Muse’s Olympic Anthem Features Inspiring Video
On July 4, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially publicized the theme video of the upcoming London Summer Olympics. The song written by famous British band Muse is entitled "Survival" and the video can be viewed now on IOC's official YouTube channel.
During the prelude, the video takes on a unique perspective by showing a montage of past Olympics, from year 2008 back to 1898, with the movement in the montage also going backwards. The brief, 30-second review of the Olympic Games's history already gives the viewer goose bumps.
Like many other Muse's songs, its signature composition with a poetic beginning gradually crescendoing to a heroic climax is again reflected in this song. And the powerful beats and lead vocal Matt Bellamy's exquisite interpretation become even more breathtaking when iconic clips from recent Olympic Games--the ecstasy, the agony, the tears and despairs--come along with the beats.
Before the song went public, Muse wrote a note on their website saying,
"Matt wrote the song with the Olympics in mind. It's about total conviction and pure determination to win … The song will be played throughout the Games including when athletes enter the stadium, in the lead up to the medal ceremony and also as the theme for all international TV coverage."
So far the song has received many positive feedbacks from worldwide. UK website Digital Spy's music reviewer Lewis Corner compliments the new Olympic anthem:
"We have to admit we did not expect Muse's return to music to begin with an official song for the London 2012 Olympics. It's not that we doubted the band's ability to write a good anthem, but more their established dark-rock vibe seemed at odds with the celebratory mood that surrounds the Games. However, as soon as we hit the play button, we knew the right decision was made."
According to Yahoo Music, this song "is set to play during sporting sessions, when athletes enter the stadium and in the walk-ups to the medal ceremonies."
Expect to hear the song and watch the inspiring video over and over again between July 27 and August 12. The torch is now relaying and the clock is counting--only 21 days to go til the most celebratory event of this summer!
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Xiaomeng Li earned her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, with Honors in Mass Communication and Fine Arts at Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA. She is now a Master of Arts candidate for New Arts Journalism program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Born in Wuhan, China, Li came to the United States in 2007. Her passion lies in popular culture, cross-cultural communication, and the relationship between the Chinese government, mass media and the civil society. Li is also an aspiring photographer who likes portraiture and the traditional darkroom experience.