Aurora Starchild
Matthew McConaughey is pumped for the NCAA basketball season. To celebrate and get everyone pumped up for the Texas Longhorns this year, the actor just released a music video. The song is called “Bless the Mood” and in it, the lyrics urge Texans to “Reveal, Revive, and Testify.”
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Matthew McConaughey Is University of Texas’ Moody Center’s Minister of Culture
If this all seems super random to you, allow me to clarify. Matthew McConaughey, the superstar actor, and one-time gubernatorial candidate is the University of Texas’ Moody Arena Minister of Culture. This title was bestowed upon him a few years ago and yes, it specifically applies to UT’s arena.
When Stephen Colbert asked McConaughey what exactly the Minister of Culture does, he explained. The arena didn’t even exist at that point, it was actually being built. The intention was to host not just the men’s and women’s basketball teams, but concerts as well.
“Really my goal, my purpose as the Minister of Culture is to have that arena be the last place any visiting basketball team wants to play,” said McConaughey. (Or should we say, the MOC?) “And the first place that any world-class large band act does want to play.”
The Dallas Buyers Club actor was then shown on a clip, getting the men’s team pumped to win. They did win that specific game, he said, 75-72.
McConaughey is often seen with the University of Texas basketball teams as well as at events related to the Moody Center. He seems to always be wearing a custom-tailored orange 3-piece suit, matching University colors.
“Bless the Mood” Was First Introduced Briefly at the Moody Center Arena’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
The Moody Center was finally completed last April. McConaughey was there at the ribbon cutting ceremony. And it was then that he first gave the world a glimpse of the official new Moody anthem.
“Yes, it is time to believe that what happens in here, from now on, can and will change the world,” he said while standing at the podium. “Yes, will you do this with me? Just because it will make me feel good. It is time to bless the mood.” The next sentence started with speaking but segued into song.
“Are you ready to bless the mo-od? Are you ready to bless the mood?”
McConaughey continued, asking for the crowd to join in a few times although no one really did. On the side of the stage were cheerleaders waving their pompoms, and someone dressed as the mascot. He continued singing by himself, crooning away with his rather decent, soulful voice.
McConaughey Is Pumped for the Texas Longhorns
On November 4th, McConaughey then posted a video to social media. He’s standing on a boat and low-key beatboxing to the tune of “Bless the Mood.”
“Coming to a Moody Center near you,” he says at the end. He’s staring right into the camera with his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses ensemble. He’s also wearing a t-shirt that says, “CulTure” on it, with a capital orange ‘T.’
UT’s MOC is obviously all-in and loves the Texas Longhorns. So it should come as no surprise, then, now that we know what McConaughey’s job is, that he just released a music video.
The music video for “Bless the Mood” was released on YouTube and is described as a “cool church.” It’s an accurate description. He’s got background gospel singers and the video cuts between the Texas Longhorns, McConaughey, and other singers and musicians. The overall sound is a cross between gospel, rock, hip-hop, and a little rap. But honestly, McConaughey isn’t actually rapping or trying to rap — it just has that feeling.
The lyrics begin with:
Hey, we got you
We got me
Folks, that makes a royal We
And it’s time to bend a knee, everybody
So, we can reveal, revive, and testify
Cause you see, these words, they are not inflation
It is on us, the Nation
To do it once
And then again
Gabriel blows his horn
And we got another Longhorn win.
Excerpt from “Bless the Mood” by Matthew McConaughey
The video overall is very high energy and is sure to get Texas Longhorns fans pumped. After all, it’s not every day that you see a full-on music video featuring college students and, er, Matthew McConaughey. I mean, come on.
There Are Lovers and Haters
Fans seem to love it, too. Comments under the music video as well as McConaughey’s earlier Instagram post lavish adoration and hype. Even unhappy Stereogum blogger Chris Deville’s page was filled with words of support for the song and what McConaughey is trying to do.
“This thing is unbearably bad,” wrote Deville. “And I don’t just say that as an Ohio State fan. McConaughey is a man of many talents, but half-singing half-rapping in a sort of country-western beat poetry over brassy, gospel-inflected soul music is not one of them. This feels like the punctuation on the end of the McConaissance. See for yourself below.”
Under the video were comments such as:
“Say what you will, this song is an earworm. Gonna be blessing the mood all day I think.”
“Watch your mouth when talking about one of the top ten greatest living Americans, Chris!”
And my favorite:
“Latter-day McConaughey is like a line of cocaine who found Jesus.”
Not everyone is a fan, but to be fair, not everyone is a fan of everything all the time anyways. I’m not even a basketball fan and certainly not an aficionado, but I like it. Go, Longhorns!
