Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has a unique walk-up song with a Canadian twist: he walks out to the jazzy rendition of “Feeling Good” by Grammy and Juno award-winning artist Michael Bublé.
As the Toronto Blue Jays prepare to face the Dodgers in the upcoming World Series starting on October 24, Bublé expressed his thoughts on Ohtani’s song choice. During an interview with sports personality Stephen A. Smith on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” Bublé admitted feeling conflicted as a Canadian rooting for his Blue Jays against his admired player.
Despite his conflicting loyalties, Bublé emphasized his Canadian pride and allegiance to the Blue Jays, stating, “My heart is in Canada, I’m a Canadian patriot, I fly the flag, I bleed the red and white.” He also mentioned the allure of watching Ohtani make his entrance to the music.
Ohtani decided to switch his walk-up track from Lupe Fiasco’s “The Show Goes On” to Bublé’s 2005 hit earlier this year. When asked about his song choice by the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani simply stated, “I chose it because the feeling was good.”
Recently, Bublé hailed Ohtani as “the best ball player who’s ever lived” on “The Voice,” expressing excitement about the player using his song. While Bublé’s rendition of “Feeling Good” has garnered over 646 million streams on Spotify, the song originally originated as a show tune for the 1960s musical “The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd,” composed by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.
Over the years, “Feeling Good” has been covered by various artists including Nina Simone, George Michael, Traffic, Muse, and the Pussycat Dolls, showcasing its enduring popularity and versatility.
