Ahead of the release of *ahem* EA Sports FC 24 – once called FIFA, but now newly-renamed after going by its previous name since 1993 – the line-up for the footballing game’s wildly influential soundtrack has just been announced.
The hugely popular video game allows aspiring players to strap on their virtual shin-pads, take control of football clubs from around the world, and do their best to take them all the way to trophy-winning glory.
Besides being well known for giving players the opportunity to play with their footballing heroes, it also has a solid reputation for its quality soundtrack selections, which often give massive leg-ups to rising acts. As of 2021, 325 million copies of the game had been sold: that’s a huge number of brand new ears to reach.
And the line-up for EA Sports FC 24 – out on September 29 – is a real doozy. One of the summer’s most talked about emerging bands, The Last Dinner Party, have made the cut with their theatrical debut single Nothing Matters, alongside the rising Brooklyn house DJ Yaeji, Welsh electronic duo Overmono, the enormously talented pop artist Bree Runway, South African alt-pop star Baby Queen, Scottish producer Barry Can’t Swim, and Brighton-formed indie band Lovejoy among many others.
can’t believe Nothing Matters is going to be a FIFA soundtrack song. that’s a whole generation of teenagers who will hear it and go ‘that’s a FIFA song’ for the rest of their lives
— The Last Dinner Party (@lastdinnerparty) September 20, 2023
There are also plenty of more established names, from Colombian reggaeton singer Karol G, US rapper Kendrick Lamar, and Mercury nominated producer Fred Again.. (with his thumping Skrillex collab Rumble) to newly-solo The xx member Romy and a little old band called The Rolling Stones, with their new comeback single Angry.
It’s hard to overstate the impact of landing a spot on this particular gaming soundtrack; from Glass Animals’ Heatwave, to Billie Eilish’s You Should See Me in a Crown, countless songs have found huge new audiences here. In certain quarters, you’ll even hear Blur’s Song 2 or New Order’s Blue Monday referred to as “that FIFA song” – it’s a big deal getting to soundtrack all of your truly horrendous slide tackles.
“Can’t believe Nothing Matters is going to be a FIFA soundtrack song. that’s a whole generation of teenagers who will hear it and go ‘that’s a FIFA song’ for the rest of their lives,” posted The Last Dinner Party on X (formerly known as Twitter) reacting to the news.
Check out the full soundtrack, and all 100 additions, below.
