Kicking off Sept. 9, Sundays have officially been taken over by the 2026-27 NFL season. Regardless of what team one pledges their allegiance to, football has the power to evoke a wide range of emotions in its fans.
The unexpected moments and emotions that live sports foster is part of the reason that so many people tune in every Sunday. The thrills of a shocking upset, a shattering loss or nail-biting last-minute plays can foster a delightful rush in viewers. These four songs — all of which arose from the indie rock movement of the 2010s — soundtrack both the exhilaration and devastation that comes from watching one’s favorite team play each week.
“This is the Life,” By Two Door Cinema Club
Two Door Cinema Club — a Northern Irish indie rock band formed in 2007 — released “This is the Life” on their 2010 album “Tourist History." The song contains both familiar indie rock elements with guitar-forward instrumentals and electronic synths. This blend creates a nostalgic feeling for students to the early 2010s indie music scene with its genre bending, youthful energy.
The song’s chorus features the lead singer repeating the phrase “'Cause if this is the life, this is the life.” In its simplicity the song encapsulates perfectly the pure happiness that comes from one’s favorite team being on a weeks-long hot streak. The dancey tempo and optimistic lyrics makes “This is the Life” a song best played on a sunny day after the winning streak extends for another week.
“Call it Fate, Call it Karma,” The Strokes
Defining the early 2000s indie-sleaze aesthetic, the Strokes are one of the most culturally significant bands of the 21st century. “Call it Fate, Call it Karma” closes out their 2013 fifth studio album, “Comedown Machine.” The song creates a dreamy atmosphere with soft instrumentals in contrast to the energetic guitar sound they had created for themselves in earlier albums. Julian Casablancas — the band’s lead singer — uses a falsetto for the chorus and muffled low vocals for the rest of the verse.
Like watching Drake Maye lose against the Seahawks in the season opener after throwing three interceptions in the fourth quarter, this ghostly sound gives the song a tragic feeling. This feeling is furthered by the song's title, which evokes a dejected acceptance of things that are out of one’s control. “Call it Fate, Call it Karma” is a reminder that the outcome of the season is not up to the fans — and that perhaps a loss is a karmic moment for their team.
“Out Getting Ribs,” by King Krule
Released on King Krule’s debut 2013 album “6 Feet Beneath the Moon,” “Out Getting Ribs” remains one of King Krule’s most popular tracks. Named after a note written in 1982 by Jean-Michael Basquiat as he was mourning the death of Andy Warhol, this track has a somber feel throughout. The song represents gutting raw feelings with its vulnerable vocals and haunting guitar.
The intimate nature of the song delivers an emotional punch with its indie, lo-fi instrumental that relies on minimalism. King Krule’s lines such as “But girl I'm black and blue / So beaten down for you” and “Take my crown again / He’s submerged in doubt” talk about losing his pride — a feeling all too familiar in football. The emotionally shattering feeling of watching Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels get injured for a second season in a row can feel akin to a loss of pride, not unlike the one described by King Krule.
“She’s American,” by The 1975
The fifth track on the 1975’s 2016 album “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It,” “She’s American” playfully pokes fun at the cultural differences of Americans and the British band such as British people having bad teeth and American girls being airheads.
The song has 1980s influences with its synthy instrumental and funky guitar riffs. With bright vocals, lead singer Matty Healy croons “And don’t fall in love with the moment / And think you're in love with the girl,” a reminder for football fans who may be watching a game with new friends. While the lyrics seemingly make fun of an American girl by stating that ”she's got a gun divinely decreed and custom made” and that the girl is “looking vacant,” the absurd nature of the song’s lyrics make it an ironic American anthem. There are few things more American than football itself, and — as long as Americans themselves do not look too deeply into the lyrics — “She’s American” is a groovy, bright track for electric games spent with friends.
Football-filled Sundays can cause a rollercoaster of emotions even in the most stoic of fans. These 2010s indie rock hits represent this emotional turbulence whether celebrating with friends or mourning in solitude.
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