When Oona Brown and Gage Brown took to the ice, they appeared like any other professional skaters about to perform a delicate routine. Gentle piano music began to play, and the pair began to skate gracefully. However, if there was something familiar about the music they were skating to, it may not have clicked until the sound shifted entirely into heavy metal guitars. Oona and Gage surprised everyone by performing a routine to Metallica’s heavy metal song ‘Nothing Else Matters.’
Despite the unconventional musical choice, Music Man readers will be amazed by how well the heavy metal song works. The pair crafted their routine perfectly, skating with the energy and expressiveness a song like this requires. Things shifted once again as they mashed up Metallica’s original with the gentle piano cover recorded by Marisa, allowing them to work a gentler side back into their performance. Their impressive performance has now received an astonishing 32 million views.
I was amazed when I saw Oona and Gage’s routine, as it was unlike anything I had ever seen in figure skating. I have become used to seeing routines performed to dramatic classical music pieces, or even the upbeat pop numbers that get the audience having fun, but this was truly something different. The way they were able to incorporate the cover struck me as particularly inspired, as they were able to show so many different and unexpected sides to their talent in one routine.
Oona and Gage have found somewhat of a niche for themselves by performing their routines to unexpected songs, often classic rock hits. One of their other routines recorded at the same rink was to ‘Baba O’Riley’ by The Who. Music Man readers who see their performance will agree that the epic nature of the song really pushes their performance to the next level. In both this performance and their Metallica number, they have used music to show a different side of figure skating.
Oona and Gage’s performances have revealed new sides of what figure skating can be. They represent the creativity that can be found in the art form and stand as a perfect example of why this is a sport that resonates with so many members of the general public. With their creative approaches to their performance, alongside their astonishing talent and technical ability, there is no doubt that anyone who watches a performance by Oona Brown and Gage Brown is sure to have their minds blown.