I woke up this morning feeling like I absolutely needed to hear the song “Night Begins to Shine” (aka, the song Cyborg from Teen Titans Go! is obsessed with). I don’t know why, exactly. It just popped into my head, and I couldn’t get it out.
This is not the first time this has happened. It seems like the song is playing on a loop in my head, and I merely manage to occasionally hit the pause button and push it away for a couple of days. It’s been this way for a month now, pretty much ever since the Teen Titans Go! episode “40%, 40%, 20%” premiered on October 21st. In the episode, Cyborg’s obsession with his favorite song, an obscure 80s hit with lyrics like “When I look at you I see the story in your eyes, when we’re dancing the night begins to shine,” annoys his fellow Titans (Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven).
However, they soon learn that his “real strength comes not from his robot parts, but from” the inspiration he gets from that damn song. When listening to it, his imagination runs wild and he views the world very differently, picturing himself riding a winged horse and wearing a wolf-skin coat while saving his fellow Titans from one of their enemies. Of course, we get to see exactly what he sees, and across the episode’s 11-minute running time “Night Begins to Shine” plays practically non-stop.
The first time I saw the episode, which is actually the second appearance of “Night Begins to Shine” on the show since it was used far more sparingly in “Slumber Party,” I looked forward to finding out which 80s group wrote the song. I couldn’t wait to track them down on Spotify and take a deep dive into their catalog.
Yeah, funny thing about that: “Night Begins to Shine” seems to have been written specifically for Teen Titans Go! It’s not some obscure, old song. In fact, it’s only given to us in pieces in “40%, 40%, 20%.” Before iTunes put it up on Oct. 30th, you couldn’t really buy it anywhere. It’s now credited to the band B.E.R., and it’s their only song on iTunes. There are now countless fan-made music videos using the footage from “40%, 40%, 20%, and I was actually listening to one of those in the background while writing the intro of my Hunger Games article this morning. Why not pay it forward?
Here’s “Night Begins to Shine” and the Heavy Metal-esque imagery Cyborg imagines, with my favorite part being when an attacking wolf is simply absorbed into his costume and becomes a kick-ass coat (it’s so beautifully bonkers):
We Minored in Film 
I caught this episode randomly last night and can’t stop singing it. The best part for me (outside the different animation) is when everyone but cyborg starts singing the song to help him. Music is always in you!
It’s the Frank Enea Band.
B.E.R is the first initial of each of the members last names.
Delve into thier catalog. They deserve it.
You are unbelievably irritating.
Just saw the episode for the first time and this song is already my ringtone. Not afraid to admit that teen titans go is my favorite show thanks to my daughter, love it. going to check out all of the Frank Anea band now.
I second this song is beyond awesome. I just wish it was a real band so I could look forward to more 80s styled songs.
@3keys the song and artist is real, its on itunes. “night begins to shine” by D.e.r
It’s the Frank Enea Band.
B.E.R is the first initial of each of the members last names.
Life changing. Seriously. It was Flash Gordon, Mad Max and Speed Racer with the soundtrack of God.
When we heard this on the episode, my son immediately went to Spotify and learnt all the words and made a dance to go along with it. Now none of us can get it out of our heads. This show is delightfully crackers.
When I saw “Slumber Party” I spent the better part of a few days typing the lyrics into Google and trying my hardest to find the whole song. I figured then that it was just a song they did for the episode, especially considering most episodes have some kind of song in them about burritos and meatballs :p I’m so glad they did a full version. This song is epic
I sort of did the same thing. After “Slumber Party,” I set out in search , of the song, but gave up pretty quickly since although it’s certainly catchy it’s not really in “Slumber Party” that much. After a while, I couldn’t remember for sure what it sounded like. It was when they brought it back in a much bigger way in the late October episode “40%, 40%, 20%” that it turned into a bonafide earwig for me, but even then the only place I could find the song was in fan-made YouTube videos. It was only when I actually wrote this article in November that I discovered the full song had been made available on iTunes (and now Spotify). It’s not quite as stuck in my head now, over a month later, but I still occasionally give it a spin on Spotify and invariably listen to it again immediately after that.
It’s the Frank Enea Band.
B.E.R is the first initial of each of the members last names.
Delve into thier catalog. They deserve it.
I really liked this series from cartoon network. I’m into superheroes and such like X-Men, so this show was right up my alley. The only thing i didn’t like would be the main character, which is Robin. But overall great show.
I woke up to the Teen Titans Go episode 40% 40% 20% playing a couple of days ago. The song and episode were playing in the background of my subconscious. I had to rewind the episode and immediately searched for the song. WTF? Why is this song so infectious? I too was hoping to find some back catalog of 80’s sounding music from this “Band” I find myself with it playing in my head and have to play it, seeing the images from the video now.
Same. I’m listening to it as I do my homework right now, and it was in my head the WHOLE day. Great song
I immediately liked this song and I really like all the comments, because it’s just the way I feel about it!
I listening all time!
I absolutely swear that the vocals sound like Neil Tennant, the lead singer for the 80s band “The Pet Shop Boys.” Wish I knew more about who the hell wrote and performed this damn song, LOL.
Totally agree! We thought it was him too!
It’s the Frank Enea Band.
B.E.R is the first initial of each of the members last names.
Delve into thier catalog. They deserve it.
I too was looking for more of this artist, but when YouTube pulled up some early 2000’s R&B track as part of the mix for it, I knew this was going to be trouble. Does anyone know of any artists this was inspired by? or a sub-genre this would be called? I recently discovered Retro Wave, which is really cool, but not quite this sound.
It’s the Frank Enea Band.
B.E.R is the first initial of each of the members last names.
Delve into thier catalog. They deserve it.
Lmfao how many times will you repost the real name of the band in REAL LIFE. The Frank Enea Band. Itsfuckin real, thats where the 40%40%20% comes from… 40% Rick Burnell, 40% Frank Enea, 20% William Regan.
I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH!!! I too really thought it was an actual band with a whole 80’s album line up just waiting to be found in the back of a bin, dusty and hoping to be bought and played again. I was so surprised that it is only the one song created for the Teen Titans Go cartoon. Wow! Really cool. I think I like it even more that someone wrote it to purposely mimic the glam rock era. Wonderfully Done! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Five stars Boys! They did a fantabulous job. The 80’s rule! Class of 1987!
It’s the Frank Enea Band.
B.E.R is the first initial of each of the members last name.
Please give credit where due.
First off, this episode is hilarious and I’m old. Then the fact that it isn’t some arcane flash in the pan hit from the 80s really blows me away.
Same here. I’m still surprised they didn’t pluck this song out of the rarities bin. I wish it had been based on an “arcane flash in the pan” because at least then we could have a full album (or albums) to listen to, probably deciding, “Some of these other songs are pretty good.”
It’s the Frank Enea Band.
B.E.R is the first initial of each of the members last names.
Delve into thier catalog. They deserve it.
GIVE THEM PROPER CREDIT IN THE ARTICLE PLEASE. IT’S THIER RIGHT.
-a fan.
Did anyone catch the “Blondie: Call Me” counter melody?
I actually did not.
I did, and I am trying to see it again. Do you know what episode and the exact time she sings it?
I caught Blondie. It drove me nuts. The music is from Call Me.
Listen to when they start singing the song a capella when they are in the cages
I watched this episode on Memorial Day weekend, yeah its a good episode. This will probably be the only good episode the show has (IMO), but its a darn good one. Now I can’t get the song out of my head.
I have gone down this whole Commons list in the last 6 months and tried to answer everybody’s questions about who this band is and to give credit where credit is due. In case you didn’t see my comments above: It’s the Frank Enea Band.
B.E.R is the first initial of each of the members last names.
Delve into thier catalog. They deserve it.
For real dude, and no one has even paid attention to your responses..like wtf, really?
Comments list from the last 6 months**
Voice text mistake.
This band as ber has over a million views on their videos, but as their real selves have less than a thousand on some of those videos. Visit their Channel and give them some love!
They chose to be credited for this song as B.E.R. If they wanted it associated with their actual band name, I’m guessing they would have chosen to be credited as the Frank Enea Band.
If we’re going to talk about giving credit where it’s due it’s not the Frank Enea Band that have the full credit, just Frank Enea, nor is B.E.R the first initials of the band member’s last names. Only Frank of the Frank Enea Band is the “E”. Carl Burnett is the “B” and co-wrote and produced the song (He has a website under his name). William J. Regan is the “R”. I can’t seem to find anything on him. I guess technically they make up the band B.E.R. which doesn’t actually exist but we’re all secretly hoping it would eh?
My apologies, William J. Regan is Billy Red Regan who sang the song. Found him on Facebook. These guys should collaborate again and put out a whole album in the same style.
I found this a little late, but I’ll still throw my hat in, as the episode’s playing as I type… I LOVE this song! Definitely agree with the different, “Heavy Metal”-esque imagery. It’s just catchy, and the episode (40/40/20) is just a full-on retro-fest for me.
My kids are huge fans of Teen Titans, but I don’t usually watch it with them. I have always appreciated the show’s ability to entertain them, but my respect and admiration for this show grew when I walked through during a Golden Girls shout out. Today, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the “Night Begins to Shine” episode while I snuggled my feverish six year old. I had to google the song. I agree that the imagery was awesome and laughed out loud when the wolf turned into cyborg’s coat. I am going to have to buy that song!
I actually just caught a re-run of this episode last week, and, like you, I laughed out loud when the wolf turned into cyborg’s coat. And you’re right – there are a surprisingly high number of Golden Girls shout-outs for a kids cartoon.
Iam lovin the night begins to shine..its got me interested in teen titans go once more!
This is my favorite episode. I watch it once a week, I’m so obsessed. Looking for a better screen shot of the one above to put on my Facebook page.
B.E.R. is not the name of the band who did the song. The song was done by a Swedish band called Classic. Google Classic, the night begins to shine.
Wrong song. Same title, different tune.
OMG I have been singing this song in my head for the past 3 days- it took me a day and a half to convince myself where i heard it in the first place!
My 4 year old loves Teen Titans Go! I heard this song in an episode he was watching yesterday. It immediately got stuck in my head. Then he got up this morning singing it. That forced me to find it on YouTube and then Google for information on the band. That brought me here and I’m glad to see I’m not alone!
I’m glad you found the article, and also glad that I’m not alone. I had no idea how many other people would similarly experience the “i watched this one cartoon with my kids, and it had a song I can’t get out of my head.” It’s been I don’t even know how many years since I wrote this article, but that song is still kind of stuck in my head, at least in the sense that whenever I hear it or am reminded about it I suddenly start bopping my head to the beat and picture Cyborg’s rad 80s-infused vision of slaying the bad guys.
Overhearing “The Night Begins To Shine” from a TV in an adjacent room of our Jersey Shore motel, I felt compelled to drop what I was doing to find out what the Grandkids were watching. Of course, it was TTG! The song was infectious and utterly ’80s. I sat, mesmerized; immersed in the sound and the imagery…of a cartoon. Later, we would just randomly burst into song: The night begins to shine… It was a nice day at the beach.
It’s the ultimate earworm.
This song has been STUCK in my head to the past week, LOL. Heard it on a commercial when my kids were watching TTG. Then my daughter was walking around the house humming the song and singing it like a bird (which I found extremely weird, but oddly funny). Wasn’t until tonight that I realized the bird she was mocking was actually the bird outside Cyborg’s window who also had the tune stuck in its head… Hilarious. I am very surprised, like many other who’ve post here, that this song is not some blast from the past 80’s track that was brought back to life.
Kudos to your daughter for not just humming the song but mimicking such a specific part of the episode, i.e., the bird outside Cyborg’s window.
My… 6 year old,
and I sing it all the…
sing it, all the time…
sing it all the time now
The song endures. When I wrote this article, I was watching Teen Titans Go with my nephew. He’s 11 now and is just on the cusp of thinking he’s too old for the show. However, his 6-year-old sister just discovered it and loves “The Night Begins to Shine,” especially after watching the newer, multi-part episodes they did just about the song and its backstory. It’s her favorite Teen Titans thing ever. Her dad and I don’t mind – the song is so legitimately catchy.