Rosalía Surprise-Drops A New Ballad To Ease The Pain Of Isolation
New Rosalía tracks tend to arrive alongside big, bold music videos, but not "Dolerme." The surprise single, which dropped on Tuesday (March 24), comes with a simple illustration of the singer looking like most of us during this time of mass isolation — she's lying down in a blue bedroom, barely clothed and looking bored. There's a screen in front of her and a snarling chihuahua at her side, along with an ominously shiny knife. It's melodramatic and beautiful, much like the song itself.
"Dolerme," which translates to "Hurt Me" in English, marks a bit of a new direction for the chameleonic artist; the midtempo ballad is more pop-leaning than her usual unconventional fare. Over a strumming guitar and keyboard loops, Rosalía sings about a failed relationship, muses about her ex's new lovers, and envisions herself driving as fast as she can, "to see if I can crash."
In a message to fans, Rosalía wrote about how she's self-isolated during the coronavirus pandemic, and how making new music has factored into that.
"I am in quarantine and I have lost track of time a bit because I decided that I was not going to think about it too much and that instead I was going to put my energy and my heart into doing something for others, in my own way," she shared. "I know that what I do as an artist may seem expendable, for some it will be, but for me being able to make music is mental health. This song is called 'Dolerme' and I hope it makes you feel a little better like it did to me when I made it."
"Dolerme" is Rosalía's second new single of the year, following January's flamenco-inspired "Juro Que." Revisit her stunning Grammys performance of that song right here.