Rosalía Slammed by Critics For Appropriating Latin Culture
For many fans, Rosalía is one of the brightest stars in music today. She is talented, successful, beautiful, and has formed successful collaborations with many of the music industry’s biggest power players, including Travis Scott, Pharrell, and, most recently, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. Still, the singer has received some criticism in recent months, mainly from fans who believe that Rosalía is guilty of appropriating Latin culture and using it to her own advantage.
When was Rosalía born?
Rosalía was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1993. A talented and intelligent student, Rosalía began studying music when she was sixteen, at the prestigious Taller de Músics in Barcelona. Not long after she began her studies at the music academy, Rosalía was recommended by her instructors to receive lessons from Chiqui de La Línea, a renowned flamenco teacher who was notorious for her habit of only accepting one student each school year, according to Insider.
Around the same time that she studied flamenco in school, Rosalía was performing at bars and nightclubs in order to gain experience. She became quite popular locally and not long after her graduation, she signed her first record deal. From 2016 until 2018, Rosalía worked with local acts and continued developing the style that she would end up becoming famous for. In 2019, Rosalía started receiving international acclaim after working with popular stars like J Balvin and James Blake. Critics, as well as fans, loved Rosalía’s energy and unique style, and she began winning awards. All in all, the young singer has scored five Latin Grammy Awards as well as a Grammy Award.
Rosalía recently guest-starred in a Cardi B video
In the summer of 2020, Rosalía made headlines for her guest stint in Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion‘s music video “WAP.” It was one of the singer’s highest-profile appearances to date and earned her a slew of new fans and followers. With the new wave of interest in Rosalía, it seems likely that when her highly-anticipated third album drops, it will be the biggest of her career.
As to when her third album will release, no one is quite sure. With the pandemic affecting how many singers and artists are able to work on their craft, it could be months yet before Rosalía’s third album hits the charts. Still, it is slated for release sometime in 2020, according to Billboard, and it is quite possible that the star will do a surprise drop.
Rosalía has received some fan criticism
In spite of Rosalía’s immense popularity with fans worldwide, she has received a lot of criticism within the past few months. The most common complaint leveled against the singer is the charge that she is appropriating Latin culture, reports The New York Times. In fact, her critics have argued that she should be exempt from winning Latin Grammy Awards since Spain is a European country.
People on Twitter have spoken out against Rosalía, calling her a “colonizer from spain who appropriates latin culture.” Still, many have defended the singer, stating that there are many other singers who should be called out before Rosalía, people like Enrique Iglesias, among others. It seems as though everyone has an opinion about Rosalía, be it good or bad – regardless of anyone’s opinion, she will likely continue to work hard and top the charts in multiple countries, from Spain to the United States. There’s no telling where the future could take her if she maintains her current pace.
