On February 26, 2019, Eilish toldBBC Radio 1 that she and Rosalía had a recording session where they made a song together.[2] Eilish also talked about what it was like to work with Rosalía. "It was great, she actually knows what she wants," Eilish said. "That's why it was kind of refreshing 'cause I was like, 'Wow, you're the only other person I've really met that's like this".[3]
Eilish performed a concert at theSant Jordi Club inBarcelona on March 9, and the following day Rosalía posted a picture of both on social media and stated "can't wait to finish our song. Sharing with you in the studio or seeing you live yesterday inspires me very much".[4] Later that month Eilish revealed that the song was half in Spanish and half in English and described it as "beautiful", and said that they were "both in love with it".[5][6]
Due to Rosalía embarking on herEl Mal Querer Tour from March to December 2019 and Eilish preparing for herWhen We All Fall Asleep Tour (which ran from April to November) the song remained unfinished due to scheduling conflicts.[citation needed] In April 2020 Rosalía toldZane Lowe that while in lockdown due to theCOVID-19 pandemic she had been working on the track for over two consecutive weeks.[7] By that time the arrangements, the production design, and Rosalía's vocals were completed. Only Eilish's vocals needed to be sent.[8][9] The song was reportedly completed in June.[citation needed]
In January 2021 Finneas expressed admiration for aBillboard article about the bilingual collaborations the magazine anticipated in 2021.[10] The official announcement of the song was made on January 19 on social media, alongside the trailer for the second special episode ofEuphoria.[11][12]
During an interview withZane Lowe, Eilish stated that the making of this song "is the longest lead-up in the world". The first joint recording session for the song was inLos Angeles in January 2019, where most of the song was written and recorded. During the recording session "Rosalía had opened a channel in Eilish that she hadn't tried before" reaching a new range of high notes. Also during the session, they discussed whether the song should be in theSpanish or in theEnglish language, in which Eilish insisted to sing in Spanish. Eilish later felt like her singing voice in Spanish "makes you sound better". As Eilish isn't fluent in that language, Rosalía had to coach the American singer and translate the lyrics to her. After that, a second collaborative session in the United States was held in July.[13] ProducerFinneas O'Connell told the press that the song went through a lot of stages, something quite rare since he and his sister usually keep the first impression as the final sound. Rosalía's part and the arrangements for the song were reportedly finished by April 2020. Although the track was scheduled to be released during summertime in 2020, the production was revamped during that time and the final verses were added by Eilish with a little help from other O'Connell family members.[14]
"Lo Vas a Olvidar" is ahymn-basedballad[15][16] incorporating "inventiveart pop".[17] Steffanee Wong ofNylon stated that the song is sung entirelya capella, and mentioned it had "sparse nature sounds and atmospheric synths forming a misty backdrop, as Eilish and Rosalía do vocal gymnastics around each other, sometimes in English but mostly in Spanish."[16] Patrick Hosken ofMTV said it features a "dreamlike plane where slight shifts in mood and atmosphere are guided by powerful vocal moments from each."[18]
"Lo Vas a Olvidar" received generally positive reviews from critics. Chris Deville ofStereogum described the track as "ominous" and "minimal".[19] Marcus Jones ofEntertainment Weekly viewed the song as "haunting".[20]Seventeen's Carolyn Twersky praised the song as "beautiful".[21] Writing forPitchfork, Eric Torres commented that "Eilish and Rosalía's rich harmonies create a supernal vibe entirely their own, amounting to a decent if inessential addition to their catalogs".[22]
Amusic video "Lo Vas a Olvidar" was released the same day as the song.[26] The video was directed byNabil Elderkin.[26][27][28] The music features Eilish and Rosalía alone in a dark room, lit only by a moving spotlight, singing into a shadowy and stormy void.[15][29][30]
Shakiel Mahjouri ofEntertainment Tonight Canada described the visual as "intoxicating" and "trance-like".[31] The staff ofPeople magazine viewed the video as "dreamlike".[32] Jem Aswad ofVariety called the video "moody" and "atmospheric".[33] Jordan Darville ofThe Fader said that the video was "very intense, yet glamorous."[15] Writing forComplex, Joe Price described the visual as "striking," and noted that it "pairs well with the song."[34]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 4. týden 2021 in the date selector. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
^"ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 20214 into search.Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. RetrievedApril 5, 2021.
