My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic theme song

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"My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic theme song"
Single by Mane Six (Rebecca Shoichet as Twilight Sparkle)
ReleasedOctober 10, 2010 (2010-10-10)
Genre Theme song
Length0:45 (opening version)
1:30 (full version)
Label Hasbro Studios
Songwriter Daniel Ingram
Composer Daniel Ingram
Lyricist Lauren Faust

The My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic theme song was composed by Daniel Ingram with lyrics written by show creator Lauren Faust. It has been featured in the opening credits of every episode from the show's premiere in 2010 through its conclusion in 2019, with minor variations introduced across different seasons.

Contents

Background

Daniel Ingram composed the theme song. Daniel Ingram.png
Daniel Ingram composed the theme song.

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series based on Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise that debuted on October 10, 2010. The series was developed by Lauren Faust, who sought to create a show that would appeal to both its target demographic of young girls and their parents. Friendship Is Magic became one of the highest-rated productions in The Hub's history. The series features a recurring cast of pony characters in the fictional land of Equestria. The show is known for its musical numbers, with composer Daniel Ingram creating original songs for many episodes. Songs that were composed by Ingram, such as "This Day Aria", have received particular critical acclaim. [1] [2] Despite its target demographic of young girls, the series attracted an unexpectedly large following of older viewers known as bronies .

The theme song uses the melody and motifs from earlier My Little Pony generations' theme songs, particularly from the 1980s animated series. [3] [4]

Reception

Tiarni Abdulovski of Capsule Computers wrote that the Friendship Is Magic theme song "is not an easy tune to forget" and "extremely catchy". [5] Gianna Cabrera of Columbus State University wrote in literary journal Arden that as a child, she would hum the theme song to escape from nightmares and described it as her only means of comfort during frightening dreams. [6] The theme song is often remixed by members of the brony fandom. [7] [8]

In April 2025, the Sacramento Kings used the theme song to introduce the Dallas Mavericks starting lineup during a play-in game; each player's name was punctuated by the sound of a neighing horse. [9]

Translations and variants

Analysis

In a study of translations of My Little Pony songs into the Indonesian language, Nunuk Tri Hapsari wrote that some lyrics were condensed, causing them to lose some of their temporal nuances (e.g. "I used to wonder what friendship could be" [meaning "I used to wonder what friendship really was and now it is no longer questioned"] to "Apa makna persahabatan" [transl. "What is the meaning of friendship?"]). [10]

See also

References

  1. St. James, Emily (April 21, 2012). "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – 'Royal Wedding'". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on November 3, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  2. Connelly, Sherilyn (August 15, 2012). "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Season 2 Finale and Wrap Up". SF Weekly . p. 1. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  3. Novak, Lauren (August 30, 2023). "'My Little Pony' Turns 40 with a Brand New Remix". ReMIND Magazine . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  4. White, Abbey (August 29, 2023). "How the 'My Little Pony' Theme Song Was Remixed and Reimagined for the 40th Anniversary". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  5. Abdulovski, Tiarni (August 5, 2013). "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – The Return of Harmony Review". Capsule Computers. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  6. Cabrera, Gianna (2024). "Assorted Moments in Grief". Arden. Columbus State University: 48–49. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  7. Makenshi (October 12, 2020). "Extended Theme Song Mega Collab Cover: Cantersoft & Friends - Extended Theme Song (Covering Daniel Ingram) [Soundtrack]". Equestria Daily . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  8. Makenshi (October 17, 2019). "MLP Tribute Reimagining Music: Marcus Warner - Friendship is Magic 2019 [Orchestral]". Equestria Daily . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  9. Toole, Connor (April 17, 2025). "Sacramento Kings Use 'My Little Pony' Theme To Troll Mavericks During Surreal Pregame Intro". Brobible. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  10. Hapsari, Nunuk Tri (December 2024). "Translation Procedure in the Translation of My Little Pony Soundtrack Movie into Its Indonesian Version". Conscientia. 20 (2). Sekolah Tinggi Bahasa Asing LIA Yogyakarta: 1–15. Retrieved October 9, 2025.