4 Music-Powered Moments from the 2021 Olympics

As we come off of a month of sitting on the couch and watching the world’s most powerful and inspirational athletes, it was hard not to notice the role audio played throughout the games. From the opening ceremonies to hype-up playlists to jaw-dropping performances, music was undoubtedly weaved across the events, boosting the experience to another level. 

Here’s just a few of our favorite moments: 

Billie Eilish is #Vibes; US Artistic Swimming

Based on our mediocre doggie paddling skills, it’s hard to even comprehend the notion of performing a high-energy 5-minute routine in the water inclusive of flips, jumps, and upside down leg formations—which is only a fraction of the sport Artistic Swimming. The US duo performs a perfectly timed, gravity-defying performance powered by our favorite dark pop songstress, Billie Eilish. 

We’d also be remiss not to at least mention the ROC’s dramatic showing which secured them a sixth consecutive gold. 

Gymnast Shares Brazilian Culture 

With the world watching, the Olympics is also a place to (distantly) experience and celebrate other places, customs, and people. It’s no secret that music connects people to their culture, and Rebeca Andrade took her opportunity on the global stage to share a little bit about her home country. The gymnast flipped, jumped, and danced (this is of course a simplified version of the incomprehensible skills performed on the floor), to song “Baile de favela”, a homage to Black Brazilian neighborhoods. 

Playlist drives Skateboarder to Bronze

There’s nothing like your favorite song to get you hyped up for an event, athletic performance, test, or a workday (for us). There’s no doubt it just gives you that boost and mini-adrenaline rush that you need. And, for skateboarder Jagger Eaton, his combination of country and rap music helped him reach the “zoned in/zoned out” state that resulted in a place on the podium. 

And, he definitely wasn’t the only one. Headphones were a common sight in all events as we watched our favorite athletes mentally prepare to compete. (If only our favorite song resulted in a WR 100m hurdle, shout out to our new track crush Sydney McLaughlin). 

Mopsi the Rave Horse

And last but not least: um, this horse danced to EDM. Mopsi the horse brought the party to Tokyo, and busted stereotypes by choosing a techno mashup over the traditional classical music. While Mopsi and his rider, five-time Olympian, Steffan Peters, only landed 10th place, they danced their way into viewers’ hearts across the globe.