One year anniversary of Pitbull's "Give me everything" being released on Youtube

As a man of faith and a man of pop radio, I often see evidence of the Lord in the context of radio stations.  For instance, there was a weekend in October in which I not only did very well on a mid-term, but I was able to travel back to my undergraduate university for homecoming to have an epic time with my friends I hadn't seen in a while.  As I hopped into the car, I thought, wouldn't it be nice . . and it was nice, as I heard the beginning of Pitbull's infectious "Give me everything" (yeah right picture that with a Kodak).

That song . . . where to begin?  My infatuation with Pitbull began sometime after I first was introduced to his earlier hits like "Calle Ocho (I know you want me)" and "Hotel Room Service."  My initial thoughts were that he had incredibly fun hooks and raps, but that his music videos were a little hyper-sexual for my taste.  I don't mind having beautiful women in music videos, don't get me wrong, but I thought he took it a little too far.


As cool as those songs were, I didn't fall in love with them and listen to them obsessively like I would with "I gotta feeling" or my favorite Ke$ha song "Your love is my drug."  I was kind of "re-introduced" to Pitbull when he was guest-featured simultaneously on mega-hits "I like it" with Enrique Iglesias and "DJ's got us falling in love" with Usher.  He obviously stole the show in both of those songs, and those two songs were some of my favs for that year.  Those songs led to my "liking" him on Facebook.

Soon after Pitbull dropped his first single of his album, "Hey baby" with T-Pain.  Good song, added to my MP3 playlist, but not yet to the level of a hit like, say, "Dynamite" or "Club can't handle me."  Pitbull then stole the show again as a guest on J.Lo's "On the floor." 

The stage was set.  On March 25th, 2011, Pitbull's facebook page dropped a link to the audio-only version of "Give me everything."  It began with bright, E-flat piano chords, and Pitbull using wrong English (me not working hard?) and rhyming the same word with each other (Kodak twice).  Ne-Yo's voice was added to the irresistible chorus.  Nayer, an upcoming star on Pitbull's label (she was previously in music videos with Pit) featured in a too-brief chorus bridge in an almost ethereal-sounding voice.  Pitbull went on to kill it in two separate verses which I faithfully sing along to every chance I get, and his addition in the pre-chorus (Excuse me, and I might drink a little more than I should, tonight, etc.) is just plain addicting.

Those three artists, combined with the production values of Dutch DJ/producer Afrojack, created a perfect brew of pop/dance/club smash hit that I would not, nay, could not, get tired of.  Compare it to your favorite mixed drink, or your favorite combination of pizza toppings.  I just love it.  I can listen to it on the computer while hammering out 50+ footnotes in a law review case comment.  I can listen to it while driving to-from school for five minutes.  I can listen to it for longer drives.  I can listen to it in the gym.  I can listen to it as background noise.  And, of course, I absolutely love hearing it in the club.  Almost every chance I get to a place where the possibility of DnD exists (drinking and dancing, I will elaborate in a later post), I will request it.  If the DJ said they had already played it, I will put on my sad face and offer to by him or her a shot of patron.

"Give me everything" is one of those songs, that, 99.9% of the time, is an instant mood improver when I leave school/work over the summer, turn on my car, and hear it on the radio.  "Rolling in the deep" on?  I would rather listen to commercials.  "Party rock anthem?"  I think it is bland and better suited to a nightclub atmosphere/party.  "We found love?"  I'll listen to it, but it won't put a damn big smile on my face like Pitbull does rhyming "kodak" with "kodak."

I get it, everyone has different tastes in music.  But I don't know how many people can say that a particular song is like a drug for them.  And maybe that's a bad thing, but I think not.  It's not like smoking a cigarette, doing drugs, or needing alcohol to have a good time.

If I am at a boring get-together with a bunch of other guys and a few girls who have boyfriends and I have to listen to a band like "Mumford and sons," I'll sit silently, twirling the 1/4 of drink left in the bottle I hold in my left hand.  However, you flip on "Give me everything" and I'll turn into the life of the party.

Long Friday at law school, where I hate my life, and am bummed about my prospects for a killer weekend?

No fear!

Turn the keys,
my song is on,
the night is young.

Thanks Pit!