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Following Argentina’s nail-biting 2-0 win over Mexico during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Saturday (Nov. 26), social media was flooded with clips of the team singing triumphantly in the locker room. The song is “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar” (which translates loosely to “Boys, We Have Our Hopes Up Again”) by La Mosca, the Argentine nine-piece band that plays a blend of ska, rock and pop, laced with tango pathos.
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“Muchachos” has been on global fans’ radar ever since striker Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the best soccer player in the world, claimed during an interview with an Argentine channel earlier this year that it was his favorite soccer song amongst dozens — and actually sang a bit live. On Saturday, after Argentina averted disqualification from the World Cup with its two goals, one scored by Messi himself, the song was again on the spotlight, and very appropriately so. After all, it mentions Messi in the opening line: “I was born in Argentina, land of Diego and Lionel, of the kids from the Falkland Islands, whom I’ll never forget.”
But it didn’t use to. Originally titled “Muchachos, Esta Noche Me Emborracho” (“Boys, Tonight I’ll Get Drunk”), it was a heartbreak song written in 2003 by La Mosca lead singer Guillermo Novellis and Sergio Cairat. In July 2021, fan Fernando Romero wrote new lyrics celebrating Argentina’s road to the final of Latin American soccer tournament Copa América. A chance encounter with a camera crew outside the final in Brazil made the song with new lyrics go viral, and caught the attention of Messi and his teammates.
It also caught the attention of Novellis and La Mosca, who recorded and released the new version (where Romero gets credit) just two weeks prior to the kickoff of the World Cup. Billboard caught up with Novellis, who, like Messi, is celebrating his high hopes.
Billboard: “Muchachos” is a rather melancholy song. Are you surprised it’s become a soccer anthem?
Guillermo Novellis: It’s a song that has a lot of tango in its lyrics and melody. But like all La Mosca songs, it’s put in a rhythmic, danceable context. Some five, six years ago, a local team Racing Club adapted the lyrics, and then, other clubs did too. But this version started with Copa América, and the new lyrics are really good. They have to do with our frustrations, our success, our hopes, the Falklands, finals lost and finals won. And of course, the hope of being champions again. Maybe that’s why it resonated so much with fans and players.
You released this new version the week prior to the World Cup. When did you decide to re-record the song?
If was something that our manager Santiago Ruiz pushed. We recorded it, and then a couple of weeks before the World Cup, they interviewed Messi and asked him what his favorite song was. He said “Muchachos” and actually sang it. I mean, it’s like arriving in Rome and being introduced to the Pope.
Do you personally know Messi?
Yes. We’ve seen him several times and even played for his birthday party when he turned 20. We’ve crossed paths several times. I can’t say we’re friends, but we’ll likely be from this moment on.
Just last week, Argentina lost against Saudi Arabia. Had you lost on Saturday, you would have been out of the World Cup. How worried were you?
We were all thinking about that match. But things have a way of shaking out. The World Cup is very short, and I want to win every game. You can only lose one match. And Argentina lost it at the very beginning. Argentina was coming from a great run, winning every single match they played, and maybe that bucket of cold water got our pride up again. There’s always a silver lining. Soccer is a marvelous sport and it doesn’t respond to statistics, like tennis or American football. With the band, we have a little mantra: We wish each other a Merry Christmas, because if it’s merry, it means everything fell in place.
Do you think Argentine fans are different from other fans?
I really do. We see it not only in soccer but also in music. The Argentine fan isn’t happy just being a spectator; he wants a starring role, from the stands, from the audience. And that’s great. As far as soccer goes, every single person in Argentina has played soccer at some point in their lives.
You’re in the middle of a tour. Will you also perform in Qatar this year?
That all depends on whether or not we have a Merry Christmas!
Watch the new version of “Muchachos” below.
On Saturday (Nov. 26), Mexico and Argentina will meet up for a highly anticipated game between two 2022 World Cup favorites.
It’s the second game for both teams — part of Group C along with Poland and Saudi Arabia — who each played their first match on Tuesday (Nov. 22). The Argentina team led by fútbol icon Lionel Messi was expected to win against Saudi Arabia, but was humbled after losing 2-1. Argentina will be looking to rebound from their stunning loss.
Meanwhile, La Selección Mexicana was able to walk away with a scoreless draw thanks to their goalie, Guillermo Ochoa, who delivered a heroic save on Robert Lewandowski’s penalty kick. With a missed opportunity to gain any points in their group where, like in all other groups, only two teams advance to the next round, Mexico is looking for a win or tie against Argentina.
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With all that being said, is anyone in the mood to stream some Argentina and Mexico anthems ahead of the big day? There’s nothing like music to bring us together regardless of which team you’re rooting for. The obvious ones that come to mind for Argentina are Diego Torres‘ hopeful and uplifting “Color Esperanza” and Trueno and Nathy Peluso‘s “Argentina.” For Mexico: Vicente Fernández‘s “El Rey” or the mariachi anthem “Cielito Lindo” — the latter is traditionally sung by zealous Mexican fans during matches.
Below, we’ve put together the ultimate 16-song playlist to stream ahead of the Mexico vs. Argentina game. Enjoy, and may the best team win.
BTS‘ Jungkook dropped the video for his solo track “Dreamers” on Tuesday (Nov. 22), a kind of travelogue in which the singer explores Qatar, the site of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The dreamy song that is part of the official soundtrack of the global football classic that kicked off this week in the tiny Middle Eastern country features Jungkook singing alongside Qatari artist Fahad Al-Kubaisi.
The clip opens with a stunned-looking Jungkook wandering through a brightly lit corridor before emerging into a space filled with pulsing lasers as dancers in a market join him on a stroll through the city. Meanwhile, Al-Kubaisi sings his bits from the deck of a huge schooner as Jungkook croons from atop a skyscraper amid images of children watching digital whales break free from the bonds of the ocean and soar above skyscrapers.
The visual ends with Junkook singing the song’s hopeful refrain, “Look who we are, we are the dreamers/ We make it happen, cuz we believe it,” surrounded by dancers holding up flags from around the world. Jungkook premiered the song at the opening ceremonies for the quadrennial international tournament over the weekend.
The solo BTS star is one of the few pop artists who’ve participated in the events surrounding this year’s World Cup, which has come under scrutiny for the process of awarding the bid to the tiny religiously conservative Gulf skeikdom, where homosexuality is a crime and where officials banned a rainbow flag armband meant as a show of solidarity and diversity. Qatar has also come under scrutiny for the thousands of deaths among the migrant workers who helped build the stadiums where the games are being held, with reports that the laborers were paid unfair wages and housed in substandard, broiling conditions in the nation where temperatures can rise above 120 degrees in the summer.
“Dreamers” is Jungkook’s second solo song this year amid BTS’ ongoing hiatus, following on the heels of his “Left and Right” collaboration with Charlie Puth.
Watch the “Dreamers” video here.
The FIFA Men’s World Cup, one of the biggest sporting events in the world, kicked off Nov. 20 with the Ecuador vs. Qatar (host country) match. As has been tradition for many years now, a select number of songs soundtrack the global soccer event, in which 32 teams — representing different countries — participate and, in the end, one is crowned the World Cup champion.
Songs such as Ricky Martin‘s “Cup of Life,” the official song of the 1998 event held in France, and Shakira‘s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” for the 2010 World Cup in Africa have become anthems for soccer fans, and given the event’s popularity, they’ve also had a presence on the Billboard charts. “Waka Waka” peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated July 3, 2010, while Martin’s euphoric “Cup of Life” peaked at No. 45 on the Hot 100 in 1998.
So far, a number of songs tied to this year’s World Cup have been released, with a few being part of the official FIFA soundtrack and others that aren’t but are still worthy of a mention.
In April, FIFA released the first single, titled “Hayya Hayya (Better Together),” from the official soundtrack. The uplifting track, featuring Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha, fuses R&B and reggae influences. Four months later, the football federation released the second song from the soundtrack titled “Arhbo,” with Latin star Ozuna and French Congolese rapper Gims. “Arhbo” is a local slang word for “welcome” in Qatar and comes from the Arabic word “Marhaba.” For the first time, the tournament’s soundtrack will feature a multi-song collection, with international artists “showcasing diverse musical genres that span the world, setting the tone for a truly global celebration,” according to FIFA.
Below, find an updating list of the 2022 World Cup-themed songs that have been released.
In honor of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off Nov. 20, Billboard has reached out to Latin artists who are big fútbol fans to ask what the sport means to them. For our third installment, we spoke to Argentine rapper LIT Killah, who is ready to support La Selección Argentina during the tournament. Below, read LIT’s “What Fútbol Means to Me,” as told to Billboard.
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My connection to soccer traces back to when I was very little because my father was a fanatic about the sport and my brother was part of a soccer club. I never really caught on to it at such a young age but just being in my hood and seeing my friends play, by default I spent my entire childhood until my early teen years playing soccer.
When Argentina plays, we get together with friends and watch the game with no exceptions. I always like to watch the matches of the national team and support Argentina in any sport. Tomorrow, for example, my country plays at 7 a.m., and Emilia, Duki, FMK, and Rusher are coming to my house to watch the game. It’s great because it’s a time to share with friends. I feel that soccer transmits that.
Soccer for the Argentine means a lot. It is the strongest passion that 90% of Argentines have. In fact, there are foreigners who come to a game in Argentina and can’t believe it. The heart that people put into it, the fact that the state of humor depends on football. If the game is lost, we go out to break things, we cry, and we are sad all week. The Argentine is very passionate.
The country is already happy about winning the 2021 Copa America, but I think that if Argentina wins the 2022 World Cup it would be the icing on the cake. There is a lot of expectation and enthusiasm due to the fact that it’s Lionel Messi’s last World Cup. With that pressure and that desire of the people to see him win a World Cup, I think we would have the country happy for the rest of our lives.
Let the games begin! BTS‘ Jung Kook helped launch the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a show-stopping performance of his new song “Dreamers.”
The K-pop superstar took the stage at Qatar’s Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday (Nov. 20), shortly after the official release of the uplifting anthem, which features Qatari singer and producer Fahad Al Kubaisi.
Dressed in all black and surrounded by a group of dancers, Jung Kook gave the first live performance of “Dreamers” during the event. He was later joined onstage by Al Kubaisi.
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The track is part of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 soundtrack that includes contributions from artists like Nicki Minaj, Maluma, Davido, Myriam Fares, and others. A music video for “Dreamers” will drop on Wednesday (Nov. 23).
“Dreamers,” Jung Kook’s third solo track this year, follows February’s “Stay Alive” (produced by his bandmate Suga) and “Left & Right” (his Billboard Hot 100 summer hit with Charlie Puth).
The new song features production from RedOne, the pop-dance producer who joined FIFA in late 2021 as Creative Entertainment Executive and has helped helm signature hits for superstars like Minaj, Lady Gaga, and Enrique Iglesias.
Watch Jung Kook’s performance at the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony here.
In honor of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off Nov. 20, Billboard has reached out to Latin artists who are big fútbol fans to ask what the sport means to them. For our second installment, we spoke to Ecuadorian pop singer Johann Vera, who is a self-declared soccer aficionado and is ready to support La Selección Ecuatoriana during the tournament. Below, read Vera’s “What Fútbol Means to Me,” as told to Billboard.
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My first memory with soccer, now that I’m thinking about it, was in Guayaquil in my house. I liked playing it in my backyard. I have to be honest, I’m not the biggest soccer fan but I understand the euphoria it causes and I’ve lived it, and I think that the feeling doesn’t compare to anything else. I remember that for Ecuador’s first World Cup in 2002, I was about six years old, and remember hearing the entire city screaming “goal” and celebrating. That emotion of seeing an entire country united is not produced by anything else. The country could be facing a bad situation but that goal changes everything.
I’ve always wanted to do a song for my country and I thought it was very important to bring that patriotic feeling. I feel that being an Ecuadorian artist living in the exterior, you realize how important and magical your country is. Ever since I began my career, I had my country and flag very present in everything I do. I worked on “Donde Nací” by myself — it’s a gift that I wanted to give to my country. This song, and the World Cup, bring positivity and joy to my country.
Once the song was done, I wanted to send it to the Ecuadorian Football Federation to see different ways I can promote it. Everyone loved the song but it was too late, and that’s when I changed the song’s chorus to: “They tell me no, I say yes, that’s how we are where I was born.” I believe that I owe this spirit of perseverance 100% to my country. I released the song only on social media, and a lot of people in my country began reacting to it and creating content with it, and I felt, at that moment, that I already won.
I’m a fan of la tri, of my team, because they represent my country. I feel that living in the exterior, your flag weighs more. I may not be the biggest soccer fan in the world but if la tri is playing, I’m there.
I’m confident that this will be the best World Cup for Ecuador. Winning the entire tournament may seem so unreachable, but why not? We have an incredible team. If Ecuador were to win the World Cup, it will signify so much. Going beyond fútbol, I think it will change the situation in our country and will mark a rebirth.
After Smallpools’ “Dreaming” popped up in the FIFA 14 soccer video game, singer Sean Scanlon noticed something had changed: his Los Angeles electro-pop band began booking more college gigs. The fans reacted differently, too. “We’d get to the soundchecks, and we’d have students who wouldn’t even know what our band was called go, ‘Yo, FIFA’s here!’” Scanlon says. “We’d kind of be branded with that. That was huge for popularity on the younger front.”
As the FIFA World Cup opens Sunday (Nov. 21) in Qatar, the 29-year-old video game franchise based on the international sport, which allows Playstation and Xbox users and others to simulate tens of thousands of real-life soccer stars, is maintaining its global popularity. The 2023 version is at No. 8 on the NPD Group’s list of the year’s global best-sellers, and the FIFA series has scored 325 million sales overall, according to Electronic Arts. This sales power has been a unique song-breaking opportunity for artists going all the way back to FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, which licensed Blur‘s woo-hooing “Song 2.”
Over the years, the game has used music synchs from Kasabian (whose “L.S.F.” appeared in the 2004 game, the first of many for the band) to Billie Eilish (“you should see me in a crown” was in FIFA 19) to Glass Animals (whose “Heat Waves” was in the 2021 game, then hit Billboard‘s Hot 100, where it rose to No. 1 in March). “You see a noticeable uptick in streams,” says Adam Faires, manager of U.K. electronic-music duo Jungle, whose “Busy Earnin’” was in FIFA 15 and has since streamed nearly 120 million times on Spotify and has 30 million YouTube plays. “You can almost pinpoint it to the exact moment that the game comes out.”
The game provides different looks for synchs — some artists hit the soundtrack, airing prominently throughout the game, some are in marketing trailers, and certain stars, such as Jack Harlow and Rosalía, design custom uniforms as kits to be unlocked during the game. “It’s a little ahead of the curve. They’ve done a great job of breaking artists over the years,” says David Nieman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records’ senior vp of sports and gaming, who has placed Tierra Whack, Louis The Child and other synchs in FIFA. “We see followers increase, we see streams increase, then we see other people wanting to license that song after FIFA is taking that risk.”
Game giant EA Sports launched FIFA in 1993 as an international counterpart to its American-focused Madden NFL franchise, but the soccer game didn’t turn into a song-breaking fixture until the early 2000s. That was when Steve Schnur, an early MTV programmer who’d been a promotions, marketing and A&R exec for Elektra and other labels, took over the music. Schnur’s vision was to turn FIFA into its own music company, scouting and breaking new acts.
“The producer at the time wanted to record a symphony to do an orchestral score,” Schnur recalls. He had grander visions. He instructed EA’s music staff: “We’re going to make the real estate of FIFA really important real estate, where people discover their next favorite band with no global barriers.” After that, FIFA soundtracks expanded, breaking tracks by artists old and new, including Ms. Dynamite, Avril Lavigne, The Dandy Warhols, Junior Senior and even Radiohead.
“All of the artists got it,” says Schnur, Electronic Arts’ worldwide executive and president of music. “They knew that they not only played games, but their audience played games.” Artists featured in FIFA often expanded their touring business, reaching “a huge part of the world that potentially terrestrial radio and streaming services don’t have the same impact,” says A/J Jackson, frontman for pop-rock band Saint Motel, which landed “My Type” in FIFA 15. “We noticed in our shows, especially in the U.K., we were getting football fans and hooligans jumping around and chanting their team name. It exposed us to a lot of new people.”
The FIFA game sound, as defined by Schnur and Electronic Arts music supervisors such as Cybele Pettus, has a “particular mix of that DNA,” including world, electronic, hip-hop and pop, says Jonathan Palmer, BMG’s U.S. senior vp of creative synch, who has placed many tracks in the game over the years. Looking at artists on this year’s soundtrack, including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Biig Piig, Black Thought and Danger Mouse, he adds, “That’s a great day at Lollapalooza.”
When Palmer worked on synchs for Columbia a decade ago, he placed Foster the People‘s “Call It What You Want” in FIFA, which helped extend the band’s post-“Pumped Up Kicks” run. “This just felt like a good fit — not just for the tone and style for the music, but also for the fact that they’re massive football fanatics. It culturally made sense,” he says. “People were showing up at shows and telling the band, ‘I heard your song in the game.’ This was making a difference.”
Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares have dropped their infectious and celebratory new World Cup song “Tukoh Taka.” Thriving on a jittery hook and a throbbing beat, the track — produced by Gordo, Play-N-Skillz and Massari — makes history as the first FIFA World Cup song featuring English, Spanish and Arabic lyrics.
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“I am so happy to be part of this FIFA World Cup anthem! I always dreamt of an opportunity like this,” Maluma said in a statement. “Representing Latin music on this global track alongside amazing artists that sing in English and Arabic, takes our culture to another level.”
Fares added: “‘Tukoh Taka’, the song that I was honored to participate in its composition, arrangement, and choreography, made me more passionate about it, in addition to working alongside two of my favorite international artists, Nicki Minaj and Maluma. I truly wish that ‘Tukoh Taka’ will be transmitting the Eastern culture and Arabian music to the whole world.”
On Saturday (Nov. 19), Maluma and Fares will perform the song together live for the first time at the opening of Doha’s FIFA Fan Festival.
This year, FIFA has released a handful of official songs for the 2022 World Cup. The first song was the uplifting track “Hayya Hayya (Better Together)” by Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha, which fuses R&B and reggae influences. The tournament’s soundtrack will feature a multi-song collection, with international artists “showcasing diverse musical genres that span the world, setting the tone for a truly global celebration,” according to FIFA.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Nov. 20 with host nation Qatar’s tournament opener against Ecuador. A total of 32 teams representing different countries will participate. One team will be crowned the World Cup champion on Dec. 18.