When you think of Olympic figure skating, your mind probably doesn't go to metal immediately. But last night, the French free skating team - Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres - decided to bust out a curve ball by performing to Disturbed's cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence," a move probably nobody was expecting.
David Draiman's voice helps to amplify the drama of what the team pulled off on the ice. His long notes coincide with twisting tandem moves, the two twisting together at the end of the exhibition. The pair didn't take home any medals, but they did walk away with a respectable 5th place.
Disturbed's version of the "The Sound of Silence" was released in December of 2015 and hit No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock and Hard Rock Digital Songs charts and topped out at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100. Last spring, following a performance of the track on the late night talk show Conan, original composer Paul Simon reached out to Draiman to praise him.
“Really powerful performance on Conan the other day," Simon wrote. "First time I’d seen you do it live. Nice. Thanks.” Draiman responded, “Mr. Simon, I am honored beyond words. We only hoped to pay homage and honor to the brilliance of one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Your compliment means the world to me/us and we are eternally grateful.”
The song went onto be certified double platinum, and with even more exposure from the Olympics, it won't be surprising to see even more sales in the song's future.
Watch the clip of "Sound of Silence" during the Olympics above.
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