More than ever, the urgency to release music that informs and reflects on the points of women’s rights and struggles have been at an all-time need. On June 3, the Mexican indie-pop darling Julieta Venegas added to the index with “Caminar Sola.” The delicately beautiful produced track discusses the trials and tribulations of walking alone into the world.
The message beneath it all is direct and captivating. With the chorus leading into, “I want to stay here dancing but I can’t. No, no, I can’t. Because I’m afraid to go out for a walk alone,” giving way for Venega describing a harsh reality—while painting painfully relatable accounts—that women face every day. But even through the discomfort, Venegas’s vocal range and caliber for infusing her love for corridos and alternative-pop hooks allow the song to flourish in an ethereal manner. Moreover, a dense bass line, strings, and full-on orchestra accompanying the track juxtaposes the lyricism entirely.
In the music video for “Caminar Sola,” Venegas is shown playing on a piano in all black, walking through the crowd of people in the room, symbolizing the darkness women face while walking out in the world. As she makes her way through the halls, a glaze of fear lingers over her, questioning whether it’s safe to enter a new room or not, and honestly, it’s the relatability of it all that makes it so captivating.
The violence against women raises daily, something she sings about in the song’s first lines: “Walk by my side for a while, Brother. Match your step. Look my body and my fears straight into the eyes.”
“Caminar Sola” comes after the success of “Lo Siento BB :/,” a collaboration with Bad Bunny and Tainy released last year. The artist also recently shared on Instagram that she has a full album in the works produced by the Chilean synth-pop mastermind Alex Anwandter. Although Venega has not shared a release date for the record, “Caminar Sola” serves as one of the first singles off the project, including “Miso Amor,” indicating more music is definitely on the way.
With an official comeback in the works, we couldn’t be more eager to see and hear a new sound from Venegas. Happy Venegas season!
Watch “Caminar Sola” below.