Long term readers of Connected will know we jump at any opportunity to cover international events. This is largely because, with their focus on inclusivity, diversity, and the celebration of passion and skill, they are strongly compatible with our own community values. This Summer, Paris hosted over 14,000 athletes, competing in 351 events, across 35 venues, for the enjoyment and appreciation of billions of viewers worldwide. Yes, we’re of course talking about the Olympic and Paralympic games! Now, these are obviously predominantly sporting events, but you’d be surprised just how important music is within them! We did the research so you don’t have to, and are thrilled to introduce you to the Olympic Soundtrack in this article. Ready, set, GO!
The feast for the ears began in the opening ceremony, which saw performances from an abundance of musical greats including Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, Rim’K, and Celine Dion. It also featured a vibrant dance break to the backdrop of a celebration of Europop alongside, of course, a stirring rendition of La Marseillaise, France’s national anthem, by mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel.
The music didn’t stop, though, with the closing of the opening ceremony and the beginning of the sport! In fact, some of the events directly included routines set to music in order to enhance their expressive qualities and showcase the precision of their athletes. The USA have undoubtedly led the way these Games in terms of the meme potential of their striking musical choices. Artistic Gymnastics GOAT, Simone Biles, for example, tumbled her way to a silver medal on the Floor apparatus, accompanied in part by an instrumental rendition of Taylor Swift’s ‘Ready For It?’. The US Synchronized Swimming team equally brought music to the pool as they went viral for their moonwalking sequence to Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal’, while Steffan Peters and his horse Suppenkasper turned heads and tapped feet by including ‘Calabria’ by Salvi, and ‘What is Love?’ by Haddaway in the crowd-pleasing ‘Rave Horse’ section of their Dressage performance.
Music is also an important part of the medal ceremonies of each event, where the winning athletes are handed their gold medals to the tune of their country’s national anthem. With 62 countries claiming gold medals, we heard 62 different national anthems over the course of the Olympics, and are perhaps to hear more as the Paralympic Games continue into the beginning of September.
We close our article with coverage of the closing ceremony, which also featured some key musical moments. A highlight of the first section of the show, which focused on the French Culture and legacy of the games, was the ‘Athlete Karaoke’ performance, which saw some top athletes giving a stirring rendition of Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’. Later in the evening came the handover to Los Angelis, where the next Summer Olympics will be held in 2028, and viewers (and listeners) were treated to an appropriately Hollywood infused show featuring Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ ‘Can’t Stop’ and Billie Eilish’s ‘Birds of a Feather’. Snoop Dog, who’s been a stand-out character of the Games, also took part in the ‘Venice Beach Concert’, thrilling fans with his performance of ‘Drop it Like it’s Hot’. It was a great party and a great handover that all but confirmed that LA will indeed drop it like it’s hot and give us yet another fantastic Olympics in 4 years time!
All in all, Paris held an absolutely awesome edition of the Summer Games and will no doubt hold an equally impressive Paralympics, which will continue until the 8th of September. Both events present extraordinary examples of skill and ability that highlight the power and importance of both sport and music in uniting and connecting us all.
