WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Season 1 of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, now streaming on Netflix.
The new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Netflix series has made waves by taking the established He-Man lore and updating it in new and exciting ways. This is best shown with the characters' designs going through massive changes and the story itself building a stronger bond between He-Man and Skeletor. However, another small yet titanic change is in the show's theme song, "The Power Is Ours," by Ali Dee. While the music isn't representative of the best that cartoons have offered, it makes up for it with its infectious rhythm that will have anyone who hears it humming it for hours.
In the past, the original series focused heavily on the exploits of He-Man, while his allies never got as much attention. However, that changed drastically with the new series, as teamwork has since been the backbone of the first season. Now, not only has Prince Adam got his own power, so have his friends. This has helped foster lessons about looking out for those weaker, lifting each other up and showing that power isn't meant for just one person. Even the theme song shows the power of melding different ideas to create something groundbreaking.
He-Man's iconic catchphrase has always been, "I have the power." However, with the new theme, "The Power Is Ours," the song shows that it's no longer a one-person show. The song showcases this by having a blend of genres create a new theme and energy for the character that hasn't been seen before. At first, it begins with a beat and a rap verse that gets the audience moving, building momentum until the main chorus. Comparatively, it's similar to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles intro from the 2012 reboot.
Once the chorus hits, the genre shifts to more of a pop/rock beat and drives home the idea of discovering destinies and strength as a team rather than alone. However, it's also imperative to mention that the pace and energy continue to grow as the song continues, clearly building up audiences for a grand adventure. Rather than take on enemies alone, it makes viewers want to gather their closest friends and discover their own hidden potentials.
While the song itself is undoubtedly energetic, it suffers from the classic issue of being a theme for a children's show. As a result, it fails to reach the heights of other songs because it's designed to be a catchy tune for viewers. It consistently repeats the same idea and doesn't change its structure musically to keep listeners on their toes. This makes the song more repetitive than anything and dangerous for those who quickly get them stuck in their heads.
The new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe theme isn't great. But what it lacks in greatness, it makes up for in impact and catchiness. While it isn't a song that people will be playing on the radio often, it does its job of getting viewers excited for the battle ahead as He-Man and his friends take the fight to Skeletor. It may not make everyone's favorite list, but it's worth at least one listen to understand the level of catchiness the song has.
To listen to the instant earworm, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is now available on Netflix.