Swerve Strickland Says New Level Theme Song Was Approved 24 Hours Before AEW All In

When Austin Creed and Kofi of New Level showed up in AEW at All In and helped Swerve Strickland win the AEW World Trios Championships, they did so with the song "New Level," the 2015 hip hop hit by ASAP Ferg and Future, playing them to the ring. While licensing popular songs has never been something AEW has shied away from, the move to get "New Level" to be Creed and Kofi's theme was one that could've easily fallen through. In an interview with "Hot 97," Strickland revealed that the rights to "New Level" were acquired very late in the game, a fact that's since been confirmed by both Creed and Kofi.

"They got that song about 24 hours beforehand from Ferg's team," Strickland said. "And they were like 'Yeah, we approve it.'"

Strickland referred to the chain of events as the "perfect world storm" for the moment, with the song properly hyping the Wembley Stadium crowd for Creed and Kofi's debut. More importantly though, Strickland believes that the song is a benefit for everyone involved, in both making "New Level" a relevant song despite being a decade old, and by giving Creed, Kofi, and even Strickland himself a reset.

"It helps both sides," Strickland said. "It brings ASAP Ferg right back right there. 'New Level' to the forefront of things, and then it brings New Level, you could say, like Kofi and Creed was like an older act. It brings them, it's refreshed. Swerve's been around in AEW for four years. I main evented Wembley Stadium the last time we were there in 2024. I'm joining a trios for the Trios Championships. I'm new and refreshed, so it just brings new life to the whole thing, full circle."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Hot 97" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription