It’s the track that is dominating summer – and showing how football and culture can come together in the vanguard of modern Australia.
The A-Leagues anthem, Real Nice (H.C.T.F.), has sat near the top of the Triple J playlist for weeks, and is now a contender for the Triple J Hottest 100 with voting due to close on Monday.
Just weeks after its launch, this unique collaboration between three young Australian artistes has already started to connect Australian football with a new, young audience that reflects the game’s unparalled sense of inclusivity and creativity.
Using the stories of two faces of the A-Leagues – Melbourne City’s Olyroo Marco Tillio and Sydney FC’s Matildas goalkeeper Jada Whyman, the track distils football’s cross-cultural appeal, with a powerful video directed by Gabriel Gasparinatos, an ARIA-nominated music video and commercial director based in Sydney.
On the back of the launch of a dramatic new brand for football – bringing men’s and women’s together as equal partners in the A-Leagues – the song exemplifies football’s aim to infiltrate the culture of the defy mindset.
“It’s unashamedly a rallying cry to the next generation – to play your own way, on and off the field, to celebrate both the individuality and collective creativity of a new generation,” said Rob Nolan, Director of Marketing & Data at A-Leagues.
Real Nice (H.C.T.F) is a first time musical collaboration between some of Australia’s hottest talents, to create an anthem not just for the next chapter of football, but the next generation of Australians who are shaping our nation.
With the youngest demographic of the major sports, the most multicultural and diverse, football is already connected to the modern face of Australia.
But Real Nice (H.C.T.F) is the vehicle that showcases the best young Australian sporting talent on a broader cultural stage, to an audience that already massively identifies with music as one of the most important influences it its life.
Almost 90% of Australian football followers are into both sport and music, while more broadly the 18-34 demographic rates musicians as its biggest influence.
Real Nice (H.C.T.F) brings together Australian singer/rapper Tkay Maidza with Brisbane DJ/producer Young Franco, and adds a cameo from Aussie hip hop artist Nerve.
Rob Nolan continues, “The night we launched this track, at a stadium full of football fans ready for one of the biggest games of the season, really gave a sense that this is the start of a new chapter for Australian football”.
“The visuals and lyrics bring to life ourthe brand purpose of ‘inspiring every person to play their own way on and off the field’.
“The narratives behind Marco and Jada’s football journeys are stories of resilience, inspiration, overcoming adversity and wanting to pursue a dream.
“They represent a new generation who, together, are creating a more inclusive, inspiring, exciting and creative future for Australia, one that football exemplifies.”
