Saoko

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"Saoko"
Rosalía - Saoko.png
Single by Rosalía
from the album Motomami
LanguageSpanish
Released4 February 2022 (2022-02-04)
StudioElectric Lady (New York City)
Genre
Length2:17
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Rosalía singles chronology
"La Fama"
(2021) 		"Saoko"
(2022) 		"Chicken Teriyaki"
(2022)
Music video
"Saoko" on YouTube

"Saoko" (Puerto Rican slang for having outstanding rhythm or lots of flavour;[1] stylized in all caps) is a song by Spanish singer and songwriter Rosalía. It was released on 4 February 2022, through Columbia Records, as the second single from her third studio album Motomami (2022).[2][3] The song was written by Rosalía, David Rodríguez, Dylan Wiggins, Juan Orengo, Justin Quiles, Michael Uzowuru, Noah Goldstein and Urbani Cedeño. Rosalía, Wiggins, Goldstein, and Uzowuru also serve as producers. Talking about transformation and metamorphosis, "Saoko" contains an interpolation of "Saoco" by Wisin and Daddy Yankee.

The song was widely acclaimed by music critics, most of whom praised its deconstruction of reggaeton and cyberpunk experimental sounds, stating "the song is more experimental than anything she has recorded before and perhaps her best work yet".[4] The song's accompanying music video, directed by Valentin Petit, was shot in Kyiv, mainly at Podilskyi Bridge.[5]

Background[]

"Saoko" was first mentioned in November 2021, in a Rolling Stone article by Diego Ortiz that covered the emancipation of Rosalía and the recording process of her album Motomami. It was also revealed to be the opening track of the album.[6] The singer previewed the song on TikTok on 29 December.

Upon unveiling the cover art of the album, the singer announced a new song to be released on 4 February.[7] A teaser of the music video for "Saoko" was posted on 2 February, indicating the release of the song that week.

Composition[]

"Saoko" is an experimental track "as fun as driving a Lamborghini" with industrial and reggaeton elements that runs for two minutes and seventeen seconds.[8] It features heavy synthesizers, a distorted piano and traditional reggaeton drums, as well as a ten-second avant-jazz talking interlude between the singer and her team at Electric Lady that was compared to The Sound of Latin Music (1974) by Eddie Palmieri.[9] Described by music critics as "bizarre, industrial and psychotic", the song combines influences of Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral (1994), and Kanye West's Yeezus (2013), both of which Rosalía has cited as an artistic inspiration, as well as Arca, who she previously worked with on "KLK".[10] "Saoko" marks the first solo release of Rosalía since 2020's "Dolerme".[11]

In an interview with Clash, Rosalía explained that "each and every phrase is an image of transformation. Celebrating transformation, celebrating change. Celebrating that you are always yourself even though you are in constant transformation or even that you are you more than ever at the very moment you are changing".[12] Lyrical references include Frank Ocean, Vivienne Westwood, Lego, and Kim Kardashian, among others.

Music video[]

Rosalía shared a preview of the music video on 2 February 2022.[13] The video itself premiered on 4 February on YouTube. It was directed by Valentin Petit and produced by Division. It features an all-female professional motorcycle crew.[14] It was filmed over the course of three days in late June 2021 mainly at the Podilskyi Bridge and Naberezhno-Khreschatytska street in Kyiv, Ukraine, as well as in a filming studio nearby.[15] A fictional gas station was set up in the filming studio also using chroma key technique. The music video received comparisons to Spring Breakers, Street Fighter, Fallen Angels, and the music video for "Gasolina".[16]

Style advice was given by Samantha Burkhart, featuring clothes by Jean Paul Gaultier.[17]

Personnel[]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[18]

Production

  • Rosalía Vila Tobella – composition, songwriting, production, vocal production, vocals, background vocals, handclaps, drums, piano.
  • Noah Goldstein – composition, songwriting, production, drums.
  • Dylan Wiggins – composition, songwriting, production, piano.
  • David Rodríguez – composition, songwriting, recording engineer.
  • Justin Rafael Quiles – composition, songwriting
  • Michael Uzowuru – composition, production, bass, synthesizer
  • Juan Luis Morera – songwriting (sample)
  • Urbani Mota Cedeño – songwriting
  • Juan Ivan Orengo – songwriting

Technical

  • Anthony Vilchis – assistant engineer
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer
  • Manny Marroquin - mixing engineer
  • Zach Peraya – assistant engineer
  • Jeremie Inhaber – assistant engineer
  • Anthony Vilchis – assistant engineer
  • Chris Gehringer – assistant engineer

Charts[]

Chart performance for "Saoko"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Global 200 (Billboard)[19] 101
Portugal (AFP)[20] 68
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[21] 5
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[22] 22

Release history[]

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various 4 February 2022
Columbia [23]

References[]

  1. ^ "The meaning of Rosalía's Saoko pays homage to classic reggaeton". The Focus. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Rosalía Announces New Album Motomami". Pitchfork. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Rosalía Shares Video for New Song "Saoko"". Pitchfork. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. ^ Sancho, Xavi (4 February 2022). "Rosalía breaks new ground with 'Saoko'". El País English Edition. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  5. ^ Lopez, Julyssa (4 February 2022). "Rosalía Joins An All-Girl Biker Gang on 'Saoko'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  6. ^ "MOTOMAMI: El camino de Rosalía a su propia emancipación". Rolling Stone en Español (in Spanish). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Rosalía Reveals Artwork for New Album Motomami". Pitchfork. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Rosalía – "SAOKO"". Stereogum. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Rosalía: la gata sobre el asfalto cultural caliente". Vanity Fair España (in Spanish). 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  10. ^ Ortiz, Diego (17 November 2021). "The Reinvention of Rosalía". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Rosalía says she's close to finishing her new album". NME. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Rosalía's 'Saoko' Dips Into Her Reggaeton Roots". Clash. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Watch: Rosalía Drops Teaser For Upcoming Single 'Saoko'". Remezcla. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  14. ^ Billboard Staff (4 February 2022). "First Stream Latin: New Music From Rosalia, Llane, Beele & More". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Grammy winner Rosalia released Saoko music video shot in Kyiv". 112.international. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Las referencias artísticas (y de moda) que están en 'Saoko', el último videoclip de Rosalía". Vogue España (in Spanish). 4 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Rosalía: la gata sobre el asfalto cultural caliente". Vanity Fair España (in Spanish). 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Credits / Saoko / Rosalía". Tidal. Retrieved 7 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Rosalia Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Rosalía – Saoko". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  21. ^ "Top 100 Canciones: Semana 6". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Rosalia Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  23. ^ Lopez, Julyssa (4 February 2022). "Rosalía Joins An All-Girl Biker Gang on 'Saoko'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
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