Chilean songstress Maria Magdalena is used to delivering straightforward synth-pop tracks like “Relámpago” or her debut “Cada Vez Más Cerca.” But in her new single, “Garotinha,” she channels Brazilian bass influences on a track that feels like it was first imagined at a wild party in Rio. Because Maria lived in Brazil for a while we can picture her being part of a few of those. A fat bass and the restless percussion hits of Astro’s Lego Moustache make the whole tone of “Garotinha” very dark and defiant, sometimes even aggressive but always dancey.
In the clip we see Maria singing in her usual spandex suit along with some dancers. Though this may sound like any other pop video (like any other of her videos, to be fair), the difference is this time they exhibit a “zero fucks given,” malcriada look—even more so than in “Niñas Hardcore”—that really captures the song’s nuance. The video-song combo is an edgy and exciting move that will work in her favor if she’s planning to extend the limits of her sound.
Last year we featured Maria Magdalena among the artists we believe will surprise the web with their releases in 2015 and “Garotinha” is the first taste of that. Let’s hope the following singles are just as bold.