While it’s not necessarily shocking to hear Steve Vai played guitar on a new version of Van Halen’s classic “Jump,” he was still surprised when he got the offer.
The legendary guitar virtuoso, who spent time in David Lee Roth’s band in the ’80s, plays the solo on a radical update of the song that arrived this week as Coca-Cola’s official anthem for FIFA World Cup 2026.
“You know, it just goes to show you that you never know what’s going to come across your desk,” he tells UCR. “I get all these amazing, wonderful little side projects that come in. I guess it’s just part of being in the business for 46 years. Some of them are interesting, and some of them are not really appropriate for me.”
“But this one came in for the World Cup. It’s a tremendous event and every year they have a theme and usually they write one,” he explains. “This year, they decided to use ‘Jump,’ and they asked if I’d be interested in doing the solo. So I thought, ‘Ah, World Cup, Coca-Cola, ‘Jump’ solo, it checks all the boxes, you know? I’m like, ‘Yes!’ And then I heard the track, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is ‘Jump,’ but it’s not ‘Jump.” You know, they really took bold steps and I just think it came out great.”
How Steve Vai Approached His Playing on ‘Jump’
“I thought, ‘Well, it’s got to be different. What are you going to do?’ This, you know, [is not] the same song. I was very intrigued at what they were doing. The track went through a lot of different iterations and changes,” he details. “I was kind of involved from the point where they had the the basic rhythm tracks and stuff. I decorated it all the way through and then they added other things and changed some stuff. So I went back and did it again. I did that about three times until it was finished. “
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He’ll be all over the place. He and lifelong friend Joe Satriani are about to head out on the road for the next leg of tour dates with the SatchVai band — their first proper run in North America. The group first hit the touring trail last year, with a lineup that also features drummer Kenny Aronoff, guitarist Pete Thorn and bassist Marco Mendoza. Animals as Leaders will once again open the 2026 outing.
READ MORE: Joe Satriani and Steve Vai Announce 2026 Tour Dates
The guitar legend will also be playing more shows with the all-star ensemble BEAT, which highlights King Crimson’s era of music featuring guitarist and vocalist Adrian Belew, who is in this current group as well. He’s joined in the lineup by Vai, bass legend Tony Levin and Tool drummer Danny Carey.
Vai expects that the touring work with Satriani and BEAT will keep him wrapped up until Christmas and then he’ll be back home to work on a flurry of projects for 2027. But working on the ongoing SatchVai album has been keeping him busy as well. The pair recently released “Dancing,” the newest single from the record.
“Joe’s a monster, you know. It’s helped me to push myself into, even more Vai-isms,” he says. “It’s a great record. I think the fans are going to really hear that intertwining guitar elixir kind of thing and the camaraderie and the melodies. So I’m very excited about it.”
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Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening
