“We’ve been here before, and I’ve never let you down. Listen to your heart,” insists Wu-Tang Clan hip-hop artist RZA, who provides the voiceover for sporting icons LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Shohei Ohtani as they train determinably in Beats’ latest ad, created by Translation ad agency. “I’m the fire in your chest, pumping ice through your veins, one beat at a time.”

Via RZA’s commanding commentary, the Listen to Your Heart film connects passion, performance, and heart to promote Beats’ Powerbeats Pro 2, designed for athletic performance with immersive sound and heart rate monitoring for workouts. 

The film is shot in a classic sports style, and captures each athlete embarking on their perilous journey to peak fitness, finding symbolism in all the sweat, blood and tears it takes to be the greatest.

“Powerbeats Pro 2 is developed to withstand intense training sessions and equipped with our most innovative technology and powerful sound,” says Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of music, sports, and Beats.

Beyond music and culture, sport has been a rich space for the audio brand over the years. Its CMO, Chris Thorne, is keen to continue developing in this arena, aided by Beats’ longstanding partnership with James alongside its new signings: Messi and Ohtani. 

“One thing that I judge the strength of the brand on is when talent partners are reaching out to us saying, I’d like to be part of the Beats family,” Thorne told CR back in November. “Because we’ve got great products and we’ve got a great brand that they want to be associated with.”

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