Amid transient movements that attempt to define the 21st century, significant pop culture moments can create a lasting impact. “We Are One (Ole Ola)”, the anthem of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, is eminent to pop culture. This was popular at its time because the message of the song was not representative of the organization that it promoted. Modern-day pop culture is at large recognized by members of a society as a set of products, ideas, or movements during a given point in time SITE. The series of events surrounding the FIFA World Cup coinciding with the release of “We Are One (Ole Ola)” exposed the then-alleged corruption of the FIFA organization. Aside from the drama, action, and of course, actual athletics, the excitement of the FIFA World Cup is exemplified by the songs that become World Cup anthems.
Pop culture can be found in many forms, yet the only medium that can transcend all languages is music. The most effective way for music to gain a high degree of international popularity and acclaim is on a platform that reaches a global audience. Large-scale events such as the FIFA World Cup give artists the chance to send an important message. On 12 June 2014, American Cuban rapper Pitbull took center stage at FIFA’s World Cup Opening Ceremony at the Arena de São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil (Steger). Pitbull was joined by fellow artists American Latino Jennifer Lopez and celebrated Brazilian singer-songwriter Claudhina in the performance of “We Are One (Ole Ola)”. The song serves as an international appeal to humanity to come together ‘as one’ and tackle the serious global problems of the 21st century. Indeed, such global awareness is especially evident in Pitbull’s three successful albums which are appropriately titled Global Warming (2012), Globalization (2014), and Climate Change (2016) (Steger). Moreover, the song implies that soccer fans can “show the world we are one” by taking part in the shared activity of watching the tournament SITE. The idea of acting ‘as one’ further increases international support and recognition for the FIFA organization.
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During the release of the song, “We Are One (Ole Ola)”, the FIFA organization was dealt with a fair amount of criticism. While the premise of the song was about citizens of the world uniting over the World Cup, several Anti-World Cup protests arose in São Paulo – the host city (Watts). Civilians flooded the streets for “one fight [with] a million eyes” in protest of the tournament’s excessive costs, which was largely funded by the public. This confrontation was sparked by the high costs of the stadium, corruption, police brutality, and evictions for local Brazilians (Watts). Former President Luis Lula da Silva of Brazil personally lobbied for the World Cup to be held despite evidence of instability in the local economy SITE. It was estimated that the government put up to $11.7 billion in total investments on the World Cup, more than three times the cost initially projected (Forbes). This resulted in the most expensive World Cup ever, largely due to fraud and suspicious ties between politicians and contractors. Inherently the release of “We Are One (Ole Ola)” came at a time when the FIFA World Cup was trying to protect and salvage its public image. The US Department of Justice indicted several top FIFA executives on the charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and collusion in the months preceding the end of the 2014 World Cup SITE. These arrests and investigations cast doubt over the transparency and honesty of the process of allocating World Cup tournaments, electing its president, and the administration of funds SITE. All of these aforementioned activities counteract the suggestion of “show[ing] the world we are one” SITE. Whereas the FIFA organization believed they exemplified the cosmopolitanism of “We Are One (Ole Ola)”, their actions proved otherwise.
“We Are One (Ole Ola)” is supposed to represent a joyful time for people of the world as they unite over a shared passion for soccer. Overshadowed by the corruption and scandal, “We Are One (Ole Ola)” was still able to provide important means through which solidarity was formed. Although the song is not representative of the organization at the time, it is unfair to discredit the song as a whole. It represents the type of ethos the FIFA organization is trying to achieve for future World Cups. For this alone “We Are One (Ole Ola)” is noteworthy to pop culture. In retrospect “We Are One (Ole Ola)” is also considered a crucial aspect of pop culture as it emulates the effects of globalization. Globalization has intensified the role of media and pop culture in shaping our communication with and understanding of cultures different from our own.
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