"Con Altura" is a song by Spanish singer Rosalía and Colombian singer J Balvin, featuring Spanish producer el Guincho. Written by Rosalía, Balvin, Aury "Mariachi Budda" Pineda, el Guincho, Frank Dukes, Teo Halm, and Sky Rompiendo and produced by the last four alongside the Spanish singer, the song was released by Columbia Records on 28 March 2019.[1]

"Con Altura"
Single by Rosalía and J Balvin featuring El Guincho
LanguageSpanish
English title"With Height"
Released28 March 2019
RecordedSeptember 2018
Genre
Length2:41
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Rosalía singles chronology
"De Aquí No Sales"
(2019)
"Con Altura"
(2019)
"Barefoot in the Park"
(2019)
J Balvin singles chronology
"I Can't Get Enough"
(2019)
"Con Altura"
(2019)
"La Rebelión"
(2019)
Music video
"Con Altura" on YouTube

"Con altura" peaked at number one in six countries, many of them Latin American, and started the ascent of Rosalía into the international music scene. The song was one of the best-performing singles of 2019, being streamed for over 1.5 billion times during the year.[2] It was listed in many year-end lists and received critical acclaim, with Billboard ranking it fifth on their list of 100 Best Songs of 2019 as Pitchfork the eighth best.[3][4] "Con altura" won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Song and was also nominated for a Teen Choice and an MTV Europe Music Award, among others.[5][6][7]

Its music video, directed by Director X, accompanied its release the same day. It reached social media virality and became the most-watched female music video on YouTube of 2019.[8] It earned the performers multiple accolades. Rosalía made history after winning two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Latin and Best Choreography as she became the first ever Spanish-winning artist at the ceremony.[9] "Con altura" also appeared on Just Dance 2020 and Grand Theft Auto Online.[10]

Background

edit

In May 2018, Colombian singer J Balvin released his fifth studio album Vibras (2018). The album included a collaboration with Rosalía called "Brillo", which reached the 19th position on the Spanish singles chart. In September 2018, Rosalía stayed a couple days in Miami due to her performance at the Ziff Ballet Opera House to celebrate her five Latin Grammy nominations. The singer told at a press conference in Argentina that the song was born there.[11] The song includes a talked sample of Dominican influencer Mariachi Budda, which Rosalía eventually found on the Internet spontaneously and had coined and registered the phrase "Con altura".[12]

At the end of 2018, Rosalía began to work on her third studio album, which was set to be released in mid-2021. By that time, she also began to announce the first dates of her debut world tour named El Mal Querer Tour. In December 2018, a snippet of the music video was posted by Balvin's team on their Instagram stories; the videos were deleted almost instantly. In March 2019, rumors began circulating about Rosalía performing new (un)released song(s) on her tour. Those rumors were confirmed by Rosalía herself when she finally announced the song's release on 27 March 2019 through a social media post.[13] As well as Rosalía and J Balvin, the songwriters are Frank Dukes, Teo Halm, Alejandro Ramírez and el Guincho.[1]

Critical reception and cultural appropriation

edit

After its release, the song was received well by critics. Pitchfork named Rosalía's new single "a lighthearted mix of boastful tropes meant to be playful. It's a high-flying trifle of a song whose video and title show both artists at the top of their game".[14] Rolling Stone had this to say about the song: "it's a modern take in reference to Spanish flamenco songs inspired by Afro-Caribbean sounds; ever the champion of cross-cultural experimentation, Rosalía has ultimately described it as her personal homage to classic reggaeton."[15]

Furthermore, Rosalía has played a significant role in cultural heterogenization (cultural hybridization) of Reggaeton and Flamenco music, contributing to a new sound in the Latinx music industry. However, her rise to mainstream success has sparked controversy, with accusations of cultural appropriation. Critics argue that she has adopted elements of Afro-Caribbean rhythms and music, despite not belonging to that culture. In Ellen Rebecca Bishwell's article, a PhD Researcher in Modern Languages at Newcastle University, she highlights how Reggaeton belongs to the Afro-Caribbean music genre, emphasizing its rich history and cultural mixtures [29]. The media, including platforms like Billboard’s “Growing Up Latino” web series [30], has enabled Rosalía to bypass scrutiny for her actions, portraying her as a Latina woman despite her European background. This portrayal contributes to the whitewashing of Reggaeton and erases its historical roots, perpetuating modern colonialism.

Commercial performance

edit

Within 24 hours on streaming platforms, the song received 201,000 Spotify streams in Spain, beating Aitana's "Teléfono" as the most-streamed female song in a single day in Spotify Spain.[16] After a week, the song had been streamed over 15 million times of which 4.71M came from Spain. This set the record for the most streamed song in Spain in only a week.[17] Its music video received over 22 million views in that time.[18] The song debuted number one in Spain, being Rosalía's second number one there after "Di mi nombre". "Con altura" topped the Argentina Hot 100 chart in July 2019.[19]

Music video

edit

Rosalía shared a preview of the music video on 27 March 2019. The video itself premiered on the singer's YouTube channel the day after.[20] The video features Spanish dance formation, Las Ocho Rosas (who are Rosalía's backup dancers) and J Balvin inside a plane while dancing to the song and piloting the plane.[21] The music video was directed by Director X, marking the first time they collaborate. It reached social media virality and drew comparisons to the music video of "Toxic" by Britney Spears.[citation needed]

In the third week of June 2019, it became the most-viewed music video globally in a single week, with more than 19 million views in 7 days.[22] A week later, the music video had been viewed more than 500 million times.[23] Starting 9 July, it became the most-viewed music video by a female artist of 2019, a record previously held by Ariana Grande's "7 Rings".[24] It reached one billion views by mid-October.[25]

Personnel

edit

Credits adapted from Tidal, Jaxsta, and The New York Times.[26][27][28]

Production

  • El Guincho – production, songwriting; vocals
  • Frank Dukes – production, songwriting
  • Rosalía – production, songwriting; vocals
  • Sky Rompiendo – production, songwriting
  • J Balvin – songwriting; vocals
  • Teo Halm – production, songwriting; background vocals
  • Aury "Mariachi Budda" Pineda – songwriting

Technical

  • Morning Estrada – recording engineer
  • El Guincho – recording engineer
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing
  • Chris Galland – assistant engineer
  • Jeremie Inhaber – assistant engineer
  • Robin Florent – assistant engineer
  • Emerson Mancini – mastering

Charts

edit

Certifications

edit
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[82] Diamond 160,000
Canada (Music Canada)[83] Gold 40,000
France (SNEP)[84] Gold 100,000
Italy (FIMI)[85] Gold 25,000
Mexico (AMPROFON)[86] 2× Diamond+Gold 630,000
Poland (ZPAV)[87] Gold 10,000
Portugal (AFP)[88] Gold 5,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[89] 5× Platinum 200,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[90] Gold 10,000
United States (RIAA)[91] 2× Platinum 2,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

edit
Country Date Format Label
Various 28 March 2019 Columbia
Spain 31 March 2019 Contemporary hit radio
Italy 21 June 2019

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Rosalia, J Balvin Win Latin GRAMMY". GRAMMY.com. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  2. ^ EFE, RTVE es / (16 October 2019). "El videoclip "Con altura" de Rosalía supera los 1.000 millones de visualizaciones". RTVE.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  3. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2019: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  4. ^ Sampaio, Sofia (11 December 2019). "Pitchfork: Con Altura e Caro estão entre as 10 melhores do ano". Latina Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Rosalía se encumbra sobre el escenario de los MTV EMA Sevilla en una gala con protagonismo femenino". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 3 November 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Teen Choice Awards: lista de nominados". www.milenio.com (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  7. ^ "La noche inolvidable de Rosalía en los Grammy Latinos 2019". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 15 November 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  8. ^ "El videoclip 'Con altura' de Rosalía es el segundo más visto de YouTube en 2019". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 December 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  9. ^ "MTV VMAs: Rosalía es la primera artista española en ganar premios". okdiario.com (in Spanish). 27 August 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Just Dance 2020 confirma nuevos temas con Rosalía, Black Eyed Peas y más". MeriStation (in Spanish). 21 August 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  11. ^ "World Tour' en Buenos Aires con Rosalía". La Vanguardia. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  12. ^ Libre, Diario (9 July 2019). "Locutor Mariachi Budda en los créditos de la canción "Con altura" de Rosalía y J Balvin". www.diariolibre.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  13. ^ Charlie (27 March 2019). "Rosalía se convertirá en la obsesión de muchos: su nuevo tema con J.Balvin (y sus estilismos) tienen la culpa". Trendencias (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "Listen to 'Con Altura' by Rosalía / J Balvin". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 April 2019.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ Exposito, Suzy (28 March 2019). "Rosalía and J Balvin Fly High in New Video for 'Con Altura (feat. El Guincho)'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 8 April 2019.[dead link]
  16. ^ Noticias, Rosalía (30 March 2019). "'Con Altura' pulveriza récords en un sólo día en Spotify España y obtiene el segundo mejor registro con 717K streams superada únicamente por 'Despacito' de Luis Fonsi y Daddy Yankee.pic.twitter.com/098JfAJ7Gz". @RosalíaNoticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  17. ^ Noticias, Rosalía (5 April 2019). "ÚLTIMA HORA: 'Con Altura' bate el récord semanal de streaming en Spotify España con 4.71M de reproducciones.pic.twitter.com/hWVYroVPhg". @RosalíaNoticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  18. ^ Noticias, Rosalía (4 April 2019). "El vídeoclip de 'Con Altura' cierra su primera semana en YouTube con 22M de reproducciones, logrando así el mejor debut en su canal en este tiempo.pic.twitter.com/xmxc4mTztj". @RosalíaNoticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Rosalía Chart History (Billboard Argentina Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  20. ^ RosalíaVEVO (28 March 2019). "ROSALÍA, J Balvin - Con Altura (Official Video) ft. El Guincho". YouTube. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  21. ^ "Video: Rosalía & J Balvin – "Con Altura" (ft. El Guincho)". Spin. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  22. ^ ""Con altura", de Rosalía, el vídeo oficial más visto en Youtube de todo el planeta". abc (in Spanish). 24 June 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  23. ^ Barcelona, El Periódico / (9 July 2019). "'Con Altura', de Rosalía, sube hasta los 500 millones de reproducciones en Youtube". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Rosalía logra el video femenino más reproducido del año" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  25. ^ "Rosalía and J Balvin's 'Con Altura' Hits One Billion Views on YouTube". Billboard. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Con Altura by J Balvin and Rolsalía Credits". listen.tidal.com. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  27. ^ "Con Altura: Overview". Jaxsta. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  28. ^ How Rosalía and J Balvin Made 'Con Altura' a Global Reggaeton Hit | Diary of a Song (video). The New York Times. 8 July 2019.
  29. ^ "Rosal%EDa & J Balvin & El Guincho – Con altura" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  30. ^ "Bolivia General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  31. ^ "Chile General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  32. ^ "Colombia General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Colombia – Semana 24 del 2019 – Del 07/06/2019 al 13/06/2019" (in Spanish). National-Report. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  34. ^ "Con Altura Costa Rica". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  35. ^ "Top 20 Republica Dominicana". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  36. ^ "Top 100 Ecuador – Semana 22 del 2019 – Del 24/05/2019 al 30/05/2019" (in Spanish). National-Report. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  37. ^ "Con Altura El Salvador Latino". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  38. ^ "Le Top de la semaine: Top Singles (téléchargement + streaming) – SNEP (Week 23, 2019)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  39. ^ "Con Altura Guatemala". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  40. ^ "Greece Official IFPI Charts Digital Singles Chart: 28/2019". IFPI Charts. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  41. ^ "Con Altura Honduras". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  42. ^ "Rosalía Chart History (Mexico Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  43. ^ "Top Streaming". Amprofon. 11 June 2019. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2019.[failed verification]
  44. ^ www.monitorlatino.com. "Con Altura Nicaragua Latino". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  45. ^ "Con Altura Panama". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  46. ^ "Con Altura Paraguay". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  47. ^ "Con Altura Peru". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  48. ^ "Rosalía & J Balvin feat. El Guincho – Con altura". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  49. ^ "Puerto Rico General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  50. ^ "Airplay 100 – 29 septembrie 2019" (in Romanian). Kiss FM. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  51. ^ "Top 100 Canciones: Semana 14". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  52. ^ "Rosalía & J Balvin feat. El Guincho – Con altura". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  53. ^ "Con Altura Uruguay". charts monitorLATINO (in Spanish).
  54. ^ "Rosalia Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  55. ^ "Rosalia Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  56. ^ "Rosalia Chart History (Latin Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  57. ^ "Rosalia Chart History (Latin Rhythm Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  58. ^ "Venezuela General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  59. ^ "Top 100 Venezuela – Semana 19 del 2019 – Del 03/05/2019 al 09/05/2019" (in Spanish). National-Report. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  60. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Argentina General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  61. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Bolivia General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  62. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Chile General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  63. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Colombia General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  64. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Costa Rica General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  65. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Dominican Republic General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  66. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Ecuador General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  67. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – El Salvador General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  68. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Guatemala General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  69. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Honduras General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  70. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Mexico General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  71. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Nicaragua General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  72. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Panama General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  73. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Paraguay General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  74. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Peru General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  75. ^ "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  76. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Puerto Rico General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  77. ^ "Airplay 100 – Top of the Year 2019" (in Romanian). Kiss FM. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  78. ^ "Top 100 Songs Annual 2019" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  79. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Uruguay General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  80. ^ "Hot Latin Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  81. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2019 – Venezuela General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  82. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Rosalía – Con Altura" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  83. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Rosalía & J Balvin feat. El Guincho – Con Altura". Music Canada. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  84. ^ "French single certifications – Rosalía & J Balvin feat. El Guincho – Con Altura" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  85. ^ "Italian single certifications – Rosalía & J Balvin feat. El Guincho – Con altura" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 7 October 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Con altura" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  86. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 27 April 2023. Type Rosalía & J Balvin feat. El Guincho in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Con Altura in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  87. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  88. ^ "Portuguese Charts - Singles Top 20 - 32/2019". portuguesecharts.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  89. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Rosalía & J Balvin feat. El Guincho – Con Altura". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  90. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Con Altura')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  91. ^ "American single certifications – Rosalía – Con Altura". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 September 2022.