El Clavo

Album: Alter Ego (2018)
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Songfacts®:

  • This reggaeton single is an empowering anthem for relationships that encourages hope in the face of heartbreak.

    "When you're single you often think, 'Oh yeah, I want to be single. Eight years man. I'm not going to get into that last relationship,'" Prince Royce explained to Genius. "And you often put up a wall. Like, 'Man I had a bad situation.' And I think that you should just live life regular. You shouldn't be looking for a relationship. But you shouldn't be blocking a relationship."
  • "El Clavo" literally translates to "nail," the type used in woodworking and construction. Royce explained: "In Spanish, it's a saying, like a nail takes out another nail. It's basically like, 'Yo, you could easily be replaceable.' That's really what this song's about."

    "We didn't end up deciding that title until the end where we came up with the chorus," he added. "But we thought it could be something different. It's a Spanish saying. It's a different type of title. I don't think there's been a title like that at least in a minute on a Spanish song."

    "And there's also double meaning to that," Prince Royce continued. "For Dominicans, it's a whole other field. I think it's a little something more sexual. I think that with this song, it's talking about, 'I'll be the guy that can replace your man.' But it's also something a little more sexy behind it as well."

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