Wepa (song)

"Wepa"
Single by Gloria Estefan
from the album Miss Little Havana
Released	July 24, 2011 (2011-07-24) (see Release history)
Format	Digital download CD single
Genre	Dance-pop
Length	3:58
Label	Crescent Moon Records
Writer(s)	Pharrell Williams, Gloria M. Estefan, Emilio Estefan
Producer(s)	Pharrell Williams, Emilio Estefan
Gloria Estefan singles chronology
"Somos El Mundo" (2010) "Wepa" (2011) "Hotel Nacional" (2012)

"Wepa" is a dance-pop song by American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan and is the lead single of her eleventh studio album, Miss Little Havana. The song was produced by Pharrell Williams and her long-time collaborator and husband, Emilio Estefan Jr.. The single is her first commercial release to the English market since "I Wish You" back in 2003.^[1]

A short-form video promoting the Miami Heat basketball team has been streaming on music video channels, but at Estefan's official website there is a live behind-the-scenes video which appears to be the recording of this film. The official music video was premiered on 28 September 2011.

Background

It was announced via Twitter that Gloria Estefan was working on new English-language material, made by The Neptunes producer, Pharell Williams, who had also worked before with other major artists including Britney Spears, Shakira, and Madonna.

The song has been announced as the lead single of the new album, which consists principally of dance music and Latin rhythms, returning to Estefan's career beginning.^[2] The song is basically a preview of what the album will include as the fresh new image Estefan wants to show in this new era of her career^[3] and the return to the dance market, which is one of the main markets Estefan first started out in with the Miami Sound Machine; her last dance project was made in 1998 on her commercially-acclaimed Gloria! album.

The song in the making was inspired principally by Estefan's music from her early career with the Miami Sound Machine including "meregue beats mixed with Pharrell's urban sound". This was noted by Estefan in an interview^{[citation needed]}, where she stated that recording dance music was an easy issue for her, mostly because it was the core of her career. She also noted that "Wepa" does not have a literal translation, it was just an expression like "wow" or "hey", which is used mostly by Puerto Ricans and Colombians.^[4]

Critical reception

"Wepa" has received mixed reception from music critics; among those favorable, Estefan has been compared to sound similar to Ke$ha,^[5] as Elliot Glazer from BestWeekEverTV.com reviewed about the song: "it sounds like a hyperactive dance march that borrows as equally from Ke$ha — the Kween of Tra$hpop — as it does from Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. Although it doesn’t necessarily sound like her voice was Auto-Tuned, there is an element of robotic call-and-response that one would more likely expect from, say, The Black Eyed Peas. Basically, Gloria Estefan wants to sit at the kids table, and that is FINE!"

Not being Estefan's first collaboration with Cuban rapper Pitbull, they worked together in "No Llores", a remix made by R3hab was released for further promotion of the single. This version of the song gained positive reception by Sadao Turner in Ryan Seacrest's website, claiming it was "destiny" that brought the duo together.^[6] However, there were some negative reviews, as Romeo's Corner said: "I can’t help but to think of Jennifer Lopez’ “On The Floor” when I listen to it. Gloria Estefan’s vocals on the track sound out of place and uninspired".^[7]

Promotion

The song was initially promoted through clubs and dance radio stations; at the same time, prior to its official release a music video featuring Estefan to the Miami Heat basketball team^[8] was launched on music video channels, though it is not the official music video it been supporting the spread of the song while she is promoting the song as the lead single for the album.

Estefan gave the first live appearance with the song when she sang at the 2011 Alma Awards.^[9] She is also scheduled to appear, with an unknown date yet, on the program Dancing With The Stars.^[10]

Chart performance

The song was sent first to clubs and dance stations where it received a lot of rotation, becoming Estefan's twenty-third song to enter to the "Hot Dance Club Songs" since "Dr. Beat" entered twenty-seven years before.^[11]

A Spanish version of the song, released to Latin radio-stations, has been surfacing and after frequently moderated airplay, the song made its debut at the "Top Tropical Songs" at number thirteen, staying one week at that position, getting low for the next and returning at the third week for the same position.^[12] For the last week of September, the song went onto the Top placing it at a Top Ten hit peaking at number six.^[12]

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Wepa".

U.S. Digital EP

1. "Wepa" (Original version)
2. "Wepa" (Spanish version)
3. "Wepa" (Ralphi Rosario club remix)
4. "Wepa" (DJ Africa remix)
5. "Wepa" (Keisha Mai Ash & Tony Mardini beat is on mix)
6. "Wepa" (Emilio Estefan & Tony Mardini South Beach mix)

Official versions

Original versions

1. Album version — 3:58
2. Spanish version - 3:58

Official remixes

1. Ralphi Rosario Club Mix - 7:35
2. Ralphi Rosario Dub - 7:35
3. Ralphi Rosario Radio Edit - 3:28
4. Ralphi Rosario Spanish Club Mix - 7:35
5. Ralphi Rosario Spanish Radio Edit - 3:28
6. DJ Africa Remix - 4:31
7. DJ Africa & Motiff Spanish Radio Mix - 3:05
8. Keisha Mai Ash & Tony Mardini Beat Is On Mix - 5:00
9. Emilio Estefan & Tony Mardini South Beach Mix - 5:30
10. Emilio Estefan Comparsa Remix - 5:50
11. Emilio Estefan Comparsa's Spanish Radio Edit - 3:42
12. UK Radio Edit - 3:53
13. Klubjumpers Extended Mix - 5:52
14. Klubjumpers Dub - 5:51
15. Klubjumpers Radio Mix - 3:54
16. Pablo Flores Club Mix - 8:00
17. Pablo Flores English Radio Mix Edit - 3:55
18. Pablo Flores English Radio Mix Edit #1 (No French) - 4:01
19. Pablo Flores English Radio Mix Edit #2 (No French) - 3:40
20. Pablo Flores Spanish Club Mix - 8:00
21. Pablo Flores Spanish Radio Mix Edit - 3:55
22. Martorano vs. Flores Mixshow Edit - 5:50
23. Rosabel Attitude Club Mix - 8:19
24. Rosabel Attitude Club Edit - 7:23
25. Rosabel Attitude Dub - 8:05
26. Rosabel Attitude Radio Edit - 3:51
27. Rosabel Dub Pass 2 - 8:06
28. Gustavo Scorpio Club Mix - 7:49
29. Gustavo Scorpio Dub Mix - 5:32
30. R3hab Vocal Remix - 4:20
31. R3hab Dub - 4:18
32. R3hab Remix Edit - 3:24
33. R3hab Remix (Featuring Pitbull) - 3:28
34. Dada Club Mix - 4:42
35. DJ Chuckie Surinam Club Remix - 5:10
36. DJ Chuckie Surinam Radio Mix - 3:48
37. DJ Chuckie Surinam Radio Dub
38. DJ Yiannis Subelo' Club Mix - 7:28
39. DJ Yiannis Subelo' Dub
40. DJ Yiannis Subelo' Radio Edit - 3:50
41. Cesar Vilo Hot-Rhythm Remix
42. Otto Von Schirach Remix
43. Hildward Croes Soca Dushi Remix - 5:08

Charts

Release history

References