| "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Emma Stone | |
| from the album La La Land: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
| Written | 2011–2014 |
| Released | December 9, 2016 |
| Length | 3:48 |
| Label | Interscope |
| Composer(s) | Justin Hurwitz |
| Lyricist(s) | |
"Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" is a song composed by Justin Hurwitz with lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul for the musical film La La Land (2016). Sung by American actress Emma Stone in her role as Mia, the emotional ballad forms the film's climax. "Audition" sees Mia describing what it means to be someone who seeks a career in the arts; it has overall themes about dreamers and the importance of actors.
The final song he wrote for La La Land, Hurwitz began working on "Audition" in 2011. He revisited the track in 2014 after the film was picked up. During pre-production, Stone worked extensively with the music crew, in which she learned the song's technical points and tried to memorise it as well as she could. She performed it live on set with Hurwitz accompanying her on the piano. "Audition" garnered acclaim from film critics, as did Stone's emotional performance. It received nominations for the Academy and Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Original Song. At the 89th Academy Awards, singer and pianist John Legend performed "Audition" and "City of Stars" in a medley accompanied by several dancers.