Copa América
Beyond the drama and debate surrounding this year’s Copa América, we at Round saw a different kind of news story emerge: How the oldest international football competition in the world is driving niche Latin American music genres to new audiences in North America.
Soccer is increasingly finding its footing in American culture, and its rise in popularity is reflected in the number of viewers this year’s tournament reeled in. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both Fox and Univision registered record viewership for the Euro 2024 and Copa America finals. The Spain-England game drew a combined 9.43 million viewers on Sunday afternoon, and in primetime, Argentina’s victory over Colombia averaged 11.63 million viewers across the two networks. Fox scored more than 6 million viewers for both matches, which, outside of the World Cup, became the most-watched soccer telecasts ever on the network.
Copa America’s record ratings were reflected on TikTok, where the #CopaAmerica2024 hashtag garnered 71.5 million views. The U.S. accounted for 13% of the content creation on TikTok around the event, second only to Mexico at 15%, according to data compiled by Round Technology, which can scrape social media platforms to provide proprietary data. Whilst conversation on social platforms was initially driven by what was happening on the pitch, we later saw audiences interact more than ever with Latin music, demonstrating how central music has become to the tournament.
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This year, Shakira’s halftime performance at the Copa America final infused Latin culture into the event despite initial reservations from Colombia’s national team coach, Néstor Lorenzo, about extending the halftime break for the show (soccer tournaments typically don’t have halftime shows, and if they do, they don’t extend beyond 15 minutes). Meanwhile, Colombia’s music elite rocked up to the tournament decider, with Feid, Ryan Castro, Karol G, Maluma, Blessd, Camilo, Fonseca and Juanes all in attendance. Impressively, those artists collectively represent more than a quarter of a billion monthly listeners on Spotify.
On TikTok, three tracks stood out as firm favorites for the platform’s users: Shakira’s “Punteria” (the official song of TelevisaUnivision coverage of the tournament); Ryan Castro’s reggaeton track “El Ritmo Que Nos Une” (the Colombian team’s official song); and MC Danone’s Brazilian funk tune “Vem Quebrando.” Together, those tracks have featured in nearly 550,000 TikTok creations since the tournament began on June 21. In comparison, across the pond in Europe, the official song of the Euros, “FIRE” by Meduza, OneRepublic and Leony, sparked just 70,000 creations, while England’s unofficial anthem “Three Lions (It’s Coming Home)” garnered 64,000 creations during the tournament.
Copa America’s surprising success on TikTok, coupled with its deepening connection to music, has been game-changing for artists by bringing attention to emerging genres. Take, for example, “Vem Quebrando,” a Brazilian funk song popularized by Colombian midfielder Richard Ríos, who performs a TikTok dance associated with the track whenever he scores.
Originally recorded by MC Danone, “Vem Quebrando” has seen a significant rise in popularity, racking up more than 85 million streams and highlighting the potential for niche genres to find a wider audience. With 1.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, MC Danone illustrates how local Latin American sounds are being funneled to American audiences via soccer and, ultimately, how TikTok has the potential to dictate the impact of an event.
Copa America 2024 has shown that soccer is more than just a game, bringing the sport further into North American homes and introducing a rich tapestry of Latin American music to a new audience.
As the dust settles on Copa America 2024, attention turns to the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. With soccer’s popularity expected to continue growing in the States, the tournament presents a huge opportunity for local sounds from Latin America to make their way to American audiences. TikTok and other UGC platforms will undoubtedly be key accelerators for these hyper-local sounds, offering a pathway for a new wave of genres to find success in the North American market.
Ray Uscata is managing director of Round, North and South America. Round is a tech-enabled digital agency using content, creators and communities to place the world’s leading brands and artists at the center of culture.
Shakira officially made her Copa America debut during the final match’s halftime show on Sunday (July 14). In the midst of the Argentina vs. Colombia game, the Colombian global star took the Hard Rock Stadium by storm with a medley of old and new hits.
Presented by Verizon, the superstar, dressed in a metallic silver skirt and halter top, kicked off the performance singing “Hips Don’t Lie.”
“Te Quiero, Colombia!” (I love you, Colombia), she chanted in the middle of the song. Accompanied by a group of dancers—female and robots alike—she continued with “Te Felicito,” “TQG,” and “Puntería,” where she also flaunted her flawless dancing skills.
On TV, the soccer field showcased large 3D wolves and floating gems, all representing her new era.
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Shak has taken center stage at many renowned sports events including the World Cup, Davis Cup, NBA All-Star, and Super Bowl, but this marks her first performance at the oldest international soccer tournament.
“Shakira is an extraordinary South American star who has dazzled the entire world,” Alejandro Domínguez, president of CONMEBOL, previously said in a statement. “Her songs are sung and danced to in every corner of the planet, turning her art into a global phenomenon that crosses borders and is enjoyed by millions of people. We are sure that her performance at the Copa América USA 2024 will enhance the message of healthy passion and unity through sport.”
Ahead of her performance, fellow colleague Karol G performed Colombian’s national anthem, and Abel Pintos performed Argentina’s national anthem. Feid and Maluma were also amongst the other music stars present at the match.
In the United States, Copa América 2024 is broadcast in Spanish on Univision, TUND, and UniMás, and the match is available on FuboTV, DirecTV Stream and TUND’s streaming platforms. Plus, the halftime show can be seen on FOX, Fubo Sports, Fox Sports App, FOXsports.com, TyC Sports Internacional, and FOX Sports 1.
After a more than one-hour-long delay due to a mass of non-ticket holders forcing themselves into the stadium on Sunday (July 14), the 2024 Copa America final match — where Argentina and Colombia face each other on the field for the championship trophy — officially began at 9:15 p.m. ET. Explore See latest videos, charts […]
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Who’s ready for the 2024 Copa América final and halftime show? Columbian singer Shakira will light up the stage for the halftime show. The final is set to start this Sunday, July 14 at 8pm E.T/ 5pm P.T. Shakira‘s performance will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, starting just after 8 p.m ET, right after the first half of the game.
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Copa America shared on Instagram, “Get ready to experience greatness in a show that will make the continent vibrate!” This year’s Copa América final will break new ground as the first to feature a halftime show. Both Argentina and Colombia are coming into the final with impressive winning streaks, ensuring an entertaining game. It’s only fitting that the halftime performance is just as extraordinary.
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Keep reading for details on how to watch Shakira’s 2024 Halftime performance.
How to Watch Shakira’s 2024 Copa América Halftime Performance
In the United States, Copa América 2024 will broadcast in Spanish on Univision, TUND, and UniMás on Sunday (July 14). It will be available for streaming on FuboTV and TUND’s streaming platforms.
You can also catch the halftime show on FOX, Fubo Sports, Fox Sports App, FOXsports.com, TyC Sports Internacional, and FOX Sports 1. Unfamiliar with FuboTV? If you’ve been looking for live television for a good price, check out Fubo. Subscribers can stream hundreds of cable, network and sports channels with Fubo’s Pro package which is $74.99 a month for 145 channels such as CBS, ABC, Fox, NBC, FX, TLC, AMC, MSNBC, ESPN, FS1 and Nickelodeon.
For those looking for another alternative, you might want to consider Sling TV. Sling Blue is $22.50 for your first month (regularly $45/month), and it includes a total of 42 channels, including ABC, FOX, NBC, and more.
Don’t have cable? You can watch the via DirecTV Stream. New subscribers get a five-day trial when they sign up for any of the four packages. With ABC included in every package, you can enjoy livestreaming the 2024 Copa América Halftime Performance and more from any device of your choice.
If you’re overseas and you’d like to stream the Copa América 2024 Halftime Show internationally, you can sign up for a VPN, such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN and PureVPN, which allows you to legally access several streaming platforms, including those mentioned above.
Fonseca‘s 2023 Viajante Tour was an “ambitious” and “incredible” celebration of his 20-year career, spanning across Latin America, the United States and Europe. But the intensity of the trek also led to one of the most distressing moments he has ever experienced.
The Latin Grammy-winning Colombian singer-songwriter, whose vocal quality has been described by maestro Juan Luis Guerra as that of a “nightingale,” faced a terrifying moment when he began having problems with his voice.
“It was very crazy because I would start to sing and when I went high, I would hit a certain note where air would come out and not voice,” Fonseca shared publicly for the first time during a Q&A with Billboard‘s Leila Cobo at the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) on Thursday (July 11) in New York City. “And what’s worse is that I realized this in the middle of the tour — we still had about 18 shows to go in the U.S. and then 10 more in Europe.”
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During a visit to a laryngologist in Miami, he said, a polyp was found on his vocal cords. With insufficient time to treat it due to the imminent continuation of the tour, he had to make changes to the arrangements of his songs and take as much care of himself as possible.
“I did the tour. It was tough. I did exercises. I lowered the key of the higher songs, but the feeling of knowing that you have that, feeling it when you are singing, and also thinking, ‘Is this something that will affect me? Will this not go away?’ Oh, that was crazy!” he continued. “When I finished the tour, I went for another check-up in Bogotá, and the polyp had grown.”
With rest and with therapy, Fonseca and his doctors finally managed to make the polyp disappear. Now, he takes more care of his voice, among other things by using a nebulizer and doing warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after each performance.
“[The Viajante Tour] was very ambitious, it was incredible, but it also left me with the lesson that, at the end of the day, it’s about going to sing. So when you put so much intensity into the voice, there is wear,” the artist said.
On the eve of the Q&A, Fonseca had given a concert at SummerStage in Central Park, where he showed total control of his voice. He also celebrated Colombia’s goal against Uruguay in the Copa América semifinal from the stage. (Colombia won and will now face Argentina in the final this Sunday.)
On Thursday, during the conversation with Cobo at the 25th edition of LAMC, the creator of hits such as “Te Mando Flores,” “Eres Mi Sueño” and “Arroyito” also indulged the audience with a snippet of “Ven,” first a cappella and later accompanied by his guitarist Jairo Barón.
The Latin Alternative Music Conference is taking place this week in Manhattan with panels, interviews, concerts, and more. For a full calendar of events, click here.
The Argentina and Colombia national teams will face each other at the 2024 Copa America final match on Sunday (July 14), and Billboard is celebrating with the ultimate playlist. Both teams have proven to be the best in the field since the soccer tournament began on June 20, eliminating other strong countries such as Brazil, […]
On July 6, Colombia’s national team scored a stunning 5-0 victory over Panama in the quarterfinals of the Conmebol Copa América 2024. Now, the Colombian team will face Uruguay on July 10 at 8pm ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC for a berth in the final and a chance to win the […]
Two things that awaken great passions in Latin America are music and football. While the Conmebol Copa América United States 2024 is being played this summer, we present you the list of anthems from one of the most important continental men’s soccer tournaments in the world, over the years.
Each song reflects the popular sound of the year the tournament took place. For example, in the early 2000s, pop music dominated the scene. Pop songs like Gian Marco’s “Más Allá de los Sueños” and Diego Torres’ “Creo en América” set the scene for the Copa América in Peru in 2004 and the Argentina edition in 2011, respectively. Over time, the sounds evolved towards tropical and urban rhythms, such as “La Gozadera” by Gente de Zona, perhaps one of the most remembered Copa América anthems. It is also common for artists from the host country to provide the official music for the tournament.
While it is true that we are talking about a sport, soccer in Latin America is much more than a game. It is an opportunity to unite from friends to families and entire countries with a common dream: taking home the title. This feat is not easy to achieve — especially with countries like Argentina and Uruguay, the top winners with 15 titles each — which raises the level of competition in South American football to great heights.
The tournament is organized by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), whose members are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. In addition, each edition invites countries such as the six Concacaf teams this year, including the United States and Mexico. As a curious and revealing fact, none of the invited countries has won the cup in the tournament’s entire history.
The Conmebol Copa América, which was played for the first time in 1916 and refers to itself as “The oldest continental tournament in the world,” was held annually until 1929, when it adopted a format every two, three, or four years. Since 2007, it has been held every four years — with some exceptions due to circumstances such as the celebration of the tournament’s centenary, efforts to synchronize the event with the Euro Cup, and the Covid-19 pandemic, which have modified the dates. The official songs have been implemented since the beginning of the 21st century, except for Pájaro Canzani’s song “Todos Goleando,” for the 1995 Uruguay Cup.
Here are the official songs of the Copa América:
2004 (Perú): Gianmarco, “Más Allá de los Sueños,”
In front of thousands of spectators, the Copa América 2024 opened Thursday (June 20) a few minutes before 8 pm ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The opening ceremony was led by the Colombian artist Feid. Dressed in black and wearing his distinctive glasses, Ferxxo emerged from one end of the field accompanied by a group of dancers and musicians, some playing drums, all dressed in green and black, as the stadium lit up green.
During his nearly four-minute performance, Feid performed one of his recent hits, “Luna,” while his companions waved flags and performed freestyle tricks with soccer balls. Next, a team of dancers dressed in the colors of the American flag, along with Capitan, the official mascot of the tournament, entered the field to officially start the football festival. A hologram of the cup appeared on stage, adding a touch of modernity to the event.
At the end of the show, the flags of the teams that were to face each other were displayed: Argentina and Canada. In addition, Sergio “El Kun” Agüero, previous champion with the Argentine team, entered carrying the Conmebol Copa América, symbolizing the start of the competition.
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On June 18, Feid officially announced to his fans through a video on his social media that he would perform at the opening ceremony of the CONMEBOL Copa América USA 2024. “Hey mor! We will experience an unforgettable opening party. The continent will vibrate! ”he wrote in the publication.
Recently, the Colombian artist scored his first solo top 10 on the Hot Latin Songs chart dated June 22, and his fifth overall, with “Sorry 4 That Much,” which debuted at No. 4. “Luna” by Feid alongside ATL Jacob, reached the top of the Latin Pop Airplay chart dated May 4.
In this edition, the South American men’s soccer tournament adopted a new format with the participation of 16 teams, instead of the usual 12. Ten teams representing the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) and six from the North American, Central American and Caribbean Football Confederation (Concacaf) will compete for the 2024 Copa América title.
The United States is hosting the tournament for the second time. The competition will be played in 14 venues across the country, including cities such as Las Vegas, Kansas City and Los Angeles. The tournament will culminate on July 14 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL, where the two best teams will face off for the title in the 48th edition of the championship. Here is the complete match schedule.
The Copa América, known as “the oldest continental tournament in the world,” can be seen in the United States in Spanish through Univision, TUDN, and UniMás, in addition to the streaming services Fubo TV and TUDN. To find out how to watch the CONMEBOL Copa América USA 2024 matches from Latin America and Spain, click here.
Feid will perform at the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América USA opening ceremony, set to take place Thursday, June 20. “I want to share some spectacular news, and it’s that Ferxxo will be singing at the opening of the CONMEBOL Copa América,” he announced via a video posted on the Copa America Instagram account. “For everyone […]
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