#VoltaWakaWaka World Cup: 'We Are One' is Not Popular; Brazilian Fans Want Shakira's 2010 World Cup Song
If you're Shakira, then things are going pretty well for you.
If you're the singers of the official World Cup theme -- Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull and Claudia Leite -- then not so much. "We Are One (Ole Ola)" has failed to impress Brazilians, who took to Twitter to get #VoltaWakaWaka to trend. The hashtag, which asks for the return of Shakira's "Waka Waka" song from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, said The Associated Press.
The theme is criticized on everything from the choice of artists to the blandness of the song. Other people are upset at how little Portuguese is featured in the song. One Twitter user said, "Why is the new world cup song mostly in Spanish and English? Me no likey."
Some are unsure of why people would want the same anthem for this year's World Cup, but for the most part, the Tweets seem to wish Shakira was responsible singing the official song.
Gaia Passarelli, a Brazilian music journalist who previously worked as a MTV Brazil VJ, described the song as a "poor, dull, generic pop theme."
"It's a shame considering Brazil's rich musical tradition, which is admired all over the world," Passarelli saud. "In the end, we lost a chance to do something rich, inspiring and cool. I'm feeling [longing] for Shakira."
Perhaps what made matters worse is that Shakira released "La La La (Brazil 2014)" just last week. Many publications basically said this is what should have been the World Cup theme, and soccer fans agreed. Her song is already nearing 32,000,000 views on YouTube.
Jerome Valcke, the FIFA secretary general, talked about Leitta's inclusion earlier this year.
"In my many visits to this country, I've heard a lot about the great Brazilian music tradition, and it gives me pleasure to see a Brazilian artist at the heart of this song," Valcke said.
The music video for the official World Cup song has also been criticized for reinforcing stereotypes, such as half-naked women dancing to samba music and barefoot children.
Leonardo Martinelli, a music critic from Sao Paulo, said it's not just this World Cup that it's not just this year's song that has been problematic.
"The music in other World Cups was also stripped of local color," he said. "Whether it's in South Africa, Germany or Japan-Korea, the regional musical element was used only as a very light seasoning, just enough to give it a discreet local color," he said. "In the case of this latest song, the seasoning has its right amount of cliches and stereotypes usual with commercial music."
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