It’s Valentine’s Day and the CBC’s Jennifer Van Evra has thoughtfully compiled this Maple music collection to get us thinking about romantic interludes and loves past and present.
Elyanna & Jessie Reyez
Fusing global music sounds, the Canadian R&B singer and Palestinian-Chilean artist have crafted the latest track to celebrate the worldwide sports event — joining releases from Shakira, Burna Boy, Daddy Yankee, Shenseea and more.
Two cross-continental artists have teamed up to celebrate the World Cup.
Trailblazing Canadian R&B singer Jessie Reyez and Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna join forces on “Illuminate,” the latest single on the official FIFA World Cup album.
Produced by Grammy and Juno-winning producer Cirkut, also a proud Canadian, the global pop track blends Reyez’s alt-R&B sound with Elyanna’s global fusion of Arabic, Chilean and Latin influences. The song is rooted in identity and connection, as the two artists celebrate music and sports.
“Illuminate” highlights a powerful cross-cultural moment, drawing on distinct perspectives and sounds for the global stage. Notably, Elyanna is the only Middle Eastern artist on the World Cup soundtrack.
It’s the latest single to boost the worldwide sporting event, joining releases from unique pairs of artists including: Shakira and Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai,” Jelly Roll and Carín León’s “Lighter,” Los Ángeles Azules and Belinda’s “Por Ella” and Daddy Yankee and Shenseea’s “Echo.”
Representing her hometown, Reyez is set to perform “Illuminate” at the FIFA opening ceremony in Toronto this June alongside Elyanna.
Reyez is gearing up to release her fourth studio album, A Little Vengeance. It's hot on the heels of 2025’s Paid in Memories, which featured the Billboard Canada Airplay chart hit “NYB." A few months later, her Calvin Harris collaboration, “Ocean,” landed on the charts.
Reyez is busy with soccer opportunities this summer. The singer will also be featured on the Boi-1da-led Canada Soccer Perfect Pitch album, What If It All Goes Right? out next month. The record is loaded with Canadian talent, including contributions from Nelly Furtado, Charlotte Cardin, The Tragically Hip, Zeds Dead and more.
That project is already making waves on the charts. Boi-1da and Furtado’s upbeat celebratory anthem “Electric Circus,” inspired by the Canadian music show, arrived at No. 35 on the Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 Airplay chart, dated May 9, 2026.
Meanwhile, Elyanna is on a hot streak. After a historic performance at Coachella in 2023 — where she became the first artist to perform an entire set in Arabic at the two-weekend festival — the rising international star was tapped to work with Coldplay on multiple tracks, including “We Pray,” which peaked at No. 92 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. She went to support the band on their Music of the Spheres tour, playing multiple nights at Toronto’s Rogers Stadium last year.
Championing global sounds across world music scenes, the full FIFA World Cup soundtrack will be released ahead of the opening match in Mexico City on June 11.
