EA SPORTS FIFA 17 is due for release in just over two weeks -- so it’s time to take a look at the next installment of one of the series’ most defining features, the soundtrack.
It’s no secret that the FIFA series’ soundtracks boast some of the best musical selections in sports gaming. In past editions, FIFA has wrangled smash hits like LCD Soundsystem’s “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House” (FIFA 06). It's also sent lesser-known songs soaring on streaming platforms, like Django Django’s “Hail Bop” (FIFA 13), Foals’ “My Number” (FIFA 14), “Little Games” by the Colourist (FIFA 14), and Baio’s “Sister of Pearl” (FIFA 16).
The official soundtrack for FIFA 17 just dropped as a playlist on Spotify on Thursday, and it’s loaded with atmospheric pace-setters, indie-pop grooves, anthemic jams, and exclusive debut tracks from the likes of Beck, Kasabian, and Capital Cities.
FIFA 17 also features exclusively produced songs from Zedd & Grey as well as Paul Kalkbrenner, alongside custom FIFA Ultimate Team kits designed by artists like Kygo, Kasabian, Zedd, Major Lazer, and Damian Marley.
The first song on the soundtrack, Balkan Beat Box’s “I Trusted U” sets the tone immediately with a prominent saxophone riff over a swaggering, clap-heavy drum track, eventually leading into some reggae-inspired vocals and more of that sweet, sweet sax. The chorus is undeniably catchy, featuring some more bass heavy, clap-snap drums and another great sax line. If this is the first song you hear on FIFA 17, you’ll be kicking things off on the right foot.
Farther down on the list, Kygo and Kodaline’s acoustic-driven “Raging” might be the single most infectious track on the entire soundtrack, and it is almost guaranteed to inspire some foot tapping, head bobbing, shoulder moving, or whatever it is you do when you’re feeling the beat. The acoustic intro gives way to a nice little side-chained beat as the verse vocals kick in, followed by a piano transition into a soaring chorus. It’s an expertly crafted indie-pop banger from two of the biggest names on the scene, and it kicks.
Spring King’s “Who Are You?” brings a little more rawness to this soundtrack, complete with fuzzed-out guitar riffs, relentlessly thick drums, some reverbed, raw vocals, and yes, a freakin’ saxophone solo. Yeah!
The genres represented on FIFA 17’s soundtrack run the gamut, and there’s a track for every taste. Like past editions, it’s packed with artists you know right alongside artists you won’t stop hearing about after the game drops.
You can listen to the whole soundtrack on Spotify and check out the full details from EA SPORTS here.
