In response to the backlash, Rosalía says her recent comment about Bad Bunny was taken out of context.
During a recent appearance on the New York Times‘ Popcastthe singer was asked a question about Bad Bunny choosing to intentionally perform in Spanish despite having many fans who don’t perceive the language.
“I think I’m the opposite of Benito,” the singer said near the 33-minute mark in the video linked right here. “I think I care. I care so much that definitely I’m going to make the effort to sing in a language that’s not my language. It’s not my comfort zone.”
Her remark, meant to highlight her decision to record parts of her new multilingual album LUXwas widely interpreted as a critique of Bad Bunny’s statement that he doesn’t mind if non-Spanish speakers don’t understand his lyrics.
The distinction quickly went viral, with fans of the Puerto Rican star (born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) defending him and framing his choice to sing only in Spanish as a cultural and political stance.
One Latina fan, TikTok user @rina_see_me, posted a video saying, “You are the opposite of Benito … Because the reason why he decides to only sing music in Spanish is because he’s standing up for his culture. Something you cannot relate to because, what? You are not a Latina, you’re Spaniard.”
She accused Rosalía, whose 2022 Motomami album featured reggaeton, bachata, and merengue on hits like “Just in case,” “Fame,” and “Desperate,” of benefiting from Latino tradition with out understanding its roots.
“You came over here, you speak Spanish, we listen to your music, we embraced it, whatever. You’re not a Latina and yet you have benefited from the Latino culture. So you should be able to stand up for it, but it does not surprise me that you’re just like, … ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys,’” Rina concluded.
Rosalía later responded immediately in the feedback of the video earlier than deleting her reply, which Rina later reshared for her followers.
Writing in Spanish, she stated, “Hey, I perceive your viewpoint however I believe it is being taken out of context. I’ve nothing however love and respect for Benito, he’s an important colleague that I love whom I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with… I’ve all the time been grateful to Latin America as a result of, regardless of coming from one other place, the Latin individuals have all the time supported me all through my profession and I empathize with what you’re explaining. Precisely for that cause, it saddens me that that is being misinterpreted as a result of that wasn’t the intention.”
Rosalía’s new album LUX arrives on November 7.