Pharrell Stars In “October Hits Different” MLB Postseason Campaign

Key Takeaways:

• Pharrell brings his sound and vision to MLB’s 2025 postseason with “October Hits Different.”
• The campaign features a new anthem, “Are You Ready?,” produced by Pharrell and performed by Voices of Fire.
• MLB’s chief marketing office says the collaboration aims to capture the intensity of October baseball through music and spectacle.

October might be the most bittersweet month of the year for baseball fans. On Thursday (Sept. 25), Pharrell led Major League Baseball’s new “October Hits Different” campaign ahead of the 2025 playoffs.

“The show is about to begin,” the Virginia native says to open the 30-second video. “Every pitch, every swing, every moment hits harder.” He is joined by the choir group Voices of Fire and a 25-piece live orchestra from the University of Miami, who perform while footage of playoff contenders like the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and other teams play on a projector screen.

“When these performers step up, the crowd loses its mind,” Pharrell continues. “Time to let these maestros of the diamond shine.” Watch the full clip below.

The centerpiece of MLB’s “October Hits Different” campaign is “Are You Ready?” a track from Voices of Fire’s newly released album, OPHANIM. Pharrell produced the song, which has been named the official anthem of the 2025 postseason.

“Virginia taught me the power of music and community,” Pharrell said in a press statement. “Bringing Voices of Fire to the postseason stage shows how those same forces of unity can come alive through sport.”

“With ‘October Hits Different,’ we wanted to capture the spectacle of the postseason through music that feels just as monumental,” MLB Chief Marketing Officer Uzma Rawn Dowler added. “The anthem ‘Are You Ready?’ by Voices of Fire, produced in collaboration with Pharrell and backed by a live orchestra, reflects the passion and intensity of the journey to the World Series and embodies the excitement of October baseball.”

For all the baseball fans out there, the postseason begins on Sept. 30 with the Wild Card Series broadcast across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.

OPHANIM arrived on Sept. 12 with contributions from Quavo, Tori Kelly, CeeLo Green, and Teddy Swims, among others. The choir group also collaborated with John Legend on the 13-song effort, following their joint appearance on Clipse’s “The Birds Don’t Sing” in July.