‘You wish to hear the music?’: How a Eighties Orlando Magic music turned a victory lap

After logging 42 minutes in a commanding 98-74 victory over the Orlando Magic final March, New York Knicks guard Josh Hart sat at his Madison Square Garden locker, catching his breath and reflecting on the night time.

The victory snapped Orlando’s five-game win streak. But, equally necessary — if no more so — to Hart, it denied the Magic’s try at fulfilling a ritual.

Since November 2023, Orlando has celebrated every victory with a social media video, usually teasing followers with a “you wish to hear the music?” publish first. The remaining rating graphic is paired with an up-tempo catchy refrain that goes, “Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic, Orlando Magic, oh, oh, oh, ohhhhhh.”

Hart did not shrink back from expressing his pleasure about making it disappear, no less than for that night time. When requested in regards to the significance of defeating the Magic, it did not take him lengthy to elucidate.

“It was so necessary as a result of I did not wish to see Orlando Magic publish on TikTookay [of] their music with some cows dancing,” he stated.

Though Hart referred to as the music “a banger,” Orlando did not neglect what motivated him.

When the Magic defeated the Knicks on Jan. 6, they posted a clip of Hart’s feedback. As the music’s beat dropped, cows danced within the background.

It’s only one instance of how Orlando’s post-win music has changed into a social media phenomenon, bringing new followers for a younger, rising group.

According to knowledge supplied by the Magic to ESPN, as of Jan. 13, they’ve revealed the music 700 instances on TikTookay. It has led to 174 million impressions and 154 million video views — 66 million of which have come on the “For You” web page.

The posts have reached momentous heights attributable to a catchy spin on a observe that served because the Magic’s authentic theme music in 1989.

“It’s a extremely cool custom …” Magic guard Jalen Suggs instructed ESPN. “In a critical recreation, and at factors and time a critical season, you [can] permit your self to let go a bit, , sort of have enjoyable, smile and simply benefit from the music.”

Ahead of its first season in 1989, Orlando labored with Gettings Production on a observe for the participant introductions video and on-court dance performances. Glenn Gettings wrote the music then discovered an area performer from Disney to sing it.

The performer from the unique music is the voice behind the catchy: “Orlando Magic, oh, oh, ohhhhhh.” They additionally sing a two-line verse that features: “Abracadabra, razzamatazz. Slam Dunk sesame,” then end the rhyme with “Hocus pocus, alakazam/Gonna set the spirit free.”

“It feels very 80s,” Shelly Wilkes, Orlando’s government vice chairman of selling and social accountability, instructed ESPN. “And for some cause, it has simply taken off.”

At some level, they stopped using the music within the area. Staff members now and again would foyer for its return, however the reply was at all times no, in keeping with Wilkes.

Fans did not neglect about it, both. In November 2021, ESPN’s Kevin Clark posted a clip of a stay efficiency of the music. Clark expressed that the observe did not obtain sufficient appreciation.

It shortly went viral. Within an hour, the Magic’s X web page reposted it, writing: “1000 RT and we’ll play this throughout tomorrow’s recreation.” No greater than 20 minutes later, the publish surpassed that mark.

Orlando performed it in its subsequent dwelling recreation and the music began to achieve extra traction on social media. In her 20 years with the franchise, Wilkes stated it hadn’t used the music any time previous to that night time.

In January 2022, the Magic started posting totally different variations on social media round “play that music” or “hit the music.” Orlando did not use it in a post-victory meme format till December 2022 after defeating the Atlanta Hawks. The music was featured on TikTookay with a graphic of the rating and video within the again.

Everything modified in the course of the 2023-24 season. On Nov. 2, 2023, the Magic started posting it commonly and it took off.

“It gained a lot traction as a result of they had been so foolish, actually,” Wilkes stated.

The first victory publish of the 2023-24 season included a clip of streamer Kai Cenat dancing with the theme music taking part in within the background.

It was a results of the Magic’s laborious work within the offseason.

Seven social content material creators do the majority of the work on the post-win edits. Leading as much as the 2023 season, the Magic’s social media content material creation group started stocking up on viral movies. It resulted in a shared folder of content material the group depends on after every win.

“They’re seeing every part that is on the market and so they’re simply clipping out this content material that is going viral or that they assume is humorous or that may have some kind of relationship to the opposing group or different cultural conversations,” Wilkes stated.

Members of the group will pitch a video thought and put it collectively forward of an upcoming recreation. The group will undergo that library of movies to arrange, however — primarily based on how the sport goes — could make changes. That night time’s opponent usually dictates the course of the video, too.

The Toronto Raptors had been the goal of a video that included somebody failing to open a bottle of champagne, adopted by an impersonator of Canadian rapper Drake.

“When I say I’m a bit too outdated to seek out these movies even,” Wilkes joked. “Some of them I’m like, ‘What is even taking place?’ But they at all times make you snort, and I believe a part of it’s the edit. They at all times discover the beat drop to make one thing loopy occur within the edit.”

Memes apart, the observe has remained a relentless, although it has developed by a number of variations since Orlando reintroduced it.

The franchise partnered with Grammy-award winner Ayo the Producer forward of the 2023-24 season. Ayo added a beat within the again that remained all through the marketing campaign. This season, after taking a look at totally different remixes of the music, Orlando opted to return to the unique model.

Wilkes defined they thought the unique made essentially the most sense. She did reveal the group is engaged on a Brazilian remix for the Magic’s Portuguese language accounts.

What made the posts take off final season is straightforward: Orlando stored successful. More wins, 47 regular-season ones to be precise, meant extra alternatives for followers to have “oh, oh, ohhhhhh” caught of their head.

“It’s a straightforward factor to be in help of, particularly after a win. It does not matter, common season or playoffs [it’s] simply the power that it brings in itself,” Suggs stated.

Taking inspiration from the Sacramento Kings‘ “mild the beam” phenomenon of the 2022-23 season, Wilkes and her group sought to create their very own victory custom that might bridge the hole between social media and the in-arena expertise. By February 2024, that they had developed their reply: Bringing gamers and followers collectively by post-win video reveals on the courtroom.

That reveal is then changed into its personal social publish, making a celebration that connects gamers instantly with followers each in-person and on-line.

The custom of gamers like Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., and Tristan da Silva hopping to a board amid “play the music” chants has unfold past Orlando, with even the Buffalo Bills and Italian soccer giants Juventus adopting the melody for their very own social media posts.

Suggs referred to as it one thing that connects gamers and followers alike.

“To perceive that you’ve got come out tonight and dealt with enterprise, you get to go away the courtroom with a win. Then, in unison, we are able to all not solely rejoice the dub [or] rejoice the music however rejoice being one unit, one sound,” he stated.

As it has grown, gamers are extra conscious.

A month previous to Hart’s feedback, his teammate, Jalen Brunson, gave credit score to the Magic social group.

Even after Hart jokingly stated he hoped to keep away from being featured, he revealed his personal obsession with the music.

“Getting that sort of response and recognition is de facto cool for us and it helps us rejoice these wins,” Wilkes stated. “It makes our wins a good greater deal for the gamers and the group, proper? Because it is getting this additional consideration round successful.”

For opposing gamers although, the earworm is not factor. No matter how catchy, it isn’t as enjoyable being on the receiving finish of it. The music might function sufficient motivation to get the victory and never hear it — identical to it did for Hart.

Suggs believes in any other case. The magic is just too robust to disregard.

“It’s only a cool factor, like whenever you hear beat wherever [you are], how will you not nod your head?” Suggs stated. “They discovered an important beat, good phrases behind it and it is Orlando Magic; it’s us … so how will you not love and help it?”

Suggs and Orlando’s subsequent likelihood to listen to their theme music could possibly be after their Friday night time matchup in opposition to the Boston Celtics at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.