What does Lisztomania mean? Phoenix's evergreen hit at the Olympics closing ceremony wins over Gen-Z

French indie pop and rock band Phoenix performed their iconic song Lisztomania at the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony on August 11 at Stade de France. The video of the performance has now garnered severe traction online and shows the younger generation of athletes vibing to it.

Lisztomania, also known as Liszt fever, refers to the frenzy and enthusiasm surrounding the 19th-century Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, and teacher Franz Liszt. The term was first coined by German poet, literary critic, and author Heinrich Heine to describe the intense hype surrounding Franz Liszt even after his demise.

In the wake of the now-viral performance of Phoenix at the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony, the internet is having varied reactions. Here are some of them from X sharing their excitement surrounding the song's performance.

“I would definitely scream ‘Lisztomania,’” a person wrote.

“Good music is timeless,” one person wrote.

“I was at this concert it was so memorable,” another person wrote.

Others argued about whether the song resonated more with millennials or with Gen-Z.

“Gen Z Olympians lookin around concerned at their millennial teammates screaming Lisztomania like their life depends on it,” a netizen wrote.

“Lisztomania came out 15 years ago. Many of these athletes were just kids when it came out. Didn’t see one person in the crowd who knew the words. Still killed. #ClosingCeremony,” one netizen wrote.

“You can tell how many of the athletes are millennials by the forcefulness with which they started singing the chorus of ‘Lisztomania,’” another netizen wrote.

Many lauded the makers of the song for their performance and continuing to be relevant.

“Phoenix is SO good live!!!!! One of my fave shows,” an individual wrote.

“Phoenix is like a top 5 live bands/ shows. They are amazing,” another individual wrote.

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Exploring the background of Phoenix in the wake of their Paris Olympics Lisztomania performance

On Sunday night, at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, French indie pop/rock band Phoenix took to the stage after the aerial creation of the Olympics rings. They were accompanied by artists, including Belgian singer and songwriter Angele, American musician, record producer, and radio personality Ezra Koenig, French musical duo Air, and Cambodian rapper Vannda, among others.

Phoenix performed their popular songs If I Ever Feel Better and 1901 before performing their world-famous track Lisztomania dedicated to historic Hungarian musician Franz Liszt. The song mirrors his contrasting musical personalities to that of Austrian classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The song, led by the band’s frontman Thomas Mars, is part of the band’s fourth studio album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Phoenix’s 2009 music video was a reenactment of the dance sequence from the 1985 film The Breakfast Club. It showed them visiting the Franz Liszt Museum in Budapest and the German residence of Richard Wagner, a longtime friend and collaborator of Liszt.

The song debuted at the top of several music charts, including US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Canada Rock Songs – both by Billboard. It was also used in popular culture as a theme track by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2019.

Before taking the stage at the closing ceremony, the Versailles-based band, which was formed in 1995, shared a teaser on X. It featured a photo of all the bandmates posing on the rooftop of a Paris building with the caption, "Bonjour Paris! It’s so special seeing the city host this year’s @Olympics games,” while adding how there was a lot more to come.