Ep 24. The Mane Attraction

The Mane Attraction is the 24th episode of the fifth season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. In this episode, the Ponyville gang is getting ready for the Rainbow Falls Musical Festival, where several singing acts from across Equestria will perform. In a quest to find the best act for the festival, Twilight Sparkle books the Ponytones, her friends' a cappella group, to audition.

When the Ponytones arrive for their try-out, they find that their lead singer and founder, Big McIntosh, has lost his voice. In a surprise turn of events, they meet a mare named Coloratura, who used to be Applejack's childhood friend. Coloratura, who also goes by "Rara," has grown famous in the music industry and is set to perform at the Rainbow Falls Festival.

After learning about Big McIntosh's plight, Coloratura offers to fill in as the Ponytones' lead singer for their audition. Coloratura's singing voice is beautiful, and the Ponytones are blown away by her performance. After the audition, Coloratura reveals that she's back in Ponyville to visit her childhood friend Applejack, whom she calls "AJ."

However, when Rarity catches sight of Coloratura's entourage, she becomes worried about her friend's true intentions. Rarity decides to investigate and learns that Coloratura's image is heavily controlled by her pushy manager, Svengallop. She also discovers that Coloratura's kind and humble nature has been greatly transformed by her fame, and that she now goes by the stage name "Countess Coloratura."

Meanwhile, Twilight and the rest of the group plan to surprise the Ponytones with a new song they wrote for the festival. However, when they perform the tune for Coloratura, they realize that Svengallop has rewritten all of her musical numbers to be more commercial and less personal.

As the day of the festival approaches, Rarity tries to talk to Coloratura about the nefarious activities of her manager and convince her to stay true to herself. But it seems like Svengallop has convinced Rara that her image and fame are more important than anything else, and she seems reluctant to rebel against him.

During the festival, the Ponytones perform and win over the crowd with their talented voices, but it's clear that Coloratura is the star of the show. As she takes the stage, she sings a song written by Svengallop, but something's different. As the song progresses, the gentle mare Rarity knew resurfaces, and she begins to sing from the heart.

Coloratura's true talent and character shines again as she sings a song that represents her and her experiences with Applejack. The audience is touched by her performance, and Svengallop is revealed to be a money-hungry and controlling individual, trying to use Rara's talents to make a name for himself.

In the end, the group's friendship prevails, and Rara casts aside her glamorous image to embrace her true self. She then joins the Ponytones for a rousing rendition of the song Twilight and friends wrote, and the episode ends on a high note. Overall, The Mane Attraction is a fantastic episode about friendship, authenticity, and the power of music.