{"id":10948,"date":"2026-03-27T09:43:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T02:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/?p=10948"},"modified":"2026-03-27T09:43:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T02:43:22","slug":"a-bible-belt-track-without-a-pulse-its-no-surprise-fans-hate-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-song-lighter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/a-bible-belt-track-without-a-pulse-its-no-surprise-fans-hate-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-song-lighter\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bible Belt track without a pulse \u2013 it\u2019s no surprise fans hate the 2026 FIFA World Cup song\u00a0Lighter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The release of the first FIFA World Cup 2026 song Lighter by American country artist Jelly Roll, Mexican singer Car\u00edn Le\u00f3n and Canadian producer Cirkut, has left an odd taste in the mouth of fans, like waking up in the back of a Chevy truck after accidentally downing a bottle of bargain-bin bourbon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jelly Roll, Car\u00edn Le\u00f3n, FIFA Sound - Lighter (FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122) [Official Lyric Video]\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n5LixsSFMTg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As the United States, Canada and Mexico prepare to host the World Cup in June, the change in genre from \u201cworld-infused\u201d pop to Bible Belt-style country-rock reflects the awkwardness of the tournament being hosted in an increasingly isolationist America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Themes of unity and diversity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the early 1990s, FIFA World Cup songs and anthems have usually reflected something of the local flavour of the host country while simultaneously promoting the ideals of global unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the 2022 song Hayya Hayya promotes the ideal that \u201cwe are better together\u201d. It vibrates with the rhythmic complexity of North African folk traditions, before moving into a more commercial reggae groove. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hayya Hayya (Better Together) | FIFA World Cup 2022\u2122 Official Soundtrack\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vyDjFVZgJoo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull\u2019s 2014 song, We are One, incorporates Brazilian inflections in an otherwise characteristically in-your-face Pitbull dance track. Nevertheless, the global sentiment remains: \u201cit\u2019s your world, my world, our world today, and we invite the whole world, whole world to play\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, Jason Derulo\u2019s 2018 World Cup track Colors (also a Coca Cola promotional song), celebrates national pride \u2013 \u201cI\u2019m going to wave my flag\u201d \u2013 while also declaring \u201cthere\u2019s beauty in the unity we\u2019ve found\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where is the excitement?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Though Lighter is a collaboration between the three host countries, it marks a significant musical shift from the characteristic European, Latino and \u201cWorld\u201d inflected pop of previous songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There have been other stylistic shifts in the past. The 2006 World Cup track was Time of Our Lives, a slow operatic pop ballad by Il Divo and Toni Braxton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Lighter isn\u2019t another example of this. It isn\u2019t a ballad \u2013 yet it still lacks the high energy buzz of fan favourites such as Shakira\u2019s Waka Waka (2010 South Africa World Cup), Santana\u2019s Dar Um Jeito (We Will Find a Way) (2014 Brazil World Cup) and Ricky Martin\u2019s The Cup of Life (1998 France World Cup).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The usual rhythmic vitality of a World Cup song is stripped back to a country-rock dirge with an odd, almost tokenistic Spanish bridge \u2013 an offering that might more appropriately feature in a Trolls World Tour. Fans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hitc.com\/football-fans-furious-over-first-song-of-2026-fifa-world-cup-album\/\">are not having it<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one user in the YouTube comments asks: \u201c<em>La emoci\u00f3n, la pasi\u00f3n y el ritmo mundialista, d\u00f3nde est\u00e1 todo eso?<\/em>\u201d (\u201cThe excitement, the passion and the World Cup rhythm, where is all that?\u201d). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ricky Martin - The Cup of Life (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dZDj2CnG5dE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Roll between the Lord and the Devil<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lighter has also been criticised for its religious allusions. One listener bemoans: \u201cIt\u2019s a football tournament, but let\u2019s make a song about church choirs, Chevy trucks, chains and muddy boots\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although past World Cup songs have contained religious allusions, Lighter\u2019s odd sense of the sacred is more like trying to pass off a Lord Elrond action figure as a statue of Saint Anthony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The song is replete with the forced language of a sinner\u2019s conversion (\u201cchains don\u2019t rattle no more\u201d, \u201clay my burdens down\u201d), as analogous to the flow-state of a footballer, free from whatever personal or collective trials that might have been holding them back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As in many a good country song, the protagonist is involved in a cosmic battle for his soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jelly Roll is \u201cpraying [his] way out of [\u2026] hell\u201d. He even has a run in with the Devil, although he doesn\u2019t trade his soul for musical talent. Rather, he escapes the Devil\u2019s attempts to \u201ccatch\u201d him as his boots have left the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You could be forgiven for questioning whether this song was about football at all, or whether it is more reflective of Jelly Roll\u2019s own personal conversion story (he has recently been open in proclaiming his faith in Jesus).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Lighter, the collective \u201cwe\u201d of previous World Cup songs has been replaced with the individualistic \u201cI\u201d \u2013 the local taking precedence over the global. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"JELLY ROLL Wins BEST CONTEMPORARY COUNTRY ALBUM | 2026 GRAMMYs\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LdoMOENFDKQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The elephant in the room<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, to be fair, there are some aspects of Lighter that align with the values of its predecessors. One key theme of the song is the sense of the fight, of overcoming obstacles, and gaining individual freedom. This aligns with FIFA\u2019s stated purpose of the song, which it says was \u201ccreated for the most inclusive FIFA World Cup in history\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, with ICE agents likely to be haunting football stadiums like dementors \u2013 and strained relationships between the US and neighbours such as Venezuela, Mexico, Canada and Cuba (not to mention Iran) \u2013 it is questionable whether FIFA\u2019s goals of inclusivity will be felt and realised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, Jelly Roll and Car\u00edn Le\u00f3n\u2019s country-rock tune seems to more accurately reflect the current US administration\u2019s isolationist approach to global foreign policy: we know we\u2019re in the world, but we\u2019d rather not be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the next World Cup song in 2030 will bring back the excitement, passion and rhythm that fans love, and reiterate the globalist ideals of the game. For now, Lighter remains a missed penalty shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/brent-keogh-400986\">Brent Keogh<\/a>, Lecturer in the School of Communications, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-technology-sydney-936\">University of Technology Sydney<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-bible-belt-track-without-a-pulse-its-no-surprise-fans-hate-the-2026-fifa-world-cup-song-lighter-279111\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The release of the first FIFA World Cup 2026 song Lighter by American country artist Jelly Roll, Mexican<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10949,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[276,63],"class_list":["post-10948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-fifa","tag-football"],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll.jpg",2001,1126,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll-768x432.jpg",640,360,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll-1024x576.jpg",640,360,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll-1536x864.jpg",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll.jpg",2001,1126,false],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll-825x575.jpg",825,575,true],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll-590x410.jpg",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/category\/international\/\" rel=\"category tag\">International<\/a>","tag_info":"International","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Jelly-Roll.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10948"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10950,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10948\/revisions\/10950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.infinitysport.asia\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}