FIFA2014: 5 Songs That Would Be Better Than the Official Song

by Justine

My apologies for the serious lack of posts these last few weeks! Uni is definitely cracking down with only two weeks to finals so forgive us! I'll try my best to catch up on some posts!

It seems relatively unanimous that Pitbull should NEVER be allowed to write/perform the official song to any event. Let's face it, of all the songs that could have been the official song of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Pitbull's We Are One (Ole Ola) was probably the worst option. If the song itself wasn't bad enough, the lacklustre performance at the opening was the icing on the cake. For this week's blog, I'll be looking at five songs that would have been MUCH better options for the official 2014 World Cup song.

1. Vida - Ricky Martin

I do actually prefer the Spanish version of this song (there's one in Portuguese as well - the man is thorough!) but this was the only one with a video. As you may know already, Ricky Martin sang the official FIFA World Cup song in 1998. He did a killer job then with The Cup of Life and I personally think that his song Vida this year should have been a strong contender for the official song. It has a great, upbeat tempo with a characteristic Latin party flavour. Martin is also a pretty decent live performer and he sure puts on a show so I imagine the live performance of this would have definitely outshone Pitbull's lifeless performance. The song is catchy and fun and I can definitely picture hoards of people dancing to it in the streets of Brazil!




2. Bailando - Enrique Iglesias ft. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona

This song is without a doubt one of my favourites this year. I've had it on repeat for weeks! Firstly, how can anyone not love Enrique Iglesias? I've always had a soft spot for his Spanish music and nowadays he's sounding less like a tragic love story (think Hero) and more like the life of the party. The song has a great beat with a chorus you can sing along to whether you know Spanish or not. I think it would have gone down well as the official song for the World Cup.

3. Dar Um Jeito - Santana, Wyclef Jean, Avicii & Alexandre Pires

Ok, so we should keep in mind that the World Cup was held in Brazil after all so why not some Portuguese? Again, this song has a the trademark Latin flavour that seems to characterise the official World Cup songs. It really makes you want to get up and dance! It is actually credited at the Official anthem of the World Cup. I'm not quite sure how the official song and official anthem are different but I certainly think this would have been a MUCH better song than Pitbull's. The song combines both English and Portuguese lyrics coupled with Santana shredding it on the guitar (as usual). I'm not quite sure where Avicii fits in here (it seems like a strange addition) but in any case, the end product is fun, upbeat and definitely gets the party started.

4. Adrenalina - Wisin, Jennifer Lopez & Ricky Martin

Clearly I like Ricky Martin. If you're a JLo fan and are slightly offended by my criticism of her role in Pitbull's awful song, rest assured I have something for you too. Wisin adds a sort of hip-hop/rap  electric feel to a Latin rhythm. It seems like something you might rock out to in a modern Latin club in the middle of Brazil. Like the others mentioned, the beat is great and the song puts you in a good mood regardless of whether you understand the lyrics. If you weren't sold on this being a good World Cup song, it does have some football whistles in there!

5. On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons

I understand that not everyone is a huge Latin music fan so I have an alternative! I initially thought this would make a good official song purely because it was so popular on FIFA 14 (the game). It's a pretty feel good song with a fun rhythm and positive lyrics. I think it would have fit well as a theme for the World Cup. It would have been quite a nice change from the slew of Latin songs and certainly a MUCH better song than Pitbull's (it must seem like I really hate him by now huh?). Also, given their stellar performance at the Grammys alongside Kendrick Lamar, they would certainly have killed at the the World Cup.

So there you have it, 5 songs that would have been miles better as an official World Cup song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Which of these would you have preferred?