Pepsi Taps Spike Lee, Timbaland, Janelle Monae For World Cup Visual Album

Christina Lee | May 12, 2014 6:58 am

Pepsi will release a visual album that pairs singers with filmmakers to celebrate soccer during the World Cup. The first single off Beats of the Beautiful Game, Janelle Monae‘s cover of David Bowie ‘s “Heroes” (above), had debuted in April, while a new song and video will be released each week starting May 20, until the album’s June 10 release.

Fresh off directing Eminem‘s “Headlights” video, Spike Lee will film a video in Brazil, where the World Cup kicks off June 12, for a Kelly Rowland song titled “The Game.” While the performers aren’t expected to be appear in the clips, Lee hopes to include Rowland somehow. “Somewhere she has to appear. She’ll be lip syncing, but she’ll be in there. I promise you,” he says to AP.

Other featured musical acts in Beats include Timbaland and Rita Ora, while actor Idris Elba will direct a video for two Dutch acts, producer-DJ R3hab and singer Eva Simons. As a whole, the visual album is a bold move to divert attention from Pepsi’s main competitor Coke – also the main World Cup sponsor. “To be honest, it’ll be a great marketing tool for Pepsi,” Lee says. “There’s no reason I’d try to deny that.”

Do you agree with Lee’s assessment? Who do you hope to see featured on the visual album? Sound off in the comments below.

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