Summer isn't complete without three things: a swimsuit, sunglasses and an upbeat pop song that lacks substance but is catchy as hell. When Katy Perry released "I Kissed a Girl" during the summer of 2008, she was able to get a song stuck in my head for three months just because she thought of a catchy hook about her heteroflexible tendencies. Rihanna's single "Umbrella," which was all over the radio in 2007, featured lyrics that barely included real words.
And of course, any summer playlist wouldn't be complete without at least one song produced by, remixed by or featuring Pitbull, our current reggaeton sweetheart. Pitbull's songs are bound to at least make you want to tap your feet, whether you are listening to "The Anthem," with its infinitely popular trumpet rift, or "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," his slightly more verbose rendition of "75, Brazil Street" by Nicola Farsano and Pat Rich. Pitbull's remix features a few more words than "I know you want me," while in Farsano's version, 95 percent of the lyrics are her calling out "Samba!"
So where is our favorite Cuban this summer when we still want to dance to songs with hip-shaking beats and lyrics we don't really understand? Pitbull teases us with a small taste of his distinctive rapping on "I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias, where he is featured making references to Tiger Woods and the Obamas. He also appears briefly in the single version of Alexandra Burke's "All Night Long." But these little snippets are nothing compared to last summer when Pit had two chart-topping hits, "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" and "Hotel Room Service." So what is going on?
Despite the seeming lack of activity, Pitbull has been hard at work on not one, but two albums. Pitbull's eponymous upcoming album, "Armando," features both his real name his parents didn't actually name him after a dog and his native language. It will be his first all-Spanish album. When asked why the rapper suddenly switched exclusively to Spanish, Pitbull explained that this album is a nod to his Cuban roots as well as a shout out to his fans in Central and Latin America. He also hinted that this album will have a slightly different character than what we are accustomed to hearing from him. Maybe he is branching out of the characteristic hip-hop/crunk and reggaeton scene that he has been inhabiting for so many years? Currently the track list includes "Watagatapitusberry," "Maldito Alcohol" and "Orgullo," all club-ready dance numbers, so we still have yet to see if Pit will showcase a style change in this new album. The release date has been pushed back more than a handful of times having once been slated for a May 2010 unveiling, it is currently due for release in September, but don't get your hopes up.
"Planet Pit" is Pitbull's second forthcoming album with a currently unlisted release date, although rumors speculate it will be dropped this fall. This album will be mostly in English, though Pit's distinctive Spanish will undoubtedly make an appearance. J Records released the single "Alright" featuring Machel Montano to preface the album in June 2010. The track is a catchy rap/hip-hop number with a trumpet background that is highly reminiscent of the one used in "The Anthem" nothing special, but not bad either.
Pitbull is currently on his summer tour: Mr. Worldwide's Carnaval. He describes this tour as an effort to "[unite] people from all walks of life culturally, linguistically and racially." Whether or not Pitbull will be able achieve his goal of uniting people through music is still up in the air, but we do know that while he is trying, everyone will at least have a good time dancing to his songs.
