2024: The Floor Music of the Paris Olympics

It’s important to document the floor music used at major gymnastics competitions. It tells us a lot about the general cultural zeitgeist in the world, as well as what gymnasts and their coaches think the judges will or will not like.

Here are a few trends that emerged this year.

Francophilia

As is always the case at the Olympics, gymnasts tried to appeal to the home crowd through their music choices. With songs like “La Bohème” and “(I) Can Can (You)” and music by Gabriel Saban (a Frenchman), there was a strong attempt to give a French flair to the floor routines.

A special shout-out to Júlia Soares. I married into a French family who loves Édith Piaf. (My first dance at my wedding was to a Piaf song.) So, hats off to you, Júlia, for using Piaf in an unexpected and fun way.

The Early Aughts

Calle 13. Destiny’s Child. The White Stripes. Music from the first decade of the 2000s was quite popular and likely struck a nostalgic chord with millennials and Generation Z.

This type of nostalgia is different from past Olympics. Oftentimes, gymnasts used music from 40 years ago (i.e. the decades when the judges were coming of age). But here, in Paris, the nostalgia was much more recent (i.e. roughly 20 years ago).

Beyoncé

Undoubtedly, Gabriel Saban was the most popular artist in 2024. That said, the Beyhive has become more popular in the Olympic gymnastics arena. Biles, Chiles, and Andrade all used different Beyoncé songs, which perhaps reflects the growing diversification of women’s artistic gymnastics.

“Seven Nation Army”

I didn’t expect to hear this song multiple times in Paris. I’m a little sad that no one used the Alicia-Sacramone-Thigh-Slide™ that Bridget Sloan reprised in her 2014 NCAA floor routine.

Best Song Title Award Goes to… Japan’s Nakamura with “Fiddle Me Ghillies.”

---

The Spotify List

Unfortunately, this list is not as complete as I’d like it to be due to limited access to floor-specific video streams. Nevertheless, here’s a fairly long list of the floor music used in Paris.

Feel free to leave corrections or additions in the comments. (If someone is missing from the list, it is not a snub; I either didn’t have access to the gymnast’s routine or didn’t recognize the song.)

Note: Not every song or version of a song is on Spotify.

---

By Country

Australia

Pass, Ruby

“Shallow Grave Theme,” Simon Boswell

Brazil

Barbosa, Jade

“…Baby One More Time Please Dance” (Originally Britney Spears)

Soares, Júlia

“Cheia de Manias,” Raça Negra
“Milord,” Édith Piaf

Saraiva, Flávia

“(I) Can Can (You),” Vanessa-Mae

Deep cut: Paloma Moro of Spain used this music at the 2000 Olympics.

Andrade, Rebeca

“End of Time,” Beyoncé
“Movimento da Sanfoninha,” Anitta
“Baile de Favela,” MC João

Canada

Tran, Aurelie

“La Bohème,” Charles Aznavour, Roby Lakatos

Lee, Cassandra

“Dark Fate,” Tom Holkenborg

Black, Ellie

“Pandemonium,” Worakls

Stewart, Ava

“Resilience,” Mattia Turzo

China

Zhou Yaqin

明燈引 (《塵白禁區》明燈新儀版本宣傳曲) by Seven Kwan

Qiu Qiyuan

“Inferno,” Sub Urban & Bella Poarch

Ou Yushan 

四季歌 by Beijing Livetion Orchestra

Zhang Yihan

“Balkan Trumpet,” Strong R.

Colombia

Blanco, Luisa

“Atrévete-te-te,” Calle 13
“HOT,” Daddy Yankee & Pitbull
“Trompeta y Guaracha,” DJ Morphius
“Funk Rave,” Anitta
“Me Gustas Tú (Radio Edit),” Alex Guesta

France

Boyer, Marine

“Seven Nation Army,” The White Stripes
“La Foule,” Édith Piaf

Osyssek-Reimer, Morgane

“In the Middle Somewhat Elevated,” Thom Willems

Germany

Schäfer-Betz, Pauline

“Confident,” Demi Lovato

Voss, Sarah

“Nothing to Lose”

Kevric, Helen

“Tango,” Lizelle from Scent of a Woman 

Great Britain

Evans, Ruby

“Seven Nation Army,” White Stripes
“Toxic,” Britney Spears
“Sweet Dreams,” Eurythmics

Fenton, Georgia-Mae

“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2,” (Originally Pink Floyd, this rendition by String Puppies)

Martin, Abigail

“Rumble Jam,” Gabriel Saban and Grégory Cotti
“Old Orleans,” Gabriel Saban & Grégory Cotti

Kinsella, Alice

“Golden Cage,” Gabriel Saban & Sandia

Haiti

Brown, Lynnzee

“Abusadamente [Edmund Remix],” Edmund

Hungary

Czifra, Bettina Lili

“Perfect Dust,” Joe Satriani

Israel

Raz, Lihie

“Hava Nagila”
“Prologue” from Fiddler on the Roof

Italy

Esposito, Manila

“Le vent, le cri,” Ennio Morricone

D’Amato, Alice

“Mercy in Darkness,” Two Steps from Hell, Nick Phoenix
“Stanga (Radio Version),” Sagi Abitbul and Guy Haliva

Iorio, Elisa

“Circus of Doom,” Rok Nardin

Andreoli, Angela

“We are Justice,” Gabriel Saban

Japan

Nakamura Haurka

“Fiddle Me Ghillies,” Nathan Lanier

Okamura Mana

“Canon in D,” Remix (Pachelbel originally)

Kishi Rina

“Confess,” Apashe & Lektrique

Ushioku Kohane

“El Choclo,” Quadro Nuevo

Netherlands

Visser, Naomi

“Voilà (Eurovision 2021 – France), Barbara Pravi

Volleman, Tisha

“Rats,” Joseph Trapanese (from The Witcher)

Panamá

Heron, Hillary

“Stampede,” Alexander Jean, Lindsey Stirling

Philippines

Finnegan, Aleah

“Alors on danse,” Stromae 

Malabuyo, Emma

“The Way That You Love Me,” Paula Abdul
“Vibeology,” Paula Abdul
…Among other Paula Abdul hits

Jung-Revivar, Levi

“Hard Training,” Gabriel Saban
“Golden Cage,” Gabriel Saban & Sandia

Portugal

Martins, Filipa

“Eviscerate,” Atom Music

Romania

Ghigoarță, Amalia

“La Bohème,” Sergei Trofanov

Bărbosu, Ana

“Cries in the Wind,” The Daniel Pemberton TV Orchestra

Spain

Casabuena, Laura

“Material Girl,” Kris Bowers (originally Madonna)

United States

Lee, Sunisa 

“Eye of the Untold Her,” Lindsey Stirling

Chiles, Jordan

“Black Parade,” Beyoncé
“My House,” Beyoncé
“Energy,” Beyoncé
“End of Time,” Beyoncé
“Lose My Breath,” Destiny’s Child

Carey, Jade

“Seven Nation Army,” The White Stripes (Remix)

Biles, Simone

“…Ready for It?” Taylor Swift
“Delresto,” Travis Scott ft. Beyoncé

---

More Floor Music