Why Robbie Williams’ Song Was Dropped from Oscars 2025 Shortlist
When it comes to award shows, unexpected plot twists aren’t just reserved for movies. Case in point, Robbie Williams’ song “Forbidden Road” was dropped from the Oscars 2025 Shortlist for Best Original Song, as reported by Billboard. So, what happened? Let’s break it down.
Robbie Williams’ Biopic Better Man
The song “Forbidden Road” was written for Williams’ biopic, Better Man. The film tells Robbie Williams’ life story but instead of him acting, he was portrayed by a CG-animated chimpanzee. The reason for this is that, according to the production notes, Williams said, “There is a surrender to the machinery of the industry that requires you to be a robot or a monkey. I chose to be a monkey,” as reported by BBC.
The movie was co-written and directed by Michael Gracey, best known for directing Hugh Jackman’s The Greatest Showman. Williams’ CG-animated chimpanzee was portrayed and voiced by actor Jonno Davies, while Williams served as the film’s narrator.
Better Man’s Raving Reviews
The movie is receiving positive reviews with Screen Rant calling it “one of the best music biopics in recent years” and Empire calling it “an absolute blast.”
“Forbidden Road”
Williams’ most iconic songs played in the background during key moments throughout the movie. As the film nears its conclusion, his new song “Forbidden Road,” the lead single from the soundtrack, plays. With lyrics like, “Maybe I’m nevеr satisfied/I made a lot of poor decisions/Yеah, I’d make some revisions/And I’m still tryna get it right,” it seemed to be hinting that Williams is finally accepting his past mistakes and trying to make things right.
It’s such a pity it was disqualified from the Oscars.
As reported by Variety, the song was disqualified because it “incorporates material from an existing song that was not written for the film.” The existing song mentioned is “I Got a Name” by Jim Croce, which the Academy deemed to have marked similarities with the melody of “Forbidden Road.” The rules also mentioned that for a song to be considered eligible, it must be “original and written specifically for the motion picture.”
Williams’ Reaction to the News
Deadline reported Williams’ reaction to the news of disqualification. Williams said, “Listen, the rules is the rules and you have to go by them. It would have been nice, but as an introvert, it’s another party I don’t have to go to.” He added, “I went through it, I’m on the other side.”
Better Man is set for a wider theatrical release on January 10, 2025.
