The Cup of Life

1998 Ricky Martin song
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"The Cup of Life" (Spanish: "La Copa de la Vida") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fourth studio album, Vuelve (1998). Martin created the song after FIFA requested of him an anthem. The song was written by Luis Gómez Escolar, Desmond Child, and Draco Rosa, while the production was handled by the latter two. It was released by Columbia Records on March 9, 1998, as the second single from the album, and became the official song of the 1998 FIFA World Cup held in France. A primarily Spanish language samba rooted Latin pop song, it carries a soccer heavy message with fully positive lyrics. The song has received highly positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its energy and lyrics. "The Cup of Life" has been ranked as the best World Cup anthem of all time by multiple publications, including The Atlantic, Dallas Observer, and The Fader. It is also one of Martin's most commercially successful songs worldwide, appearing on the charts in more than 60 countries, and reaching number one in 30 countries. It has received several certifications, including platinum in Australia and France. The accompanying music videos were directed by Wayne Isham and filmed during a sold out concert in Puerto Rico. To promote the song, Martin performed it for many television programs and award shows, including the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final. His performance at the 1999 Grammy Awards was greeted with a massive standing ovation and received acclaim from critics. It is known as a game changer for Latin music worldwide, being credited as ushering in the "Latin explosion". Martin's performance of the song during the first inauguration of George W. Bush was also ranked as one of the "Best Inauguration Performances of All Time" by several sources. Multiple artists and contestants on various music talent shows have covered the song, including Carlito Olivero and Alondra Santos.

In 1995, Ricky Martin released his third studio album A Medio Vivir, and "María" was chosen as the album's second single, which became a huge success. While he was on tour and recording Vuelve in 1997, "María" caught the attention of FIFA. They contacted Martin and asked him to create a song as the 1998 FIFA World Cup anthem. "I have to admit that the challenge made me a bit nervous, but the massive growth potential for my career was such that I decided to accept." Martin wrote about the request in Me, his official autobiography. Following his acceptance, musicians K. C. Porter, Robi Rosa, and Desmond Child joined him and they started working on "The Cup of Life". Martin wrote about the recording in Me:

From that moment on, we began to look at the album as part of a global strategy to promote Latin music worldwide, so we chose and arranged the songs with the sole mission of getting the entire globe to dance and sing in Spanish. It was a unique opportunity to introduce the charms of Latin music to the rest of the world. The song was released by Columbia Records on March 9, 1998, as the second single from the album. In Australia, "The Cup of Life" was released as a double A side single with "María". and its Spanglish radio edit was included as the ninth track on Martin's fifth studio album Ricky Martin, released May 11, 1999. An extended play, titled La Copa de la Vida (Remixes), was also released in 1998, which includes eight remixes of the song.

Musically, "La Copa de la Vida" is a primarily Spanish language samba rooted Latin pop song, and features elements of batucada, salsa, dance, mambo, and Europop. According to the song's sheet music on Musicnotes. com, "The Cup of Life" is composed in the key of C minor with a groove of 108 beats per minute. Although the song is mostly in Spanish, Martin also uses a few words in English and French in the chorus. The track was written by Spanish musician Luis Gómez Escolar, American songwriter Desmond Child, and American musician Draco Rosa, with its production being handled by Desmond Child and Rosa. Leila Cobo from Billboard described it as a "high octane party track". Throughout the song, Martin carries a "soccer heavy" message with fully positive lyrics, including: "The cup of life, this is the one / Now is the time, don't ever stop" and "Nothing can hold you back if you really want it".

"La Copa de la Vida" has been met with universal acclaim from music critics. Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Martin is put to good use on the official song of the World Cup." He also complimented Martin's "relentless energy over a salsa spiced dance beat", describing the song as "a nifty musical souvenir from the sporting event", that gave him "another chance to court mainstream pop audiences", reasoning that "he's among the hotter heartthrobs in Latin music". Also from Billboard, Leila Cobo named it "the most emblematic and best known World Cup anthem in modern history", saying "it's the song that set in motion the serious competition to vie for a World Cup song". She questioned, "is there really anyone in the world who hasn't shouted 'Un, dos, tres / Allez, allez, allez at a party?" In another article, she labeled it "a brassy, Latin/global blockbuster" and described its chorus as "the most soaring, anthemic World Cup chorus ever". Additionally, she considered it "[a] mega hit" in a 2006 article. Also from the same magazine, Kat Bein gave the track a positive review, saying that the "whistle heavy, horn driven hit is a must for any soccer celebration. It's more than just an official FIFA anthem, it's a classic Martin single". Nicole Acevedo from NBC News described the track as a "world famous mega hit". An author of E! wrote that there was not a minute in the whole year "that the song was not played", and emphasized that "it was obviously one of the big must do hits at parties". Luis Paez Pumar from The Fader praised "La Copa de la Vida" for being the only song that "has mixed a soccer heavy message with such a fun song that hits uplifting notes without being corny". and OneFootball's Lewis Ambrose described its chorus as "highly memorable". BuzzFeed's Jessica Lima complimented the song's "unique and catchy sound", writing: "Since the worldwide debut of 'Copa de la Vida', no other World Cup anthem has been able to compare to the energy of this song." Moses Eckman from WatchMojo gave the track a positive review, saying it is "immediate in its mission to get you up, out of your seat and dancing, serving as the perfect anthem for the 1998 World Cup games in France". Interviews Ernesto Macias complimented the track, calling it "an infectious anthem with a hint of Brazilian beats". Liz Calvario‍ from Entertainment Tonight praised the song, labeling it "a sizzling summer jam". Scott Roxborough from The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "This is the song that set the musical template for World Cup anthems to come. [ ] Martin got the world shimmying and shaking to 'The Cup of Life'." Writing for The Overtake, Ben Sledge gave "La Copa de la Vida" a positive review for its "catchy chorus" and "great samba style", saying it "creates a party atmosphere ripe for any World Cup". An author of BeSoccer praised Martin's "powerful vocals and spirited lyrics" in whole song that "captivated people, helping everyone sail with the fun and jubilation that the world cup brings". In his review for Pitchfork, Corban Goble wrote that if World Cup anthems someday would be "given their own textbook", "La Copa de la Vida" would be "the standard bearer for the whole genre". He continued to admire the track for having "everything you look for in a World Cup song", and described its chorus as "giant" and "soaring". He also celebrated its lyrics "that starts with the word 'Ole!' and builds from there". Writing for O, The Oprah Magazine, Amanda Mitchell ranked the track as Martin's fourth best song on her 2019 list, and in 2020, Luca Mastinu from Optimagazine listed it as one of Martin's five greatest hits. He also acclaimed its chorus, which "still haunts us".

Internationally, the track hit the charts in more than 60 countries, making it one of the most successful World Cup songs. It is also known as one of Martin's signature songs. In Australia, "The Cup of Life" spent six weeks at number one. becoming Martin's 15th entry and his 11th top 20 release on the chart. while giving Martin his eighth top 10 track. On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, "The Cup of Life" debuted at number 90 on the chart issue dated June 27, 1998, becoming Martin's second entry after "María". and originally peaked at number 60 in its fourth week on the Hot 100. However, almost one year later and after the success of "Livin' la Vida Loca", "The Cup of Life" re entered the chart at number 95 on June 12, 1999, and reached number 45 on the chart issue dated August 7, 1999. "The Cup of Life" has since become Martin's longest charting hit on the Hot 100, spending 34 weeks on the chart. number 18 on US Pop Songs, number 40 on US Adult Pop Songs, and number 27 on US Rhythmic Top 40. On the US Hot Dance Maxi Singles Sales chart, the song peaked at number four, and spent 61 weeks on the chart, becoming Martin's first top 10 and his longest charting hit to date. before reaching a peak of number 20 in June. It also re entered the chart in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2022, and although the song was released years before the digital era, it has sold over 141,000 digital copies in the US, as of January 2011. Its physical sales stand at 228,000 copies sold in the US.

The accompanying music videos were filmed at a sold out concert in Puerto Rico, and directed by American director Wayne Isham, who had also directed the video for Martin's previous single "Vuelve". The video for "The Cup of Life" aired in April 1998, and throughout it, Martin is seen wearing a black T shirt, performing the song energetically in front of the concert audience. Also, there was a similar visual for "La Copa de la Vida", as well as another version of the Spanish version, which consists mainly of the specified performance, but starts with Martin kicking a soccer ball to the screen while being filmed. This visual is also interspersed by added scenes of the audience singing and dancing to the song, as well as shots of different soccer players playing during the FIFA World Cup, which in turn are projected onto a wall while Martin sometimes poses before it. Cristal Mesa from mitú ranked "La Copa de la Vida" as Martin's eighth best music video on her 2018 list. Also, an author of Cultura Colectiva listed "The Cup of Life" among the "13 Videos to Appreciate Ricky Martin's Talent and Sickening Good Looks".

"La Copa de la Vida" was included on the set list for Sandy & Junior's Eu Acho que Pirei Tour, which began in April 1998. The song has been covered by several contestants on various music talent shows. Former Menudo member Carlito Olivero performed a medley of "La Copa de la Vida" and "María" on season three of The X Factor in 2013. In 2014, the Axis of Awesome performed "The Cup of Life" on season one of The Full Brazilian. Alondra Santos delivered a performance of "La Copa de la Vida" for the second semi final of season 10 of America's Got Talent in 2015. Her rendition received favorable responses from the judges, and Lincee Ray from Entertainment Weekly gave it a positive review, saying: "Alondra works the stage like a pro. She sings to the camera, calls out to the audience, and even dances with her horn section." "The Cup of Life" has been used four times in Dancing with the Stars; Melissa and Tony danced to it on season 8 in 2009, Maria and Derek on season 14 in 2012, Team Vida on season 18 in 2014, and Skai and Nelly on season 29 in 2020. The 2000 album La Vida Mickey features re made versions of Latin/pop songs with the voices of the Disney characters in the background singing along. It includes the track "Mickey's Cup of Life" by Marco Marinangeli, which is a cover version of "The Cup of Life". La Sonora Dinamita recorded their own version of "La Copa de la Vida" for their 2019 album, which was also titled La Copa de la Vida. The album was released for digital download and streaming by Discos Aries, LLC on August 8, 2019.

Martin is regarded by the media as the "King of World Cup", and "La Copa de la Vida" is considered as the "Best World Cup Anthem of All Time" by multiple sources. He was the first international and Latin pop artist to appropriate the theme of a World Cup, making the song "fashionable" that continues to be heard in every World Cup. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "La Copa de la Vida" became a "musical template" for World Cup anthems, and Martin's Latin and dance crossover style has been much copied in the anthems, as well as soccer chant "Ole! Ole! Ole!" in the lyrics. Joy Bhattacharjya from The Economic Times wrote about "La Copa de la Vida" that it was the first World Cup anthem to have a video just "as ubiquitous as the song", going on to write: "Since then, official songs have an important part to play in every World Cup." In 2018, Diego Urdaneta from Vice credited the song as "one of those that laid the first stones so that J Balvin and Bad Bunnys of today can be at the top of the pyramid", labeling it "a milestone for Latin music". Following the announcement of "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)" by Trinidad Cardona, Davido, and Aisha as the 2022 FIFA World Cup's official anthem, users on the social media remembered "La Copa de la Vida" along with Shakira's Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (2010) as the iconic World Cup anthems they missed. Quote box|width=300px|align=left|quote="With his leather pants, big smile and energetic performance of 'The Cup of Life', Ricky Martin almost personally kicked off the so called Latin Explosion of the late '90s. "|source=—InStyle staff, about the performance at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards while Jesús Triviño Alarcón from Tidal Magazine stated, "that single performance opened up the mainstream market for the Latinx legends", mentioning the names of Marc Anthony, Shakira, and Jennifer Lopez.

+ Release dates and formats for "The Cup of Life"RegionDateFormat(s)LabelRef. (Reference) Europe March 9, 1998CD maxi singleColumbia Australia June 1, 1998Columbia