From Overwatch 2 to Stranger Things: How Azazus creates anthems to believe in

Stranger Things recently concluded, but nerdcore rapper Azazus wasted no time creating yet another iconic track to celebrate one of his favorite pieces of media. He previously released the Sombra rap and Sigma rap, and his latest track is a Stranger Things anthem called "Believe." Azazus sat down with us to talk about his new song and what's next for his Overwatch 2 projects!

In his interview with esports.gg, Azazus shared that the Stranger Things anthem was created with an up-tempo track so that listeners would feel a shared adrenaline rush with the characters. He originally experimented with flipping the show's iconic theme, but found the tempo too slow to match the urgency he wanted. In the end, he chose a fast, rhythmic beat to encourage chanting and make the track feel interactive.

"The countdown in the song mirrors the race against the Upside Down," Azazus added. "And honestly, the race to hold onto moments before they pass. At the core, it's a belief anthem. Just like Mike believing in Eleven, we all want someone to believe in us."

Beyond the music, the anthem features clever visual storytelling as well. For example, Azazus' video shows the characters evolving from unsure kids to heroes of their own story.

"One thing I hope fans notice is the quiet evolution of the characters," he said. "You see them go from unsure kids to full-on heroes -- warriors in their own story. There's also subtle nods to Henry's arc. [He's] someone who never felt believed in, who only knew pain and isolation. It's not about excusing him. It's about showing how powerful belief and connection really are in this world."

The second verse also stands out as Azazus has Will tapping into Vecna's energy and folding the Demogorgons. In terms of lyrics, the lines go into how the character steps into his power.

The Stranger Things anthem can be viewed in full below and on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and more.

Having previously worked with Sombra voice actor Carolina Ravassa and Sigma voice actor Boris Hiestand, Azazus now wants to explore songs related to other heroes. One of them is none other than the recently-released Vendetta.

"I have become very fond of Vendetta, and I do want to put something out for her," he said. "I did want to touch on the original characters first and work my way to the newer characters, but Vendetta -- she just stood out to me on her rollout."

He also told esports.gg that he has a few Overwatch 2 projects nearing completion. However, he does want each track to have something special. To him, every hero's song should feel authentic, which is why involving voice actors in his work is so important.

"I do have quite a few Overwatch songs in the vault," Azazus said. "I would say they are majority of the way done. I'm just waiting to explore special guest options if those people would like to join in [for] their character."

Beyond Stranger Things and Overwatch 2, Azazus added that he's a fan of Supernatural. The series influenced him growing up, and with the Supernatural fanbase still going strong even after the show's conclusion back in November 2020, a song that honors Sam and Dean's legacy remains a possibility.

"If the right idea hits, I'd love to create something that honors that legacy," he said.

He continued, "I would love to do another song with Carolina about her character in VALORANT. I'm holding off on that to see where our Sombra song is going to go first, but I would love to work more with Carolina on something."

As for his dream collaborations, Azazus shared that vocal artists like XG, Drake, and T-Pain would be incredible to work with. On the brand side, he hopes to collaborate directly with Overwatch 2 or look into projects with Dead by Daylight and Pokémon.

"Music, voice, story -- all of it excites me," he said.

Speaking of voice and story, Azazus is now stepping into the world of voice acting himself! He told esports.gg that he plays a bounty hunter named Dice in NovaStars AC.

"I'm also stepping into voice acting. I play a bounty hunter named Dice in an upcoming anime series called NovaStars AC," he said. "The cast includes [Christopher] Sabat and Nicolas Roye, and I'm excited for fans to hear more once the creators officially roll things out."

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more entertainment and Overwatch 2 news, interviews, and updates!