If World Cup songs are meant to sound like the world linking arms, Jelly Roll鈥檚 entry for 2026 is striking a more divisive chord.
Last month, FIFA released 鈥淟ighter,鈥 the first official track for the tournament, pairing the American country artist with Mexican singer Car铆n Le贸n and Canadian producer Cirkut. On paper, it鈥檚 a cross-border collaboration for a World Cup spanning Canada, Mexico and the United States.
But the battle-worn country-rock anthem 鈥 heavy on imagery of breaking free from personal shackles 鈥 has drawn mixed reactions, with critics arguing it misses the mark for what FIFA is touting as its 鈥渓argest and most inclusive鈥 tournament yet.
鈥淛elly Roll鈥檚 verses honestly sound a little MAGA,鈥 says Canadian sports media scholar Stephen Sheps.
While careful not to ascribe intent, Sheps says the song leans toward a distinctly American sensibility.
鈥淚t sounds like it鈥檚 singing to a certain kind of base 鈥 there鈥檚 references to muddy boots and Chevy trucks in the lyrics. I don't know if that's what you think of when you think of football fans from around the world.鈥
That tension points to a broader mismatch, he adds: a song striving for trilateral unity amid strained cross-border politics.
鈥淚t leans into a kind of American dominance, even at a time where Mexican and Canadian political leaders have been trying really hard to disassociate from that kind of American hegemony,鈥 says Sheps, an undergraduate program director at Toronto Metropolitan University.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a stark disconnect from the current geopolitical realities we鈥檙e facing.鈥
Toronto sports broadcaster Ashley Docking agrees the track seems to cater to a right-wing American audience that might not typically watch soccer.
"It's just disappointing, because there is a certain faction who probably watched Kid Rock's little alternative halftime show during the Super Bowl that's going to love this song," she says.
"It was an opportunity to make something more inclusive, and they went straight eagles, stars and stripes."聽
FIFA and Jelly Roll did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
SOME FOOTIE FANS EMBRACE COUNTRY SOUND
Historically, FIFA has used music not just to promote the World Cup, but to seize defining moments or export certain cultural sounds globally.
鈥淟a Copa de la Vida鈥 by Ricky Martin captured the late-鈥90s Latin pop boom at the '98 World Cup in France, while Shakira鈥檚 鈥淲aka Waka (This Time for Africa)鈥 spotlighted African sounds during South Africa鈥檚 2010 tournament. That track had its own controversy, with some criticizing FIFA for choosing a non-African lead artist, despite South African group Freshlyground providing backup vocals and music.
For Toronto producer Hill Kourkoutis, the purpose of World Cup songs is to unite audiences and showcase local culture 鈥 and 鈥淟ighter,鈥 she argues, succeeds at the latter.
鈥淣orth America is the host this year, and that's part of the culture 鈥 country music, especially out of the States, it鈥檚 the sound. So I think it's totally reflective of the cultural identity of America, and it makes sense that that would be one of the songs we hear,鈥 says the Juno winner.
鈥淣ot all of us have to like everything 鈥 But to me, it's important to just respect culture at the end of the day.鈥
Kourkoutis was commissioned by FIFA to create a 鈥渟onic ID鈥 representing Toronto, which will be incorporated in World Cup marketing and social media campaigns.聽
More songs from FIFA will be coming 鈥 鈥淟ighter鈥 is the first single from an entire album of World Cup songs meant to represent all three countries.聽
In a first for the organization, it also tapped producers from 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico and the U.S. to remix the official theme for this year鈥檚 tournament 鈥 offering a more granular way to highlight regional sounds.
Capturing the cultures of three distinct countries 鈥 each richly diverse in its own right 鈥 is no small task, Kourkoutis acknowledges. She says even reflecting the diversity of Toronto alone proved to be a challenge.
鈥淭oronto is known for so many things 鈥 we're so culturally diverse 聽鈥 so it was daunting at first,鈥 says Kourkoutis, who鈥檚 worked with artists ranging from the Weeknd to Aysanabee.
She wound up crafting a track combining what she calls 鈥渢he Toronto sound鈥 鈥 the moody, nocturnal style popularized by the Weeknd and Drake 鈥 with influences ranging from Punjabi to Caribbean music.
鈥淚t felt like a walk through the city and its ethnic enclaves, ultimately ending up in the stadium.鈥
FIRST SONG OFF OF CANADIAN SOCCER ALBUM OUT NOW
In June, Canada Soccer will release an album, dubbed 鈥淲hat If It All Goes Right?鈥 meant to rally support for the national team ahead of the World Cup.聽
Executive produced by Boi-1da, the project features an all-star crew of Canadian artists including Alessia Cara, Charlotte Cardin and the Tragically Hip.
The album鈥檚 first single, 鈥淓lectric Circus鈥 by Nelly Furtado, drops Friday.
鈥淚t doesn't feel like your typical World Cup sort of thing,鈥 said Cara in an interview last month. 鈥淚t just feels like a really great representation of Toronto specifically, but just Canada in general.鈥
The Brampton, Ont., pop star added that while the album boasts a variety of styles, Boi-1da wanted her track to have a 鈥渕id-range, anthemic vibe.鈥
From the sounds of it, there won鈥檛 be any references to Chevy trucks.
鈥淚 tried to write it in a way that could apply to the players walking out onto the field and how that can feel, but also made it general enough that it's not about like, 鈥楽core that goal!鈥 or whatever.鈥
This report by 国产诱惑福利 was first published April 10, 2026.
