Arrival: Alan Walker, “Faded”
Trying to deal with your young daughter’s death? Alien languages got you down? Can’t get those pesky visions out of your head? Well, if you’re Louise, you haven’t discovered the sheer power of music, particularly head-banging EDM. Alan Walker’s “Faded” perfectly captures your desperate and curious state.
Hidden Figures: Beyonce, “Formation”
You know what sucks? Having to walk in the rain for an hour just to find a bathroom. Why? Because the only bathroom at your workplace is for white people only. Hidden Figures champions intersectional feminism by describing the daily plights of black women in the 1960s and elucidating the modern-day climate for women of color in the United States. In “Formation” (and her entire album Lemonade), Beyonce wears her black pride on her sleeve and seeks to empower women of color to rise up and resist.
La La Land: Kimbra, “Settle Down”
Thanks to Sebastian, Mia grows to appreciate jazz as a multifaceted and integral part of American history and music, but despite how Mia and Sebastian drift farther away from each other, they try to keep their love alive. Kimbra’s “Settle Down” marries accordant and discordant genres to create a musical treat for the ears, like how Mia’s and Sebastian’s personalities are so different and work so well nevertheless.
Manchester By The Sea: Sia, “Breathe Me”
Manchester is gloomy. Really gloomy. A guy has to deal with the death of his brother and can’t let go. Plus, he has to take care of his deceased brother’s son as his legal guardian. Meanwhile, the son is dealing with his own mommy issues and feels let down. While Lee and Patrick remain detached, they soon realize at the end that all they needed was each other.
Moonlight: Chance the Rapper, “Same Drugs”
As we grow up, we fold into ourselves even more as a response to societal and environmental changes. Moonlight follows the story of Chiron through his three stages: Little, Chiron, and Black. Estranged from his abusive mother, he finds his own family in Juan and Teresa, who teach him to find his own path in life. Like Moonlight, “Same Drugs” is a song about coming of age, moving on so far and fast that life is never the same.
