If you thought that Rosalía’s vocals were gorgeous before, wait until you hear her new track, “Juro Que,” a stripped-down flamenco song in which a lover insists she will stay loyal while her partner is imprisoned. On January 23, the song was released with an accompanying music video, and Rosalía flaunted her dramatic flair with genre-bending auto-tune and visuals equally colorful and emotional.
“Juro Que” is a masterful blend of traditional flamenco guitars with a modern beat, a combination made less jarring by the inclusion of claps instead of any synthesized percussion. And her inclusion of auto-tune — less like early-2000s Kesha, more like over-the-top Cher — feels like an intentional push towards modernity, adding a computerized vocal element to not only emphasize her lyrics as the song progresses but emphasize the gap between raw and electronic. The experience feels authentic, and yet, it still retains danceability for a modern audience.
As Rosalía croons about waiting for her lover, the “Juro Que” music video splashes this story in neon colors and uses different shades to highlight her character’s growing desperation at her love’s imprisonment. She begins the video the image of pastel pink innocence, but as she talks on the phone with her love, her tears turn to anger and desperation. Suddenly, she’s in a piercing red suit, yelling that she’ll rob a bank just to end up in prison with him. The video is a stunning portrayal of this emotional journey.
The juxtaposition of Rosalía’s beautiful, sometimes fluttery vocals and her unapologetic, confident performance style is altogether captivating. But Rosalía already knows that this formula works, as her style of catchy Latin pop just earned her a Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. If her success keeps encouraging her to push genre boundaries, Rosalía’s ascent is just beginning.
Featured image: YouTube (Rosalia)/Universal Music Group