With “Nazareno,” Farruko is back to making dance beats, and this time, he’s bringing God with him. Farruko drew headlines earlier this year when he renounced his old music and proceeded to preach about Christianity in concerts. “Nazareno” brings a catchy and hypnotic beat reminiscent of his sleeper hit “Pepas” — the song he says he will no longer perform due to its promotion of drug use — before it kicks into a full high-speed, energetic beat that’s sure to become a summer anthem.
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A quick recap on Farruko’s stance on his career: Earlier this year, during his Las 167 Tour, he turned his Miami stop into a pulpit and refused to perform “Pepas.” It drew criticism from fans who felt they were marketed one type of show and given another. He followed this up by releasing “My Lova,” a song about the pain he caused an ex and his suffering in the aftermath. The video is laced with religious motifs, such as Farruko carrying a cross through a crowd of jeering people seeking to strike him down.
Now with “Nazareno,” Farruko continues his Christian motifs, but rather than swing entirely in a different direction and alienate his fan base, which is what he did at the start of the year, he seems to be fusing his past with his present.
For “Nazareno,” the video comes with a warning for graphic images. The song kicks off with acapella lyrics and an eerie melody. “Videos and photos of me holding a glass up to toast; all of sudden I heard a voice saying; ‘My son, what are you celebrating?,” Farruko asks in his new song, which gives fans further insight into what led to where he is today. “The whole world is here, and you’re on top, but I know inside you’re crying.”
The video reinforces the song’s message. It opens with an energetic club scene and fast cuts of people grinding on each other, money being thrown at dancers in cages, and clubgoers drinking and smoking while drugs are being passed around. These images are interspersed with Farruko standing alone on a dance floor that displays a cross on the dance floor in neon lights.
When Farruko is in the crowd, he’s dressed in white among a sea of black, which, according to the press release, is meant to be a symbolic show of purity. About halfway through the video, another figure dressed in a white hooded robe and bathed in light, steps in behind him and whispers something in Farruko’s ear. The club scene freezes with the exception of the two, and Farruko removes his sunglasses and looks around. The action picks up again, except the crowd has transformed into demons attempting to attack Farruko. A bright light wakes him from the trance. He gets up and makes his way out of the club. The song ends with the cross of the Trinity prayer, and the video closes with a quote from the Book of Titus.
Is Farruko admonishing club culture with the music video? If he’s shown walking away from that world, will we still get party bangers, his bread and butter, from him? Guess we’ll have to keep tuning in.
Watch Farruko’s “Nazareno” below.