| "Bagdad" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byRosalía | ||||
| from the albumEl mal querer | ||||
| Language | Spanish | |||
| Released | 4 December 2018 (2018-12-04) | |||
| Studio | El Guincho Studio (Barcelona) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:03 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Rosalía singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Bagdad" onYouTube | ||||
"Bagdad" is a song bySpanish singerRosalía. It was released on 4 December 2018 byColumbia Records as the fourth single from her second studio album,El mal querer (2018).[1]
Inspired by the Barcelonianerotic club of the same name, lyrically "Bagdad" talks about a woman's loneliness.[2] It was written byAntón Álvarez, Leticia Sala, Luís Troquel and Rosalía, with production handled byEl Guincho and co-produced by Rosalía herself. It contains aninterpolation ofJustin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River"[3] and a choral participation by theOrfeó Català as well as arrangements byJoan Albert Amargós.[4][5]
In an interview withBeats 1, Rosalía said she was inspired by an erotic club inBarcelona called Bagdad and by Timberlake's "Cry Me a River": "He heard the song and said, "Yes, you can use the melody"; I was so excited because he never approves anything."[6]
In this song, Rosalía represents a woman drowned by her anguish and grief due to a bad love. The woman does nothing to prevent it, but flooded by her own tears she finds salvation. The liturgy, a worship ceremony, ends with a rebirth.[7] The song's lyrics, part of anarrative arc that spans the whole album, revolve around the main character of the story being seen alone crying in the streets at night, clapping her hands in sorrow "like she's praying to the rhythm ofbulerías", and then being rescued by a "fallen angel".
The music video for "Bagdad", directed by Helmi, was filmed inParis and released on 4 December 2018 on YouTube. It features Rosalía as a strip-club dancer, dancing in a pole wearing a blonde wig and a red latex mono similar to the oneBritney Spears used in the music video for "Oops!... I Did It Again" in 2000.[8] She goes to the place's bathroom after having a heated up phone conversation, where she starts crying to the point that the water from her tears fills up the whole room, drowning her. The singer tweeted that the music video is "For all those who were heartbroken and drowned in their sorrow."[9] A portion of an unreleased track "Lo Presiento", initially intended forEl Mal Querer, can be spotted at the beginning of the video.[10]
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[11] | 7 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico (AMPROFON)[12] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| Mexico (AMPROFON)[12] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[13] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Extended plays | |
| Singles | |
| Featured singles |
|
| Other songs | |
| Tours | |
