{"id":660,"date":"2022-10-26T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/?p=660"},"modified":"2022-10-21T12:45:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-21T16:45:11","slug":"rosalias-motomami-is-fun-yet-underachieves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/2022\/10\/26\/rosalias-motomami-is-fun-yet-underachieves\/","title":{"rendered":"Rosal\u00eda&#8217;s MOTOMAMI is Fun, Yet Underachieves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Rosal\u00eda <\/em>exhibits massive potential which is reached on some tracks, but leaves much to be desired on others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: MOTOMAMI\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/6jbtHi5R0jMXoliU2OS0lo?si=bn_tyqN0RIiTTPnqPT_VkQ&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As a reviewer of music, it\u2019d be silly of me to think that the only worthwhile music being made these days is in English. Admittedly, my exposure to music in other languages has been lacking, but I\u2019d like to rectify that. After all, there are some great projects being made in other countries which I\u2019d hate to overlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One project which has gotten a lot of attention from music publications comes from Spanish singer\/songwriter Rosal\u00eda entitled <em>Motomami. <\/em>My only exposure to her before listening to this album was a feature she did on great Bad Bunny song <em>La Noche de Anoche. <\/em>She was really great on that track, so I was excited to see what her music is like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rosal\u00eda has a few tracks where she explores reggaet\u00f3n, namely tracks like the album opener <em>SAOKO, <\/em>the fun but wacky <em>CHICKEN TERIYAKI, <\/em>and the collaborative dance track <em>LA COMBI VERSACE.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>SAOKO <\/em>tackles this idea of transformation, where she says that she\u2019s going to transform like numerous things, most strangely the Lego logo (?). <em>CHICKEN TERIYAKI <\/em>features her running through some kinda generic flexing with an inane hook and a really repetitive beat. <em>LA COMBI VERSACE <\/em>is an okay dance track about going out on the town, but it doesn\u2019t do much for me either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those three tracks on this project leave much to be desired. She\u2019s not necessarily <strong><em>bad <\/em><\/strong>at this style, but I don\u2019t think the style suits her the best on much of the album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s not to say that she can&#8217;t perform this style at all. One track which garnered a lot of attention on TikTok is the seventh track <em>BIZCOCHITO. <\/em>The verses on the track feel like they were written as a response to things men say to her online, as much of it is rejecting the idea of what people see her as. It\u2019s actually really cool and brings a fun attitude to the album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, the chip-tuned hook on that track gets old really fast. Still, I found her swagger and her flow on the verses of the track refreshing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She explores more of her singing through the rest of the tracklist, which gives me an opportunity to mention that Rosal\u00eda has a gorgeous singing voice. She\u2019s immensely talented in that regard, but I do think there are some moments where she maybe doesn\u2019t use her voice to it\u2019s full potential. The track <em>CANDY, <\/em>for example, feels like it tries harder to be spacy and artsy than to build to anything substantial. She never sounds bad on the track, but it does feel like she\u2019s holding back to build to a climax which never comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had similar sentiments about her performance on the following track <em>LA FAMA, <\/em>wherein she joins The Weeknd in lamenting how fame can ruin lives and truly isn\u2019t worth the benefits people think it has. I really enjoyed the beat on this song, but I think the song falls short of it\u2019s potential. We don\u2019t get any interesting vocal or emotional changes from either of the two super talented singers, nor do we get any harmonies which really could have brought the track to another level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: BULER\u00cdAS\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/5tmrMIajDQRBcJQPaoAGdk?si=03798717ae264b79&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A track I did not have this complaint about was <em>BULER\u00cdAS, <\/em>a track which functions as a response to critics who claim that Rosal\u00eda has left her Flamenco singer roots behind her. She really shows out vocally on this track not only by really flexing the power of her voice, but also by bringing some fun scatting reminiscent of her early days as a cante singer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just ignore the really hideous autotune which peaks out near the end out of nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One song which divided opinion upon the release of the album was the promotional single <em>HENTAI. <\/em>The song ended up being the subject of an interview with music outlet <em>Genius<\/em>, where she defended the overtly sexualized lyrics, claiming that she sought to write a Disney style ballad with super sensual words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From a purely sonic standpoint, the bare instrumental really suits this reserved delivery she has for much of the early stages of the record. She sounds earnest, but I think the tone just falls short of the mark. It never has the tone of a song which carries lyrics full of explicit material. While she defends the song in the <em>Genius <\/em>interview as having a sense of humor, I think the song doesn\u2019t cross over from being a novelty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One song which I think succeeds in establishing a sensual tone much better is the title track <em>MOTOMAMI. <\/em>Clocking in at just over a minute, it has a really fun beat and seems like a much more sensual track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personally, my favorite track on the album is actually a cover. Rosal\u00eda shows out on the song <em>DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA, <\/em>which is a cover from old school Puerto Rican artist Justo Betancourt. Interestingly, she leaves the instrumental from the original intact for much of the track, juxtaposing Rosal\u00eda\u2019s polished lyrics with the very old sounding horns of Betancourt\u2019s original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a very weird move, we get an additional sample in the second half from an unexpected source: Soulja Boy Tell \u2018Em.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Delirious\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/0nH3kN1WXrbxZSptazFX1r?si=b1a0c474ef944b0b&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Soulja Boy appears on a remix of Vistoso Bosses track Delirious; a track which samples the same Justo Betancourt song. Rosal\u00eda decides to leave a looped sample of Soulja Boy\u2019s verse in the track. To be honest, I didn\u2019t know how to react to this when I first heard it but after a few listens, it really grew on me. It\u2019s so stupid that its perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>LA FAMA <\/em>ended up being the lead single off of this record. Rosal\u00eda would actually cover themes explored on the lead single on two other tracks. The first of these two is <em>DIABLO, <\/em>wherein a chiptuned voice accuses Rosal\u00eda of selling out and becoming unrecognizable, sentiment which also appears somewhat on <em>BULER\u00cdAS. <\/em>While <em>BULER\u00cdAS <\/em>addresses accusations of leaving her past behind, <em>DIABLO <\/em>is much more straight forward in essentially accusing her of becoming a bad person due to being famous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve complained before about artists releasing a song purely mentioning complaints about them without properly addressing them (looking at you, Machine Gun Kelly). I think the thing that separates other songs from <em>DIABLO <\/em>is that these are concerns which Rosal\u00eda is clearly worried about. She lets this argumentative voice get the last word on this track not necessarily because she agrees that she\u2019s changed, but more because it\u2019s something which she does worry about conceivably happening to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think it\u2019s a really interesting take on this type of song. She seems really earnest on this track and I think it comes across well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other track where this idea is addressed is on the album closer <em>SAKURA. <\/em>This track is reverbed to death because it\u2019s meant to sound like a live performance. I actually didn\u2019t know if it was live or not, but apparently it is recorded in studio with live noise mixed in with it. The reason they went this direction with the last track is because she reflects on the fleeting nature of fame within the music industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She talks about how she\u2019s seen fame change people she knew for the worse and says the life of a popstar is short and easily goes away. The title comes from the Japanese term for the cherry blossom, a flower which blooms and withers really quickly. While it\u2019s not the most powerful performance on the record, it\u2019s definitely the most earnest and passionate. It\u2019s a really fitting end to the record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: SAKURA\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/15pRGUlhmCxtewBs42ui1N?si=fa2f1875ed7a4e06&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of listening to this album, I was honestly conflicted. There are a lot of great and interesting moments on this album that I couldn\u2019t recommend enough. However, there\u2019s also some really wacky production choices and some <strong><em>really <\/em><\/strong>clunky and awkward writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the day though, I think I\u2019d still recommend this album. Rosal\u00eda is a really talented singer and I think she still has a lot of potential as a performer. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll be keeping my eyes out for the next project necessarily, but I think this is definitely a worthwhile album. If you\u2019re in a rush, I\u2019d personally recommend<em> BULER\u00cdAS, MOTOMAMI, DIABLO, DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA, <\/em>and <em>SAKURA.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rosal\u00eda exhibits massive potential which is reached on some tracks, but leaves much to be desired on others. As a reviewer of music, it\u2019d be silly of me to think that the only worthwhile music being made these days is in English. Admittedly, my exposure to music in other languages has been lacking, but I\u2019d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":272,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-660","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-opinions","7":"entry","8":"has-post-thumbnail"},"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Matthew Mahr","author_link":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/author\/matthew-mahr\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/272"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.cortland.edu\/dragon-chronicle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}