WATCH: Belinda Isn’t Getting Much Royalties from ‘Heterocromía’ Thanks to Disney – Here’s Why
Photo by Alex Córdova.
Belinda has a viral hit on her hands, but she’s practically not getting much from it in terms of royalties. The Spanish-Mexican pop icon recently opened up about securing the rights to sample Disney’s The Aristocats in her song “Heterocromía.”
“Heterocromía” is one of the songs on Belinda’s comeback album Indómita. Since its release last month, it has become one of the most successful songs from the LP. That’s due in part to the viral TikTok challenge where Belinda sings along to The Aristocats’ (Aristogatos) sample in “Heterocromía.” In its intro, the pop princess sings, “¿Qué gatos son los que visten Loro Piana? ¿Qué gatos son los que solo juegan golf? ¿Qué gatos son los que toman Aperol? Naturellement, Los Aristogatos,” along to the classic movie’s tune. Over 41,000 videos have been created using the song’s audio so far.
Because of its success, Belinda would be assumed to be rolling in dough with the royalties from “Heterocromía.” But when asked about getting the rights for The Aristocats sample by CNN En Español, she revealed that’s not the case. Belinda added that Disney is getting the biggest cut of the song’s profit.
“It wasn’t easy,” she said about getting the conglomerate to green light the sample. “Actually, we were working until the last minute to get the rights because, obviously, Los Aristogatos are from Disney, so it was very expensive. I believe I’ll never see royalties from that song, but it was worth it. [They’re getting] a big percentage [of the royalties]. I wrote that song, and I was obsessed with that intro. I wanted the song to open with it.”
In addition to The Aristocats’ sample, “Heterocromía” has become one of the most talked-about songs for another reason. Many of Belinda’s fans think it’s also a diss track about one of her exes. She was previously linked to Gonzalo Hevia Baillères, and there’s speculation that “Heterocromía” is about him. He has the condition of heterochromia, in which one eye is a different color from the other. The song’s intro is assumed to be a jab at his socioeconomic status.
Not only has Belinda come back with a vengeance with Indómita, but her career is also booming thanks to the success of Mentiras, La Serie on Amazon Prime Video.