Spanish pop has been trending for a few years now, and among the artists who have gained a lot of listeners, La Chica stick out. She is a Franco-Venezuelan artist, both a piano virtuoso and an excellent singer, and her universe gets deeper with each release. The latest one to date is a short album called “La Loba”; an album she released in a particularly difficult context. She was indeed deeply marked by the death of someone close to her, as well as by these last twelve months. This album is therefore cathartic in many ways : its 7 minimalist tracks that let her fully express herself through metaphors on the different stages of mourning.
We all know La Chica for her colorful, Hispanic infused universe. So when we first saw the cover of her album, we were already preparing ourselves for a major change in the artist’s paradigm. The cover is white, minimalistic, and it showcases her alongside two protagonists in a surreal setting.
This paradigm shift is also felt throughout the entire album. She says so herself to her fans on her socials : this album is her piano, her hands and her voice, and it mirrors all the intense emotions and events that she has been through throughout this year.
“This album is my piano, my hands and my voice. It is like my 2020 : a pivotal year, both intense and violent, but it is a year that also allowed me to reconnect to myself like never before. I needed to illustrate it musically in order to transform the anger, the infinite sorrow, the abundant love that I’ve felt… It is an intimate and sincere opus, inspired by magic and rituals. It is dedicated to my brother Pablo.” – La Chica on Facebook.
La Chica offers us a trip into her personal world, and the trip begins on the very refined track called “3”. The track is introduced by computer-processed vocalizations that allow La Chica’s voice to smoothly take place. Her voice then doubles up like FKA Twigs would do on her tracks ; an effet that wholly lets La Chica express herself on the matter of death.
We then come across the main track of the album, “La Loba”, which means “the wolf” (the female / the she-wolf) in Spanish. It is inspired by the Mexican legend that bears the same name and who is known to resurrect dead souls. “La Loba” is also a song that she dedicates to women – but its energy should easily convince all genders. The track is filled with a communicative energy that rallies the troops – or, should we say, that gathers the wolf pack – and there is no need to speak Spanish to feel transported in tribal territory on this title. The music video that was unveiled on release day demonstrates it very well. It is hypnotic, and the few raw piano notes that are hammered throughout the track underline the backing vocals which repeat like a mantra the word “loba” as well as the blood-filled scenes.
Once we come back from the trance-like state under which La Chica put us, we enter a universe that is filled with melancholy ; a universe that lets the artist speak in English this time around. “Drink” is certainly one of the saddest tracks on the album : La Chica evokes the absence of someone, and the desire to drown the feelings that come with it in alcohol. Moreover, “Drink”, on this album, is a variation of an existing song, a variation of a song that was originally much more joyful ; that is enough to add a much darker dimension to the most recent version of the track.
We then finally arrive on the last three tracks of the album which are “Sol”, an interlude and “Hoy (Lobo)”. We focus particularly on the latter : the artist sings a capella for almost a minute before accompanying herself on the piano again. Sadness is present in this song too; a common state of mind for a lot of people at this time of the year.
With this new intimate and personal album, La Chica comes back with a very powerful release. We can not wait to be able to enjoy it live, once the pandemic is over !
“La Loba” by La Chica can be found on all streaming platforms. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
