Bizarrap partners with Rauw Alejandro in a new ‘Sessions’ that could become the song of the summer
Another strong track by the Argentine producer and performed by the Puerto Rican vocalist blows kisses to Rosalía
The competition for the song of the summer is heating up. Nochentera by Vicco is among the favorites, while others are betting on Mercho, a wild party song by Argentina’s Lil Cake. Then, Bizarrap’s Sessions 56 dropped on June 21. The song is a collaboration with Puerto Rican reggaeton king, Rauw Alejandro, who is in a relationship with Rosalía, the Spanish singer, songwriter, producer, actress and musician.
The 24-year-old Argentine producer named Gonzalo Julián Conde, better known as Bizarrap, has unveiled another one of his well-received Sessions. You know the drill: Bizarrap composes the music and invites people from the urban music scene to write the lyrics and perform. This modus operandi began modestly in 2018, but quickly turned into one of the most eagerly anticipated pop events of the year. Residente, Nathy Peluso, Duki, and Villano Antillano are just a few of the names from the Spanish-language urban genre (reggaeton, hip hop, trap...) who have participated in Bizarrap’s Sessions, which have had two major successes — one unexpected and the other foretold. The unexpected success was Session 52, with an almost unknown (in the summer of 2022) singer from the Canary Islands (Spain) named Quevedo. The hit was Quédate, and it became the most listened-to song of the summer on Spotify worldwide. Bizarrap’s more predictable hit resulted from his collaboration with Shakira, a song of rage and heartbreak about her former partner, Gerard Piqué.
The Sessions’ bar is set high, but the Argentine producer continues to churn out hits. On June 1, he released Sessions 55 with Peso Pluma, Mexico’s rising star, and scored a win in the new regional music genre. This time he joins forces with Rauw Alejandro, a Puerto Rican reggaeton artist from the same generation as his compatriots Bad Bunny, Ozuna, Anuel, Myke Towers and Jhay Cortez.
Session 56 moves away from reggaeton and goes for a more commercial and danceable electronic vibe. It’s a mashup of Bizarrap’s sessions with Quevedo and Shakira, with very similar themes. The lyrics are about a casual sexual encounter, and that’s about it. “You want to try me, I’ll eat you up / We can screw all night / And there doesn’t have to be a wedding in the morning / I’m alone and you’re alone,” sings Rauw Alejandro without any pretensions of musical poetry.
In the song, Alejandro sends a few kisses to his girlfriend, Rosalía. The duo is very fond of these musical displays of affection, to the delight of some and horror of others. The Session 56 music video shows Alejandro wearing a motorcycle helmet, one of the main aesthetic elements of Rosalía’s Motomami album. He sings lyrics like “If you’re despechá [heartbroken], I’m your rehab.” Do I need to mention that Despechá (Heartbroken) is another hit song by Rosalía? At the end of the video, Bizarrap and Alejandro announce that they have another collaboration on the way, a song called Baby Hello. Bizarrap just can’t pass up a marketing opportunity.
The circle is starting to close. Will we soon see a new Sessions with Bizarrap and Rosalía?
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