Pitbull’s ‘Planet Pit’: Summer Preview

Robbie Daw | June 13, 2011 2:08 pm

From London to Ibiza and New York to L.A., no one is more adept at delivering club-ready dance jams these days than Pitbull — whether it’s as a featured rapper on other artists’ radio-friendly cuts or via his own hit singles. The Miami MC’s upcoming album Planet Pit offers the best of both worlds; a dozen Pitbull tracks that just happen to be packed with guest vocals by singers who are currently crowding the pop charts. Head below to find out all you need to know about Mr. Worldwide’s sunny summer album. ALBUM: Planet Pit, the sixth studio LP from Mr. Worldwide, and the follow-up to last year’s Spanish-language offering Armando.

RELEASE DATE: June 21, a day that also sees new releases from OK Go and Weird Al Yankovic.

SINGLES RELEASED SO FAR: The T-Pain-featuring “Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor),” which dropped onto radio last year and peaked at #7 this past winter on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Give Me Everything,” the current #2 song in the country. We’re guessing Pitbull has been cursing Adele, whose unstoppable “Rolling In The Deep” has been holding his jam at bay in the runner-up spot on both the charts and on iTunes for the past few weeks. Promo single “Buzz” has also been burning up iTunes, and is currently #52 on the digital retailer’s popular songs roundup.

LEAD-UP TO PLANET PIT: If you’re one of the three folks on Planet Earth who hasn’t flipped on the radio in the past year, then you probably missed Pitbull’s featured-performer raps on hits by Jennifer Lopez (“On The Floor”), Usher (“DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love”) and Enrique Iglesias (“I Like It”), who captured our Song Of Summer title last year.

GUEST STARS: Planet Pit boasts a virtual Who’s Who of pop and R&B royalty. As mentioned above, T-Pain Auto-Tunes his way through “Hey Baby.” Also, Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer lend vocals to Pitbull’s current smash “Give Me Everything,” while Chris Brown appears on “International Love,” Marc Anthony croons on “Rain Over Me,” Kelly Rowland gives some sex appeal to “Castle Made Of Sand,” Enrique Iglesias returns the favor by appearing on “Come N Go,” Sean Paul helps “Shake Senora” and Jamie Foxx ponders “Where Do We Go” (a song that originally had Breezy on it). The only person from Pit’s little black book who seems to be missing is J.Lo!

ALBUM PRODUCERS: Every current hit-maker from David Guetta (“Something For The DJs)” and RedOne (“Rain Over Me”) to Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco (“Come N Go”) was on board for this album. Even Max Martin gets a writing credit on the latter track, while Enrique Iglesias’ “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)” collaborator DJ Frank E was behind the boards for “Castle Made Of Sand.”

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE LP: One endless night — or at least 12 pop-sized tracks — of throbbing dancefloor beats and snappy rhymes from Mr. Worldwide and his armada of famous-vocalist friends.

TOUR PLANS: Given that Pitbull and Enrique are thick as thieves these days, the pair will be hitting the road together for Iglesias’ Euphoria Tour this fall. (Sorry, Britney!)

OUR THOUGHTS: You can’t get any hotter than Pitbull is right now. The 30-year-old Miami MC played his cards exactly right by racking up some prime features on other artists’ smash hits before serving up Planet Pit. And from what we’ve heard so far, this album is burning like a double-shot of tequila under a thousand strobe lights.

Plan for the rest of your poolside listening by checking out our Summer Preview write-ups on Owl City’s All Things Bright And Beautiful, Eminem and Royce Da 5′9″’s Hell: The Sequel, Weird Al Yankovic’s Alpocolypse, Beyonce’s 4 and Selena Gomez & The Scene’s When The Sun Goes Down.