If there’s one thing Rosalía knows, it’s how to take her distinctive sonic cocktail of flamenco and hip-hop and translate it into impactful visuals. In addition to chart-topping hits with the likes of J Balvin and Arca, the Catalan musician has shown an ability to take the traditional ruffles and fringes of her idol, the flamenco dancer Lola Flores, and blend them with her trademark blinged-out jewelry and embellished artificial nails. And that idiosyncratic approach to fashion quickly made her one of 2019’s breakout style stars.
With the cryptic video for her new release “TKN,” featuring Travis Scott, Rosalía is continuing to move the dial forward. Directed by the collective CANADA, the video sees Rosalía stomping through the streets of Los Angeles at sunset in a cropped black velour hoodie, a pair of vinyl trousers, and platform shoes, accompanied by a gang of kids weaving their way through traffic. Scott is introduced lying on the floor illuminated by flashlights, before launching into a verse surrounded by his very own troupe of young dancers, with the two eventually coming together to dance under a single, eerie streetlight.
The usual maximalism of Rosalía’s videos is replaced by noir-inflected visuals which tell a darker, more mysterious story in “TKN”—and the singer’s slinky bodysuits and signature talon-like nails are just the cherry on the cake.