Catalonia singer Rosalìa dropped her third studio album Motomami on March 18. The album is full of visual appeal, and emphasizes Japanese biker gang aesthetics. The title of the album can be broken into two words, “moto” meaning motorcycle, and “mami” meaning mommy. On the cover, Rosalìa fits that description perfectly. She is pictured nude and wears a motorcycle helmet with her hair done in the shape of the letter M. Also on the cover is a red abstracted series of the letter M which compliments Rosalìa’s hair. Her look is mainly inspired by Japanese Kyushakai, or female biker gangs. The Kyushakai girls were street racing legends during the 1980s and 90s, terrorizing the highways with their fast and furious motorcycles. Rosalìa fits right in with them. Her look is provocative, sporty, and unabashed. Songs on the album such as “Chicken Teriyaki”, “Sakura”, and “Hentai” also pay homage to Japanese culture.
Although the aesthetics of Motomami are influenced by the Kyushakai, the music is laden with Latin
musical forms. She quickly zooms us onto the streets of Latin America with electronic flamenco-inspired sound and reggaeton beats. Because of its sound, Motomami is the perfect album to blast as you roll your windows down, and let the whole world know you’re listening to Rosalìa. Or even better, riding warp speed on your Kawasaki with a Diesel leather jacket and pants, sporting a black helmet. It’s simply what the Kyushakai and Rosalìa would want.
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