YOASOBI -- Butai ni Tatte（舞台に立って）

 

I did something unusual yesterday in that I actually ended up watching all 4 1/2 hours of Opening Ceremonies coverage of the Paris Olympics. Things did diverge from the norm with the Athletes' Parade taking place on the Seine rather than on an arena track. Plus, there was the entertainment including Lady Gaga putting on her usual flamboyant show with "Mon Truc en Plumes". Later in the broadcast, there was a whole lot of techno club music pumping away which cut into our dinner time; I don't think I've ever eaten hamburgers to hard dance music...digestion was interesting to say the least. But I have to admit that the showstopper was seeing Celine Dion, despite all of her medical troubles recently, sing "Hymne A L'Amour"; I actually got a bit verklempt.

The Games are now under way. I've seen a few of the events including judo and beach volleyball and hope to catch some of the swimming competition later on today. No problems with the Canadian broadcast but unfortunately Jme informed us subscribers that due to the usual broadcasting rights and zones, we won't be getting any Olympic coverage from NHK, although my family might get lucky with some YouTube footage.

NHK has been featuring this for the past few weeks but their "sports theme song" for these Games is YOASOBI's latest single "Butai ni Tatte" (Standing on Stage) which was released yesterday. I think for the last number of years, Japan's national broadcaster has been using "sports theme song" instead of "official Olympics theme song". I'm only speculating here but perhaps NHK got in trouble with the IOC regarding Japanese pop songs being recognized as official Olympics tunes or the network didn't want to pay any hefty fees for recognition.

Well, regardless of what "Butai ni Tatte" is labeled, we've been hearing the song alongside what news on the Olympics on NHK is provided. With its jangly high-tempo pop/rock arrangement, this could easily have been used as a theme song for any anime and maybe somewhere out there...for example, on a side of a government building...there is some anime footage with a whole bunch of characters possessing their gumption to get at sports. I've also got a feeling that YOASOBI will be making their way onto the Kohaku Utagassen at the end of the year to showcase the song.