Pitbull is a fan of his fans. He says it's his job to make them feel good
It's been said that it's hard to look at a penguin and feel sad. And likewise, it's tough to listen to one of Mr. Worldwide's party anthems and feel bad.
That's always been his aim.
'They're there for when you're feeling a certain way in life,' Pitbull explains. 'It can help pick you up or it can take you to the next level.'
'When I'm making those records, that what it's about,' he distills. 'I make sure that the beats are something that I know people could dance to. I know that it's not complicated.'
His party vibe has been well and truly adopted by audiences, well, worldwide who dress up like Pitbull, wearing bald caps, suits and sunglasses. And like him, they have a drink or two.
'If they come to the show, having a, how can I say, already feeling good, then it's my job to make them feel better,' he says.
The day after Monday's 'Party After Dark' concert at the O2 Arena in London, Pitbull sat down with The Associated Press to discuss what it's like to stand onstage and see a crowd of look-alikes staring back. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: How do you feel now, because that show is very high energy?
PITBULL: Look, to be able to be over here in London and get that kind of love and that kind of energy and being in the game for 25 years, it is — now I'm going to tell you how I really feel — phenomenal, spectacular, amazing, extra, how is it? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Just don't ask me to spell it, but everything feels good.
AP: And where do you get your stamina and energy from? Because you're jumping so much.
PITBULL: The music gets me going and when I'm making those records we are making those records in a way where we program those parts in, in the song and in the shows so we know we're going to jump. We know where they're going to scream. We know what the chants are going to be at. We know when they're going to dance. So I look forward to perform it. And just think of it like me going crazy in my own club on stage.
AP: And then do you need to lie down or sit in an ice bath or something like that?
PITBULL: No, nothing like that. I do actually need to decompress. It takes me about an hour and a half after the show to just come down from that amazing high, let's just say.
AP: On the tube home, everyone's taken their bald caps off, and they're all just flaked out. It's like they've had the time of their life and now they've got to get home.
PITBULL: (Laughs) That's what it's about. You get them up there and make sure that they, like I always say, get off the chain, off the glass, off the flip, off the rip, and bottom line, have a good time. So we wear them out, we did our job.
AP: When did you first notice fans were dressing up as you?
PITBULL: I want to say that started around 2021 when we came out of the, you know, when the world came out the shutdown. That was the tour, it was called 'I Feel Good.' And you started to see it, I want to say maybe out of 20,000 people coming to the show, 30,000 coming to show, you'll see a thousand. But then when we came over, we jumped the pond and we ended up in London and it was just something else. It was definitely a whole new movement, took it to a whole new level and it's flattering.
AP: Can you remember when you looked out and noticed that they were all wearing the caps?
PITBULL: If they only knew, as much as they are fans of mine, I am fans of them. So when I watch the fans on the way to the show, I see them all. I see them all walking down the block. I see all playing certain songs, just having a great time getting each other, what we call, boost up, ready for the concert...
It touches my heart because who would have known, you know, somebody from Miami and all the things that I've been through in life, and that's why I would say from a negative to a positive, to have people out here feeling that good dressed up as me — man, unbelievable.
AP: You seem to take moments on the stage as well to appreciate it. Is that important for you?
PITBULL: I appreciate the opportunity. I appreciate the love, I appreciate the support. I just don't say it, I live it. It's the truth, it's real. And to be able to feel that on stage, I want them to feel what I feel. Because not only that, I want them know that I appreciate that love that they're giving me and they can relate and when they leave there, they're not only fans but they're connected at another level.
They sent me a picture of a woman that was pregnant and had the globe around her belly and it said, 'Baby Worldwide.' When you see those kinds of things, it's a blessing, like I said before, and if she happens to be watching this, I want to say congratulations and thank you, because that was a priceless picture.
AP: Did you notice that it's more women dressed up than men?
PITBULL: Yes, yes, yes. Well, you know, I was raised by a single mother. A woman made me a man. The most powerful people in my life have been women…
And so to have more women in the crowd, it just goes to show you that they are feeling what the most powerful women in my life has taught me on stage, which is a gentleman that knows how to have a good time. Sometimes a little naughty, sometimes a little nice, but more than anything, a good person that will do the right thing to the best of my ability. Perfect — I'm not, angel — I am not, but definitely here and move the way that I do due to the powerful women in my life that raised me.
AP: Would you ever dress up for a concert of somebody else?
PITBULL: I definitely would, but it would be artists from back in the day. I love to have fun, I love to enjoy, and I love to make fun of myself, to be honest with you. I think one of the most beautiful things a human being can have is a sense of humor and not take themselves too seriously. But if back in a day I could go to, I don't know, a Prince concert, or I mean, I love Earth, Wind, and Fire. Jimmy Buffett was a good friend, may he rest in paradise.
AP: At the moment it seems to be that people go to Beyoncé dressed as a cowboy, Taylor Swift obviously had lots of dressed up people going to hers. Tyler, The Creator has everyone wearing green and then everyone comes to you in costumes.
PITBULL: Well, it's an honor to be able to be mentioned with those kind of names that have worked very hard to be able to be where they're at and to be able to have the fans that are, let's just say, relating at a whole 'nother level.
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