these artists who are revolutionizing pop
They both emerged in 2017. On one side, Rosalia, 33, trained at the Higher School of Music of Catalonia (Spain). After a first flamenco album, she moved towards an alchemy of sounds, performing in thirteen languages pieces borrowing from Portuguese fado as much as reggaeton (Latin mix of reggae and rap) or lyrical singing.
On the other, Theodora, 22 years old, propelled by the Internet buzz of her first piece, Kongolese under BBL who mixes electro, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and world music, like her journey as a citizen of the world. Born in Switzerland to doctor parents from Kinshasa (Congo), she grew up in Greece, in Reunion, then in mainland France, where she studied until preparatory school, before devoting herself to music.
Feel good about themselves
What do they have in common? A visceral relationship with the body. On the cover of her latest album, Rosalia poses in an outfit reminiscent of a nun’s veil. A sacrilege for the Christian public? On the contrary, he is enthusiastic!
Sister Xiskya Valladares, Nicaraguan missionary and influencer, sees it as “a subversive gesture, rich in opportunities for a spiritual awakening of young people”, while we can read in Avvenire, the journal of the Italian Episcopal Conference: “Rosalia composed 18 songs to tell us that God is present on the threshold of our imperfections.”
For his part, song historian Bertrand Dicale is surprised by the gap between the character, the passion she arouses and the rather conventional character of her music.
Schuyler reminds us that a woman does not need BBL (for Brazilian Butt Lift, a controversial cosmetic surgery aimed at increasing the volume of the buttocks) to exist. “She constantly revolutionizes her look, multiplies collaborations with artists of all styles, and brings together audiences, particularly the queer community, who adore her,” maintains the historian, before deploring that “she talks too much about money in her songs.”
Their influence goes beyond the stage. Rosalia exceeds 32 million subscribers on TikTok and 22 on Facebook. “In the streets, we are starting to see young girls dressed like Schuyler,” remarked a fan. Proof that these two phenomena, each in their own way, breathe new life into popular music.
