The Final Fantasy Series and its Musical Collaborations

From its conception a good 35 years ago, Final Fantasy had always been known for it’s amazing music thanks to Nobuo Uematsu’s genius. However, the series had also been partnering up with international celebrities that are rather interesting to say the least. From Ariana Grande to Sia, I will go through what I think are the five best collaborations the series have put out to date and also consider what’s next for the franchise.

5. Leona Lewis - My Hands (Final Fantasy XIII)

This song is dreamy and calming but okay, I only included this cause I thought it’s an interesting piece to write about. Written and recorded independently in 2009 before Leona Lewis was approached by Square Enix (contrary to what the video’s caption says!), this was the company’s first collaboration with a mainstream Western recording artist despite Uematsu’s openness about his love for European music. That said, I’m not too sure if the song matches Lightning’s energy or the tone of the games. Considering how Final Fantasy XIII also had collaborations with Prada, this seemed kind of tame. Perhaps they weren’t too sure about their international brand power at that point time.

4. Florence + The Machine - Stand By Me (Final Fantasy XV)

Unlike My Hands, this was specifically recorded for Final Fantasy XV though it is a cover as anyone would know. Atmospheric and mythical, the interpolations of the Prelude makes this absolutely magical. The song choice however, seems kind of random. I get that XV is about love but I wish that the song responded more to it’s unique blend of medieval imagery with the contemporary.

3. Ariana Grande - Touch It (Final Fantasy Brave Exvius)

At this point, Square Enix is clearly getting further into the groove of things cause this remix definitely goes way off. As compared to the breezy wispiness of the earlier collaborations, the rousing horns gives this remix a dynamism that actually makes it feel like you are out there fighting for your lives. What makes this extra cute is also the way they made Ariana into a playable character in the game. Like it just makes sense! The Dangerous Woman era and its unique styling definitely had this edginess to it that makes it perfect for a video game character. The one thing about this is it’s lyrics though. Did a song about being horny really need a whole backing orchestra?

2. Faye Wong - Eyes On Me (Final Fantasy VIII)

While the list had so far focused on English or American artists, this was actually the first international musical collaboration from the series. It’s even composed by Uematsu himself! On top of having plot importance (being the song Julia plays to Laguna), it is also a theme that reoccurs throughout the game. My favourite variation of them all is Waltz for the Moon which plays at the Graduation Ball where Squall first meets Rinoa. While it is not the first vocal work incorporated into the games since Final Fantasy VI had the Aria di Mezzo Carattere with synthesized vocals and Final Fantasy VII had the timeless classic One-Winged Angel, this was the first time that a Final Fantasy tune was released as a single. Another thing I thought was cute was Uematsu’s comment on how Faye liked to sing in complete darkness, giving her “mystic qualities”. Well, it’s a shame that the series haven’t went that far with it’s musical collaborations ever since but we can only wait and see.

Before we get to what’s number one, let’s have a little break by looking into the low points of this series.

DISHONOURABLE MENTION: Katy Perry - Immortal Flame (Final Fantasy Brave Exvius)

Ok this was actually awful. Instead of referencing some of Katy’s iconic looks, how did they book Ellen Degeneres instead? The song is also generic filler with nothing memorable about it.

NEXT.

1. Sia - Fly Me To The Moon (Final Fantasy XIV)

Ok if Ari went off, Sia absolutely snapped! While it may not have been written specifically for the game, I love how it played upon Endwalker’s journey to the moon which gave the song new meaning as well. Further enhancing the magic behind this collaboration is the Prelude riffs that gives the song an unprecedented edge, making it completely its own. Coupled with the otherworldly avatar they had made for Sia, Square Enix really hit a high note with this one.

So what’s next for the series now? Nothing had been lined up for Final Fantasy XVI thus far but considering the streak of collaborations, something has got to be in the waters.

Considering it’s medieval setting, and its apparent focus on court politics, I feel like a potential collaboration has got to feature someone with a queenly presence and luck might just be on side cause a queen just so happens to be right around the corner with Renaissance, an album title which seems to be very, very on theme. Can we expect Beyoncé to join this list of stars that had been immortalised by video games? Well your guess is as good as mine but I do feel like her recent photoshoot with British Vogue does capture an aura that could fit with the games.

Puns aside, I’d love to imagine her as an Icon. While they could very well make something new for her altogether, I mean the promotional art for her album this far does feature some references to the legendary figure of Godiva who would fit right in with the series’ pantheon of summons, I feel like it would be interesting to see her in a spin off of the Magus Sisters that had only appeared as a summon in Final Fantasy X so far considering her history as a Destiny’s Child member. Well. Tell me what you think!