Various Artists - La La Land

Soundtrack to the 2016 award-winning romantic film musical

Features original cast recordings by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone

Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Damien Chazelle, this Oscar Best Picture nominee tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original romantic musical comedy-drama film about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.

Chazelle wrote the screenplay in 2010, but he did not find a studio willing to finance the production without changes to his design. After the success of his 2014 film "Whiplash," the project was picked up by Summit Entertainment. As of January 2016, it had grossed $223 million worldwide against a production budget of $30 million.

"La La Land" received critical acclaim upon its release and is regarded as one of the best films of 2016. Critics praised Chazelle's screenplay and direction, Gosling and Stone's performances, Justin Hurwitz's musical score and the film's musical numbers. At the 89th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for a record-tying fourteen Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director (Chazelle), Best Actor (Gosling), Best Actress (Stone) and two Best Original Songs, "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" and "City of Stars". The film also won in every category it was nominated for at the 74th Golden Globe Awards with a record-breaking seven wins.