The Cup of Life
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 football-heavy message with fully positive lyrics.To promote the song, Martin performed it for many television programs and award shows, including the 1998 FIFA World Cup final.Multiple artists and contestants on various music talent shows have covered the song, including Carlito Olivero and Alondra Santos.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.[4][14][15] John Lannert from Billboard says it resonates "much closer to Brazilian grooves than to sounds emanating from Martin's place of birth - Puerto Rico".[21] 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".[22] Peter Vincent from The Sydney Morning Herald named the track "[a] huge bold anthem",[30] and OneFootball's Lewis Ambrose described its chorus as "highly memorable"."[32] 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".[35] Scott Roxborough from The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "This is the song that set the musical template for World Cup anthems to come.[37] 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".[5] It was the best-selling song of 1998 in Australia,[30] and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 70,000 copies in the country.[84] The song also spent six weeks at number one in Sweden,[85] where it was certified double platinum by the Grammofonleverantörernas förening (GLF), denoting shipments of over 60,000 copies.[122] 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.This visual is also interspersed by added scenes of the audience singing and dancing to the song, as well as shots of different football players playing during the FIFA World Cup, which in turn are projected onto a wall while Martin sometimes poses before it.[127] 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".Put It Down", "Livin' la Vida Loca", "She Bangs", and "The Cup of Life" alongside Clark Beckham, Nick Fradiani, Quentin Alexander, Qaasim Middleton, and Rayvon Owen on the fourteenth season's finale of American Idol.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.[183] 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."[195] 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".[196] 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.[197][198] "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."Martin's performance of "The Cup of Life" at the Grammys not only changed the course of his career, but also altered how people regard Latin music in America.Then-United Talent Agency head Rob Prinz described the rendition as "the single biggest game changing moment for any artist in the history of the Grammys".[134] CNN's Harmeet Kaur wrote that the rendition "marked a breakthrough for Latin music",[199] 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.
The Cup of Life (1915 film)The Cup of Life (1921 film)SingleRicky MartinVuelveB-sideMaríaLatin popColumbiaSongwriter(s)Desmond ChildDraco RosaProducer(s)La BombaYouTubeSpanishanthemColumbia Recordsofficial song1998 FIFA World CupFrancemusic criticsThe AtlanticDallas ObserverThe Fadercertificationsmusic videosWayne Isham1998 FIFA World Cup final1999 Grammy Awardsfirst inauguration of George W. BushCarlito OliveroA Medio VivirK.C. PorterRobi RosaLatin musiclead singlepromo CDSpanglishextended playchorusbatucadaEuropopBillboardsheet musicC minorgroovebeats per minuteLeila CoboLarry FlickWorld CupNBC NewsThe Sydney Morning HeraldOneFootballBuzzFeedWatchMojoInterviewEntertainment TonightThe Hollywood ReporterThe OvertakePitchforkO, The Oprah MagazinePop Song of the Year1999 Lo Nuestro AwardsBMI Latin Awards1999 Latin Billboard Music AwardsAdriana MonsalveAmazon MusicThe Arizona RepublicBleacher ReportChicago TribuneEl ColombianoEl ComercioCultura ColectivaJoyTunesLa NaciónNew StatesmanRed BullRemezclaSemanaEl Siglo de TorreónSportskeedaLa Voz del Interiorsignature songsAustralian Recording Industry AssociationBundesverband MusikindustrieSyndicat National de l'Édition PhonographiqueGrammofonleverantörernas föreningUltratopSwiss HitparadeHot Latin TracksNo Sé OlvidarAlejandro FernándezLatin Pop SongsTropical/SalsaBillboard Hot 100Livin' la Vida LocaHot 100 AirplayPop SongsAdult Pop SongsRhythmic Top 40Hot Dance Maxi-Singles SalesLatin Digital Song Salesdigital eramusic videoHey Hey It's Saturdaythe Recording Academy41st Annual Grammy AwardsRosie O'DonnellGold DerbyInStyleRolling StoneThe Sacramento BeeMTV Asia AwardsFestivalbarDallas CowboysNew England PatriotsfootballEstadio AztecaBingolotto TV Showfirst inaugurationGeorge W. BushUSA TodayGraziaABC News RadioIraq War