Music is weird. One minute you’re humming a melody in the shower, and the next, you’re part of a billion-person argument about whether a specific beat "feels" like football. That’s exactly what happened with the 2018 World Cup song, "Live It Up."
If you ask a hardcore FIFA fan about it, you’ll get a look. It’s either nostalgia or a cringe. Honestly, there isn't much middle ground here. Released ahead of the tournament in Russia, the track featured a wild lineup: Will Smith, Nicky Jam, and Era Istrefi. On paper? It’s a powerhouse. In practice? It was... polarizing.
The weird chemistry of Live It Up
Diplo produced it. That’s the first thing you need to know. When you have a DJ known for blending global bass with dancehall and pop, you aren't going to get a traditional anthem. You’re getting a club track.
Most people expect a World Cup anthem to sound like "Waka Waka" or "The Cup of Life." They want that organic, stadium-chant energy. Instead, the 2018 World Cup song gave us a high-gloss, electronic-reggaeton hybrid. Nicky Jam brought the Latin flavor, which has been the "cheat code" for global hits since 2017's "Despacito" explosion. Will Smith brought the Hollywood star power. Era Istrefi brought the European pop sensibility.
It was a global salad. But did the flavors actually mix?
The song actually peaked at number one in Panama and hit the top ten in places like Hungary and Poland. But in the UK or the US? It barely made a dent in the mainstream charts. This is the paradox of the World Cup anthem. It has to please everyone, which often means it risks feeling a bit manufactured.
Comparing it to the greats
Let's be real for a second. Shakira ruined it for everyone else. Her 2010 hit "Waka Waka" is the gold standard. It’s the sun that all other football songs orbit. Because she nailed that balance of "inspirational" and "catchy," every song since has been fighting an uphill battle.
Then you had "We Are One (Ole Ola)" in 2014. Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, Claudia Leitte. People hated that one at first, too. They said it didn't feel Brazilian enough. But by the time the first kickoff happened in Sao Paulo, people were screaming the lyrics.
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The 2018 World Cup song didn't get that same "redemption arc" during the tournament. Part of that was the vibe of the Russian World Cup itself. It was a tournament of upsets—Germany going out early, Russia beating Spain. The music felt a bit disconnected from the grit on the pitch.
Why the 2018 World Cup song wasn't the only anthem
Here is a fact that most people forget: FIFA usually commissions one "official" song, but there are always "official anthems" and "sponsor songs" that muddy the waters.
In 2018, Jason Derulo’s "Colors" was the Coca-Cola anthem. For many fans, that was the real 2018 World Cup song. It felt more like a traditional anthem. It had that soaring chorus and the "oneness" theme that brands love.
Then you have the local hits. In Russia, "Komanda 2018" by DJ Smash, Polina Gagarina, and Egor Kreed was everywhere. If you were actually in Moscow or Saint Petersburg during that summer, you heard that track way more than you heard Will Smith.
This creates a fragmented legacy. When we talk about the "song of the summer," we aren't talking about one track anymore. We’re talking about an ecosystem of music.
- Official Song: "Live It Up" (Will Smith, Nicky Jam, Era Istrefi)
- Official Anthem: "Colors" (Jason Derulo)
- The "Vibe" Song: "Moskau" (The Dschinghis Khan remake was weirdly popular again)
The Will Smith factor
It’s easy to forget now, but 2018 was a massive comeback year for Will Smith. He was just starting to get really big on Instagram and YouTube, rebranding himself as the "world's dad." His inclusion in the 2018 World Cup song was supposed to be his big musical return.
He performed it at the closing ceremony at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. It was loud. It was colorful. But it felt a bit like a legacy act trying to fit into a modern EDM world.
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The vocals from Era Istrefi were actually the highlight for many critics. The Kosovar singer had a grit in her voice that cut through Diplo’s polished production. But Nicky Jam was the one who carried the energy. Without the reggaeton influence, the song would have likely fallen completely flat.
What we get wrong about World Cup music
We tend to think these songs are supposed to be high art. They aren't. They are utility tools.
A World Cup song has three jobs:
- Work as a 30-second bumper for TV broadcasts.
- Be playable in a stadium with 80,000 screaming people.
- Sound "global" enough that no one country feels left out.
The 2018 World Cup song did the first two jobs perfectly. That horn riff in "Live It Up"? It was tailor-made for commercial breaks. It’s punchy. It wakes you up. But on the third point? It felt a little bit like it was designed by a committee in a boardroom.
Nuance is hard when you’re trying to reach four billion people.
If you look at the YouTube stats today, "Live It Up" has hundreds of millions of views. That’s not a failure. But if you look at the comments, they are filled with people saying, "I forgot this existed until today" or "Wait, Will Smith did a World Cup song?"
The legacy of 2018
Looking back from 2026, the 2018 music era feels like the end of a specific type of "megastar" collaboration. Nowadays, FIFA is leaning more into multiple tracks—like the 2022 Qatar soundtrack which had "Hayya Hayya," "Arhbo," and "Dreamers" by Jung Kook.
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The 2018 World Cup song was perhaps the last time they tried to put all their eggs in one basket with a "supergroup" of random artists.
It also highlighted the growing divide between what FIFA wants and what the fans actually sing. In 2018, the "unofficial" anthem for many fans ended up being "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes (the riff everyone chants) or even "Vindaloo" for the English fans. You can't force a "football feeling." It either happens or it doesn't.
Does it hold up?
Honestly? It’s better than you remember. If you put it on at a gym or during a run, the tempo is great. Diplo knows how to build a track. But as a cultural milestone? It’s a footnote.
It lacks the soul of the 1998 "La Copa de la Vida." It lacks the sheer joy of 2010. It’s a snapshot of 2018—a year where we were obsessed with high-energy EDM and global crossover collaborations.
How to revisit the 2018 soundtrack
If you want to actually appreciate the music of that tournament, don't just listen to the official track. You have to look at the whole picture.
- Listen to "Live It Up" but watch the music video. The visuals of the fans and the players make the song work way better than the audio alone.
- Check out the remix. There are several house remixes of the track that actually fit the stadium vibe better than the radio edit.
- Find the "Colors" version with Maluma. The Jason Derulo solo version is fine, but the bilingual version with Maluma captures the 2018 spirit much more accurately.
The 2018 World Cup song serves as a reminder that football is unpredictable, and the music usually is too. Sometimes you get a "Wavin' Flag," and sometimes you get a high-gloss Diplo production that divides the internet.
In the end, the song didn't define the tournament—the football did. Mbappe’s breakout, Croatia’s heart-stopping run to the final, and the VAR drama are what we remember. The music was just the background noise. And maybe that's exactly what a good tournament song should be.
Next Steps for the Ultimate Nostalgia Trip:
- Audit your playlist: Compare "Live It Up" with the 2022 anthem "Dreamers." You’ll notice a massive shift from EDM-pop toward a more atmospheric, cinematic sound.
- Search for "Live It Up Closing Ceremony": Watch the live performance. It’s a masterclass in how to manage a massive stage, even if the song isn't your favorite.
- Explore the "unofficial" hits: Look up the most-played songs in Russia during June 2018. You’ll find a mix of Latin pop and local Russian rap that actually tells the story of that summer better than the official FIFA release ever could.
The music of the World Cup is never just about the notes on the page. It's about where you were when the goal went in. Even a "divisive" song becomes a classic if it’s playing when your team wins.