Rosalía ushers Travis Scott into her circle of trust on “TKN.” She sings, in a snappy tone, about family business, bosses, and omertà—mafia talk. The hook suggests a Drake approach to keeping strangers at arm’s length, but the song suggests otherwise. This is the second meeting between Rosalía and Travis Scott; she joined Lil Baby on a remix of Scott’s “Highest in the Room” last year, and he returns the favor here. While their first meeting felt like two artists trying to force their styles together for a brand merger, this joint effort works toward harmony. They sing in unison, meet on neutral ground, and disavow all potential interlopers. “No more new friends, don’t bring the hype here,” Scott raps, backing her obstructive play. As they isolate themselves from backstabbers, the two seem to discover they are kindred spirits.
“TKN” sounds a world away from the flamenco pop and quiet R&B of recent Rosalía singles “Juro Que” and “Dolerme,” swinging closer to her 2019 collaboration with J Balvin, “Con Altura.” Co-produced by Rosalía and Scott with frequent collaborator El Guincho and Puerto Rican reggaeton pioneer DJ Nelson, “TKN” is a vibrant cross-cultural exchange that makes use of urbano’s trap flavor and dembow pulse. Rosalía sounds like she’s at home and exudes swagger, but as partners go, Scott is no J Balvin. He’s not a comparable charmer, and his raps have less character, but he performs admirably here, flaunting the range of his voice and even dabbling in a little Spanish. The beat bottoms out and glitches, blurs in and out of focus, yet these changing textures and constant modifications keep it fresh; its groove remains inescapable. Both Rosalía and Travis Scott have come under fire for being culture vultures in the past, but they work through those characterizations in collaboration. By banding together on “TKN,” they prove that relying on new friends can be constructive.
“TKN” sounds a world away from the flamenco pop and quiet R&B of recent Rosalía singles “Juro Que” and “Dolerme,” swinging closer to her 2019 collaboration with J Balvin, “Con Altura.” Co-produced by Rosalía and Scott with frequent collaborator El Guincho and Puerto Rican reggaeton pioneer DJ Nelson, “TKN” is a vibrant cross-cultural exchange that makes use of urbano’s trap flavor and dembow pulse. Rosalía sounds like she’s at home and exudes swagger, but as partners go, Scott is no J Balvin. He’s not a comparable charmer, and his raps have less character, but he performs admirably here, flaunting the range of his voice and even dabbling in a little Spanish. The beat bottoms out and glitches, blurs in and out of focus, yet these changing textures and constant modifications keep it fresh; its groove remains inescapable. Both Rosalía and Travis Scott have come under fire for being culture vultures in the past, but they work through those characterizations in collaboration. By banding together on “TKN,” they prove that relying on new friends can be constructive.
