And finally the night arrived. After the controversy over the reposting of a publication that offended Argentines in the midst of World Cup fever, after the apologies that felt insufficient (“My bad,” she posted), Rosalía appeared before the Buenos Aires audience at the Movistar Arena. And if there were ticket returns, it was not noticeable. The stadium looked full.
Beforehand, an unusual atmosphere was already noticeable. Although many fans were seen following the dress code imposed by the artist – with lots of white, tulle, and crosses – the audience did not arrive with the typical Argentine excitement. For several minutes, there was a feeling of uncertainty. And although the doors opened at 7 p.m., most people only started arriving at 8:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, it was impossible not to hear constant debates about what was about to happen among groups of friends. “Shouldn’t it be full by now?”, “I almost didn’t come because I was offended,” “I’m still angry, but I hope for her apologies,” and “I think in the future we will regret being so harsh with her,” were some of the phrases fans told Clarín in the sweet wait for the concert to start.
Rosalía opened the first of her four shows in Buenos Aires with Sexo, violencia y llantas. It was 9:05 p.m. this Saturday, August 1. The Spanish singer was ovated by her fans even before singing the first line, making it clear that none of her followers left her alone despite the scandal that made her the protagonist on social media.
Visibly emotional, with swollen eyes – as if she had cried a few minutes before going on stage – she began her repertoire, dressed as a classical ballerina, with a yellow tutu and pointe shoes.
As the second song of the night, the singer chose her hit Reliquia. And with more feeling than ever, she pronounced one of the most awaited lyrics of the night: “The sky was born in Buenos Aires.” At the end of the song, she paused for a few seconds to look at the full stadium and received the long-awaited “Olé, olé, olé, Rosi, Rosi.” A chant that, although common at concerts, today it was uncertain if it would come.
Rosalía’s monologue
Just 20 minutes into the show, the moment everyone imagined arrived: Rosalía’s apologies, face to face with her Argentine fans. “Welcome to the Lux Tour. How are you? But my goodness, what a mess the other day. I was scrolling, without looking too much. And quickly I gave a repost there (…) Huge mistake. It was never my intention,” the artist expressed.
And she continued: “That’s why, today more than ever, I want to share a memory. It was, if I’m not mistaken, in 2019 that I came to perform here in Argentina for the first time and it was the beginning of my career. It was here at Lollapalooza (…). I opened with Pienso en tu mirá (sings “It scares me when it comes out, smiling to the street, because everyone can see the dimples that appear on you)”.
“I will never forget it. The feeling of You Made it. The first time I got it outside my country. So, how could I have a negative feeling or anything like that? In truth, it is the place that has raised me to where I am today, so obviously… I have nothing but gratitude for this place and for this audience that I have always, always said, is the best audience on earth,” she added.
“You always sing all the songs. You always get involved as much as possible. You give it your all. And nothing would hurt me more than to think you don’t care about me the same way back. I want you to know that my love for Argentina, my love for this country, remains intact, just like the first day,” she added.
“Today I come with my songs and a huge desire to give you everything. And I want to thank you all so much for being here tonight, for lifting me up so many years ago and for never letting me fall. I love you very much, thank you very much for being here tonight,” she concluded, then was ovated by her fans.
Between confessions and party
Once the accounts were settled, the concert continued as if nothing had happened. With a clear emotional improvement of the singer, who was previously nervous about the reaction the Argentine audience might have had to her apologies, the atmosphere improved noticeably.
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To lighten things up a bit, Rosalía sang some of her more upbeat songs, like Saoko and La Combi Versace. “Buenos Aires, I know you didn’t come here just to cry. You came to shake your butt,” she joked before making a sharp turn.
Then she dared to sing in English Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, the song Frankie Valli released as a solo artist in 1977. And she did it in a very special way: behind a frame, as if it were a true work of art. She also brought a couple of lucky fans on stage, who represented a group of tourists taking pictures of her.
Without giving a break to the emotions, Rosalía introduced Argentine Ángela Torres, whom she praised for her energy and invited to her confessional. “Buenos Aires, give me a lot of good noise for this woman full of grace and talent. For the velvet Argentine voice, Ángela Torres,” the Spanish singer said energetically. There were kisses, bows, and hugs between them, showing a unique complicity and mutual admiration.
Just as other stars did throughout the Lux Tour – like Chappell Roan, Karol G, and Aitana – Lolita’s granddaughter sat down face to face with Rosalía to tell her a gossip about one of her love relationships. And although she did not name names, on social media it is speculated that her story was about Rusherking.
During her minutes on stage, Torres told a bad experience with a man who did not include her in his plans and refused several times to take her to see the band Cindy Cats. But, by the twists of life, the band invited her to sing with them after they had broken up. And the aforementioned man was in the audience.
“Long live happy endings because you deserve all the success. And clearly, this pearl in question had a diamond and didn’t realize it. You understand me? He had to see you shining to realize it. The big fool…,” Rosalía responded while listening attentively to the anecdote.
And without further ado, she proceeded to sing the most successful song from her latest album, La perla. Yes, the same one that was playing in the background in the Mía Khalifa video that started the whole conflict with Argentines after the World Cup final. But it was not an awkward moment at all. It even felt like the definitive closure of the dispute. The audience accompanied her in every verse. Giving, as she herself predicted, everything and more.
And the audience exploded when she got on the piano and sang a cappella the beautiful Alfonsina y el mar, the song written by Ariel Ramírez and Félix Luna. Rosalía said she sang this song as a teenager when she studied music.
The energy rose even more with songs like Bizcochito and Despechá, which got everyone dancing. To close, Rosalía chose her ballad Magnolias. For that song, Argentine fans organized a movement to show the Spanish singer that everything is fine and they still have open arms for her.
All together, they raised signs with the phrase “We promise to take care of your name in your absence.” A phrase that was worth more than a thousand words and was enough to put an end to the whole dispute.
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