzel can SING, and this chick apparently cannot. (There is now a Twitter account for Adele Dazim, by the way. I guess that’s what more than one person thought John Travolta said.) Sorry, Idina. That did not sound good to me AT ALL.
Thanks for the comment! I agree she was ghastly. Nervous, pitchy, and wasn’t on time. She had great moments. But let’s not praise her just for being Idina.
Can you relly blame her? In one of the biggest moments of her career an idiot calls her the wrong name. Is like… Should I sign ow should I yell at this piece of garbage??
The orchestra drowned her out and rushed the song along; the song is 4 minutes but this performance was 2.5; the orchestra got faster and faster like it was some race and it was, since they were running over. Idina had the shortest performance of the night for the song that won that goddamn Oscar. They could have done away with the pizza schtick and just let Idina sing.
Agreed.. Her voice was cracking on that last note, and every singer knows that if you miss that last note, the song pretty much stinks because that’s the last thing the audience remembers. I think a lot of people overlook that due to their love for her and the song, but if we are speaking strictly about best Oscar performance I’d say Hands down to Happy by Pharrell.
Yes. A lot of people around here need to get their hearing tested.
Agreed about Idina’s performance–she can do SOOOO much better. As for Pink, I loved the dress, but I would have chosen somebody else to sing that song. I like Pink, but this just wasn’t her best performance either.
Idina-lovers like us were cringing throughout the song – not good timing to lay an egg like that.
Pink was pretty bad, too – this piece did not play to her strengths. Strange choice of song for her, or strange choice of singer for that song. Too bad!
Idina then Bette, the others didn’t exist next to them
Better hasn’t lost her voice, she sounded fantastic and I totally enjoyed her out singing again. Getting older and not singing much hasn’t hurt Bette’s voice at all!
I agree with you. I thought the way she sand this was inspirational and brought me to tears. She was overcome at the end and I felt she was singing for those that were gone and paying them at extremely touching song….She had the mood for what she had been asked to do.
She is now a 68 lady and looking like she might be having health issues that I’m not aware of but she did look to me to be a bit frail. I love her and thought she was termendous!
Idina rocked it. And John Travolta wins moron of the night award.
John Travolta is dyslexic which is why he messed up her name. Your comment is uncalled for.
OK I’m going to have to side w/ Kristen here. In spite of his dyslexia, John Travolta is an idiot. There are rehearsals before every Oscar show. Presenters are supposed to rehearse and they already know what they’re going to present beforehand. He knew he was going to present Idina. He knew that was why he was there at the show in the first place. He wasn’t just scooped up from the audience and asked to present at the last minute. He should have been prepared. He should have known her name. There’s no excuse for it. He’s a moron for that. His dyslexia doesn’t make him a moron. His flub makes him a moron. You just don’t do that. especially to someone who’s performing at the Oscars for the first time ever. Have some respect. It’s just so sloppy and I feel no ounce of sympathy for him. It wasn’t cute whatsoever.
Yeah, as much as I love Idina, you could tell she was nervous. She was speeding it up a bit, and had some problems with the last big note. Overall though, all of the performances were great.
They probably made her speed it up. Sounded like there were some edits made. Oscars producers don’t always let you just sing the thing as is. There was a weird chord choice made by the orchestra at the end. Dunno what that was. Should’ve dropped them out when Idina sang “the cold never bothered me anyway.” I don’t think the way things went was entirely up to her. Idina can sing well live, we already know that. She is glorious in all things.
The song was unfairly edited down, unnecessarily sped up by the orchestra, and had some weird harmonic quirks added in by the musicians. Why did she get treated like this? The song needs its second verse to build energy and even lyrical meaning. Why would they force a cut to the biggest song of the night, when some other less necessary songs ran much longer? The whole thing was just weird and it felt like she was really treated unfairly, the least thing being her name being butchered.
What is up with you guys blaming the orchestra? Idina sped up first and the orchestra was just trying to catch up with her.
I was looking forward to Idina’s performance all night and was disappointed at the outcome. You can tell she was nervous and was pitchy too. As a broadway fanatic and I know she can do so much better, I was wondering what the hell happened. I blame John Travolta lol!
Idina screamed the whole time. I thought it was the worst.
There was little memorable about that Frozen song, other than Menzel working incredibly hard to sing it. The other three songs were far superior, far more memorable, and worth listening to again. And those winning songwriters are idiots. Karen O, Pharrell, and U2 actually ARE rock stars.
You might want to get your hearing checked. The only one with a shot of being remembered, replayed, or covered by many people is gonna be “Let It Go.” The melodies of the other songs are long gone out of my and most people’s heads and we JUST heard them on tv. It shouldn’t be that way and wouldn’t be if the other songs were that great. There’ve been stronger Best Original Song years, but “Let It Go” is catchy.
Agreed. Let It Go has even gone global. There’s even a video on Youtube of it being sung I think in 25+ languages. The song and movie is a massive success. Like @S. I’ve barely heard or remembered the songs from the other films.
What does hearing have to do with anything?
Plus, being from outside the US, I can tell you that “Happy” is FAR more popular everywhere that isn’t America, just like Pharrell is much more known than Idina. And far more recognized, too. Honestly, if “Happy” is out of your head already, maybe, just maybe, JW isn’t the one who has to get something checked. And I could say the same thing with the chorus of the U2 song, whose popularity I won’t even bother mentioning.
I’m from outside USA and everyone I know here young and old sing “Let it Go” like ti’s their national anthem lol. And even all my friends in Europe too. I was even late to appreciate it to think I’m a singer too
Yea, no. No they don’t.
You’re all crazy!! U2 nailed it, they were the BEST of the evening. Look up the lyrics. Listen to the melody. It is pure genius and blew all the others out of the water.
What melody?
Demi Lovato’s version of Let It Go was better.
Said by … Oh, just you!
Amen. Demi’s was fine, but there’s a reason Idina’s is the bigger seller.
Demi cannot sing her way out of a paper bag. Idina could blow her out of the water anytime. Demi wishes she had an ounce of the talent Idina has. Sorry!
Are you kidding me, Demi can sing her ass off. and she kills this song live too. i’ve also heard her hits all the notes idina hits in this song, in her own songs LIVE. demi’s an amazing vocalist.. a very different type of vocalist than idina, though. you can’t even compare.
And don’t even say you’ve heard demi sing live and sucked, because just like how idina can have off nights, so can demi. i’ve seen that hypocrisy with you idina fans/bandwagoners.
I totally disagree. Demi sounds like she is gasping for air half the time she sings. I cannot stand her and comparing her to Idina is like comparing Fast food to Gourmet. But more power to ya, if you like that auto tuned, studio produced crap.
I am glad they chose Idina over Demi. Demi is just another studio produced, auto-tuned singer. I agree with Jake, everything I hear from her sounds like she is gasping for air.
Demi’s is a good version, but there is something extra special about Idina’s version. Although with Demi’s version I do like the part with the lyric change. That was a nice addition to the song
I agree with you, after so much buzz about her version I thought she’ll blow my mind I don’t why people are lying that Idina’s voice is better maybe because she’s a Tony winner. I fast forwarded after few seconds.
Not even close. You must seriously be the only one who thinks that.
Best song of the night goes to Adela Dazeem!
Ha. Seriously. What WAS that? Travolta’s had some of the pot brownies that Harrison Ford and Kim Novak were eating.
Big U2 fan, thought they sounded fantastic tonight :). Karen O’s song was lovely, too.
And Pink. Wow. She was amazing. I actually got a bit choked up during her performance.
(Also, her dress was gorgeous and I want it!)
I didn’t think any performance was really that bad tonight. :) But I enjoyed Idina Menzel’s the most.
Pharrell’s was the only performance I thought actually worked. Love Bette, but she didn’t sound great. Pink was not the world’s best choice for Over the Rainbow. The whispery, barefoot girl was beyond terrible. I must’ve been on a break when U2 sang because I have no recollection of that at all. So that leaves Pharrell, who I enjoyed a lot. He had energy and tiny dancers. WOOT!
Agreed, completely. I’ll just add that U2 didn’t exactly succeed choosing an acousting rendition of the song, which quite possibly helped that feeling of not having watched them perform.
Loved Idina Menzel! Yes, she was nervous! But, she was singing at the oscars for the first time! yes, she sings on Broadway, but not to a crowd like who is at the Oscars. Who wouldn’t be nervous! But, I thought she still did incredibly well. She is an amazing talented singer! And Bette Midler is ridiculously amazing!!! Loved them both!
Idina all the way! But Pink was seriously fantastic as always, I am going to put that on my iPod for sure. Pharrell was also great, and the most visually exciting performance. The others were….meh. Even Bono sounded off tonight.
I love Pink, but you don’t breathe in the middle of a word. Some*breath*where Over The Rainbow. Phrasing is important. Indina was going fast, but I blame the orchestra, they started at a ridiculous tempo. And last year John Travolta butchered Les Miserables, so can we just not have him present again?
Totally dead on. The broken phrasing killed the song and definitely worked to rob the song of its flow. The rhythm was stilted and the performance on a whole wasn’t moving.
Did I write the above comment in my dreams? It was exactly what I thought! I don’t know why singers think it’s okay to breathe in the middle of a word. And I love Pink too, but that’s a big no no.
That is the audition song for what, 60% of musicals. Everyone knows you don’t breathe in the middle of the word “somewhere”. Pink had good tone, but she doesn’t have the lungs to phrase the song correctly- which got annoying.
Damn folks – really showing hour age here – Pink gave a contemporary performance of a very old song IN HER OWN STYLE – her “breathing” and phrasing is part of said style. If you didn’t like it, that’s fine, but who died and made you guys the rulers of when to freaking breathe?
No. No no no. “Contemporary” performance or not, there is such a thing as vocal technique, which Pink showed very little of in this instance. A good singer with good breath support simply does not need to breathe in the middle of words. And she did it repeatedly, every time she came to the chorus in the exact same spots. She should’ve rehearsed it with the breaths in different places, with extra catch breaths worked into account for nerves, etc. She simply didn’t have good technique on this iconic song, though her voice is lovely.
Nicole, you talk the talk, but let’s see you get up there and sing it. 5 bucks says you can’t even make it past the first word.
I do love Pink too, but that’s my very first reaction too. Why breathe after only just one word?
I completely agree regarding Pink’s performance. She breathed in all the wrong places and in the middle of words! Definitely needs singing lessons.
And where your record contract or sold out world tour? Yeah that’s what I thought. You get your butt up there and try to even get one note out. Stupid bint
Not a single performance was bad. My favorite, which I didn’t expect, was Pink. Not to say I don’t expect Pink to be good, but I didn’t even know she was singing tonight and I’d never in a million years expect that song. Best of the night, imo. Idina was the one I was waiting for the whole night and while her intonation on that climatic note wasn’t her best, I wasn’t left disappointed. Pharrel got me dancing, Karen O sounded lovely and Bono is living proof that if you take care of it, your voice can last forever. The one thing I would’ve changed is that horrible backing track in Wind Beneath My Wings. It was tacky in the 80s and it was still tacky tonight. The orchestra should have accompanied Midler.
I love Idina Menzel but I do agree something was off about her performance. I don’t think it was her fault though, because the song sounded really fast to me. It should start off slow and then build, but from the start it felt like she was rushing the words to keep up with the orchestra. I voted for Pink because I felt like her performance was understated and beautful and really showcased her voice as more than just a rocker.
I actually thought the best performance was Pharrell and I HATE to say it because I was really hoping for it to be Frozen (I play that song constantly!) I was incensed for Idina because it was clear that they had chopped up the song and the orchestra changed chords in a really weird way a couple of times, and John Travolta screwed up her name! Any one of those is enough to put a performer off, but at the Oscars? Whoo, it is lucky she was only pitchy! Bette Midler did not do well (which is beyond weird) and I didn’t think Pink was a good choice for Over the Rainbow. Karen O was solid, but it wasn’t really an Oscar performance. U2 kind of went the way of Karen O and made the entire performance seem small and the Oscars need small but in a BIG way.
This is of course just my opinion! :-)
Something was going on with Idina’s voice tonight. I really hope she doesn’t have nodes. That last high note just wasn’t healthy and it broke due to either sickness or fatigue or both. I can’t fathom that she would have had that same note in rehearsal. Very gutsy performance nonetheless. People are blaming the orchestra, but that tempo was pretty close to the studio version, and I doubt the cut to the bridge threw her much, if at all. For me, it was a tossup between Idina and Pink.
Well, in regards to the orchestra for Idina, I don’t think they where she could hear them. They were somewhere else altogether, and it looked like her earpiece wasn’t working. So, those two things were not working in her favor. But, she still sang amazing and killed it despite not being able to hear the orchestra.
Is it me or did Idina look very unhappy at the end of the performance…like she didn’t even know what just happened. I was looking forward to her because on the red carpet she said she had been working on the song really hard for tonight. Sadly, it wasn’t her best. The last note was cringeworthy. I think her nerves got the better of her.
Pink was awesome.
I’ll bet as soon as Idina finished singing she ran backstage and snatched that ugly wig right off Travolta’s head. :)
I loved Idina! Maybe she was a little pitchy or a little rushed, but she was really nervous and it’s a very challenging song (have to take that in consideration when comparing to Pharrel’s performance). I think she did great anyway.