The 2022 World Cup, hosted by Qatar, has spawned countless controversies already, many of which have nothing to do with soccer and everything to do with Qatar’s human rights record.
But despite protests and performance boycotts from the likes of Dua Lipa and Rod Stewart, the tournament has continued on. And with the World Cup comes a World Cup anthem.
This year’s song is a collaboration between Nicki Minaj, Colombian singer Maluma (who starred in Marry Me), and the Lebanese actor and singer Myriam Fares. The music video for “Tukoh Taka”—which features verses in English, Spanish, and Arabic—debuted over the weekend, and sees all three singers in a desert backdrop.
In the video, Minaj wears a glittery Dior crystal-embellished bodysuit, her long black hair styled sleek and straight. She paired the look with a matching black jacket, tights, and gloves. Maluma wears a colorful oversized ensemble (sweaty!), while Myriam wears a cobalt blue bedlah.
Many of Minaj’s fans were surprised that she committed to the World Cup anthem given Qatar’s history. Same-sex marriage is illegal in the country, which prompted outrage from LGBTQ+ communities and allied organizations over the country’s selection as host by FIFA. “The failure of the Qatari government to counter this false information has a significant impact on the lives of LGBT residents of Qatar, ranging from fueling discrimination and violence against them to justifying subjecting them to state-sponsored conversion practices,” Rasha Younes, LGBT-rights senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, told the BBC.
In 2021, The Guardian also reported that 6,500 migrant workers died in Qatar since the country was selected to host the World Cup in 2010. Per BBC, the Qatari government said that the figure was “misleading” because not all the deaths recorded were linked to World Cup–related projects.
