Amit Amola
Either it is someone's marriage or a carnival, either a festival or even World Cup, music is everywhere. World Cup songs are not just famous due to football fever, they got the beats, the rhythm, the energy...everything which suits the football fiesta. Here's the list of top 10 Fifa World Cup songs.
"Wavin' Flag" is a song by Somali-Canadian artist K'naan from his album Troubadour. The song was originally written for Somalia and aspirations of its people for freedom. The original single was a hit in Canada and reached #2 on the Canadian Hot 100 as the third official single from the album, after the singles "ABCs" and "Bang Bang", which were minor hits.
After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a remake of the song by an ad hoc supergroup of Canadian artists, credited as Young Artists for Haiti, became a charity single in Canada, reaching #1 on the Canadian Hot 100 in its own right.
The song became a truly global hit when it was chosen as Coca-Cola's promotional anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, hosted by South Africa. This amended international version with additional lyrics reached the top ten in more than twenty different charts around the world.
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira featuring South African band Freshlyground. It was released on 7 May 2010 by Epic Records as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa. Written and produced by Shakira and John Hill, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is a pop song that pairs an African Colombian rhythm with a Soca-inspired beat. Its lyrics encourage one to aim for their goals like a soldier on a battlefield. The "waka waka" riff of the song was adapted from Cameroonian band Golden Sounds' 1986 song "Zangaléwa".
The song received generally favourable reviews from music critics, who complimented its composition. It has subsequently been listed as one of the best World Cup songs of all time. "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" peaked at number one on record charts of numerous countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. In the United States, the song peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over one million units in the country. By May 2014, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" has sold nearly ten million units worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.
The music video for "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was directed by Marcus Raboy and shows Shakira and a group of dancers and children dancing to the song together. It features cameos by various footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. It became popular on video-sharing website YouTube and is the eighth most-watched video of all time on YouTube, with more than 683 million views as of June 2014. Shakira performed the song at the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony on 10 June as well as at the closing ceremony on 11 July. It was also included on the set list of her Sun Comes Out World Tour (2010–11).
"Dare (La La La)" is a song recorded by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her tenth self titled studio album Shakira (2014). The song was first released to contemporary hit radio in Italy on March 28, 2014 as the third single from the album and was later released in a remix bundle in the United States via RCA Records. The song was co-written by Shakira herself. The song is an uptempo, electronica song built over drums and chants.
A reworked version of the song entitled "La La La (Brazil 2014)" was released on May 27 as the second theme song for the 2014 World Cup. The song included new lyrics and features Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown. The version was praised by music critics and fared well commercially. An accompanying video was directed by Shakira's long time collaborator Jaume de Laiguana, the music video is influenced by Afro-Brazilian heritage and tribal imagery and features cameos from a variety of football players including Lionel Messi, Neymar, Cesc Fàbregas, Sergio Agüero, Radamel Falcao, James Rodríguez and Eric Abidal, Shakira's boyfriend Gerard Piqué and their son Milan.
"Sign of a Victory" is a song by American singer R. Kelly, featuring the South African gospel choir Soweto Spiritual Singers. It was the official anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Released on June 6 for digital download, the song received generally positive critical reception, and became a minor hit.
It was later included on Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album, released on May 31 and in Kelly's compilation album Epic. "Sign of A Victory" was performed by R. Kelly and the Soweto Spiritual Singers at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kick-Off concert in Soweto on June 10, 2010.
"Hips Don't Lie" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean for the reissue of Shakira's sixth studio album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. It was released on February 28, 2006, by Epic Records as the third single from the album. The song was written and produced by Shakira, Jean, Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis and LaTravia Parker. "Hips Don't Lie" is a salsa and reggaeton song, which heavily incorporates samples from Jean's earlier single "Dance Like This" and "Amores Como el Nuestro" written by Omar Alfanno.
Upon its release, "Hips Don't Lie" received generally favorable reviews from music critics. It received several accolades, including a People's Choice Award, an MTV Latin America Video Music Award, and an MTV Video Music Award. "Hips Don't Lie" reached the number one spot on charts in at least 55 countries including the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first number one single in the country. It also broke the record for the most radio plays in a single week in the United States. The song was eventually certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), where it has sold over three million copies. Having sold over ten million copies by the turn of the decade, the track became the best-selling single of the 21st century in physical singles and digital downloads combined. It is widely recognized as one of Shakira's signature songs.
"We Are One (Ole Ola)" is a song recorded by Cuban American rapper Pitbull for One Love, One Rhythm – The 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Album (2014). It features guest vocals from American entertainer Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte. The song was written by Pitbull, Thomas Troelsen, Lopez, Leitte, Daniel Murcia, Sia Furler, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Henry "Cirkut" Walter and RedOne, while production was handled by Gottwald, Walter, and Troelsen. Whilst receiving positive reviews from critics, the song has received some negative reactions from Brazilians over its lack of Brazilian feeling. "We Are One" has experienced moderate commercial success, reaching the top-twenty in countries including Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Austria.
"Love Generation" is a song by Bob Sinclar with vocals by Gary Pine, a member of Jamaican band The Wailers (formed by Bob Marley). This song is the first track to be released from Sinclar's fourth full album, Western Dream. It was a massive hit all over Europe and in Australia, and had one of the longest ever runs in the German Top 10. It was less popular in the United Kingdom, but still reached number 12 there, and was featured on many Ministry of Sound albums of the time and had much rotation on MTV Dance.
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**In 2006, a new version that featured the 2006 FIFA World Cup mascot Goleo VI was released.
Celebrate the Day is a single by Herbert Grönemeyer featuring Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia that was adopted as the official theme song for the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany. The song appears on the CD Zeit, dass sich was dreht.
"The Cup of Life" is a song recorded by Ricky Martin. It was released on March 3, 1998, as the second single from Vuelve. "The Cup of Life" became the official song of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France and topped the charts in many countries around the world.
"Oh Africa" is a song performed by the artist Akon featuring Keri Hilson. The song is a charity single and was released to raise funds for Akon's charity 'Konfidence' to aid underprivileged children in Africa. The song was released as a digital download on 52nd Grammy Awards night, January 31, 2010, along with the video. The Soweto Gospel Choir and young singers from many countries are also featured on the single. The footballers Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Kaká, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Andrei Arshavin make cameo appearances in the music video.
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