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Song From X Japan's Documentary 'We Are X' Eligible for Oscar Nomination

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on December 13 the 91 songs eligible for nomination in the Original Song category at the 89th Academy Awards. The list includes X Japan's "La Venus" song for the band's We Are X documentary. YOSHIKI wrote the song for the film.

Sony Legacy Recordings will release the song's single in early 2017.

The Academy Awards will announce its nominations on January 24. The awards ceremony will then be held on February 26.

We Are X opened in the United States in October. Stephen Kijak (Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, Stones In Exile) directed the film, and John Battsek (Searching For Sugarman, The Imposter) served as the producer. Mako Kamitsuna (The World Made Straight, Blackhat) and John Maringouin (Big River Man, Running Stumbled) edited the documentary.

The documentary chronicles the band's 35-year career, and it premiered on January 23 at the Sundance Film Festival in the festival's World Cinema Documentary Competition. The film won Sundance Film Festival Awards' Special Jury Award for Best Editing. The film also screened at the SXSW film festival in Austin, Texas in March.

The band announced in February that it is on a temporary hiatus after guitarist Pata was hospitalized in January.

X Japan toured North America in 2010. The group signed a three-year contract with EMI Music North America in 2011, and released their first North American single "Jade" that same year. The band's single "Scarlet Love Song" was used as the theme song for the anime film Buddha: The Great Departure. The band's music was also used as the ending theme for the X anime film and X - X2 double X original video anime.

YOSHIKI and Toshi formed X Japan in 1982 as X. Over the next 13 years, X Japan released five studio albums, six live albums, 10 best hit albums, and 20 DVD releases. The band disbanded in 1997 but reunited in 2007. Original lead guitarist hide and bassist Taiji Sawada passed away in 1998 and 2011, respectively. The band has sold more than 30 million albums (with singles and videos combined), and has sold out Japan's 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome 18 times.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip.