Written by: Meghan Gillies
On my show, Rainbow Connection, I play a wide variety of music. From Dad Rock and disco to K-Pop, videogame music, and of course Muppet songs. This semester I have been playing more music that relates to the different fandoms I am in and the media I like. For example, I had 2 weeks of Undertale music from the game and fan-made songs to celebrate the game’s 10th anniversary.
I’m really excited to plan a Splatoon themed show, which will be upcoming. For those of you who are unaware, Splatoon is a 3rd person shooter on the Nintendo Switch where inklings(squid people) and octolings(octopus people) compete in Turf Wars, which are paint-ball style matches where each team fights to make the arena their team color. Splatoon’s songs are actually very unique, this is because their lyrics are all done in gibberish, to make it sound like you are in a whole other world and that these creatures all have their own language.
Music is very important to Splatoon. It is truly everywhere in this game. Each story mode level features its own song, every online match plays a randomly selected song, and music performances occur in the hub area during Splatfest events. Splatfests are fun events in the game, that are essentially big festivals. They include a special Turf War where each team is an answer to a would-you-rather style question, and you play online matches to get points for your team. Almost all of Splatoon’s many songs have names and bands associated with them. These bands have their own album covers, some of which include character designs of the band members. In total, there are 25 fictional bands in Splatoon.
Album cover for Yoko & the Gold Bazookas
On top of all this, the music in Splatoon has such an impact on the games’ fanbase, that there have been multiple live concerts for the three core idol groups featured in Splatoon, which are possible by doing “hologram” style performances of the characters.
Screenshot of Off the Hook Live Concert at Tokaigi 2019
Now you probably noticed that I specified those featured as idol groups and not bands. What makes the idol groups different from the bands is each game has a group originating from them that is in charge of running Splatfests and the news in their respective games. They also have characters with detailed history, personalities, and involvement in the games’ story modes. These idols are so influential to the music of Splatoon and their worlds, so we are going to look through some details on all three of them.
The Squid Sisters performing at the Grand Festival
Our first group is the Squid Sisters. Originating in the first Splatoon game, they are the classic idols. Cousins Callie and Marie make up the Squid Sisters. The two are very similar to each other. They both wear matching outfits, have mirrored choreography of each other during performances, and have complimentary singing styles, with their parts frequently alternating with each other or singing at the same time. While they are very similar, they have distinct personalities. Callie is outgoing and cheerful, while Marie is sarcastic and much less energetic than Callie. The Squid Sisters are the ideal image of idols. They wear matching outfits, are cutesy, very friendly, and make positive, upbeat pop songs, which are heavily inspired by J-Pop.
Off the Hook performing during the Grand Festival
Our second idol group is Off the Hook, which is made up of Pearl and Marina, who originate from Splatoon 2. While they are the hosts, they get most of their character development in the DLC for Splatoon 2 and 3. Pearl and Marina are very different characters, and the games emphasize their contrast. Pearl is a short inkling and is outgoing, energetic, and very blunt. Marina is a tall octoling who is shy and very smart. Despite all these differences, the two share a very close bond. Their music is a combination of electronic, rap, and pop music. Unlike the Squid Sisters, Pearl and Marina serve different roles in their songs. Pearl acts as the main vocalist and rapper for Off the Hook, while Marina is the DJ.
Deep Cut performing at the Grand Festival
Our final group is Deep Cut, originating in Splatoon 3 made up of Shiver, Frye, and Big Man. Deep Cut features the most diversity of any of the idol groups. Shiver is a blue octoling from a family of shark tamers. She is aloof, mature, and a perfectionist. Frye is a yellow inkling from a family of eel tamers, and is fun-loving, reckless, and a bit airheaded. Big Man is a large manta ray, with a laid back personality. He is very hard working, and often acts as the voice of reason in the group. Deep Cut’s music is very unique compared to other music in Splatoon. Their songs are a mix of modern and traditional music from multiple cultures. Specifically, their main song, “Anarchy Rainbow,” mixes traits of Brazilian, Indian, and Japanese traditional music together.
I think it is really cool that video games are a new medium where music can be shared. Video game music connects people from all over the globe, with the fusion and mixing of many different music styles. They also tend to have more experimental and unique sounds. I really am looking forward to making my Splatoon themed show, and I hope this got you all excited to take a listen!
Harper Radio 
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