Before I delve into a review of Pitbull's seventh studio album, I might as well inform the hipper-than-thou diversity brigade that there is nothing on 'Global Warming' that you will be able to enjoy even ironically, so you might as well jog on now. This is, as ever, a glorified compilation of generic club “anthems” that is nevertheless classified as an LP. Even Pitbull knows that is what it is; in fact, Pitbull has a type of diabolic genius, at least in terms of business.
After all, Armando Cristian Pérez chose his path a long time ago. Born in Cuba, and a drug-dealer in his teens, he now runs a label, hosts a Spanish television program, promotes soft drinks and produces insipid dance-pop tracks for the masses. He is a face of faceless capitalism, the sort that seeps through the western music industry and dominates the singles charts with unmistakable ease. Other than his Latin origins, or the fact he lacks a handsome face or pretty voice, there is nothing incongruous about Pérez's image whatsoever. The music is a secondary or even tertiary concern of his.
That's not to say he's not kept his finger on the pulse in regards to new crazes – he too has attempted to absorb brostep-styled drops into the increasingly flaccid house-pop style. On tracks like 'Back In Time', it seems like the trademark “wob” has been placed to provide a respite from the two chord rinse and repeat that we're treated to. Elsewhere, however, Pitbull seems to have run out of ideas for beats. 'Take On Me' by A-Ha, 'Love Is Strange' from Dirty Dancing and the Macarena are all sampled bizarrely but slot naturally into the never-changing formula nonetheless - for the deaf, that formula would be a vocal hook over three/four major chords, some generic rap verses, a house build up and breakdown, followed by a return to the hook. There is no point saying anything snobby about the disposable party-orientated lyrics (the word “party” is used 38 times on track two alone) so I won't bother, although hearing a misogynist write a track labelled 'Ladies Anthem' does deserve to rub a few people up the wrong way.
To create a whole album of these cretinous ditties might seem superfluous to some, but Pérez never misses a chance to market the Pitbull image ("Mr Worldwide" shouts out so many countries on 'Don't Stop the Party' that he sounds like a geography teacher). Sadly for him, this is a review of 'Global Warming', rather than his indisputable abilities in public relations – as an MC he's god-awful, and his song-writing is as generic as ever.
'Global Warming' was released by RCA Records/Mr. 305/Polo Grounds on 26th November 2012.
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After all, Armando Cristian Pérez chose his path a long time ago. Born in Cuba, and a drug-dealer in his teens, he now runs a label, hosts a Spanish television program, promotes soft drinks and produces insipid dance-pop tracks for the masses. He is a face of faceless capitalism, the sort that seeps through the western music industry and dominates the singles charts with unmistakable ease. Other than his Latin origins, or the fact he lacks a handsome face or pretty voice, there is nothing incongruous about Pérez's image whatsoever. The music is a secondary or even tertiary concern of his.
