TORONTO – If World Cup songs are meant to sound like the world linking arms, Jelly Roll’s entry for 2026 is striking a more divisive chord.
Last month, FIFA released “Lighter,” the first official track for the tournament, pairing the American country artist with Mexican singer Carín León and Canadian producer Cirkut. On paper, it’s a cross-border collaboration for a World Cup spanning Canada, Mexico and the United States.
But the battle-worn country-rock anthem — heavy on imagery of breaking free from personal shackles — has drawn mixed reactions, with critics arguing it misses the mark for what FIFA is touting as its “largest and most inclusive” tournament yet.
“Jelly Roll’s verses honestly sound a little MAGA,” says Canadian sports media scholar Stephen Sheps.
While careful not to ascribe intent, Sheps says the song leans toward a distinctly American sensibility.
“It sounds like it’s singing to a certain kind of base – there’s 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.”
That tension points to a broader mismatch, he adds: a song striving for trilateral unity amid strained cross-border politics.
“It 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,” says Sheps, an undergraduate program director at Toronto Metropolitan University.
“It’s a stark disconnect from the current geopolitical realities we’re facing.”
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.”
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.
“La Copa de la Vida” by Ricky Martin captured the late-’90s Latin pop boom at the ‘98 World Cup in France, while Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” spotlighted African sounds during South Africa’s 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 — and “Lighter,” she argues, succeeds at the latter.
“North America is the host this year, and that’s part of the culture – country music, especially out of the States, it’s 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,” says the Juno winner.
“Not all of us have to like everything … But to me, it’s important to just respect culture at the end of the day.”
Kourkoutis was commissioned by FIFA to create a “sonic ID” representing Toronto, which will be incorporated in World Cup marketing and social media campaigns.
More songs from FIFA will be coming — “Lighter” is the first single from an entire album of World Cup songs meant to represent all three countries.
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’s tournament — offering a more granular way to highlight regional sounds.
Capturing the cultures of three distinct countries — each richly diverse in its own right — is no small task, Kourkoutis acknowledges. She says even reflecting the diversity of Toronto alone proved to be a challenge.
“Toronto is known for so many things — we’re so culturally diverse — so it was daunting at first,” says Kourkoutis, who’s worked with artists ranging from the Weeknd to Aysanabee.
She wound up crafting a track combining what she calls “the Toronto sound” — the moody, nocturnal style popularized by the Weeknd and Drake — with influences ranging from Punjabi to Caribbean music.
“It felt like a walk through the city and its ethnic enclaves, ultimately ending up in the stadium.”
FIRST SONG OFF OF CANADIAN SOCCER ALBUM OUT NOW
In June, Canada Soccer will release an album, dubbed “What If It All Goes Right?” meant to rally support for the national team ahead of the World Cup.
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’s first single, “Electric Circus” by Nelly Furtado, drops Friday.
“It doesn’t feel like your typical World Cup sort of thing,” said Cara in an interview last month. “It just feels like a really great representation of Toronto specifically, but just Canada in general.”
The Brampton, Ont., pop star added that while the album boasts a variety of styles, Boi-1da wanted her track to have a “mid-range, anthemic vibe.”
From the sounds of it, there won’t be any references to Chevy trucks.
“I 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, ‘Score that goal!’ or whatever.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2026.
Read more on the FIFA World Cup at thestar.com
