Live It Up (Nicky Jam song)

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"Live It Up"
Single by Nicky Jam featuring Will Smith and Era Istrefi
Language
  • English
  • Spanish
ReleasedMay 25, 2018 (2018-05-25)
Genre
Length3:28
LabelSony Latin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Diplo
  • The Picard Brothers
  • Free School
Nicky Jam singles chronology
"Get Lit"
(2018) 		"Live It Up"
(2018) 		"Icon (Remix)"
(2018)
Will Smith singles chronology
"Get Lit"
(2017) 		"Live It Up"
(2018) 		"Está Rico"
(2018)
Era Istrefi singles chronology
"Origami"
(2018) 		"Live It Up"
(2018) 		"Prisoner"
(2018)
Music video
"Live It Up" on YouTube

"Live It Up" is a song by the American singer Nicky Jam featuring the American rapper Will Smith and the Kosovo Albanian singer Era Istrefi.[1] It was used as the official song of the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia.[2] The track was produced by Diplo, The Picard Brothers and Free School, and was released on May 25, 2018.[3] The song reached number one in Panama, and the top 10 in Hungary, Poland, Bolivia and Argentina. It received negative reviews, with many criticizing its generic, synthetic sound and detachment between the song's genre and the tournament's host country, Russia.

Live performance[edit]

Jam, Smith and Istrefi performed the song at the closing ceremony on 15 July 2018 at the Luzhniki Stadium before the final between France and Croatia.[4]

Music video[edit]

The music video for the song was released on June 8, 2018. It shows Jam, Smith and Istrefi, and the Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho, among images from the 2014 tournament. The video was directed by Yasha Malekzad, produced by Kasra Pezeshki and was filmed mainly in Moscow and Budapest, Hungary. By May 2021, the video had amassed over 218 million views on YouTube. However, it was later unlisted, possibly due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards.

Critical reception[edit]

The song received mixed to negative reviews. Roisin O'Connor of The Independent rated it with one out of five stars, criticiszed the track's "generic message" and called it a "blatant attempt to cash in on the music industry's current obsession with Latin American music, but the entire song makes zero sense when you remember the World Cup is being held in Russia this year".[5] Ed Malyon of the same outlet criticized its "synthetic joy" and called it "the epitome of a try-hard creation that lacks much of what makes music great–inspiration and raw emotion–and lays on thick the things that we couldn't care less about–meaningless, directionless lyrics and a tiresome wailing from Istrefi, whose songwriting talent has clearly not been drawn on for this tragic effort".[6] Dave Fawbert of ShortList named it the ninth worst World Cup song of all time, criticizing its lyrics: "The words in the chorus just don't fit. 'One life live it up cos you don't get it twice' [sic] is just unbelieveably clunky", and expressing confusion as to "why a World Cup in Russia should have a reggaeton anthem, while the shoehorning in of different artists in order to satisfy all global demographics is just patently cynical".[7]

The song was met with mixed reviews from fans.[8] Business Standard reported, "'Live It Up' has failed in getting a welcome reception from the fans. People on Twitter are requesting Shakira for a new song. Some have even asked FIFA to change the song." It further highlighted fans' statements that they would stick to K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" and Shakira's "Waka Waka", and the detachment between the song's genre and the tournament's host country.[4] Scroll observed that fans "critiqued the fast pace of what they called was primarily a dance tune, noting the Diplo-produced track lacked a 'football rhythm' to it" and were "nostalgic for popular World Cup anthems in the past such as Shakira's 'Waka Waka' ... and Ricky Martin's 'The Cup of Life'".[9]

Credits and personnel[edit]

  • Will Smith – composition, vocals
  • Nicky Jam – composition, vocals
  • Era Istrefi – composition, vocals
  • Diplo – production

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Mexico (AMPROFON)[31] Gold 30,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[32] Platinum 50,000‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[33] Gold 10,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for "Live It Up"
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various 25 May 2018
Sony
[34]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Live It Up (Official Song 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia) [feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi] – Single by Nicky Jam on iTunes". iTunes Store (AU). 25 May 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  2. ^ Sony Music And FIFA Announce "Live It Up" As The Official Song For 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
  3. ^ "Official World Cup song to feature Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi". The Guardian. May 22, 2018.
    - "Will Smith & Nicky Jam Will Perform Official FIFA World Cup Song With Era Istrefi". Billboard. May 21, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "World Cup official anthem: Will Smith's 'Live It Up' fails to enthuse fans". Business Standard. May 27, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  5. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (May 25, 2018). "Official World Cup song review: 'Live It Up' with Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi is almost unlistenable". The Independent. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Malyon, Ed (May 25, 2018). "Official World Cup song 'Live It Up' is every bit the hyper-corporate nightmare you expected". The Independent. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  7. ^ Fawbert, Dave (June 11, 2018). "The 10 worst World Cup songs". ShortList. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  8. ^ "World Cup divides fans with Live It Up anthem by Will Smith". The National. Abu Dhabi. May 27, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2021 – via Reuters.
  9. ^ "Watch: Did the new FIFA World Cup anthem 'live it up' to people's expectations? Most disagree". Scroll. June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  10. ^ "Argentina Top 20 General Monitor" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live It Up" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Bolivia Top 20 General Monitor" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  13. ^ Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi — Live It Up. TopHit. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  14. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201826 into search. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  15. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201829 into search. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live It Up" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live It Up" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live It Up". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  21. ^ "Nicky Jam Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 26, 2018" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live It Up" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  24. ^ "Panama Top 20 General Monitor" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Dance Top 50. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live It Up" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  28. ^ "Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live It Up". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  29. ^ "Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi – Live It Up". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2018" (in Hungarian). Association of Hungarian Record Companies (MAHASZ). Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Certificados Musicales Amprofon" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 5 October 2021 – via Facebook.
  32. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  33. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Live It Up')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  34. ^ Citations regarding the release of "Live It Up" by Nicky Jam featuring Will Smith and Era Istrefi in various selected countries:


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