Tired: the Eagles fight song.
Wired: country love songs about the Eagles.
Two budding country folk artists from the Philadelphia area are going viral on TikTok and Instagram for teasing their latest singles, which name-drop the Philadelphia Eagles amid stories of falling in love, and — in one case — getting dumped at what was once called the BB&T Pavilion. Both songs, of course, are titled “Go Birds.”
Folk artist Henrik Hoeldtke, who grew up 45 minutes outside Philly in Woodstown, N.J., released “GO BIRDS” on Nov. 24, a Noah Kahan-sounding ditty about a relationship with a South Jersey girl that goes south at the start of football season. A clip of Hoeldtke’s song on TikTok earned over 181,000 views and three fire emojis from the official Philadelphia Eagles account.
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“At the BB&T you said you’d be therе for me, but now when I see kelly green I think of hеr. And oh, by the way, I hate that everything I say you seem to hear, but you don’t understand a word,” Hoeldtke sings in the chorus. “But hey, ‘Go Birds.’ ”
Hoeldtke, who originally started posting hip-hop tracks to TikTok under the moniker Redhead Rap, grew up watching Eagles games with his family and idolizing former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. The switch to folk music, Hoeldkte said, stemmed from a desire to “start writing more about where I’m from.”
“The Eagles were the first thing that came to mind. Everyone here is an Eagles fan, even if they don’t care about football that much. They’ll still own a jersey or go to a watch party,” Hoeldkte, 21, said. “I wanted to give people a sense of, ‘Oh, this guy is really from here.’ ”
“GO BIRDS” has garnered 200,000 listens across Spotify and Apple Music since its release, Hoeldtke said, and the reception is about what he anticipated.
“The girlfriends of die-hard Eagles fans love it. That’s my main audience. Their boyfriends — the hard-core Philly guys — think it’s the worst song to ever exist,” Hoeldtke said.
Bucks County country singer Holdyn Barder, meanwhile, said he hopes to create a tailgate anthem with his song “Go Birds (Acoustic),” which dropped on all music streaming platforms Friday.
This one is a trash-talking love song about an Eagles fan who steals a girl out from under a Dallas Cowboys loyalist, drawing on a decades-long rivalry between the National Football Conference teams.
“E-A-G-L-E. Add an ‘S’ for bein’ so sorry,” Barder croons in the bridge. “Wait, I ain’t sorry ‘bout stealin’ your girl. Another underdog winning, takin’ over the world.”
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A video teasing the song’s chorus has received more than 705,000 views on Instagram and the attention of the Eagles’ official Instagram account, which commented that it was “playing this on repeat.”
Barder, 25, of Newtown, grew up using a family friend’s season tickets to see Birds games with his dad. He said he wouldn’t dare date a Cowboys fan.
“I wanted to make sure [the song] perfectly captured the magic of Philly and our fans, but also being an underdog,” said Barder, who wrote the song piecemeal over a three-month stretch. “And, obviously, I had to throw a little shade to Dallas in there.”
Why the Eagles? And why now?
Hoeldtke and Barder’s songs come at a time when the Eagles are more of a cultural force than they are a Super Bowl LVIII lock.
Captain and All-Pro center Jason Kelce is one degree separated from Taylor Swift, and the team’s second charity Christmas album just finished a stint on top of several Billboard charts. One of country music’s biggest stars is also an Eagles diehard.
Country crooner Zach Bryan hard-launched his now-ex-girlfriend Debra Peifer at an Eagles game, and lived in Philly with her until their split over the summer. Bryan has repeatedly repped the team, going as far as shouting “Go Birds” in the face of New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones after inviting him onstage.
Nicole Michalik, a host on Philly’s sole country music station, WTXU, said Hoeldtke and Barder’s singles are part of “the Zach Bryan effect” that’s inspiring newer country artists to “sing about their feelings” instead of “drinking [out] of a red Solo cup in the back of a pickup truck.”
Still, a couple of Eagles references aren’t going to be enough for a mainstream country hit, especially since country music has stronger ties to college football than the NFL, industry experts have said.
“I don’t think one song about the Philadelphia Eagles is going to make or break someone,” said Michalik, who also pointed out that the songs might be bigger social media hits if the Eagles weren’t heading into the playoffs on a two-game losing streak.
» READ MORE: Actions speak louder: Eagles players are showing they’ve lost confidence in Nick Sirianni
Barder said he hopes his song “reminds the team that Philly has their back regardless.” He still has hope that the Eagles can clinch a Super Bowl bid.
Hoeldtke? Not so much.
“I don’t know why anyone would want to write a song about the Eagles this year. I wish I didn’t,” Hoeldtke said. “There is nothing inspirational about this year’s team.”
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As a music enthusiast with a deep understanding of the topic, I can confidently say that this article discusses the rising popularity of country love songs that reference the Philadelphia Eagles, a football team from the Philadelphia area. The article highlights two budding country folk artists, Henrik Hoeldtke and Holdyn Barder, who have gained viral attention on TikTok and Instagram for their singles that mention the Eagles in the context of love stories.
Henrik Hoeldtke, originally known as Redhead Rap, released his song "GO BIRDS" on November 24. The song tells the story of a relationship with a South Jersey girl that falls apart at the start of football season. Hoeldtke's TikTok clip of the song garnered over 181,000 views and received recognition from the official Philadelphia Eagles account. The lyrics of "GO BIRDS" capture the emotions of a failed relationship, intertwined with references to the Eagles.
Holdyn Barder, a country singer from Bucks County, released his song "Go Birds (Acoustic)" as a potential tailgate anthem. The song playfully tells the story of an Eagles fan stealing a girl away from a Dallas Cowboys loyalist, drawing on the longstanding rivalry between the two NFL teams. Barder's video teasing the song's chorus on Instagram gained over 705,000 views and caught the attention of the Eagles' official Instagram account.
Both artists share a personal connection to the Philadelphia Eagles and aim to capture the spirit of the city and its fans through their music. Hoeldtke grew up watching Eagles games with his family and idolizing former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Barder, on the other hand, used to attend Birds games with his dad using a family friend's season tickets. Their songs serve as a testament to their love for the team and the city.
The article suggests that the popularity of these songs is influenced by the Eagles' cultural significance and recent successes. The team's All-Pro center, Jason Kelce, has connections to Taylor Swift, and the Eagles' charity Christmas album gained recognition on Billboard charts. Additionally, country music star Zach Bryan, an Eagles fan himself, has promoted the team during his performances. These factors, along with the rise of emotional storytelling in country music, have inspired newer country artists like Hoeldtke and Barder to incorporate their feelings and experiences into their songs.
However, industry experts mentioned in the article believe that a couple of Eagles references may not be enough to guarantee mainstream success in the country music genre. Country music is often associated with college football rather than the NFL. Nevertheless, the songs by Hoeldtke and Barder have gained significant traction on social media platforms, showcasing the strong support and enthusiasm of Eagles fans.
While Barder remains hopeful that his song will inspire and rally the Eagles team, Hoeldtke expresses a more skeptical view, given the performance of the team in recent times. Nonetheless, both artists have successfully tapped into the love and passion that Philadelphia Eagles fans have for their team, creating music that resonates with their audience.
Overall, the article highlights the emergence of country love songs that incorporate references to the Philadelphia Eagles, showcasing the unique connection between sports and music, and the power of music to capture emotions and tell stories.
