Pop star Jennifer Lopez and rapper Pitbull are duetting for the official World Cup 2014 song, FIFA and Sony Music have confirmed."We Are One (Ole Ola)" will debut at the opening ceremony at the Arena De Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 12 June.
Well-known Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte’s vocals also feature on the track.The song was written and co-produced by Pitbull. Leitte said she was looking forward to "dancing samba with Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez in Brazil".There has been no announcement of when the song will be released. A video is in development.
Fans will hear the original song ahead of its first performance, as it will be the lead single on Sony’s World Cup 2014 album. A release date has yet to be revealed.
“I grew up in a house that loved football, so I am thrilled to be performing at the World Cup opening ceremonies with Pitbull and Claudia Leitte,” Lopez said. “This is an amazing celebration of global unity, competition and the sport.”
Pitbull, who wrote and co-produced the song added: “I truly believe that this great game and the power of music will help unify us, because we are best when we are one.”During an official announcement at Rio De Janiero’s Macarena Stadium on Tuesday, FIFA's general secretary Jerome Valcke honoured the inclusion of Leitte, a judge onThe Voice Brasil.
“In my many visits to this country I’ve seen and heard a lot about the great Brazilian music tradition and it gives me great pleasure to see a Brazilian artist at the heart of the song,” he said.
Pitbull’s latest single “Timber” is currently enjoying its third consecutive week at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The track is in second place on the UK Official Singles Chart, behind Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”.
The rapper has collaborated with Lopez multiple times in the past, including for the 2011 hit “On The Floor”. Both musicians are busy preparing new albums for release this year.
Shakira’s “Waka Waka” was the last FIFA World Cup song in 2010. Billboard reports that it has sold 1.7 million digital downloads to date while the video has been viewed almost 600 million times on YouTube.
Coca Cola, a long-standing sponsor of the competition, also released a campaign theme in 2010, the popular “Wavin’ Flag” by then newcomer K’naan. The song reached number one in 18 countries and sold 918,000 downloads in the US.
