It’s tough to pin down the single best moment in Aquaman, a film that features a drum-playing octopus and Patrick Wilson repeatedly screaming, “Ocean master!” with the force of a thousand extraterrestrial Redmaynes. But one instance in the running is the needle drop that accompanies Arthur Curry and Mera’s arrival on the western coast of Africa: appropriately enough (or maybe the exact opposite), it is a cover of Toto’s “Africa” by Pitbull. And it slaps like the prehensile tentacle of a giant squid. Take a listen for yourself!
We can thank Entertainment Weekly for first sharing the track with the rest of us lowly land-dwellers, and Pitbull and Rhea for conjuring this new take from the bottomless well of spirit that is Toto’s original ’82 jam. Lest you worry that 36 years of road trip and karaoke anthems would make the listening public’s patience for the number wear thin, “Africa” has in fact had a banner 2018 filled with covers. Since late May alone, we’ve been gifted a long-sought cover by Weezer, said band’s subsequent collaboration with Weird Al, their second collaboration with Weird Al, an old-timey take by Postmodern Jukebox, and, of course, some delightful nonsense from the Internet. And now, placement center stage in the fittingly bizarre superhero blockbuster that is Aquaman.
So what exactly will 2019 give us in the way of Toto’s “Africa”? Can it feasibly top its predecessor in the sheer numberâlet alone qualityâof cover versions? Or will we be setting our sights on a new boppin’ classic to emulate? If we’re taking votes, mark mine down for “Tubthumping.”
Image: Warner Bros