Venezuelan producer Arca is gearing up to release her latest enigmatic album, Kick I, which drops tomorrow. She has shared some fascinating advance looks at the record, one of them being “Mequetrefe.” Now she has offered a visual for the song, and unsurprisingly, it’s a surreal visual oddity.
Filming the clip was likely a straightforward affair, as the raw footage is just Arca singing the song in front of a blank wall, albeit with a handful of outfit changes. The footage doesn’t remain raw by any means, though, as her head and body become distorted along with the song’s percussive hits, exploding out from the center of her being as the track’s rhythm chugs along. It’s ultimately a clever way to create a visually interesting visual during the pandemic.
Arca previously explained that “mequetrefe” is a slang word she heard while growing up in Venezuela, which was used derogatorily towards men. Arca’s aim with the song was to reclaim the word and alter its meaning, saying, “The song ‘Mequetrefe’ invokes the tenderness behind expressing who you are without shame, and the confidence and bravery it requires, because expression of gender-nonconforming self-states in a public space can often result in static within your environment.”
Watch the “Mequetrefe” video above.
Kick I is out 6/26 via XL. Pre-order it here.
