2023-24 Programs by Discipline

[icewhite]

Given what everyone has said, I am very pleasantly surprised by the love for Disco Inferno (and Backstreet Boys).

I am too old for the BSB, but the Trammps? Disco Inferno? As mainstream and as uncool and as unhip back in the day as Michael Jackson and Madonna. In fact, I would argue MJ and Madonna were "cooler".

But Nikita, you have made Auntie El happy by loving on her music.

It's not about coolness, is it? Just a rarer choice, very energetic song, and I think it fits him perfectly because he's so expressive and willing to be bold. Hopefully he won't just recycle one of his old costumes, though, 'cause at least two of them would actually fit already.
Backstreet boys are so extremely campy, I can see that working well for him, too, and they aren't used much in competitions, either.

 

[el henry]

It's not about coolness, is it? Just a rarer choice, very energetic song, and I think it fits him perfectly because he's so expressive and willing to be bold. Hopefully he won't just recycle one of his old costumes, though, 'cause at least two of them would actually fit already.
Backstreet boys are so extremely campy, I can see that working well for him, too, and they aren't used much in competitions, either.

So out of the ordinary refers only to out of the ordinary with regard to skating? And I can still wait eagerly for a "Man in the Mirror" program, even though it is MJ? (I am aware only of Elladj Baldé's)? I like that

What makes Backstreet Boys "campy"? That is not a word I would have thought applied to them, but I wasn't listening to much pop music in the 90s. Are they like the Village People "campy"?

 

[icewhite]

So out of the ordinary refers only to out of the ordinary with regard to skating? And I can still wait eagerly for a "Man in the Mirror" program, even though it is MJ? (I am aware only of Elladj Baldé's)? I like that

What makes Backstreet Boys "campy"? That is not a word I would have thought applied to them, but I wasn't listening to much pop music in the 90s. Are they like the Village People "campy"?

yeah, for me out of the ordinary means in regards to skating...
I am not a native speaker, so maybe the word campy is wrong not like the Village people, definitely...

 

[Rikku]

All I remember in regards to the Backstreet Boys is how I had to spend a two week school trip in the late 90s sharing a small space with 3 girls that were fans and blasting one of their ballads at least 15 times a day. Was very glad that I had brought enough walkman batteries and a variety of tapes!

 

[el henry]

yeah, for me out of the ordinary means in regards to skating...
I am not a native speaker, so maybe the word campy is wrong not like the Village people, definitely...

Thank you for answering, I was just trying to understand. I am in awe of the non-native English speakers who post here and appreciate that they take the time to do so.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

So out of the ordinary refers only to out of the ordinary with regard to skating? And I can still wait eagerly for a "Man in the Mirror" program, even though it is MJ? (I am aware only of Elladj Baldé's)? I like that

What makes Backstreet Boys "campy"? That is not a word I would have thought applied to them, but I wasn't listening to much pop music in the 90s. Are they like the Village People "campy"?

No, BSB is not "campy." Also, Man in the Mirror was also skated to by Evan Lysacek, prior to the Elladj Balde version. Besides the fact that "Disco Inferno" is a great song, it's become very popular as of late due to Marvel using it.

 

[elektra blue]

Nikita Starostin GER
SP - "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps
LP - "I want it that way/Larger than life" by the Backstreet Boys

source: his insta

Nikita Starostin on Instagram: "My two new programs for the next season are done. ✅ Huge thank you for my Amazing Choreographer @adamsolya to design two special programs for me again. ❤️🙏🏼 I’m very excited to show you all both of my choreos, I love

547 likes, 22 comments - nikitasstarostin on June 2, 2023: "My two new programs for the next season are done. ✅ Huge thank you for my Amazing Choreographer @adamsolya to design two special programs for me again. ❤️🙏🏼 I’m very excited to show you all both of my choreos, I love them! 🤩 Short...

www.instagram.com

@norwegianfairytale a little bird told me you're going to be very happy and we need more disco! great Nikita

Given what everyone has said, I am very pleasantly surprised by the love for Disco Inferno (and Backstreet Boys).

I am too old for the BSB, but the Trammps? Disco Inferno? As mainstream and as uncool and as unhip back in the day as Michael Jackson and Madonna. In fact, I would argue MJ and Madonna were "cooler".

But Nikita, you have made Auntie El happy by loving on her music.

everybody loves 70s disco. it's fun.

All I remember in regards to the Backstreet Boys is how I had to spend a two week school trip in the late 90s sharing a small space with 3 girls that were fans and blasting one of their ballads at least 15 times a day. Was very glad that I had brought enough walkman batteries and a variety of tapes!

you're describing my childhood with a sister die hard fan of backstreet boys

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Their [Smirnova/ Siianytsia] fp to Beneath Your Beautiful, by Labrinth, will be as interesting to see as their very different genre choice for their sp.

I first heard of Labrinth (the popular British singer, songwriter & record producer) when he posted on Instagram his rhythmic rap vibe to the trumpet arrival music at the royal wedding of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle. He added lyrics too, and it went viral. It was never produced as an official recorded piece though. Labrinth's popularity appears to have grown in recent years with his writing and recording of the soundtrack for the tv series, Euphoria (starring Zendaya).

Labrinth (aka Timothy Lee McKenzie) has been around for awhile, and he's very talented. His 2012 single, Beneath Your Beautiful, is from his first album, Electronic Earth. Another lovely ballad, released as a standalone single in 2014, is Jealous, which I think would make a good program for a pairs or ice dance team:

"I'm jealous of the rain
It falls upon your skin
It's closer than my hands have been
I'm jealous of the rain..."

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It seems as if Labrinth wrote and sang from experience with this song, about a former lover who moved on after falling out of love with him, and never looked back. "I'm jealous of the way you're happy without me." Labrinth is happily married now, with two young children. His wife inspired a recent song, Kill For Your Love.

I think Labrinth's song from Euphoria, Still Don't Know My Name, has been used in figure skating, but I don't recall who has skated to it. He recently performed it at Coachella, and the audience was singing the lyrics with him.

ETA:
Apparently, Labrinth wrote the song, Jealous (linked above), due to remembering the pain of loss after his father left the family when he was a child. Labrinth has said he wrote the lyrics in a way that his audience would be able to better identify with the loss he was trying to express. Popular songs tend to be marketed romantically. At some point, Labrinth also lost a friend who died. No matter what personal experience inspired Labrinth, it's a haunting ballad, beautifully performed.

 

[el henry]

Kévin Aymoz's SP was "Still Don't Know My Name" and Ilia Malinin skated to Euphoria. Are they separate tunes? I have no clue.

There may be more. Labrinth is not unknown in skating circles (although I only know what I read here, I had no idea it was one person)

 

[icewhite]

"Beneath your beautiful" was a pretty big hit here with Emeli Sandé.

Malinin also had Euphoria but a very different cut.
Edit: Looked it up, he had "The Lake; I'm Tired; Mount Everest".

 

[gleungc6]

AUS ice dancers Harris/Chan also skated to euphoria for their free this year!

 

[surimi]

I'm looking forward to Starostin's programs, disapppointed to hear of Schott's. Will need to mute the FS throughout the season, I can't stand that chalk-on-blackboard voice in her cover version of Bohemian Rhapsody. But Starostin should make up for it

 

[norwegianfairytale]

@norwegianfairytale a little bird told me you're going to be very happy and we need more disco! great Nikita

You know me so well What a great program it´s going to be. Not wrong with Disco either, i´m going to enjoy his skating very much next season!

Now, would it be too much to ask for someone to bring in some NSYNC as well? And it´s been a while since Britney...

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Kévin Aymoz's SP was "Still Don't Know My Name" and Ilia Malinin skated to Euphoria. Are they separate tunes? I have no clue.

There may be more. Labrinth is not unknown in skating circles (although I only know what I read here, I had no idea it was one person)

Thanks for these details. I can see Kevin skating to that music now, but I don't follow popular music much anymore, aside via skating, so I couldn't place it right away. I just knew I'd heard this lyric numerous times!

LOL that Labrinth "is not unknown in skating circles." I'd say that maybe some of his music and his professional name have not been unknown. But judging by your admission of not realizing he's one person, it doesn't seem as if he's been truly better known as a singular musician, songwriter, and performer until he wrote and produced the first and second Euphoria series soundtrack albums. Even still, people don't seem to recognize he's been writing, producing, recording and performing his own music since he was a teenager. He's currently 34. He wrote, Still Don't Know My Name, for a reason, other than satisfying a theme in Euphoria.

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youtu.be

Labrinth is extraordinarily talented, yet he's only recently been reaching larger audiences, in part due to Euphoria's success. More admirers are apparently only recently discovering his 2012 single, Beneath Your Beautiful, from his first album, Electronic Earth. Perhaps (like me) some fans discovered him after he informally created the royal wedding trumpet arrival riff, which he arranged, wrote lyrics for, performed and produced the same day he saw the live wedding ceremony. He says in his original Instagram post that he did it for his grandmother. LOL! Enjoy his genius and his unique personality:

- YouTube

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youtu.be

For anyone interested, this interview reveals more about Labrinth, his genius, his travails, and his career trajectory...

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youtu.be

 

[el henry]

whole post

I didn't mean that Labrinth's oeuvre was known by all skating fans. I meant that I, as a skating fan, recognize that Labrinth creates music and that it is used by skaters, solely as a result of my skating fandom.

I remember when I told my oldest niece that Jason was using music from a group named Kaleo for a program. She said, Auntie El, Kaleo is a person, not a group. There have been skaters since that used Kaleo's music, But I have no idea what songs he has done, when he has done them, etc., nor am I likely to explore. So I would say he is not unknown either, whether or not I know anything about music outside of that used for skating.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I didn't mean that Labrinth's oeuvre was known by all skating fans. I meant that I, as a skating fan, recognize that Labrinth creates music and that it is used by skaters, solely as a result of my skating fandom.

I remember when I told my oldest niece that Jason was using music from a group named Kaleo for a program. She said, Auntie El, Kaleo is a person, not a group. There have been skaters since that used Kaleo's music, But I have no idea what songs he has done, when he has done them, etc., nor am I likely to explore. So I would say he is not unknown either, whether or not I know anything about music outside of that used for skating.

Yeah, I feel you. That's similar to what I meant when I said I only tend to follow popular music through my fs fandom. LOL!

In regard to Labrinth, I wasn't referring to him being known better just by the fs community. I was referencing his wider popularity generally, after he'd been around for awhile, chiefly known in Britain. Apparently, he signed with Simon Cowell's record label, but it didn't work out that well. Labrinth felt as if he was listening to others too much and that he was disconnected from himself. After moving to the U.S., he worked with a number of musical artists. He eventually joined with Sia & Diplo on an album titled LSD. Around the same time, Labrinth began working on the Euphoria soundtrack for the tv series. He created albums for season one and season two. This work led to his current more widespread recognition and success.

I'm listening to the very interesting interview with Labrinth that I posted previously. It's worth listening to because it reveals his journey and what went into making him the creative person he is. Just as figure skating connects us to cultural happenings, both music and figure skating are about touching and experiencing others and life itself. Everything is connected. It resonates with me in the interview when Labrinth says, "Everything is an instrument to me. I can hear music all the time. The sound of your voice is a tone. [The music] never stops... Creativity is about articulating your soul... You can be creative without telling the truth. But the true art form is when you're transmitting or articulating the frequency of your soul to a person [or to an audience]. Every soul has a song, even if it's not about music. Every soul has a direction, or a place it wants to go, and a purpose..."

Wow, Labrinth's words describe a bit of what can happen in any art form, to the creator and to the audience. What he expresses recalls for me the magic that can happen when the perfect partners or single skaters meet music, choreo, venue, performance and singular moments in time. I can name those skaters and those moments, because they tend to be rare. Other times, such magical moments can fleetingly happen in fs performances, even if the whole is imperfect. I bet we can all name (and we have named in many threads) the skaters and the performances where their souls were articulated and met ours... I guess this is why I continue to watch figure skating, searching for, and hoping for such moments of magical perfection and articulation of souls, whether fleeting or fully realized. Hopefully, the coming season will bring us many rare and magical moments.

 

[Weathergal]

I didn't mean that Labrinth's oeuvre was known by all skating fans. I meant that I, as a skating fan, recognize that Labrinth creates music and that it is used by skaters, solely as a result of my skating fandom.

I remember when I told my oldest niece that Jason was using music from a group named Kaleo for a program. She said, Auntie El, Kaleo is a person, not a group. There have been skaters since that used Kaleo's music, But I have no idea what songs he has done, when he has done them, etc., nor am I likely to explore. So I would say he is not unknown either, whether or not I know anything about music outside of that used for skating.

But Kaleo is a band: Jökull Júlíusson, David Antonsson, Daniel Kristjansson, Rubin Pollock and Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson. So you get to keep your "cool Auntie points" for that one.

 

[el henry]

But Kaleo is a band: Jökull Júlíusson, David Antonsson, Daniel Kristjansson, Rubin Pollock and Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson. So you get to keep your "cool Auntie points" for that one.

Or given my memory, I could have said "he" when referring to Kaleo in talking to my niece, and was told it was a group, and messed up the story,

Far more likely

 

[yesterday]

Or given my memory, I could have said "he" when referring to Kaleo in talking to my niece, and was told it was a group, and messed up the story,

Far more likely

At least it's five "hes". Or not

 

[Weathergal]

Or given my memory, I could have said "he" when referring to Kaleo in talking to my niece, and was told it was a group, and messed up the story,

Far more likely

LOL well I'm letting you keep your cool points anyway.