Gojira and Marina Viotti’s performance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony marks a milestone for metal in pop culture.
A thundering performance by the thrash metal band Gojira at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony has demonstrated how much the once-niche genre has permeated mainstream pop culture. The quartet delivered an unforgettable show from the balconies of the historic Conciergerie palace along the banks of the Seine. Their song, evoking the guillotine executions of the French Revolution, resonated powerfully against the majestic backdrop.
Joining them was opera singer Marina Viotti, who performed “Ah! Ça ira” (“Ah! It’ll be fine”), a famous revolutionary song from the 1790s. Still on a high from her appearance before over a billion TV viewers, Viotti shared her excitement with AFP on Monday. “It’s dizzying,” said the 38-year-old French-Swiss mezzo-soprano, who is no stranger to metal, having sung with groups Lost Legacy and Soulmaker in her earlier career.
Viotti, who has upcoming performances at Milan’s La Scala and the Paris Opera, expressed her joy at bringing metal to a broader audience. She noted the positive feedback on social media, where comments like “I never listen to metal, but this was amazing, it brought such energy to the show” were common. She hopes this will help change the genre’s image and dispel the “satanic” or “violent” stereotypes often associated with it.
The performance continues to captivate audiences online. Gojira, the internationally acclaimed French band, appeared on the balconies of the Conciergerie, delivering a thunderous performance. Viotti joined them from a boat set on the Seine, creating a mesmerizing fusion of metal and opera.
Corentin Charbonnier, an anthropologist specializing in metal music, highlighted this moment as part of a golden age for metal. “People often say they don’t listen to metal, but they actually do,” he observed. Charbonnier, also a curator of the “Metal, Diabolus in Musica” exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris, noted the genre’s growing acceptance in France.
Since the emergence of Black Sabbath in the early 1970s, metal has gradually gained mainstream recognition, primarily through American bands. From Kiss’s glam metal hit I Was Made for Lovin’ You in 1979 to Metallica’s 1991 ballad Nothing Else Matters, metal has sporadically entered the public consciousness. The nu metal wave, led by Limp Bizkit, headlined Woodstock in 1999, further pushing the genre’s boundaries.
Charbonnier emphasized a deeper, more sustained acceptance today, particularly in France. Major institutions like the Philharmonie de Paris are now embracing metal, and large festivals like Hellfest in Clisson have significantly democratized the genre. “The current revival of metal culture sees some seeking recognition while others prefer to remain in the shadows,” he explained.
Viotti echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of unity and creating bridges within the music community. “Some fear losing the essence of this music, but I believe in gathering, sharing, and building connections,” she said.
The Olympic performance’s immediate impact was clear, with Spotify reporting a 106% increase in Gojira’s streams in France and an 80% rise worldwide between Friday night and Saturday midday. By Sunday, these figures had surged to 282% in France and 129% globally.
As Gojira and Viotti’s groundbreaking performance continues to resonate worldwide, it heralds a new era for metal music, cementing its place in the heart of pop culture and beyond.
