Rosalía victoriously returns to her artistic roots on her just-released surprise video for “Juro Que.” The song’s overly-dramatic themes, coupled with sparse production harken back to El Mal Querer anthem “Que no Salga la Luna,” and remind the world why we f*cked with her to begin with.
Rosalía first made waves across the globe with the release of her second studio album, El Mal Querer, in which she and producer El Guincho reimagined the flamenco she grew up studying meticulously (though her Catalan status has been fodder for discussions about Romani cultural appropriation). The electronic soundscapes meshed seamlessly with her melismatic cante, carrying the listener off in a wave of beautifully-produced dread, and giving the world one of the most imaginative and exciting albums in recent memory.
Since then, the 26-year-old singer has ventured into the urbano world with her massive hit, “Con Altura,” and her not-as-massive offering with Ozuna, “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi.” Yet with each of these releases, despite her increasing visibility in the mainstream world, she seemed to veer further and further away from the singular sounds that defined her artistry.
In “Juro Que,” she once again returns to form – this time more definitively. On the number, she passionately sings of her lover who’s been imprisoned for “over 400 days,” with palmas and flamenco guitars leading the charge. She swears allegiance to him and even vows to rob a bank so she can join him in confinement.
The song’s sparsity allows her raw talent to shine through and though it certainly lives up to the task, “Juro Que” can at moments sound like an El Mal Querer throwaway. While the aforementioned album cut benefitted from proximity to other songs on the album – making it an interlude of sorts – “Juro Que” is tasked with the burden of standing alone. But, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Rosalía is at her absolute best when she is taking the listener through a journey, and “Juro Que” shows she still has a scope of passionate storytelling to share. Yes, the Spanish singer has been on a personal and artistic jaunt over the course of the last year – delving into urbano, pop and even deep into the avant-garde with the Arca-assisted “A Palé.” But “Juro Que” brings us a refreshing reminder of where her talent really shines, and we can only hope there’s much more of this where it came from.
Watch the video here: