LONDON (AP) 鈥� Is the penguin of music?
It鈥檚 been said that it鈥檚 hard to look at a penguin and feel sad. And likewise, it鈥檚 tough to listen to one of and feel bad.
That鈥檚 always been his aim.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e there for when you鈥檙e feeling a certain way in life,鈥� Pitbull explains. 鈥淚t can help pick you up or it can take you to the next level.鈥�
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 making those records, that what it鈥檚 about,鈥� he distills. 鈥淚 make sure that the beats are something that I know people could dance to. I know that it鈥檚 not complicated.鈥�
His party vibe has been well and truly adopted by audiences, well, worldwide wearing bald caps, suits and sunglasses. And like him, they have a drink or two.
鈥淚f they come to the show, having a, how can I say, already feeling good, then it鈥檚 my job to make them feel better,鈥� he says.
The day after Monday鈥檚 鈥淧arty After Dark鈥� concert at the O2 Arena in London, Pitbull sat down with The Associated Press to discuss what it鈥檚 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 鈥� now I鈥檓 going to tell you how I really feel 鈥� phenomenal, spectacular, amazing, extra, how is it? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Just don鈥檛 ask me to spell it, but everything feels good.
AP: And where do you get your stamina and energy from? Because you鈥檙e jumping so much.
PITBULL: The music gets me going and when I鈥檓 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鈥檙e going to jump. We know where they鈥檙e going to scream. We know what the chants are going to be at. We know when they鈥檙e 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鈥檚 just say.
AP: On the tube home, everyone鈥檚 taken their bald caps off, and they鈥檙e all just flaked out. It鈥檚 like they鈥檝e had the time of their life and now they鈥檝e got to get home.
PITBULL: (Laughs) That鈥檚 what it鈥檚 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 鈥淚 Feel Good.鈥� 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鈥檒l 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鈥檚 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鈥檝e been through in life, and that鈥檚 why I would say from a negative to a positive, to have people out here feeling that good dressed up as me 鈥� 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鈥檛 say it, I live it. It鈥檚 the truth, it鈥檚 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鈥檙e giving me and they can relate and when they leave there, they鈥檙e not only fans but they鈥檙e 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, 鈥淏aby Worldwide.鈥� When you see those kinds of things, it鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥�
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 鈥� I鈥檓 not, angel 鈥� 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鈥檛 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 Beyonc茅 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鈥檚 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鈥檙e at and to be able to have the fans that are, let鈥檚 just say, relating at a whole 鈥檔other level.
Hilary Fox, The Associated Press
