La Fama
by Rosalia (featuring The Weeknd)

Album: Motomami (2021)
Charted: 94
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Songfacts®:

  • The Weeknd joins Rosalia for this cautionary tale about how fame can be a double-edged sword. The two artists compare stardom to a shallow lover; it can be appealing and seductive, but then disappear as quickly as it appeared.
  • Bachata is guitar-based music that originated in the Dominican Republic. Back in 2018, Rosalia expressed her wish to write a track in that genre. Romeo Santos, the lead vocalist of the bachata group Aventura, helped the Spanish singer out by sending her an extensive playlist.

    "I wanted to write, in my own way, a bachata with a little story around ambition," Rosalía said. "Taking as a reference the lyrics of Ruben Blades or Patti Smith and the songs of Aventura, I ended up writing a story of romance with fame."
  • Originally intended to be a solo song, the Weeknd jumped on the track in early 2020. Rosalia kept chipping away at the production, trying to nail it, but the Weeknd wanted to get on with the release. She finally dropped it as the lead single from Motomami on November 11, 2021.
  • The Weeknd recorded his vocals around the same time that Rosalia hopped on the remix for his 2020 single "Blinding Lights."
  • The Weeknd sings in Spanish on this track. He previously recorded vocals in Spanish when he jumped on the remix of Maluma's 2020 track "Hawái."
  • Director X helmed the video, in which Rosalía portrays the star of a nightclub. After being introduced by American actor Danny Trejo, she takes the stage and slowly seduces The Weeknd.
  • Rosalía delivered a solo performance of this song on the March 12, 2022 episode of Saturday Night Live. It was her debut as the musical guest on the comedy show.
  • Rosalia chose the album title in honor of her mother, Pilar Tobella, and the company she runs, Motomami SL. "Back when I was a teenager, I had a friend whose email account was 'Motomami,'" She explained to Billboard. "I loved the name and it stayed with me. I associate it with my friend and with motorcycles. My mom has always had motorcycles, I've ridden since I was eight years old with my dad."

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