Euro 2016: The Music

As we all know from big hits such as the Lightning Seed’s Three Lions, football competitions like the World Cup and the Euros are not just about the football, it’s about the music that goes with it, and Euro 2016 is no different, so here is KBPS’ look at the new football songs appearing in 2016 and some of our favourites from previous competitions.

David Guetta feat. Zara Larsson - This One’s For You

France’s most famous musical export since Daft Punk teams up with Sweden’s Zara Larsson for the officlal Euro 2016 anthem. “We stand strong together / we’re in this forever” Larsson sings over a stirring mid-tempo club beat before a range of DJ effects take over for the chorus. It’s a decent enough song in the verses but a chorus consisting of dubstep is hardly going to be chanted by the football crowds. Though it does at least bridge the language barrier.
Verdict: Could try harder.

Manic Street Preachers - Together Stronger (C’mon Wales)

Here is Wales’ official anthem, naturally using one of the country’s biggest bands. Shamelessly and quite obviously riffing off Andy Williams’ ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ it at least ticks the boxes of the familiar football song: extracts from commentary? Check. Name-checking footballers? Check. Sing-able chorus? Check. It’s actually a pretty good track and the clap-heavy breakdown is fun but it does rely heavily on the sample and is it just me that feels it’s a little bit weird for Manic Street Preachers to sell-out like this?
Verdict: Not Bale-rilliant, but good enough!

Super Furry Animals - Bing Bong

Likely to bring fans of Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ into a cold sweat of psychological proportions, this simple, repetitive, vocodor-heavy number if quite likely the surrealist thing you’ll hear this year that’s football related. Except outside of the video it’s not really football-related. Catchy in its craziness, it’s not bad but you’d end up getting sectioned if you standing chanting this from the stands.
Verdict: Not so super, furry animals.

Andreas Klemmstein - EM Song

So unusual I’m not even sure of the actual title, this German song is naturally heavy on the electronic style with rap-like lyrics and mentions of the X Factor. It’s weird, wacky but surprisingly catchy, but again not exactly shouting out football.
Verdict: Nein.

Chris Phillips: Let The Good Times Roll

There must be something in the Welsh water as here is another song from the land of the dragons. A surprisingly well produced indie song with a video that doesn’t look like it was filmed in someone’s bedroom on a cheap camcorder for once, it again ticks the lyrical boxes of a football song but it doesn’t really ever get into a feeling anywhere near stirring. For a song called ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ it doesn’t feel that happy but it’s nice enough.
Verdict: Going to penalties.

Skip The Use - I Was Made For Lovin’ You (My Team)

Somewhere members of KISS are contacting their lawyers to see if it’s worth a lawsuit over this, er, interesting parody. Featuring a particularly unusual pronounciation of the words ‘My Team’ this is actually not too bad and they’ve certainly picked a catchy song to cover, it’s Chic-sounding backing feeling quite contemporary.
Verdict: I Was Made For Lovin’ You Martin? Who’s Martin?

Northern Ireland Team - Will Grigg’s On Fire

Sampling ‘Freed From Desire’ by Gala this is actually surprisingly good, taking the appeal of the original song and twisting the lyrics. Nice.

Izzy Bizu & the BBC Concert Orchestra - La Foule

The official song for the BBC’s coverage, apparantely Izzy Bizu, lacking in particular French skills, sang it phonetically. It’s an intriguing song musically, mixing in your expected French accordion sounds with a Carribean style and a touch of James Bond. I can certainly see it accompanying television coverage but not entirely sure a stand-full of slightly tipsy football fans would be able to navigate the Francais.

Verdict: Bon.

Four Lions - We Are England




Made up of members of Black Grape, this is certainly no Three Lions plus. It’s got a nice tongue-in-cheek feel to it but let’s face it, anything associated with Shaun Ryder is hardly going to be strong musically.

Verdict: Lion down on the job.

The Barry Horns: This is Wales

Yes, it’s Wales again. This song is a cross between some electrofunk record and a tourist’s map of Wales read out by Siri. That said it’s surprisingly toe-tapping if hardly stadium fodder.

Verdict: This is OK.

Seo Linn - The Irish Roar

It’s back to Ireland a more Enigma-style opening gives way to a more indie-Irish style mixing French references with commentary samples. After the Manic Street Preachers this is probably actually the best song of the year.

Verdict: Roar!

Click here for our YouTube playlist of these songs and our favourites from past years.