Pitbull’s World Cup Theme Upsets Brazilians, Disappoints Many Others [Video]
Pitbull has released the official theme song and video for this year’s World Cup, titled “We Are One,” and it has left many people disappointed. According to the Los Angeles Times, Brazilians are upset with the Pitbull song and video, saying that too many cliches about Brazil are used.
There was an original version of the Pitbull song that leaked online, but it was not well received. Sony decided to insert a drum track from Brazilian group Olodum into the final version of Pitbull’s theme, but that didn’t change the minds of those who already disapproved of it.
Many people took to Twitter over the weekend to express how disappointed they were with the Pitbull song.
World Cup 2014 has been cancelled and the future of music is in doubt after Pitbull was chosen to “sing” the official tournament anthem.
— Oldfirmfacts (@Oldfirmfacts1) May 18, 2014
All the traditional good World Cup songs ruined and forgotten in 3 and a half minutes. Thank you Pitbull. — Matthew (@TheHayeMaher) May 18, 2014
Who picked Pitbull to “sing” the official World Cup song? — Joonas Castrén (@YoniHomie) May 18, 2014
The World Cup song is horrific, why Pitbull? Why??? — soph (@theycallmesoph) May 18, 2014
One Twitter user, @LorenEdelstein, said the Pitbull song “has a Caribbean beat, not a Brazilian beat.”
“Did they mix up where the World Cup is happening?” she added.
The music video for “We Are One” features Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte singing and dancing around with people dressed for Carnival, and there are plenty of clips from previous World Cups cut in between. Pitbull and Lopez sing their parts mostly in English, while Leitte comes in for a very small portion in Brazilian Portuguese.
However, many are upset at the fact that Pitbull and company filmed the video in America for a game that takes place in Brazil, and the video features a lot of stereotypes. Music journalist and DJ Leka Peres called the Pitbull World Cup theme “a big bag of cliches.”
“You know that idea of an American that thinks the capital of Brazil is Argentina? That’s what this is,” Peres told the Los Angeles Times.
Peres added that the Pitbull song “has nothing to do with Brazil.”
As for the video for the Pitbull song, Peres said it “reproduces the same old idea that our parties always have half-naked, sexualized and curvy women, men fighting capoeira, and a samba troupe together with Olodum.”
“I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” she said.
While the reaction to the Pitbull song has been mostly negative, there have been a few who seemed to like it.
@Pitbull #WeAreOne is the perfect KICKOFF to Summer & it’s the first long weekend here in Canada so #OleOla!! https://t.co/i6r62M3rsy … — Carla Ivey (@CarlaIvey) May 16, 2014
Even though its by Pitbull i actually love this years official World Cup song!!
— Jade Russell (@Jade_Russell) May 18, 2014
Since going online on Friday, May 16, the Pitbull song has received more than eight million views on YouTube. The reaction is pretty similar to that of the Twitter users, with some praising Pitbull for the theme, while others are heavily criticizing it.
What do you think of Pitbull’s World Cup theme?
[Image via circuitomt.com.br]
