Spirit in the Sky
1969 song by Norman Greenbaum
"Spirit in the Sky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum, originally written and recorded by Greenbaum and released in December 1969 from his album "Spirit in the Sky". The single became a gold record in the United States, selling two million copies from 1969 to 1970, and reached No. 3 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 where it lasted for 15 weeks in the Top 100. "Billboard" ranked the record as the No. 22 song of 1970. It also climbed to No. 1 on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970.
"Rolling Stone" ranked "Spirit in the Sky" No. 333 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Cover versions by Doctor and the Medics and Gareth Gates have also made the No. 1 spot in the UK. The song was voted one of the top ten one-hit wonders in a "Rolling Stone" reader's poll.
Original version by Norman Greenbaum.
"Spirit in the Sky" makes several religious references to Jesus, though Greenbaum himself is Jewish. In a 2006 interview with "The New York Times", Greenbaum told a reporter he was inspired to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner singing a gospel song on TV. Greenbaum said: "I thought, 'Yeah, I could do that,' knowing nothing about gospel music, so I sat down and wrote my own gospel song. It came easy. I wrote the words in 15 minutes." Greenbaum had previously been a member of psychedelic jug band Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band. When they split up, he won a solo contract with producer Erik Jacobsen for Reprise Records. Jacobsen had previously worked with the Lovin' Spoonful.
Greenbaum first arranged the song for an acoustic jug band; then he tried a folk version and then a Delta blues style, but none of these were satisfactory. Under Jacobsen's direction, the song started to gel at Coast Recorders studio on Bush Street in San Francisco, with Jacobsen's chosen session players Russell DaShiell on guitar, Doug Killmer from the band Crowfoot on bass, and drummer Norman Mayell from the band Sopwith Camel. Greenbaum used a Fender Telecaster guitar with a fuzz-tone circuit built into the body to generate the song's characteristic guitar sound. Jacobsen finally brought in the Stovall Sisters (Joyce, Lillian, and Netta) from Oakland to support the song with gospel hand percussion and vocal stylings, joined by additional singers.
The resulting sound was an "oddly good and compelling" combination of boogie rock (of which genre the song is considered one of the first examples), blues, gospel and hard rock music, with loud drums, distorted electric guitar, clapping hands, and tambourines. Because of the song's length and lyrics, the record company was initially reluctant to issue it, but it was finally released as a single after two other singles from the album had poor sales. "Spirit in the Sky" became a worldwide hit and was the best-selling single for the Reprise label. In his famous 1970 "Lennon Remembers" interview for "Rolling Stone", John Lennon stated that he liked the song. Music historian Simon Reynolds has referred to the sound of "Spirit in the Sky" as "proto-glam".
The song received criticism from some Christians for including the lines, "Never been a sinner/I've never sinned/I got a friend in Jesus", as most Christian views on sin state that "there is no one who has never sinned". Greenbaum had explained that because he was not a Christian, he had been unaware of that when he wrote the song. In an interview with "American Songwriter", he said, "I did flub it I guess, cause if I was a Christian and was writing from that mindset, I would have said, 'I've been a sinner' ... But since I didn't have that upbringing, it never occurred to me that it was wrong." While some Christian artists have recorded the song using Greenbaum's original lyrics, others have changed those lines, such as DC Talk, who instead sang, "You know I've been a sinner/We've all sinned".
Later albums and singles by Greenbaum were not embraced by the market. By the 1980s, Greenbaum had abandoned his music career and worked as a sous-chef and restaurant kitchen manager.
The song was reworked by Doctor and the Medics in June 1986, achieving chart success in the UK. This cover version was heard in the 1987 film "Maid to Order", catalyzing renewed media interest in the original song. The original version is heard in the films "Miami Blues" (1990), "Wayne's World 2" (1993), "Apollo 13" (1995), "Remember the Titans" (2000), "Ocean's Eleven" (2001), "The Sandlot 2" (2005), "Katie and Orbie", "Lovelace" (2013), "Suicide Squad", and "The Founder" (2016). Kellogg's cereal tapped the song for a television advertisement in 1997, and it was the highlight of a lengthy television commercial for Nike shoes in 2005. Greenbaum reflected on the song in 2011, saying, "It sounds as fresh today as when it was recorded. I've gotten letters from funeral directors telling me that it's their second-most-requested song to play at memorial services, next to 'Danny Boy'."
Charts.
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Doctor and the Medics version.
In June 1986, Doctor and the Medics reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart with their version of "Spirit in the Sky", spending three weeks at the top. In New Zealand, the song reached No. 2 on the RIANZ Singles Chart, while in Canada, it peaked at No. 1 for a week and was the fifth-highest-selling single of 1986. The song has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).
Gareth Gates (with the Kumars) version.
"Spirit in the Sky" served as the first single from "Pop Idol" runner-up Gareth Gates's second studio album, "Go Your Own Way". The single was released on March 10, 2003, and was the official "Comic Relief" charity single for 2003. The song features guest vocals from the Kumars. The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Gates' fourth number-one single. Gates' version has been certified platinum by BPI in the UK.
Track listings.
UK CD1
UK CD2
UK cassette single
UK DVD single
Charts.
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Other versions.
A version by Dorothy Combs Morrison reached No. 99 on "Billboard"'s Hot 100 in October 1970, and No. 47 in Canada during November of that same year.
In popular culture.
Since the 1970s, Manchester United fans have used the song as the base for a chant to support George Best.
The campaign for opens with a cutscene featuring the song.
References.
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Norman Greenbaum
American singer-songwriter
Norman Joel Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter, known for his 1969–1970 hit song "Spirit in the Sky". The song makes Greenbaum one of the most famous and best-selling one-hit wonders of all time.
Early life.
Greenbaum was born in Malden, Massachusetts. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household and attended Hebrew school at Congregation Beth Israel. His initial interest in music was sparked by Southern blues music and the folk music that was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school and studied music at Boston University for two years. In college he performed at local coffeehouses but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965.
Career.
In the late 1960s, Norman Greenbaum was the leader and composer for Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, which recorded the novelty hit "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". The group's psychedelic approach was too eccentric for mainstream show business; the group's name suggested a novelty or comedy act incorporating music.
Greenbaum went solo as a folk artist and submitted an original song, "Spirit in the Sky", to Reprise Records. His demonstration recording was a simple folk rendition, with Greenbaum accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. Reprise handed Greenbaum to staff producer Erik Jacobsen, who radically rearranged the song for a new recording session. The updated version now had pulsing electric guitar, gospel-styled backup singers, and an insistent rhythm accompanying Greenbaum, whose vocal was now double-tracked. Reprise released the record in late 1969, and it skyrocketed to #1 in almost all worldwide markets. It sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970, and received a gold disc from the RIAA. It has subsequently been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows.
Although "Spirit in the Sky" has a clear Christian theme, Greenbaum is Jewish, having grown up in an observant Orthodox Jewish household, although he no longer practices the religion. Greenbaum says he was inspired to write the song after watching a Christian-themed song performed by Porter Wagoner on television. Greenbaum also stated Western movies were a major inspiration for "Spirit in the Sky":
Norman Greenbaum: If you ask me what I based "Spirit in the Sky" on ... what did we grow up watching? Westerns! These mean and nasty varmints get shot and they wanted to die with their boots on. So to me that was spiritual, they wanted to die with their boots on.
Ray Shasho: So that was the trigger that got you to write the song?
Norman Greenbaum: Yes. The song itself was simple, when you're writing a song you keep it simple of course. It wasn't like a Christian song of praise it was just a simple song. I had to use Christianity because I had to use something. But more important it wasn't the Jesus part, it was the spirit in the sky. Funny enough ... I wanted to die with my boots on.
All of the accoutrements added to "Spirit in the Sky" in the recording studio made it impossible for Greenbaum to replicate the recording in live performances. His televised appearance on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" compelled the singer to synchronize his performance to a playback of the hit record.
Greenbaum's upbeat "Canned Ham" followed in 1970, and the record reached number 46 on the American charts and number 26 in the Canadian charts.
After the release in 1972 of his album "Petaluma" (named after his hometown in California), Greenbaum left the music business and returned to his dairy farm. He returned to the music industry as a manager and promoter in the mid-1980s.
Personal life.
Greenbaum has been a long-time resident of Santa Rosa, California. On March 28, 2015, he was seriously injured when a car, in which he was a passenger, made a left turn in the path of a motorcycle on Occidental Road, killing the motorcyclist and injuring the motorcycle passenger. Greenbaum has since gone back to performing.
References.
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Blue Sky (song)
"Blue Sky" is a song by the American rock band The Allman Brothers Band from their third studio album, "Eat a Peach" (1972), released on Capricorn Records. The song was written and sung by guitarist Dickey Betts, who penned it about his girlfriend (and later wife), Sandy "Bluesky" Wabegijig. The track is also notable as one of guitarist Duane Allman's final recorded performances with the group. The band's two guitarists, Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, alternate playing the song's lead: Allman's solo beginning 1:07 in, Betts joining in a shared melody line at 2:28, followed by Betts's solo at 2:37. The song is notably more country-inspired than many songs in the band's catalogue.
Background.
His debut as a vocalist for the band, Dickey Betts composed "Blue Sky" about his Indigenous Canadian girlfriend, Sandy "Bluesky" Wabegijig, whom he would later marry. The lyrics leave out any references to gender to make it nonspecific: "Once I got into the song I realized how nice it would be to keep the vernaculars—he and she—out and make it like you’re thinking of the spirit, like I was giving thanks for a beautiful day. I think that made it broader and more relatable to anyone and everyone," he later said. Betts initially wanted the band's lead vocalist, Gregg Allman, to sing the song, but guitarist Duane Allman encouraged him to sing it himself: "Man, this is your song and it sounds like you and you need to sing it." An embryonic version of the song can be found on the fan bootleg, "The Gatlinburg Tapes", a recording of the band jamming in April 1971 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
The song was one of Duane Allman's last recorded performances with the band. "As I mixed songs like "Blue Sky," I knew, of course, that I was listening to the last things that Duane ever played and there was just such a mix of beauty and sadness, knowing there's not going to be any more from him," said Johnny Sandlin.
Alternate versions.
While Duane Allman died before "Eat a Peach's" release, the band played the song live several times before and after the album's studio version was recorded. Only one of these performances, recorded live during a , has been released by the band; several bootleg recordings from other shows circulate. Two versions of "Blue Sky" were being performed as of 2012: An Allman Brothers take on the SUNY Stony Brook/Eat a Peach original (with Warren Haynes on lead vocals, though Gregg Allman does them sometimes), and an arrangement which evolved between 1973 and 2001 played by Dickey Betts and his band Great Southern.
Cover versions.
In 2018 singer and guitarist Frank Hannon released a cover of "Blue Sky" featuring Dickey Betts' son Duane Betts on guitar. Frank Hannon is the son-in-law of Dickey Betts. The cover album titled "From one place...to Another! Vol.1" reached #27 on Billboards Folk / Americana charts.
"Blue Sky" has been covered several times in the past including by Joan Baez on her 1975 album "Diamonds & Rust", also released as a single.
Notes.
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References.
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Sources.
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Spirit in the Sky (Keiino song)
2019 song by Keiino
"Spirit in the Sky" is a song by Norwegian music group Keiino. It was released as a digital download and for streaming on 25 January 2019 as the lead single from their debut studio album "Okta". It represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was performed during the second semi-final on 16 May 2019, and qualified for the final. It placed first in the televote with 291 points and finished in sixth place with 331 points overall.
Background.
The song is an uptempo number, inspired by 80s disco and dance music, which has been described as dance-pop, electropop, yoik, and Sami folk music. It is about the struggles for equal rights regardless of ethnicity, gender identity and sexuality, given their long struggle in pursuit of equal rights. The music video of "Spirit in the Sky" was released on 4 April 2019.
It contains some lyrics in the Northern Sami language, ("Show me the light") and the non-lexical vocables, "He lå e loi la" as part of the yoiking segment.
Eurovision Song Contest.
The song was selected to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, after Keiino were chosen through "Melodi Grand Prix 2019", the music competition that selects Norway's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. On 28 January 2019, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Norway was placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 16 May 2019, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show. After all the competing songs for the 2019 contest had been released, the running order for the semi-finals was decided by the show's producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other. Norway performed in position 15, and qualified for the final, which took place on 18 May 2019. It placed first in the televote with 291 points and overall finished in sixth place with 331 points.
References.
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Spirit in the Sky (disambiguation)
"Spirit in the Sky" is a 1969 song by Norman Greenbaum, later covered by other artists.
Spirit in the Sky may also refer to:
See also.
Topics referred to by the same term
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 This page lists associated with the title .

Spirit in the Sky (album)
Spirit in the Sky is the debut solo album by American singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum. It contains his popular hit song, the title track "Spirit in the Sky".
Varèse Sarabande released it on CD in 2001, with seven bonus tracks, and on vinyl for Record Store Day, on April 19, 2014.
Track listing.
All selections written by Norman Greenbaum.
Side 1
Side 2
CD bonus tracks
References.
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Spirit Dancer
Spirit Dancer is the fifth studio album by American country music band Blackhawk. It was also their only album on the Columbia Records label, and the first recorded after the death of former member Van Stephenson. The tracks "Days of America" and "One Night in New Orleans" were released as singles. "Gloryland" was re-recorded by Keni Thomas (whose version featured backing vocals from BlackHawk themselves) on his 2005 album "Flags of Our Fathers". "One Night in New Orleans" was released as a single by The Povertyneck Hillbillies from their self-titled album in 2006.
Context.
Prior to "Spirit Dancer", BlackHawk had not released a studio album since 1998's "The Sky's the Limit", and did not chart a top ten country album since "Love & Gravity" in 1997. Furthermore, the group was released from their record deal with Arista in June 2000, after the label was bought out by RCA Records. This came shortly after news that lead guitarist Van Stephenson would exit the band to combat cancer. He died the following year. To replace Stephenson, the band added backup members Randy Threet (bass and tenor vocals), Mike Radovsky (drums) and Chris Anderson (guitar) to the lineup. The next month, BlackHawk signed with Columbia Nashville to begin work on a new album, reuniting them with CEO Allen Butler, whom they had previously worked with at Arista, Later in the year, they signed with the Columbia Records branch of Sony Imprint, who went on to release their single "Days of America," a track that was included on "Spirit Dancer."
Content.
The album begins with the track "One Love", a song performed for Van Stephenson at the end of his life that was played once more at his funeral. It was written by band members Henry Paul and Dave Robbins along with 1990s country music singer-songwriter Billy Montana Upon hearing the song, Stephenson stated "There's your hit—there's the radio song," however the track was never released by the band as a single.
The second track, "One Night in New Orleans" was released as a single, peaking at 51 on country charts in 2002. To date, it was the last charting single for Blackhawk. Written by Gilles Godard, Tim Nichols and Rick Giles, the song caught the attention of band member Henry Paul, who called fellow member Dave Robbins stating "Man, you gotta hear this tune." According to Robbins, upon hearing it he "loved it" and remarked that "it's different from anything we've ever done." Paul reflected on the song, commenting that "it's the lighthearted moment of the record" and is "fun."
The album's next song, "Days of America" was released as a single eleven months prior to the release of "Spirit Dancer", soon after the 9/11 attacks. Centered around the plight of workers at a Pittsburgh Steel Mill, the song peaked at number 37 in 2002. Paul and Robbins, along with Lee Miller, wrote the song in April 2001. Although they stated it was not really "so patriotic" but instead a "testimony to the people who go about making up this place on earth we live," it was featured on the first edition of the Patriotic Country release in 2004.
Written by Paul and Robbins along with former Survivor band member Jim Peterik, the album's fourth track, the title track "Spirit Dancer", was written as a tribute to Van Stephenson. It begins with chants of "I love you" in Cherokee. Robbins noted that the song sounded "like something Van would have written" and Paul noted that the lyrics contain "a very personal and inside message of love" citing the lines: "Our hearts weren't ready to let him go / so this is our way to let him know / that we miss him and our love for him will never die".
The fifth track, "I Will" penned by Bonnie Baker and Carol Ann Brown, enchanted Robbins once he heard it, calling the song "a wonderful thing to be saying to somebody", Paul reflected these sentiments by stating that the tune "is a really interesting perspective about how you can put someone else before yourself when it comes to love." It was released as a single in 2002 but did not chart. The "power ballad" previously appeared on Billy Ray Cyrus' 2000 album "Southern Rain".
The next song, "Brothers of the Southland" is a tribute to Southern rockers, which according to Paul includes the "Marshall Tucker Band, Allman Brothers, [and] Lynyrd Skynyrd." Robbins, who wrote the song along with Paul and Peterik, stated that what BlackHawk does up on stage today is a part of what those guys (Southern rockers) did."
The seventh track, "Gloryland", was described by About.com "as a country version of Bryan Adams' Summer of '69 that sounds as though it came from a "John Mellencamp album." Paul, who wrote the song along with Robbins and Montana, states that it has "a veiled message" that shows how people have changed yet "still have the child-like wish to be approved." Robbins cites the existence of "the message of the ultimate Gloryland" as what people can relate to in the song. Keni Thomas included a partially rewritten version of the song on his 2005 album "Flags of Our Fathers: A Soldier's Story". Thomas' version, which featured backing vocals from Blackhawk, peaked at number 56 that year.
"Forgiveness", written by Paul and Montana, is described by Robbins as his "favorite thing (track) on the record." Paul reflected that the song was his attempt to "balance" his "karma book" and doing his "part to come clean." The next track, "Faith is the Light" was written by Paul, Robbins and singer-songwriter Henry Gross. The song is uptempo and was described by Paul as "kick-ass" and a perfect followup to "Forgiveness" from a "conceptual standpoint." According to Robbins, the track is "positive" and explains "what really moves you on through this life."
"Spirit Dancer"'s 10th song, "I'll Always Love You" is the only track on the album to feature lead vocals from Dave Robbins instead of Henry Paul, who both penned the song along with country songwriter Pat Bunch, who previously authored songs for the band including the single "I Need You All the Time" from the 2000 Greatest Hits. Although Robbins described it as a "different little spot on the record" Paul praised Robbins' vocals stating that it suited his "rather appealing view of love."
The final track of the album, "Leavin' the Land" is about the band's recovery from the loss of Van Stephenson, and its departure from the metaphorical "land of the broken hearted" while living above the "status quo." The song was written by Paul and Robbins as well as country songwriter Lee Thomas Miller, whose work was also displayed on the track "Days of America." The song uses the band's theme to describe a situation where a couple takes chances and promises to never part each other.
Critical reception.
Allmusic gave the album three out of five stars and described it as the group's "most personal" release. They commended the title track as "one of several earnest and sincere efforts" but criticized Paul's voice as being "whiny," singling out the songs "Forgiveness" and "Leavin' the Land of the Broken Hearted" as not being "any more deeply felt than the other deeply felt songs on the album" while being "more revealing and touching." The publication stated that the album was one that BlackHawk "had to make" and was a "risk" but "one worth taking" at that stage of the group's career.
Matt Bjorke of About.com praise the album stating "...the group sounds just as good as they did when Van was there. Somewhere, I think Van is smiling in approval."
Personnel.
Compiled from liner notes.

Empty Sky
Empty Sky is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John, released in the United Kingdom on 6 June 1969. Although imported UK copies of the album were available in the United States, "Empty Sky" was not issued in the US until January 1975 (on MCA Records), with different cover art, well after John's fame had been established internationally.
Background.
Recorded during the winter of 1968 and spring of 1969 in a DJM Records 8-track studio, "Empty Sky" is the only album in the early part of Elton John's career not produced by Gus Dudgeon, instead helmed by friend and DJM staffer Steve Brown. The album was released in the UK in both stereo and mono, the latter now being a rare collector's item.
John plays harpsichord on several tracks, including "Skyline Pigeon", which John has described as being "the first song Bernie and I ever got excited about that we ever wrote."
John used musicians who were friends of either him or Brown or both. Guitarist Caleb Quaye and drummer Roger Pope, both at the time members of the band Hookfoot, played on many of the tracks. (Quaye and Pope would rejoin John a few years later as part of his studio and touring band behind "Rock of the Westies" in 1975 and "Blue Moves" in 1976.) Tony Murray from The Troggs played bass. "Empty Sky" is the first appearance with John of then Plastic Penny and Spencer Davis Group member Nigel Olsson, who played drums on "Lady What's Tomorrow?" (Olsson and fellow Spencer Davis bandmate, bassist Dee Murray, would soon join John as his early 1970s touring band.) Also listed in the production credits is Clive Franks, who would later produce John's live sound in concert for much of his touring career, and would occasionally co-produce with John on albums such as "A Single Man" and "21 at 33". The original sleeve design was done by David Larkham (billed as "Dave"), who would go on to create designs for John and other artists.
"Skyline Pigeon" is the most popular and best-known song on the album, which John, albeit infrequently, performed as part of his live shows. The more definitive version of "Skyline Pigeon" featuring an orchestra and piano backing in place of harpsichord was recorded for 1973's "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player", and initially appeared as the B-side of "Daniel" in 1973. Another appearance of the song was in 1974, when a version recorded in London was featured as the opening track on the "Here and There" live LP and its 1995 CD reissue. The only other song from the album that was played live was the title track, "Empty Sky", was included at various stops on John's 1975 Rock of the Westies Tour.
Although John has since called the album naïve, he does have fond memories of making the record. These include walking home from recording at 4 a.m. and lodging at The Salvation Army Regent Hall on Oxford Street, which was run by Steve Brown's father. "I remember when we finished work on the title track – it just floored me. I thought it was the best thing I'd ever heard in my life," John recalled. He later recalled that he was "unsure what style I was going to be ... [maybe what] Leonard Cohen sounds like."
Reception.
A contemporary review from "Disc & Music Echo" said, "Can't help feeling that the lyrics could still do with a little more intensity, a little less youthful pretension. But that's just carping because the music is so nice and pretty that you can't really put it down. Well worth a good, deep listen." AllMusic's retrospective review showed a subdued reaction to the material, concluding "There aren't any forgotten gems on "Empty Sky", but it does suggest John's potential."
Personnel.
Production
Charts.
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Spirit Indestructible
"Spirit Indestructible" is a song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado. The song was released on July 31, 2012, as the second single from her fifth studio album, "The Spirit Indestructible". The song was written by Furtado and co-written and produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins.
Lyrically, it has a positive and upbeat message — about having a spirit that is indestructible and unbreakable, along with a heart that's pure and a body that's a miracle. The song received mixed reviews from music critics, some praised the "epic chorus" and the uplifting lyrics, but others felt that the song was a "mess" and a strange choice of single.
The music video was shot on Vancouver's scenic Grouse Mountain and captures the song's empowering and spiritual message, featuring snow-capped mountains and beach bonfires, as well as Furtado performing in a theater alongside a kid playing on a miniature piano. The song performed modestly on the charts, reaching the top forty in Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland.
Furtado performed the song at the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver.
Background and release.
"Spirit Indestructible" is the first song Furtado and Darkchild recorded together at 2nd Floor Studio in California. In an interview she has described the song as "a tribute to the humanity" and "how strong our spirits are." Her trip to Kenya, as an ambassador for charity Free The Children, helped her to write the song. She also recorded a Spanglish version of the song, titled "Espíritu Invencible". The song was released via digital download in Europe on July 31, 2012, in Germany on August 3, and on August 14, 2012, in the U.S. Digital Amazon store.
Composition.
"Spirit Indestructible" was written by Furtado and co-written and produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. The song features Freestyle influences, in the same style of lead single "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)". The song starts out with a piano introduction and then Nelly starts singing the first verse: "Through my one square foot window, I can see outside / I have chains on my feet, but not in my mind." After the first chorus, a driving drum beat enters as the second verse is sung. The post chorus features a military-drum breakdown, with Furtado singing 'AEIOU'.
Speaking about the song, Furtado says: "It's an ode to the spirit which resides in all of us and triumphs over anything". "It is inspired by people I have met, and special moments in history that I have read about."
Critical reception.
The song received mostly mixed reviews from music critics. Katharine St. Asaph of "Pop Dust" gave the song 3 out of 5 stars, commenting, "You end up wishing the entire song was like the second half–the lyrics are the same, so it's no less inspirational, and it's more inspiring anyway to move than to wonder whether you're listening to a half-finished demo, where the producers fleshed out Nelly's voice but didn't get around to half the instruments yet. It's probably too disjointed for radio play, and it's a strange choice of single even with Darkchild producing again." Nolan Feenay from Entertainment Weekly's Music Mix wrote that "the song has a chorus as epic and uplifting as you'd expect with a new-age title like that." However, he called it "a Frankenstein of musical styles. The opening keyboard recalls the intro to Lady Gaga's 'Marry the Night,' and the Timbaland-esque beat that kicks in later sounds like a rhythmic repeat of their 2006 hit 'Promiscuous'. Now throw in a vowel-chanting breakdown, a cinematic war cry of a bridge, and some guitar for the heck of it? Woah, Nelly. That's a lot of song you've got there."
Becky Bain of Idolator commented: "Oddly, there's something totally 80s about whatever's going on in this hot mess of a song. It needs a lot more work to make the whole thing mesh together. And we know Nelly has always been a bit nasal, but here she just sounds like she's whining."
Commercial performance.
"Spirit Indestructible" debuted at number 41 on the Ö3 Austria Top 75 chart. Later, the song fell to number 44, but jumped to number 42, in its third week. In Germany, the song peaked at number 23 on the Media Control AG chart. In Switzerland, the song reached number 32 on the Schweizer Hitparade.
Music video.
A lyric video was released before the official video. The video is about Spencer West, a paraplegic who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro using only his hands. The official music video for "Spirit Indestructible" was filmed on June 15, 2012, at Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. On July 13, 2012, Furtado uploaded via her
YouTube account, a behind-the-scenes video. The video was directed by Aaron A, who worked on her video, "Bajo Otra Luz". The video premiered on July 18, 2012, on VEVO. The video begins with Furtado singing in a stage accompanied by a young boy playing a piano and when the beat of music starts, Furtado suddenly is on a mountain, where she twirls around while conjuring up her own unbeatable inner strength. Furtado then leads a crew of men to a beach for a spiritual drum circle session and a dance around a bonfire. The second part of the video shows her walking with


The Legend of Korra (video game)
2014 video game
 is a 2014 action game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Activision, based on the animated television series of the same name which aired on Nickelodeon from 2012 to 2014. It was released in October 2014 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and received mixed reviews.
The game is one of two video games based on the series. The other, The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins, is a turn-based strategy game was developed by Webfoot Technologies for the Nintendo 3DS.
The game was removed from sale on all digital storefronts three years after its release on December 21, 2017.
Gameplay.
"The Legend of Korra" is a third-person action game, supporting single-player play only. Players control Korra, the series' heroine, as she fights villains from the first two seasons of the series with the bending arts, a spiritual and physical practice similar in appearance to Eastern martial arts by which practitioners move and alter the elements of water, earth, fire and air. Korra can switch between four different elements on the fly, each with its own combat styles and special moves.
Waterbending is acquired first and specializes in ranged attacks. Earthbending, acquired next, features slow attacks that are very powerful and cannot be blocked. Firebending is a balanced style that once upgraded, features all three forms of attacks: Fast combos, slow but powerful, and ranged. Airbending, acquired late in the game, features fast and powerful attacks that can affect all surrounding targets. Korra also acquires the "avatar state" near the end of the game; it lasts a shorts period, but grants Korra powerful attacks that combine all four elements.
The game tries to persuade the player into using counterattacks. The player can initiate a counterattack by blocking an enemy attack just before it connects. Counterattacks are orders of magnitude more powerful than direct attacks. Counterattacking is the only way of defeating bosses in a reasonable amount of time, as defeating them with direct attacks can take hours. Electrical and earth-based attacks cannot be countered.
The game takes about four to six hours to play through, but contains "a New Game+ of sorts". These include an endless runner with Naga, and pro-bending matches, where teams of three try to bend each other out of an arena. This mode, which implements the pro-bending rules depicted in the series, is available after completing the game, with the player controlling the "Fire Ferrets" team made up of Korra and her friends Mako and Bolin.
Setting and plot.
The game takes place in the two weeks between the second and third seasons of the series, which aired in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Korra is opposed by a "chi-blocker" who, at the start of the game, strips Korra of her bending abilities, which she has to regain over the course of the game. The game's main villain, Hundun, is named after a chaotic entity in Chinese mythology. An ancient, evil being previously trapped in the spirit world, he was released into the physical world by Korra's opening of the spirit portals at the end of the second season. The game sees him sow chaos in the world and pursue his grudge against the Avatar.
Development.
"The Legend of Korra", the animated drama TV series on which the game is based, aired on Nickelodeon and online from 2012 to 2014 as a sequel to the series "". It received critical acclaim, and was commissioned to run for four seasons and a total of 52 episodes.
The game based on the series was announced in June 2014. It was developed by PlatinumGames, known for the "Bayonetta" series of action games among others, and published by Activision. The game is scripted by Tim Hedrick, a writer of the TV series, who collaborated with series creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino on the plot and main villain. The cutscenes are animated by Titmouse, Inc., and the cover art (chosen by public vote) is by series character designer Christie Tseng. The game made use of the voice actors and the music of the TV series.
Robert Conkey of Activision explained that they chose Platinum on account of their record of developing action games, which he described as having a "very smooth, very flashy, and very cool" style. Platinum producer Atsushi Kurooka said that Platinum chose to adapt "The Legend of Korra", a series unknown in Japan, after watching it with the aid of translated scripts, and being impressed by the series's blend of "interesting action, a really good story, comedy, and romance". According to Kurooka, the studio aimed to make the game emulate the look and feel of the television series as closely as possible, including its visual and sound direction: Kurooka said that screenshots of the game were indistinguishable from those of the series.
Reception.
Pre-release.
Appraisals of the game during development were positive. After playing an alpha build of the game in June 2014, "Destructoid" described the game as a "pretty solid action brawler". The reviewer praised the thorough implementation of the various bending styles, the detailed and fluid combat system, and the cel-shaded art style. "GameSpot"'s reporter was "encouraged by the art style and some aspects of the combat", but uncertain whether the developers would be able to balance the demands of faithfulness to a franchise and the expectations of quality combat gameplay raised by their previous titles. IGN described the early version as having "all the depth I’d expect to see from this developer bundled with a faithful artistic interpretation" of the source material, noting the "surprisingly deep" combat system and the "tastefully re-created animations" from the series.
Post-release.
"The Legend of Korra" received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. It was panned by Dan Stapleton of IGN as a "poorly made tie-in that can’t even stand up as a competent third-person action game". The reviewer noted the game's simplistic combat, the absence of the series' wit and charm, and the low-quality cutscenes. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot was also highly critical of the game, writing that it "tries its best to boot M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender" film out of its rightful position as 'worst Avatar-related thing yet produced.'" Chris Carter at "Destructoid" summed up the game as a "nice but brief romp" with no real narrative that "plays out like a 'light' version of Platinum's previous games". At "Polygon", Philip Kollar described the game as a "shallow, short experience full of segments that feel poorly designed and ill-considered", with frustrating mechanics and annoying mini-games. Paul Tassi of "Forbes", noting the "scathing" reviews the game received, wrote that, like other adaptations of the series, it showed "a fundamental misunderstanding of the source material, all but completely devoid of a plot and other characters outside Korra herself". For "Eurogamer"'s Simon Parkin, the game's shortcomings were the "hallmarks of a work-for-hire project rushed to meet a Christmas deadline", and he considered the game "a misfire that means Platinum's name no longer guarantees quality".
References.
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The Legend of Korra
American animated television series
The Legend of Korra (abbreviated as TLOK and also known as Avatar: The Legend of Korra or more rarely simply as Korra) is an American animated fantasy action drama television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko for Nickelodeon. It is a sequel to their previous series "" (2005–2008), and ran for 52 episodes ("chapters") across four seasons ("books") from April 14, 2012, to December 19, 2014. It has since continued as a comic book series.
Like its predecessor, the series is set in a where certain people can telekinetically manipulate, or "bend", one of the four elements: water, earth, fire, or air. Only one individual, the "Avatar", can bend all four elements, and is responsible for maintaining balance in the world. The series follows Avatar Korra, the successor and reincarnation of Aang from the previous series, as she faces political and spiritual unrest in a modernizing world.
The main characters are voiced by Janet Varney, Seychelle Gabriel, David Faustino, P. J. Byrne, J. K. Simmons and Mindy Sterling, and supporting voice actors include Aubrey Plaza, John Michael Higgins, Kiernan Shipka, Lisa Edelstein, Steve Blum, Eva Marie Saint, Henry Rollins, Anne Heche, and Zelda Williams. Some of the people who worked on "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (including designer Joaquim Dos Santos, writers Joshua Hamilton and Tim Hedrick, composer Jeremy Zuckerman and sound designer Benjamin Wynn) returned to work on "The Legend of Korra".
"The Legend of Korra" has received critical acclaim, with praise for its writing and production values, and has been nominated for and won awards such as the Annie Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, and a Gracie Award. The series was also praised for addressing sociopolitical issues such as social unrest and terrorism, as well as for going beyond the established boundaries of youth entertainment with respect to issues of race, gender, and sexual orientation. The series' final scene, intended to depict the beginning of a same-sex romance between Korra and Asami Sato, was unprecedented at the time and has been credited with paving the way for LGBT representation in children's television.
Series overview.
"The Legend of Korra" was initially conceived as a twelve-episode miniseries. Nickelodeon declined the creators' pitch for an "Avatar: The Last Airbender" follow-up animated film based on what then became the three-part comics ", " and "", choosing instead to expand "Korra" to 26 episodes. The series was expanded further in July 2012 to 52 episodes. These episodes are grouped into four separate seasons ("Books") composed of twelve to fourteen episodes ("Chapters") each, with each season telling a stand-alone story. Beginning with episode 9 of season 3, new episodes were first distributed through the Internet rather than broadcast. "The Legend of Korra" concluded with the fourth season.
Setting.
"The Legend of Korra" is set in the fictional world of "Avatar: The Last Airbender", 70 years after the events of that series. The people of the world belong to four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. The distinguishing element of the series is "bending", the ability of some people to telekinetically manipulate the classical element associated with their nation (water, earth, fire, or air). Bending is carried out by spiritual and physical exercises, portrayed as similar to Chinese martial arts. As a result of a genocide in the series's backstory, there is only one living family of airbenders at the time of the series.
Only one person, the "Avatar", can bend all four elements. Cyclically reincarnating among the world's four nations, the Avatar maintains peace and balance in the world. "The Legend of Korra" focuses on Avatar Korra, a seventeen-year-old girl from the Southern Water Tribe and the successor of Avatar Aang from "The Last Airbender".
The first season is mostly set in Republic City, the capital of the United Republic of Nations, a new multicultural sovereign state founded by Avatar Aang after the end of "The Last Airbender". The 1920s-inspired metropolis is described as "if Manhattan had happened in Asia" by the series' creators, and its residents are united by their passion for "pro-bending", a spectator sport in which two teams composed of an earthbender, waterbender, and firebender throw each other out of a ring using bending techniques. Rapid technological growth has displaced the spirituality of bending, and what was considered a renowned martial art in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is now commonplace, with benders in Republic City using their abilities to commit crime, compete in spectator sports, and fulfill everyday jobs. The second season adds the southern polar region, home of the Southern Water Tribe, as a main setting in addition to Republic City, while the third and fourth seasons take place largely in the Earth Kingdom.
Synopsis.
The first season, "Book One: Air", sees Korra move to Republic City to learn airbending from Tenzin, Avatar Aang's son. She joins a pro-bending team alongside the brothers Bolin and Mako, and befriends Asami Sato, heiress to a leading engineering corporation. The ambitious politician Tarrlok enlists Korra to fight the anti-bender uprising of the "Equalists", led by the masked Amon, who strips benders of their abilities. Korra and her friends, aided by police chief Lin Beifong, unmask Amon as a waterbender himself and Tarrlok's brother, ending the Equalists' coup.
In the second season, "Book Two: Spirits", Korra's uncle Unalaq, chief of the Northern Water Tribe, seizes power in the southern tribe. While Korra's friends seek support against Unalaq, Korra learns of the first Avatar, Wan, who fused his soul with the spirit of light, Raava, to imprison Vaatu, the spirit of darkness. Unalaq frees Vaatu during the Harmonic Convergence, a decamillennial alignment of planets, and unites with him to become a dark Avatar. After defeating Unalaq, Korra chooses to leave open the portals between the material world and the spirit world, allowing a new coexistence of spirits and humans.
The third season, "Book Three: Change", begins as nonbenders begin developing airbending powers as a result of Harmonic Convergence, and Tenzin, Korra, and her friends attempt to recruit them to re-establish the extinct Air Nomads. One new airbender is Zaheer, the leader of the anarchist Red Lotus society. The Red Lotus assassinates the Earth Queen, throwing her kingdom into chaos, and captures Korra to attempt to kill her and end the Avatar cycle. They are defeated by Korra's friends and the new airbenders, but Korra is severely injured and psychologically traumatized.
The final season, "Book Four: Balance," takes place three years later. Korra slowly recovers from her mental and physical trauma. The metalbender Kuvira, assigned to reunite the fractured Earth Kingdom, declares herself head of the new, authoritarian "Earth Empire". Kuvira builds a spirit-powered superweapon and attempts to conquer Republic City. When Korra and her friends destroy the weapon, defeating Kuvira, the blast creates another portal to the Spirit World. The series ends with the prospect of democracy for the former Earth Kingdom, as Korra and Asami leave together for a vacation in the spirit world.
Cast and characters.
Korra (Janet Varney) is the series' 17-year-old "headstrong and rebellious" protagonist, and Aang's reincarnation as the Avatar. Her transformation "from brash warrior to a spiritual being", according to DiMartino, is a principal theme of the series. The character was inspired by Bryan Konietzko's "pretty tough" sister, and by female MMA fighters.
The series focuses on Korra and her friends, sometimes called "Team Avatar", which include the bending brothers Mako and Bolin and the non-bender Asami. Mako (David Faustino), the older brother, is a firebender described as "dark and brooding". The character was named after the late Mako Iwamatsu, the voice actor for Iroh in the first two seasons of the original series. His younger brother Bolin (P. J. Byrne) is an earthbender described as lighthearted, humorous, and "always [having] a lady on his arm". Asami Sato (Seychelle Gabriel), the only non-bender among the leading characters, is the daughter of the wealthy industrialist Hiroshi Sato.
The other main characters are the airbending master Tenzin, one of Aang's grown children (J. K. Simmons), and his family, which include his wife Pema (Maria Bamford) and their daughters Jinora (Kiernan Shipka) and Ikki (Darcy Rose Byrnes) and sons Meelo (Logan Wells) and Rohan. Jinora is calm and an avid reader. She is an airbender and joins the main cast in season 2. Ikki is described as "fun, crazy, and a fast talker". Little brother Meelo is super-active and comically aggressive, and baby Rohan is born during the third-to-last episode of Book One. Other recurring characters include Republic City police chief Lin Beifong (Mindy Sterling), and Korra's animal friends Naga and Pabu (both Dee Bradley Baker, the voice of a number of animals including Appa and Momo in the original series). Pabu was inspired by Futa, a famous standing Japanese red panda. Jeff Bennett as the voice for Shiro Shinobi, fast-talking probending match announcer in Book One. He also does the voice-overs for the short recaps during the opening sequence of each episode.
According to critic Mike Hoffman, the romantic interests of Korra and her companions are less in the foreground than in "Avatar", and feature mainly in the first two seasons. In Book One, Bolin pines for Korra, who is interested in Mako, who dates Asami. By the end of the season, Mako has broken up with Asami and entered a relationship with Korra. This ends around the end of Book Two, during which Bolin suffers from an abusive relationship with the waterbender Eska. In the fourth season, Bolin dates the airbender Opal, while Asami and Korra become closer friends. The series' final scene indicates a romantic connection between them. Mike DiMartino wrote that the scene "symbolizes their evolution from being friends to being a couple". They continue in a relationship in the comics.
"Book One: Air" features two main adversaries for Korra: the Equalists' masked leader Amon (Steve Blum) who has the power to remove a person's bending-powers, and the ambitious, charismatic politician Tarrlok (Dee Bradley Baker), who resorts to increasingly repressive methods against the Equalists. Tenzin's parents (Eva Marie Saint), and Avatar Aang (D. B. Sweeney), main characters of the "" series, also made recurring appearances. Chris Hardwick and Kate Higgins voiced Sokka and Toph Beifong in guest appearances. Amon's lieutenant is voiced by Lance Henriksen, and Asami's father Hiroshi Sato by Daniel Dae Kim. Sato's character, the self-made founder of Future Industries, was inspired by Theodore Roosevelt and by the Japanese industrialists Keita Goto and Iwasaki Yatarō. Rami Malek voices Tahno, a pro-bending athlete. Richard Epcar voices Saikhan, captain of the Republic City Metalbending Police Force. Both Amon and Tarrlok are identified as the sons of mob boss Yakone (Clancy Brown). Korra is also supported by General Iroh (Dante Basco, who voiced Zuko in the original series), a member of the United Forces who is described as "a swashbuckling hero-type guy". He is named after Iroh, Zuko's uncle in the original series.
"Book Two: Spirits" features Tenzin's and Korra's families, including Tenzin's elder siblings Kya (Lisa Edelstein) and Bumi (Richard Riehle) as well as Korra's father Tonraq (James Remar) and mother Senna (Alex McKenna). Book 2 also introduces John Michael Higgins as the corrupt businessman and inventor Varrick, with Stephanie Sheh voicing his assistant Zhu Li, along with Korra's uncle Unalaq (Adrian LaTourelle), aided by his twin children Desna (Aaron Himelstein) and Eska (Aubrey Plaza), and Vaatu (Jonathan Adams), the spirit of disorder. Spencer Garrett joined the cast as the voice for Raiko, the president of the United Republic. The season also explains the Avatar mythos though the first Avatar Wan (Steven Yeun) and Vaatu's polar opposite Raava (April Stewart). Making a few appearances in Books Two and Three, Greg Baldwin reprises Iroh from the previous series. Set six months after the events of the first season, "Book Two: Spirits" sees Mako as a police officer, Asami in charge of Future Industries, and Bolin leading a new pro-bending team with little success.
The anarchist antagonists introduced in "Book Three: Change", the Red Lotus, comprise the new airbender Zaheer (Henry Rollins), the armless waterbender Ming-Hua (Grey DeLisle, who previously voiced a dark spirit), the combustionbender P'Li (Kristy Wu), and the lavabender Ghazan (Peter Giles). Supporting characters include the Earth Queen Hou-Ting (Jayne Taini), the retired Fire Lord Zuko (Bruce Davison), Lin's half-sister Suyin Beifong (Anne Heche), Suyin's trusted advisor Aiwei (Maurice LaMarche) and her captain of the guards Kuvira (Zelda Williams). New airbenders are also introduced in the season including the young thief Kai (Skyler Brigmann) and Suyin's daughter Opal (Alyson Stoner), both of Earth Kingdom origins and the love interests of Jinora and Bolin respectively. Jim Meskimen voices a Republic City merchant and later airbender named Daw, as well as Suyin's husband, the architect Baatar. Jason Marsden as the voice for Huan, second oldest son of Suyin, along Marcus Toji voicing Wei and Wing are the twin sons of Suyin. Greg Cipes as the voice for Tu, the cousin of Mako and Bolin, along Susan Silo voices a their grandmother Yin.
The final season, "Book Four: Balance", features Kuvira as Korra's antagonist at the head of an army bent on uniting the Earth Kingdom. The cast is also joined by Sunil Malhotra as Prince Wu, the vain heir to the Earth Kingdom throne, and Todd Haberkorn as Baatar Jr., Suyin's estranged son who is Kuvira's fiancé and second-in-command. Philece Sampler voices the aged Toph Beifong, another returning character from "Avatar" whose young adult version was voiced by Kate Higgins in Books 1 and 3. April Stewart was cast as Zuko's daughter, Fire Lord Izumi, in a minor role.
Production.
Influences.
The art design of Republic City, described as "if Manhattan had happened in Asia", was inspired by the 1920s and incorporates influences from American and European architecture from that time period. Elements of film noir and steampunk also influenced the city's art concept. The design for the metalbending police force is based on 1920s New York City police uniforms, crossed with samurai armor.
The fighting styles employed by characters in the original show "Avatar: The Last Airbender" were derived from different distinct styles of Chinese martial arts. Set 70 years later, the fighting style in the multicultural Republic City has modernized and blended, with the creators incorporating three primary styles: traditional Chinese martial arts, mixed martial arts, and tricking. The pro-bending sport introduced in the series was inspired by mixed martial arts (MMA) tournaments.
Chinese martial arts instructor Sifu Kisu consulted on "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and returned as a consultant for the fight scenes in "The Legend of Korra". MMA fighters Jeremy Humphries and Mac Danzig were credited with "providing a lot of the moves you'll see in the Probending arena", and Steve Harada and Jake Huang provided the stylized flips and acrobatics of "tricking" to the series' fighting style.
Development.
"The Legend of Korra" was co-created and produced by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California. To illustrate the length of the production process (about 10 to 12 months per episode) and the overlap of the various phases, Konietzko wrote in July 2013 that their team was already developing the storyboards for the first episode of "Book 4" while the last episodes of "Book 2" were not yet finished.
Production of the series was announced at the annual San Diego Comic-Con on July 22, 2010. It was originally due for release in October 2011. Tentatively titled "Avatar: Legend of Korra" at the time, it was intended to be a twelve-episode mini series set in the same fictional universe as the original show, but seventy years later. In 2011, the title was changed to "The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra", and again in March 2012 to "The Legend of Korra". The premiere was eventually delayed to April 14, 2012. South Korean animation studio Mir was involved in the pre-production, storyboarding and animation of the series which allows the studio more creative input on directing the martial arts scenes that the series and its predecessor are known for.
According to animation director Yoo Jae-myung, Nickelodeon was initially reluctant to approve the series and suspended production because, according to Konietzko, conventional wisdom had it that "girls will watch shows about boys, but boys won't watch shows about girls". The creators eventually persuaded the channel's executives to change their mind. Konietzko related that in test screenings, boys said that Korra being a girl did not matter to them.
The creators wrote all of the episodes of the first season themselves, omitting "filler episodes" to allow for a concise story. Once the series was expanded from its original 12-episode schedule to 26 and then to 52, more writers were brought in so that the creators could focus on design work. Joaquim Dos Santos and Ryu Ki-Hyun, who worked on the animation and design of the original series, also became involved with creating "The Legend of Korra", as is storyboarder Ian Graham. Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn, who composed the soundtrack for the original series as "The Track Team," also returned to score "The Legend of Korra".
The second season, "", premiered on September 13, 2013, and concluded on November 22, 2013. It consists of fourteen episodes. Animation work was done by the South Korean animation studio Mir as well as the Japanese animation studio Pierrot. Studio Mir was expected to solely work on "Book 2", but executive director Jae-myung Yoo decided that Studio Mir would animate "The Boondocks" instead because the animation process was less rigorous. Pierrot was eventually called in to fill the void and animate "Book 2". According to Jae-myung Yoo, Studio Mir was later contacted and re-asked to animate "Book 2". Yoo feared that, if "Book 2" failed, Studio Mir and Korean animators would have their reputations tarnished for Pierrot's failures. Consequently, Studio Mir accepted the offer and worked alongside Pierrot.
The third season, "", aired its first three episodes on June 27, 2014, soon after some episodes were leaked online. It takes place two weeks after the events of "Book Two: Spirits". Episodes nine to thirteen were streamed online, rather than being broadcast as a television program.
"", the final season, was produced in parallel to the previous two seasons. The crew, at one point, worked on approximately 30 episodes at the same time: post-production for season 2, production for season 3 and pre-production for season 4. Some production steps, such as color correction and retakes, continued up until the date of the series finale, December 19, 2014. Season 4 started online distribution a few months after the third season's finale on October 3, 2014. After Nickelodeon cut the season's budget by the amount required for one episode, DiMartino and Konietzko decided to include a clip show, which reuses previously produced animation, as episode 8 ("Remembrances") instead of dismissing many of the creative staff. Studio Mir was helped by its companion studio, a subunit called Studio Reve, while working on Book 4.
Concerning the development of the much-discussed final scene intended to show the friends Korra and Asami becoming a romantic couple, Bryan Konietzko explained that at first he and DiMartino did not give the idea much weight, assuming they would not be able to get approval for portraying their relationship. But during the production of the finale they decided to test that assumption, approached the network and found them supportive up to a certain limit. They decided to change the final scene from Korra and Asami only holding hands, to also facing each other in a pose referencing the marriage scene a few minutes prior and the pose made by Aang and Katara in the finale of "".
Animation style.
"The Legend of Korra" was produced mainly as traditional animation, with most frames drawn on paper in South Korea by the animators at Studio Mir and scanned for digital processing. Each episode comprises about 15,000 drawings. The series makes occasional use of computer-generated imagery for complex scenes or objects, most noticeably in the animations of the pro-bending arena or the mecha-suits of the later seasons.
While "The Legend of Korra" was produced in the United States and therefore not a work of Japanese animation ("anime") in the strict sense, "The Escapist" magazine argued that the series is so strongly influenced by anime that it would otherwise easily be classified as such: its protagonists (a superpowered heroine, her group of talented, supporting friends, a near-impervious villain who wants to reshape the world), its themes (family, friendship, romance, fear, and death) and the quality of its voice acting as well as the visual style are similar to those of leading anime series such as "", "Bleach" or "Trigun". A notable difference from such series is the absence of lengthy opening and ending sequences set to J-pop songs; to save broadcast time, "The Legend of Korra"'s openings and endings last only a few seconds. The series mostly abstains from using the visual tropes characteristic of anime, but does occasionally use exaggerated facial expressions to highlight emotions for comic effect.
As in "Avatar", the series adds to its Asian aesthetic by presenting all text that appears in its fictional world in traditional Chinese characters, without translating it. For example, on the "Wanted" posters seen in the episode "The Stakeout", the names of the protagonists are written as 寇拉 (Korra), 馬高 (Mako) and 愽林 (Bolin).
Music.
"The Legend of Korra" is set to music by Jeremy Zuckerman, who previously wrote the music for "Avatar: The Last Airbender" with Benjamin Wynn. For "The Legend of Korra", Zuckerman is the sole composer while Wynn is the lead sound designer; the two collaborate with Foley artist Aran Tanchum and showrunner Mike DiMartino on the soundscape of the series. Konietzko and DiMartino's concept for the score was to blend traditional Chinese music with early jazz. On that basis, Zuckerman composed a score combining elements of Dixieland, traditional Chinese music and Western orchestration. It is performed mainly by a string sextet and various Chinese solo instruments, including a dizi (flute), paigu (drums), a guqin, an erhu and a Mongolian matouqin.
A soundtrack CD, "The Legend of Korra: Original Music from Book One", was published on July 16, 2013. Music from "Korra" and "Avatar" was also played in concert at the PlayFest festival in Málaga, Spain in September 2014. The series's soundtrack was nominated as best TV soundtrack for the 2013 GoldSpirit Awards.
Soundtrack.
On July 16, 2013, Nickelodeon and Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings released "The Legend of Korra: Original Music from Book One".
Release.
Broadcast.
United States.
The first season ("Book One: Air") aired in the United States on Nickelodeon on Saturday mornings between April 14, 2012, and June 23, 2012. Unlike its predecessor, the series was broadcast in high-definition. It was broadcast in other countries on the local Nickelodeon channels beginning in August 2012.
The second season ("Book Two: Spirits") began airing on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 13, 2013, on Friday evenings. The season ended on November 22, 2013.
The third season ("Book Three: Change") began airing on Nickelodeon in the United States on June 27, 2014, also on Friday evenings, two episodes at a time. The broadcast was announced one week in advance after several episodes of the new season were leaked on the Internet. After the first seven episodes aired to low ratings, Nickelodeon removed the last five episodes from its broadcast schedule. The remainder of the episodes were then distributed online via Amazon Video, Google Play, Xbox Video and Hulu as well as the Nickelodeon site and apps. "The Escapist" compared "The Legend of Korra" to "Firefly" as "a Friday night genre series with a loyal fan following built up from previous works by the creators that is taken off the air after the network fails to advertise it properly or broadcast episodes in a logical manner." Series creator Michael DiMartino said that the series' move to online distribution reflected a "sea change" in the industry: While "Korra" did not fit in well with Nickelodeon's other programming, the series did extremely well online, with the season 2 finale having been Nickelodeon's biggest online event.
The fourth season ("Book Four: Balance") began distribution in the United States on October 3, 2014, through Nick.com, Amazon Video, iTunes and Hulu. Beginning on November 28, 2014, with episode 9, the fourth season was officially premiered back on television on Fridays on Nicktoons.
Worldwide.
"The Legend of Korra" is broadcast subtitled or dubbed on Nickelodeon channels outside of the U.S.
In Germany, the first and second seasons received a German-language broadcast on Nickelodeon Germany. The third and fourth seasons are broadcast in 2015 on the German Nicktoons pay TV channel. In France, only the first season has been broadcast on Nickelodeon France and J-One. A fandub project to complete the French dub was launched in 2015.
In 2017, the Kenya Film Classification Board banned "The Legend of Korra", together with the cartoon series "The Loud House", "Hey Arnold!", "Steven Universe", "Clarence" and "Adventure Time", from being broadcast in Kenya. According to the Board, the reason was that these series were "glorifying homosexual behavior".
Streaming and home media.
"The Legend of Korra" got added to Netflix for streaming on August 14, 2020 in the United States. "The Legend of Korra" will be removed from Netflix on April 16, 2025 in the United States.
All episodes of the series have also been released through digital download services, DVD and Blu-ray formats. The DVD releases contain extra features such as audio commentary from the creators, cast and crew for some episodes, and the Blu-ray releases contain commentary for additional episodes.
The following table indicates the release dates of the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the series:
Reception.
Ratings.
The series premiere averaged 4.5 million viewers, ranking it as basic cable's number-one kids' show and top animated program for the week with total viewers. "The Legend of Korra" also ranks as the network's most-watched animated series premiere in three years.
"Book One: Air" drew an average of 3.8 million viewers per episode. This was the highest audience total for an animated series in the United States in 2012.
"Book Two: Spirits" premiered with 2.6 million viewers. Suggested explanations for the reduced number of broadcast viewers were: the long period between seasons, a change in time slot (Friday evening instead of Saturday morning), the increased availability of digital download services, and generally reduced ratings for the Nickelodeon channel.
"Book Three: Change" aired on short notice in June 2014 after Spanish-language versions of some episodes were leaked on the Internet. The season premiered with 1.5 million viewers. After declining TV ratings in the third season, Nickelodeon stopped airing the series on its main network