Whether you know him as Mr Worldwide or Mr 305, there’s no avoiding the jovial charm of Pitbull’s music.
Both those in their teens and their parents alike are bound to have heard the club classics put out by the Miami-born rapper, from Hotel Room to Give Me Everything.
Some of his hits, despite nearing on 20 years old, are still considered essentials on the dancefloor – feeling as fresh and exciting as they did in the 2010s.
And now 44, instead of slipping into irrelevance – having not released much new music since 2017 – the musician appears to be having a renaissance.
While he has always been revered on social media, it seems Gen Z has made their devotion all the more clear when hundreds have been showing up to his concert, in droves, sporting bald caps to emulate the singer.
So stark is the demand for Pitbull’s music, that he has had to release more European dates for his tour – and frustrated fans are taking to social media to voice their frustrations as the pre-sale is already sold out.
Speaking to FEMAIL, one music expert revealed the factors that make the noughties legend so relevant today.
Margret Juliana Sigurdardottir, CEO of music learning platform Moombix, said that for many the singer represents a ‘simpler time’ bounded by optimism and joy.
‘Four major factors contribute to the continued success of Pitbull. The first is the most simple, a powerful tool used more and more often in all media, but especially music – Nostalgia, particularly for the early 2000s when Pitbull first came to prominence,’ she explained.
‘His sonic aesthetic recalls a simpler time, one that is currently very en vogue, especially with young people.’
Margaret added that beyond being emblematic of the era, Pitbull’s music is a no-frills feel-good production, describing it as ‘bright, optimistic, fun and above all, simple’.
‘It doesn’t ask too much of the listener,’ she continued. ‘With all the stresses young people face today, sometimes the music they want to listen to needs to be nothing more than enthusiastic and catchy.
‘A similar appeal can be seen in the music of Sabrina Carpenter, whose upbeat, feel-good songs provide listeners with a sense of escapism and joy.’
Pitbull – and his sound – are also ‘instantly recognisable as his own’.
‘His look has, over time, become iconic (so much so that people now come to his concerts in bald caps and aviators),’ Margaret said. ‘The easily understandable motifs that make up his brand and music are almost ready-made to go viral, because he is such a recognisable figure.’
‘Finally, one thing Gen Z values above all else is authenticity, or at least what they perceive as authenticity,’ she added.
‘Pitbull isn’t just optimistic in his music, he seems to be exactly the person that he is in his songs. An exuberant, glass-half-full entertainer who always has a catchy saying to hand to deploy when he needs to.’
This could be marked by the amount of social media clips which show young people becoming emotional at Pitbull’s infmaous catchphrase, sung in his song Time Of Our Lives with Ne-Yo.
‘This for everybody going through tough times,’ he proclaims. ‘Believe me, been there, done that. But every day above ground is a great day, remember that.’
The verse – interlaced with lyrics suggesting that he can’t pay his rent this month – is just one of the ones encouraging listeners to forget their (very relatable) problems and dance the night away.
The star, real name Armando Christian Pérez, brought the energetic Miami club scene to London on Friday night as he played to a sold out crowd of 20,000 fans at the 02 Arena.
He returned to the UK on his European Party After Dark Tour with special guest Lil Jon – and did not disappoint his fans.
And as is tradition at Pitbull concerts – those attending showed their dedication to the star by dressing up as him – in white shirts, black suits, bald caps and dark shades.
The Florida-born star is known for this look and many recreated it as they headed to the 02 – including Radio 1 presenter Greg James.
During the performance Pitbull gave a special shout-out to the fans who had made the extra effort with their outfits.
Speaking to the fans who were busy enjoying his catchy tunes, he said: ‘Now I wanna say a special thank you to everybody who came out with bald caps here tonight.
‘It’s amazing to see, and it’s amazing to feel. And I hope when you put on those bald caps you feel just like I do.
‘Having a good motherf***ing time every day of my life!!!’
Radio show host Greg, 39, joined in on the fun, wearing a bald cap and shared a hilarious video dancing at the show.
He penned in the caption: ‘I actually can’t believe how great this show was and I’m still absolutely buzzing.
‘Proudly in the 60% of the crowd wearing bald caps having the best night of our lives. Long live Mr Worldwide! ¡DALE!’
Pitbull – also known as Mr 305 and Mr Worldwide – played a series of iconic hits during the show – opening with an energetic performance of Don’t Stop the Party before moving on to play Fireball, Timber and Gasolina.
He also performed a rendition of his newest collaboration with Bon Jovi – Now Or Never.
The hour and a half show was packed full of his catchy hits as his scantily-clad dancers took to the stage with him.
Videos taken at the concert and shared on TikTok showed the hundreds of fans who showed up to the gig in Pitbull attire and commuting to the North Greenwich in the outfits.
Pitbull’s European tour next takes him to Paris, before he moves on to Amsterdam and Cologne.
Sharing a clip of the London concert to his Instagram Pitbull penned in the caption: ‘London Townnn! Thank you to the fans for an incredible show, it was great to be back. France, you’re next dalllleeee.’
Pitbull has sold over 25 million studio albums and over 100 million singles worldwide.
He was also ranked by Billboard as the 45th Top Artist of the 2010s and the 24th Top Latin Artist of the 2010s.
He is also known for his activism and philanthropy.
He helped start a Tuition-Free Public charter for middle and high school called Sports Leadership and Management (SLAM!), which opened in 2013 in Miami’s Little Havana, the neighbourhood where he grew up.
SLAM! now operates nationwide, including in Miami, Las Vegas and Atlanta, with a 96 percent graduation rate.
Pitbull spoke about the project at his London show sharing his pride at the impact it has had after having a tough time in early education himself.
