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Metro
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Pitbull was a visual feast in Manchester - and we don't mean the bald caps
When I left my house to attend a Pitbull concert, I expected a good time, but nothing could've prepared me for the pandemonium I witnessed. From the moment I stepped off the train and made my way to Manchester's Co-op Live, it became apparent that not only was Pitbull in this city, he had taken it over… and I hadn't even laid eyes on him yet. I was greeted by a sea of bald caps and raucous crowds singing Fireball, hundreds of whom then gathered outside the venue for somewhat of a lairy flash mob. It was a sight like no other because, well, where else will you find a bunch of people wearing suits and boasting bald heads and patchy beards other than maybe the White House? Without question, the Pitbull Party After Dark was created by his fans, and the celebrations kicked off long before his entrance. So, by the time Mr. Worldwide himself was before me, to say I was hyped would be an understatement. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Bounding out in his iconic black attire, the chart-topping rapper soaked up the euphoric cheers before launching into the only tune he could've possibly opened with: Don't Stop the Party. With the earlier portion of the set including Hotel Room Service, International Love, and Gasolina, Pitbull took time after each to bask in the reception, beaming beneath his aviators as fans who have built him up to God-like status screamed. To them, he was their hero, and he didn't have to do anything to earn the title. Subsequent songs included Rain Over Me, I Feel Good, and Feel This Moment, the latter typically featuring vocals by Christina Aguilera. But it didn't matter that she wasn't there, nor did anyone care that Kesha didn't show for Timber or Usher was absent for DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love—they just wanted Pitbull. Despite a predominantly English-speaking audience, Pitbull found space for his own heritage in the set, teaching us lyrics in Spanish and professing his love for home city Miami. As far as personal touches go, though, that was where they ended (save for his declaration of love for all the baldies out there). Make no mistake, I love a mushy concert moment. If anything, I feel like I haven't had the full experience unless tears have been shed. Whether it's a heartfelt speech from Taylor Swift about her lyrics or Harry Styles reminding me I can 'be whoever I want to be in this room tonight,' nothing brings me joy like connecting with an artist on an emotional level. However, for once, it was nice not to have that. At one point, Pitbull said music is the 'universal language we all speak,' which was all he needed to do to ensure unity. No one had any expectations of him. No one was crestfallen that he didn't wave a flag or felt bitter about his lack of political lecture. Pitbull's one job was to host a party, and he knew how to deliver. Not once was his foot taken off the pedal. Whether it be his dad at a wedding-esque grooving or flirting with the dancers in skimpy outfits, there was a visual feast around every corner. Even when he wasn't on stage, Pitbull maximised the opportunities to keep the good vibes flowing. While most musicians use a costume change to play some artsy VT, Pitbull puts his band front and centre with DJ sets. From start to finish, fans had zero chance to come up for air. As his set concluded, Pitbull pulled out the big guns: On the Floor, Time of Our Lives, and number one banger Give Me Everything, which had my high school in a chokehold in 2011. It was the perfect way to round off his string of hits, fans now breathless but clearly willing to do it all again. Ultimately, the very essence of Pitbull is a cultural phenomenon. While Swifties have friendship bracelets and Harry Styles fans have feather boas, Pitbull supporters show up in force with blazers, bald caps, and Sharpies. More Trending What it is about him, I'm yet to decipher. You can't argue that he's the most profound lyricist with lines like, 'This biggity boy's a diggity dog,' nor could you say he's a master of choreography and staging, because that was all pretty standard. Perhaps it's just the simplicity. Let's face it, in 2025, it's not common to find a celebrity male in his fourth decade of life without a one-way ticket to cancellation station. But with Pitbull, people just seem to like that he's… Some Guy. He's just a dude in his forties, giving it large and not trying to be anything else. Regardless, it was rather beautiful to watch, eradicating any sliver of doubt in my mind about the Pitbull hype being worth it. He's proven that, after first breaking into the industry in the Noughties, his dance anthems will stand the test of time. Long after Pitbull is gone, his spirit will live on through baldness, black sunnies, and skinny jeans, because if his concert has taught me anything, it's that people don't just view Pitbull as a musician—he's a way of life. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: American Psycho director vows no one can replace Christian Bale after remake rumours MORE: Keanu Reeves is even a gentleman when straddled by another actor MORE: George Clooney debuts huge makeover after revealing wife Amal's complaint
Axios
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Fiesta San Antonio's playlist: Gritos and cumbias
Hair-raising gritos and "ay ay ay" chants from the cumbia circle aren't just background noise. They're part of what makes Fiesta, San Antonio's 11-day annual party, feel like a citywide family party. The vibe: Anthony Medrano, a violinist with the mariachi group Campanas de America, tells Axios that music is woven into Fiesta's fabric — just as Fiesta is into the city's multicultural identity. "It's just a beautiful blend of every type of music accompanied with a beer and a cascarón," he says. It's a mix that DJ Noland "Menyo" Arocha, who will spin at Fiesta De Los Reyes, has mastered over 10 years: accordion-heavy cumbias, a sprinkle of country and a dash of freestyle. Both agree: Fiesta is made for sing-alongs. What they're saying: "They want to dance, everyone wants to wave their hands in the air and spill their beer a bit," Medrano says. "It's also a time for gritos." State of play: Arocha and Medrano obliged us by adding a few songs to our always-growing Fiesta playlist. A new addition was "Don't Stop the Party" by Pitbull, submitted by Arocha. "Even though the cops tell everyone to go home, they still continue partying. That song is so true to Fiesta — I think Pitbull wrote it for Fiesta," he jokes. Zoom out: When they're not performing, they each have go-to spots to take in the sounds.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The cult of Mr Worldwide: How Pitbull started a global movement
Imagine looking out at a crowd and seeing thousands of versions of yourself. That's the reality for Pitbull, aka Mr Worldwide, aka Mr 305, aka (as in, actually born as) Armando Christian Pérez, who returns to the UK stage for the first time in almost a decade this week. Stroll past The O2 on Friday 21 February and you'll see a sea of female fans adorned in bald caps, tuxedos and aviators, such is the influence of Pérez's signature garb. 'Without you there is no Pitbull,' he told his followers after they sold out the 20,000 person capacity stadium in minutes. That holds up, kind of; without his fans, there'd certainly be fewer Pitbulls, at least. Known for his galvanising catchphrase ' dale!' (loosely translated to 'let's go!') and hits including 'Timber', featuring Kesha, 'Give Me Everything', featuring Ne-Yo, 'I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)' and 'Don't Stop the Party', the 44-year-old Cuban American rapper has sold over 25 million studio albums and over 100 million singles worldwide. He's had No 1 hits in more than 15 countries, has surpassed 14 billion YouTube views, and has 11 million adoring fans on Instagram. In a career spanning over 20 years, Pérez's global domination shows no signs of slowing down. When his Party After Dark tour hit 26 major cities across the US last year, there wasn't a single night where someone didn't show up dressed in the global superstar's image. Content creator Milli from Liverpool, who's heading to The O2 with her sister this Friday, believes she was the first to do the bald cap trend that exploded among Pitbull fans online. Mr Worldwide himself recently reshared a video of her dancing to 'Fireball' in a tuxedo and drawn-on beard, which she filmed two years ago, to his social media accounts. 'I couldn't believe it. I was screaming,' she says. 'He's my go-to party music. So, when I saw him repost, I'm still in shock now. It's going on my CV.' When I ask 22-year-old Milli, who has long blonde hair extensions, fake eyelashes and lip filler, why she wants to dress up as a 44-year-old bald man, she says: 'His look is so signature. You don't even have to explain who you are. For Halloween, lots of girls – myself included – we dress up but still want to look quite fit. This concert, you won't have a care in the world. You just want to have a great time with your mates.' Pitbull grew up in Miami, dubbing himself Mr 305 in reference to the Florida city's area code. He learnt English from watching Sesame Street and spent his teen years listening to old-school hip-hop by Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Eric B & Rakim and NWA before graduating to Nas and Jay Z. In 2001, he landed his first record deal and featured on fellow Miami boy Uncle Luke's album Somethin Nasty, as well as Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz' album Kings of Crunk a year later. Collaboration with other artists has always been the lifeblood of Pitbull's success. Mr 305's 2013 hit 'Timber' with Kesha remains the rapper's most popular single on Spotify, with 1.7 billion streams. His first UK No 1 single came in April 2011 through an appearance on party-starter 'On the Floor'. And his second chart-topper came just one month later with his club anthem 'Give Me Everything', featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer, from his star-studded sixth album, Planet Pit. Jessica, a 31-year-old Jessica from Glasgow, first got into Pitbull on her girls' holiday to the Greek party destination of Malia in 2011. ''Give Me Everything' was the song of the summer,' she remembers. 'Pitbull was on [the speakers] everywhere.' Cut to 2025 and Jessica, who works in a hospital as a radiographer by day, is heading to The O2 in a bald cap and tuxedo alongside the same friends she partied with in Greece 14 years ago. 'If you want to feel good about yourself, want to party and just want to have a good time, put Pitbull on and he'll make you feel like that right away,' she says of Mr Worldwide's mystifyingly enduring appeal. 'Working in a hospital, I have good days and bad days. Sometimes, when I'm stressed, I put a wee bit of Pitbull on in the car and it's like 'Right, OK. Tomorrow's another day. You'll be fine.'' TikTok has adopted Pitbull as something of a modern philosopher in recent times. Despite having an air of Mr Motivator about them, his 2014 'Time of Our Lives' lyrics: 'This for everybody going through tough times / Believe me, been there, done that / But every day above ground is a great day, remember that,' have become a mantra for modern women battling every inconvenience of life – from acne to bad dates. 'You can't be sad when you're listening to Pitbull… that's just a fact,' says 29-year-old Esther from London, who started listening to Mr Worldwide during her year abroad in Sweden in 2017 and paid £100 for a standing ticket at The O2 this Friday. She credits the rapper's '9 to 5' remix 'Powerful Women', which he released with Dolly Parton in 2024, as pulling her out of her most 'truly dreadful' days at work. 'Also, once I went on a date with a guy who didn't know who Pitbull was,' she adds. 'And I wouldn't say that was the only reason we didn't see each other again but I think it was a major red flag.' Pitbull released a slew of rap albums: M.I.A.M.I. in 2004, El Mariel in 2006, and The Boatlift in 2007; but it wasn't until Mr Worldwide rebranded as a pop artist with Pitbull Starring in Rebelution in 2009 that he broke the UK. Two singles from the record, 'I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)' and 'Hotel Room Service', peaked at number four and number nine in the UK Top 10 chart, respectively. Addressing accusations he 'sold out' by departing from the rap scene in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2016, Pitbull replied: 'They're right. I did sell out. I sell out arenas. I sell out stadiums… all around the world.' Hannah*, a 24-year-old from London, once threw a Pitbull house party complete with a life-size cardboard cutout of Mr 305 when she was a uni student. She was among thousands of devastated fans left without tickets to the European leg of the Party After Dark Tour after the rapper opted to do only one night in Dublin, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne. Yet, despite her disappointment, to Hannah and the other women I've spoken to, Pitbull is for ever. 'I actually think his discography is unmatched,' she claims. 'I refuse to believe there are people that aren't Pitbull fans. There's no one that wouldn't bop about when his songs come on … High key, his lyrics are inspirational … I'm not sure if I am more gutted that I don't get to see Pitbull or that I don't get to dress up in a bald cap,' she admits. 'Because that just seems quite liberating.' Seemingly, Pitbull has stuck around because he makes people feel happy and free. His commitment to partying is unparalleled (aside from maybe some competition from Charli XCX) and his discography has never been darkened by a downbeat ballad. One yell of ' dale! ' is enough to have half a nightclub on its feet. 'Every single one of his songs is a banger,' says Milli. 'The vibe just uplifts you. He's going to be popular for ever.' 'I think even our kids will remember his songs,' she adds, when asked if the jig will ever be up. 'So, if you don't know Pitbull, you need to get to know.' *Name has been changed
