Following his appearance on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, Blue Rojo is shifting his music career into the next gear with “La Foto x El Whatsapp.” Today (December 7), the Mexican singer-songwriter released the revved-up music video for the heartbreaking track.
Last month, Blue Rojo received a big breakthrough in his career when he was included on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. His contribution “Inframundo” was alongside tracks by Rihanna, Burna Boy, and Tems. With his single “La Foto x El Whatsapp,” he is returning to the world of his debut album Solitario. The man that broke his heart on that LP rears his head once again.
About expressing himself as a queer artist, Blue Rojo told Uproxx, “I do feel proud that I can do these things now without having fear. This song is super gay and fun. [The queer representation] is necessary. I use ‘puto’ in the song, which I’m reclaiming as a gay man and playing with language and words. That’s what I wanted to do.”
“La Foto x El Whatsapp” blends reggaeton beats with elements of electronica music. Blue Rojo sings about finding out that his boyfriend is seeing a woman. He made the discovery through a photo a sent him a friend sent him on Whatsapp. With his operatic voice, Blue Rojo taps in the heartache and betrayal of the situation and delivers an emotional performance. The heartbreaking club banger includes a sample of “Por Ti” by Belanova, which he called a “full-circle moment” as a fan of the Mexican electro-pop act.
In the video for “La Foto x El Whatsapp” that was directed by José Lupercio, Blue Rojo reminisces about riding on a motorcycle with his boyfriend amidst his breakdown. The power of social media like Whatsapp is emphasized throughout with sinister special effects. While Blue Rojo described the melodrama of telenovelas as an influence for the video, he welcomes any comparisons to Rosalía, who popularized motorcycle style this year with her Motomami album. “I love Rosalía,” he said. “Mexico City, telenovelas, and Motopapi vibes. That’s how I see it.”
Blue Rojo will soon begin work on his second album. With the music that he has out now, he is proud to be pushing barriers as a queer artist in Latin pop music.
“If someone can identify and be inspired, new artists or young people, and they can feel that love, energy, and safety in my music, that’s the most important thing,” Blue Rojo says. “That freedom to express themselves.”
