There's no shortage of writing and analysis about misogyny and the male gaze in music. Our contributor Megan Seling wrote about the toxicity of early 2000s emo and pop punk culture that doesn't receive the scrutiny it should. Even songs about love and heartbreak can be fueled by some of the worst facets of a man's ego, ranging from possessive to creepy. In those songs, women are often just objects of affection or scorn without much agency.
With that premise in mind, Nashville-based band The Rumba Madre and Los Angeles artist Nancy Sanchez have teamed up to release a new track skewering clingy-dude love songs, titled "Vivir Sin Ti." The track has a strong and rowdy norteño sound, as Sanchez and The Rumba Madre's David Vila Diéguez trade verses in Spanish. Sanchez sings from the perspective of a woman who just wants to be left alone, blocking her wannabe-suitor on Whatsapp and Facebook, while Vila Diéguez sings as the guy who can't take no for an answer, left brokenhearted and pathetic. According to the song's press release, it was inspired as a response to The Beatles' “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” basically asking: "What if the girl in the song wasn't interested in Paul McCartney?"
Above, check out the music video for the single, featuring Sanchez and Vila Diéguez in various costumes acting out the rejection. The latter appears as a matador, a luchador and a mariachi.
The track is in line with The Rumba Madre's other works, often skewering political and social topics including immigration. It also showcases their penchant for experimenting with different sounds and genres from flamenco to salsa to punk — fitting for a band with members from Spain, Puerto Rico and Colombia. That's also true of Sanchez, who has earned accolades for her album La Gran Civilización, which blends pop, mariachi and jazz. Or as she calls it, Mexican American Art Pop.
