Lighter (Jelly Roll and Carín León song)
| "Lighter" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Jelly Roll and Carín León | ||||
| from the album Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album | ||||
| Language |
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| Released | March 20, 2026 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:59 | |||
| Label | Universal Music | |||
| Composers |
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| Lyricists |
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| Producer | Cirkut | |||
| Jelly Roll singles chronology | ||||
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| Carín León singles chronology | ||||
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| 2026 FIFA World Cup singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Lighter" on YouTube | ||||
"Lighter" is a song by American singer Jelly Roll and Mexican singer Carín León.[1][2] It is the first single from the official album of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The track was produced by Canadian producer Cirkut and was released on March 20, 2026.[3]
"Lighter" is a pop and rock song with country influences.[4][5] The song was met with heavy critical outrage from fans and reviewers and failed to chart on major music charts. The song was largely sidelined following the promotion of "Dai Dai" and "World Cup (Champions)" as the major single releases ahead of the tournament and "DNA (More Than a Game)" as the official anthem.
Critical reception
The song has faced heavy criticism, mockery and backlash and was universally panned by both fans and critics, with it being compared to music seen in car commercials.[6][7][8]
Brent Keough of The Conversation criticized the song's heavy religious theming, a hallmark of Jelly Roll's works, stating "[you] could be forgiven for questioning whether this song was about football at all, or whether it is more reflective of Jelly Roll’s own personal conversion story".[7]
The release of "Lighter" as the first single from the official World Cup album was a source of confusion, with many falsely assuming that it was the tournament's official song or anthem; "Dai Dai" by Shakira and Burna Boy was released as the official song of the tournament in May 2026,[9] followed by David Guetta's "DNA (More Than a Game)" as the "official anthem" in June.[7][10][11]
Credits and personnel
- Jelly Roll – lyrics, composition, vocals
- Carín León – lyrics, composition, vocals
- Cirkut – composition, production, arrangement, background vocals
Charts
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Czech Republic Airplay (ČNS IFPI)[12] | 4 |
| Ecuador Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino)[13] | 9 |
| El Salvador Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino)[14] | 5 |
| Honduras Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino)[15] | 3 |
| Nicaragua Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino)[16] | 5 |
See also
References
- ↑ "Official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Album kicks off with Lighter by Jelly Roll and Carín León, produced by Cirkut". Archived from the original on March 25, 2026. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Album roll-out begins". FIFA. March 20, 2026. Archived from the original on April 4, 2026. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ↑ "FIFA releases first World Cup song featuring Jelly Roll and Carín León". Archived from the original on March 22, 2026. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ↑ González, Sara (March 20, 2026). "Carín León estrena 'Lighter', un tema para el Mundial que fusiona inglés y español". El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on April 6, 2026. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
- ↑ Roiz, Jessica (March 17, 2026). "Jelly Roll & Carín León Join Forces on 'Lighter,' First Single From FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 18, 2026. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
- ↑ "Cancel the World Cup: Fans react as FIFA releases first 2026 anthem". www.msn.com. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Keogh, Brent (March 26, 2026). "A Bible Belt track without a pulse – it's no surprise fans hate the 2026 FIFA World Cup song Lighter". The Conversation. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Football fans furious over first song of 2026 FIFA World Cup album". www.hitc.com. March 18, 2026. Archived from the original on March 26, 2026. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- ↑ Roiz, Jessica (May 15, 2026). "Shakira & Burna Boy Shout Out Soccer Icons in Official 2026 FIFA World Cup Song 'Dai Dai'". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
- ↑ Saponara, Michael (June 10, 2026). "Megan Thee Stallion, David Guetta, EJAE & Andrea Bocelli Team Up for FIFA World Cup 2026 Anthem 'DNA': Listen". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 11, 2026. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ↑ Zeglinski, Robert (May 7, 2026). "Shakira is releasing a new World Cup song so we can forget the other terrible one". For The Win. USA Today. Archived from the original on June 11, 2026. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "ČNS IFPI – CZ Radio – Top 100 – 32. týden 2026" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Top 20 Ecuador Anglo música". Monitor Latino. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Top 20 El Salvador Anglo música". Monitor Latino. Retrieved April 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Top 20 Honduras Anglo música". Monitor Latino. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Top 20 Nicaragua Anglo música". Monitor Latino. Retrieved July 1, 2026.