- Source: The Cup of Life
"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 football-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.
Background and release
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. It was later released as the lead single from the album in Asian and European markets. Sony Music Asia released a promo CD containing three versions of "María", and "The Cup of Life". In Australia, "The Cup of Life" was released as a double A-side single with "María". "La Copa de la Vida" was included as the eighth track on Vuelve, released February 12, 1998, 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.
Music and lyrics
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. John Lannert from Billboard says it resonates "much closer to Brazilian grooves than to sounds emanating from Martin's place of birth - Puerto Rico". 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. Martin's vocals span from the low note of G4 to the high note of Ab5. 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. "La Copa de la Vida" runs for a total of 4 minutes and 27 seconds, and the English version is called "The Cup of Life". 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".
Critical reception
"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". Peter Vincent from The Sydney Morning Herald named the track "[a] huge bold anthem", 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". Interview's 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".
Accolades
"La Copa de la Vida" won the award for Pop Song of the Year at the 1999 Lo Nuestro Awards, and Song of the Year at the 1999 El Premio Awards. It was also acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 1999 BMI Latin Awards, and was nominated for Latin dance maxi-single of the year at the 1999 Latin Billboard Music Awards. Billboard ranked "The Cup of Life" as the 44th greatest song of 1998. It has been ranked as the best World Cup anthem of all time by multiple publications, including The Atlantic, Dallas Observer, and The Fader.
Commercial performance
Internationally, the track hit the charts in more than 60 countries, and topped the charts of 30, 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. It was the best-selling song of 1998 in Australia, and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 70,000 copies in the country. It spent four weeks at number one in Germany, where it was certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), denoting shipments of over 250,000 copies. The song also peaked within the top five in Austria, and peaked at number 29 in the United Kingdom.
"La Copa de la Vida" spent six weeks at number one in France, where it became Martin's second number-one hit, and was certified platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP), denoting shipments of over 500,000 copies in the country. The song also spent six weeks at number one in Sweden, where it was certified double platinum by the Grammofonleverantörernas förening (GLF), denoting shipments of over 60,000 copies. Additionally, the song topped the Ultratop Wallonia chart of Belgium as well as Switzerland's Swiss Hitparade chart, and was also a number one hit in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Italy, Nicaragua, Panama, Spain, and Venezuela. It also reached the top 10 in Honduras, Guatemala, the Netherlands, and Norway.
In the United States, "La Copa de la Vida" debuted at number 20 on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart on March 28, 1998, becoming Martin's 15th entry and his 11th top 20 release on the chart. It subsequently peaked at number two on the chart on May 2, 1998, being held off the top spot by "No Sé Olvidar" (1997) by Alejandro Fernández, while giving Martin his eighth top 10 track. The song also reached numbers two and three on the US Latin Pop Songs and Tropical/Salsa charts, respectively. 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". The following week, the former climbed to number 62, 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.
The song also reached number 31 on US Hot 100 Airplay, 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. In January 2010, almost 12 years after the song's release, Billboard introduced a US Latin Digital Song Sales chart, and "La Copa de la Vida" debuted at number 40 on April 17, 2010, 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.
Music videos
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 football 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 football players playing during the FIFA World Cup, which in turn are projected onto a wall while Martin sometimes poses before it.
All three music videos are available on the singer's YouTube channel. 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".
Live performances
Martin gave his first live performance of "La Copa de la Vida" for Hey Hey It's Saturday on June 4, 1998. On July 12, 1998, he performed it as the official anthem at the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final in France, in front of more than a billion TV viewers around the world. Fabian Holt describes it as a "global moment for Latin pop" in his book Genre in popular music. Although Latin music was not important to the Recording Academy or the mainstream music industry at the time, Tommy Mottola, then-chief of Columbia Records, was certain about Martin's stardom and pushed hard to have him on the Grammy Awards ceremony. During an interview with Billboard, Mottola told the magazine about it: "There was tremendous resistance from the Grammys. They did not want an 'unknown' to perform, yet we he had already sold 10 million copies of Vuelve worldwide. To me, that was absolutely UNACCEPTABLE."
Finally, on February 24, 1999, cavorting with a 15-piece band alongside and a large number of dancers and percussionists, Martin performed a bilingual version of "La Copa de La Vida" at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, which was greeted with a massive standing ovation and met with acclaim from music critics. Rosie O'Donnell, who hosted the show, said: "I never knew of him before tonight. But I’m enjoying him soooooo much." Billboard's Marjua Estevez described the performance as "the most memorable Latin performance at a Grammy Awards show", and the publication ranked it as the 54th Greatest Award Show Performance of All Time on their 2017 list. The performance was additionally placed on a 2017 unranked list of "Top 20 Best Grammy Performances of All Time" by Gold Derby, and on a 2019 list of "The Most Unforgettable Grammys Performances of All Time" by InStyle. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked it as the 15th Greatest Grammy Performance of All Time, as the only Latin performance on the list. The magazine praised Martin's "enough energy and sex and showmanship" that "melt the room" and labeled the performance "a huge moment for the history of Latin pop in the USA", naming it "easily the biggest star-making moment in Grammy history". They added that "nobody ever forgot his name after this". Crystal Larsen from the Recording Academy described the rendition as colorful, and Frank Tortorici from MTV described it as electrifying. J. Freedom du Lac from The Sacramento Bee called it "magical". NPR staff labeled it "the most memorable part of" the ceremony and described it as "electric". Martin was also nominated for Best Host or Performer of a Variety, Musical or Comedy Special at the 1999 OFTA Television Awards.
Besides the 1999 Grammy Awards, Martin performed the song at many live shows, including the MTV Asia Awards, the 1998 Festivalbar, and the halftime show at the Dallas Cowboys-New England Patriots football game at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. On May 29, 1999, he performed "Livin' la Vida Loca" and "The Cup of Life" on Bingolotto TV Show. On January 20, 2001, during the first inauguration of George W. Bush, Martin performed "The Cup of Life" and danced with him. His rendition was ranked as one of the "10 Best Inauguration Performances of All Time" by USA Today and one of "The Best Inauguration Performances Throughout History" by Grazia, both in 2021. In the same year, it was placed on an unranked list of "Great Presidential Inauguration Musical Performances" by ABC News Radio. Martin's view of Bush changed over the Iraq War, as expressed in his declaration to BBC News that he will "always condemn war and those who promulgate it". He also stuck up his middle finger while singing the president's name in his 2003 song "Asignatura Pendiente" at a concert.
"La Copa de la Vida" was included on the set lists for Martin's the Vuelve World Tour, the Livin' la Vida Loca Tour, the One Night Only with Ricky Martin tour, the Black and White Tour, the Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour, the Ricky Martin Live tour, the Live in Mexico tour, the One World Tour, the All In residency, the Ricky Martin en Concierto, the Movimiento Tour, and the Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Live in Concert tour. He performed it live at Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year gala in 2006 as part of a potpourri where he was honored with the accolade. Martin also performed the track along with his other hits during the 48th, 55th, and 61st editions of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in 2007, 2014, and 2020, respectively. On February 11, 2011, he performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and on February 12, 2015, he performed "Adiós", "Livin' la Vida Loca", and "The Cup of Life" on The Today Show. He also performed "Livin' la Vida Loca", "She Bangs", "Adrenalina", and "La Copa de la Vida" on season two of The Voice of Italy in 2014. In the last one, Martin was joined by Cristina Scuccia. On May 13, 2015, he performed "Mr. 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. He performed the song along with his other hits during the "Hillary Clinton: She's With Us" concert at the Greek Theatre on June 6, 2016.
Cover versions and appearances in media
"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.
Legacy and influence
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. Although the World Cup anthems only represented the culture of the host country until the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Martin broke the "tradition" and "all schemes" in 1998, with "La Copa de la Vida", which was played all over the world. 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 football chant "Ole! Ole! Ole!" in the lyrics. As believed by Esquire, the song "inaugurated this musical subgenre" of Latin. 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.
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. It has been known as a game-changer for Latin music worldwide, that effectively ushered in the "Latin explosion". 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". According to Billboard, it has been cited as the beginning of the "Latin Pop invasion", which powerfully affected the US mainstream. CNN's Harmeet Kaur wrote that the rendition "marked a breakthrough for Latin music", 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.
Formats and track listings
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from Tidal and the US maxi-CD single liner notes.
Studio locations
Mixed at Crescent Moon Studios (Miami, Florida) and New River Studios (London, United Kingdom)
Remixed at Crescent Moon Studios
Edited at Ochoa Recording Studios (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Personnel
Charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
References
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