Music has always been a significant facet of the Olympics, and the 2022 Winter edition is certainly no exception.
The figure skating segment, in particular, has always featured some pretty exciting musical choices.
To these world-class athletes, picking the right songs are crucial when it comes to choreographing a routine around them because it ultimately determines the outcome of their overall performance—after all, these tracks could very well set the scene for a medal.
Without further ado, we bring to you the music behind the sports:
‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,’ ‘Rocket Man,’ and ‘Bennie and the Jets’ by Elton John
Asian-American Olympic gold medalist Nathan Chen skated to an assortment of Elton John songs such as ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,’ ‘Rocket Man,’ and ‘Bennie and the Jets.’ Chen broke the short program record with a score of 113.97, the highest ever in the event.
‘Call Me Cruella’ by Florence and the Machine/‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ by The Stooges
Russian figure skater Alexandra Trusova performed her silver medal free skate program to a mash-up of ‘Call Me Cruella’ by Florence and the Machine and rock classic ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ by The Stooges.
The 17-year-old athlete specifically selected John McCrea's rendition of the Iggy Pop hit which was featured in the soundtrack to last year's Cruella film.
‘Contact,’ ‘Touch,’ and ‘Within’ by Daft Punk
American figure skating pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates took home the silver medal for Team USA with their Daft Punk-inspired routine featuring a medley of songs from 2013’s Random Access Memories.
While most people would expect them to go with a selection of Daft Punk's greatest dancefloor hits, the duo went with more underrated songs including ‘Contact,’ ‘Touch,’ and ‘Within' instead.
‘Black Magic Woman’ and ‘Shake It’ by Carlos Santana
Mexican skater Donovan Carrillo picked his father’s favourite rock artist Santana for the men’s short program. His choreography which consisted of ‘Black Magic Woman’ and ‘Shake It’ was also a nod towards his cultural roots as Santana himself is Mexican.
‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You,’ ‘Forever,’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ by KISS
British figure skating duo Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson danced to a trio of KISS songs during their six-minute routine.
Donning black and silver sequinned costumes that were reminiscent of the rock band’s stage outfits, the pair performed to 1979’s ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ before quickly transitioning into 1989’s power ballad ‘Forever,’ and finally ending on a high note with a snippet of ‘Rock and Roll All Nite.’
‘Ave Maria’ by Dimash Qudaibergen
Newly-crowned Olympic champion Anna Shcherbakova put on a seraphic display as she skated to Dimash Qudaibergen’s performance of ‘Ave Maria.’ The composition certainly matched the Russian figure skater’s enchanting performance to a T.
‘LOCO’ by ITZY
USA’s Alysa Liu delivered her take on ITZY’s ‘LOCO’ with an upbeat routine at the Olympic figure skating exhibition gala, an invitation-only event where medalists are allowed to perform programs of their choice.
Liu, who placed seventh overall in the women’s event, wowed audiences with her ice rink adaptation of the k-pop group's choreography.
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