Live It Up
by Nicky Jam (featuring Will Smith)

Album: Single release only (2018)
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Songfacts®:

  • This reggaeton invitation to get pumped up was chosen as the official song for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. As well as American singer Nicky Jam, the anthem also features a rapped contribution from another American Will Smith and a melodic verse from Kosovar Albanian singer Era Istrefi. The track was produced by yet another US citizen Diplo. The choice of artists is somewhat surprising as none of the US, Kosovo and Albania qualified for the 2018 World Cup. However, Jam nods to the universality of the soccer tournament by singing in English and Spanish.
  • The song represented Will Smith's return to the rap world after a dozen years when he concentrated on his acting career. Apart from collaborations with Bomba Estéreo and his 80's-90s musical partner DJ Jazzy Jeff, Smith hadn't released a new record since his 2005 album Lost & Found.

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