Pitbull—the undisputed king of maximalist dance music and party anthem debauchery—reached one of the all-time highs of his career with the 2012 release of his seventh studio album, Global Warming: Meltdown. Featuring a dizzying guest list that included Usher, Enrique Iglesias, Kelly Rowland, J. Lo and more, the hit-filled LP expanded Mr. Worldwide's EDM excesses with a hefty dose of camp, quirky pop-culture references and strategic crossovers. Also infusing his music with a healthy dose of humour, Pitbull once snickered that he referenced climate change in the album's title because, like himself, people were just starting to find out about how hot it was getting. Global Warming: Meltdown's lead single was bouncing club track “Back in Time”, which became the theme for the film Men In Black 3 and marked the first time Will Smith relinquished the musical reigns for one of the franchise's entries. Cheeky samples and interpolations abound, like on soaring Christina Aguilera collaboration “Feel This Moment”, which harvested the iconic synth melody from a-ha's '80s classic “Take On Me” and warped it to cartoonish new heights. On the jittery “Have Some Fun”, British pop group The Wanted and DJ-producer Afrojack dropped in for a vertiginous reimagining of Sheryl Crow's breezy, sun-kissed favourite “All I Wanna Do”. As if that wasn't enough, the title track updates the ubiquitous opening synths from the “Macarena” with thumping drums. Chopped, screwe, and super-charged with saturated basslines, these songs are a testament to Pitbull's uncanny ability to breathe surprising new life into classic pop gems. Of course, Global Warming: Meltdown contains plenty of wholly original smashes, like glass-raising favourite “Don't Stop the Party,” which has become a staple of happy hours, spring breaks and Saturday-night festivities around the world. Meanwhile, the Spaghetti Western motifs of Ke$ha crossover “Timber” produced the album's biggest hit, colliding country twang with beachside electro for a delectable slice of hooky, cross-genre bliss.
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