World Cup Daily: Will Smith to sing official song for Russia 2018
ACTOR and rapper Will Smith has teamed up with fellow artists Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi for the official World Cup song for Russia 2018, FIFA has confirmed.
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ACTOR and rapper Will Smith has teamed up with fellow artists Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi for the official World Cup song for Russia 2018, FIFA has confirmed.
Smith, fellow American singer Jam and Kosovar musician Istrefi have collaborated on the song, titled Live It Up.
The three-man line-up will perform at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow before the final on July 15 and the song, produced by American DJ Diplo, will be officially released on Friday.
Grammy Award-winning actor, songwriter and artist Smith said it had been a privilege to have been involved in the collaboration.
When you've nailed the last two World Cup songs but you get replaced by Will Smith.
— Jack Rose (@jack_rose10) May 23, 2018
Poor Shak 😕 pic.twitter.com/ys21lDrade
“It’s an honour to be asked to perform at the 2018 FIFA World Cup,” he said. “This global event brings people from all over the world together to cheer, laugh and experience magic.” The first official World Cup song, World Cup Willie, was for the 1966 tournament finals in England and was performed by Lonnie Donegan.
Other official songs at recent World Cups include Un’estate italiana by Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini in 1990, La Copa de la Vida by Ricky Martin in 1998 and Shakira’s Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) in 2010.
We Are One (Ole Ola), by Cuban-American rapper Pitbull and featuring guest vocals from Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, was the official song of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
AUSSIES HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR IN RUSSIA
What does the ordinary Russian think of Australia? Nothing.
We’re a blank.
Which is why Australia’s leading expert on Russian strategic affairs Alexey Muraviev reckons heightened travel warnings around a spy drama and the World Cup are farcical.
Australia’s upgraded travel warning to Russia, host of next month’s World Cup, cautions of possible anti-Western harassment, citing heightened political tensions.
“It is really ill-informed, ill-thought advice,” Dr Muraviev told AAP. “It’s more a politically-driven warning than an evidence-driven warning. “Russians don’t think of Australia ... so an assumption that Australian visitors would be subjected to some sort of discrimination or attacks is a false premise.
“There is no negative sentiment towards Australia in the minds of ordinary Russians.” The updated warning came in the fallout from London accusing Moscow of poisoning former double-agent Sergei Skripal in Britain.
The scandal caused diplomatic dominoes around the world, including Australia, with scores of Russian diplomats expelled.
But here’s the thing, says Dr Muraviev, Associate Professor of National Security and Strategic Studies at Curtin University.
🆠Worldï¸ Cup countdown!
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) May 23, 2018
With 2ï¸âƒ£2ï¸âƒ£ days to go, here is Australia celebrating their qualification for this summer's World Cup.
Australia had to play 2ï¸âƒ£2ï¸âƒ£ matches to reach Russia. No team has ever played more. pic.twitter.com/xMsnumnkAE
Ordinary Russians would barely have noticed.
They’re too preoccupied with the World Cup.
For Russian football is like Brazilian, without the winning. “The Russians can be as fanatical about football as the Brazilians are,” Dr Muraviev said.
“But the Russian national team has always been not just a cause of disappointment but almost like a cause of national disgrace. “If the Brits, for example, really want to get back at the Russians and cause serious humiliation, all they need to do is win a couple of matches. “That will inflict far more pain on the Russians than any sort of boycott.”