You’ll Need a Vaccine to Survive Pitbull’s Coronavirus ‘World Anthem’
Here's a photo of Pitbull giving us his new coronavirus safety guidelines. | Image: SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP
- Rapper Pitbull just released a new song about the coronavirus crisis.
- He’s calling it a “world anthem.”
- The world is in much worse shape than we thought if this cringe-worthy song is our anthem.
Leave it to Pitbull to create the most generic coronavirus anthem possible. While it’s a step above Gal Gadot’s cringeworthy “Imagine” cover, that isn’t saying much.
Did Pitbull Inject One Original Thought Into This “World Anthem”?
Look, I don’t want to hate. If this song truly gets you inspired, if it makes you feel like you’re part of the global community, or even if it just makes you feel like dancing, then please, don’t read past the dotted line. I want you to feel good.
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Still here? Ok, let’s look at why this song is trash.
If anyone has ever taken a creative writing class, one of the first things they tell you is: “never use clichés.” What is a cliché? In Google’s words, it is:
A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
Basically, it’s something that’s been said a million times before. It requires no creativity, and we should expect more from our artists.
Well, if you listen to Pitbull’s new song, you might notice a complete ‘lack of original thought.’ After talking over the music about how fear spreads (yep, we know), Pitbull hits us with this opening gem:
It’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up.
My mind is shattered into pieces. Where did he come up with this? Was he on LSD? God, I hope not. As overused and unoriginal as this phrase is, surely it’s just a set up for his next line, right?
And what don’t kill us, make us stronger boy, bet that up.
Oh, no. What we have here are two thoughts that required zero creativity, taped together with a lazy rhyme. “Bet that up?” I mean, come on Pitbull, aren’t you locked in your home? This is the best you could muster? I’ve seen meme generators with more originality.
He keeps going:
We could lose the battle, but we gon’ win the war.
Let’s just stop there before we all lose.
Is Pitbull Trying to Kill Us?
I could break down every lyric in this song, but that’s not fair to me. Why would I spend more time reviewing these lyrics than Pitbull spent writing them?
But, I have to say, Mr. Worldwide is delivering some mixed messages. Basic lyrics aside, I commend Pitbull for trying to bring us together. He seems like a great guy, and his delivery is on point. The beat is catchy, and it feels pretty good if you don’t listen to the words. But if you do, you might also be wondering about what he’s telling us to do.
You want us to “rise” and “face” the coronavirus? You want us to “knuckle up” and “fight hard?” He clearly didn’t consult the CDC before “writing” this song.
Pitbull should’ve made this song about “staying inside,” and “avoiding” the coronavirus. We shouldn’t be “facing” COVID-19, we should be “face-masking” it. We shouldn’t be “knuckling up,” we should be “putting on rubber gloves.” We’ve already learned our lesson about trying to punch this virus in the face. It doesn’t work. And unfortunately, neither does this song.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
