• The music video to Rosalía and J Balvin's song "Con Altura, released in 2019, has over 1 billion views.
  • Here's a breakdown of the song's lyrics and meaning, plus a translation from Spanish into English—because there's no doubt you'll be hearing it for months to come.
  • "Con Altura" won Best Urban Song at the 2019 Latin Grammys, and Rosalía is up for Best New Artist at the 2020 Grammys.

Rosalía is a rising singer from Spain known for her modern interpretations of flamenco music. But recently, she's dipped her toes into a whole new genre: reggaeton.

In her 2019 single "Con Altura," the 26-year-old Catalonian singer—along with producers Pablo Díaz-Reixa (El Guincho) and Frank Dukes—blended her flamenco style with an homage to the old school Spanish rap style that was pioneered by artists like Daddy Yankee.

"Spanish music is just having this beautiful moment," she told The New York Times. "It's a blessing that I can share my music with so many people around the world."

Rosalía is riding Spanish music's uptick in popularity all the way to international renown. The Barcelona-born singer has been nominated for Best New Artist at the 2020 Grammy Awards, and will perform at the ceremony. But she's already racked up awards. Her second-ever album, El Mal Querer, won Album of the Year at the Latin Grammys, making her the first female artist to get this award since Shakira in 2006.

Passing one billion views on YouTube, "Con Altura" is an entry point for many Rosalía fans. The song also won Best Urban Song at the 2019 Latin Grammys. "There's nothing that can make you prouder than winning a Latin Grammy. It's the biggest thing that can happen," she said at the ceremony.

The hit single's title translates to "With Altitude"—or "Up High"—in English. Rosalía says she decided to use the phrase for the track after she came across a clip of Dominican television and radio personality Mariachi Budda using the catchphrase on his show, Sabado Extraordinario.

"I believe that 'Con Altura' is like saying I do it hard, I do it strong, I do it at this level, I do it with status," she told Genius in June.

The song's producer Díaz-Reixa echoed her sentiment when he spoke to The New York Times: "Con altura is with style, with, you know, with elegance," Díaz-Reixa said. Rosalía knew it was "a treasure," and so the writing of the song commenced.

The lyrics of the chorus go:

Esto es pa' que quede, lo que yo hago dura (Con altura)
Demasia' noches de travesura (Con altura)
Vivo rápido y no tengo cura (Con altura)
Iré joven pa' la sepultura (Con altura)
Esto es pa' que quede, lo que yo hago dura (Con altura)
Demasia' noches de travesura (Con altura)
Vivo rápido y no tengo cura (Con altura)
Iré joven pa' la sepultura (Con altura)

In English, here's how it translates, according to Billboard:

This one is so it sticks, I go hard (With Altitude)
Too many nights of mischief (With Altitude)
I live fast and I don’t have a cure (With Altitude)
I'll go to my grave young (With Altitude)
This one is so it sticks, I go hard (With Altitude)
Too many nights of mischief (With Altitude)
I live fast and I don’t have a cure (With Altitude)
I'll go to my grave young (With Altitude)

So, in summary? The meaning behind "Con Altura" lyrics are all about having fun and enjoying life to the fullest—and making sure that sometimes, your nights include a little bit of mischief.

Fans include celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith, whose daughter Willow captured this video of her joyfully dancing to the track while on vacation:

instagram iconView full post on Instagram

When it came time to find another artist to collaborate on the song with her, Rosalía turned to her good friend, Colombian artist J Balvin. Even if you aren't familiar with his hits like "Safari" and "Ginza," you've likely heard his remix of the hit song "Mi Gente" which featured Beyoncé in 2017.

"I loved it. I wasn’t expecting that when she sent me the song. It’s not that I wasn’t expecting something good for her. But I wasn't expecting it was like, a straight-up pure reggaeton. I was like ‘Wow, this is fire, let’s do it.’”

In less than 24 hours, Balvin recorded his bars, which go like this:

Acá en la altura están fuertes los vientos
Ponte el cinturón y coge asiento
A tu jeva ya la vi por dentro (Yes)
El dinero nunca pierde tiempo (No, no)
Contra la pared (Tú lo sabe')
Y le tuve que comprar un trago porque la tenías con sed
Desde acá qué rico se ve
No soy Sky pero rompí el bajo otra vez

According to Billboard, in English, that translates to:

Here in up high the winds are strong
Put on your belt and take a seat
I saw your girlfriend inside (Yes)
Money never wastes time (No, no)
Against the wall (You know it)
And I had to buy her a drink because you had her with thirst
It looks so good from here
I'm not Sky but I broke the bass again

You'll want to add this to all of your playlists.

Enjoy the airplane-themed music video below:

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And here are the full lyrics, both in Spanish and English:

Spanish lyrics, courtesy of Genius:

[Letra de "Con Altura" ft. El Guincho]

[Intro: ROSALÍA & El Guincho]
Esto vamo' a arrancarlo con altura
El dembow lo canto con hondura
Dicen una estrella, una figura
De Héctor aprendí la sabrosura
Nunca he visto una joya tan pura

[Coro: El Guincho & ROSALÍA]
Esto es pa' que quede, lo que yo hago dura (Con altura)
Demasia' noches de travesura (Con altura)
Vivo rápido y no tengo cura (Con altura)
Iré joven pa' la sepultura (Con altura)
Esto es pa' que quede, lo que yo hago dura (Con altura)
Demasia' noches de travesura (Con altura)
Vivo rápido y no tengo cura (Con altura)
Iré joven pa' la sepultura (Con altura)

[Verso 1: ROSALÍA]
Pongo rosas sobre el Panamera
Pongo palmas sobre la guantanamera
Llevo a Camarón en la guantera (De la Isla)
Lo hago pa' mi gente y lo hago a mi manera

[Pre-Coro: ROSALÍA]
Flores azules y quilates
Y si es mentira que me maten
Flores azules y quilates
Y si es mentira que me maten
(Con altura; con altura)

[Coro: ROSALÍA & El Guincho]
Esto es pa' que quede, lo que yo hago dura (Con altura)
Demasia' noches de travesura (Con altura)
Vivo rápido y no tengo cura (Con altura)
Iré joven pa' la sepultura (Con altura)
Esto es pa' que quede, lo que yo hago dura (Con altura)
Demasia' noches de travesura (Con altura)
Vivo rápido y no tengo cura (Con altura)
Iré joven pa' la sepultura (Con altura)

[Verso 2: J Balvin]
Acá en la altura están fuertes los vientos
Ponte el cinturón y coge asiento
A tu jeva ya la vi por dentro (Yes)
El dinero nunca pierde tiempo (No, no)
Contra la pared (Tú lo sabe')
Y le tuve que comprar un trago porque la tenías con sed
Desde acá qué rico se ve
No soy Sky pero rompí el bajo otra vez

[Pre-Coro: ROSALÍA & J Balvin]
(Mira)
Flores azules y quilates (Rosalía)
Y si es mentira que me maten (J Balvin)
Flores azules y quilates
Y si es mentira que me maten
(Con altura; con altura)

[Coro: ROSALÍA & J Balvin]
Esto es pa' que quede, lo que yo hago dura (Con altura)
Demasia' noches de travesura (Con altura)
Vivo rápido y no tengo cura (Con altura)
Iré joven pa' la sepultura (Con altura)
Esto es pa' que quede, lo que yo hago dura (Siempre dura, dura)
Demasia' noches de travesura (Con altura)
Vivo rápido y no tengo cura (Con altura)
Iré joven pa' la sepultura (Con altura)

[Outro: ROSALÍA, J Balvin & El Guincho]
J Balvin
La Rosalía
Vamo', vamo' a-a, vamo' a perrearnos, pa' que quede (Con altura)
Vamo', vamo' a-a, vamo' a perrearnos, pa'-pa' que quede (Con altura)
Vamo', vamo' a-a, vamo' a perrearnos, pa'-pa'-pa' que quede (Con altura)
Demasia'o 'e embuste
Vamo', vamo' a-a, vamo' a perrearnos, lo que yo hago dura
Vamo', vamo' a-a, vamo' a perrearnos, pa' que quede (Con altura)
Vamo', vamo' a-a, vamo' a perrearnos, pa'-pa' que quede (Con altura)
Vamo', vamo' a-a, vamo' a perrearnos, pa'-pa'-pa' que quede (Con altura)
Demasia'o 'e embuste

English lyrics, courtesy of Billboard:

[Intro: Rosalia & El Guincho]

This is going to start with height
I sing dembow with depth
They say I’m a star, a figure

I learned about flavors from Hector
You have never seen such a pure jewel

[Chorus: El Guincho & Rosalia]

This one is so it sticks, I go hard (Up high)
Too many nights of mischief (Up high)
I live fast and I don’t have a cure (Up high)

I'll go to my grave young (Up high)
This one is so it sticks, I go hard (Up high)
Too many nights of mischief (Up high)
I live fast and I don’t have a cure (Up high)
I'll go to my grave young (Up high)

[Verse 1: Rosalia]

I put roses on the Panamera
I put handclaps on the guantanamera
I take Camarón in the glove compartment (De la Isla)
I do it for my people and I do it my way

[Pre-Chorus: Rosalia]

Blue flowers and carats
And if it's a lie, then kill me
Blue flowers and carats
And if it's a lie, then kill me (Up high) (Up high)

[Chorus: El Guincho & Rosalia]

This one is so it sticks, I go hard (Up high)
Too many nights of mischief (Up high)
I live fast and I don’t have a cure (Up high)
I'll go to my grave young (Up high)
This one is so it sticks, I go hard (Up high)
Too many nights of mischief (Up high)
I live fast and I don’t have a cure (Up high)
I'll go to my grave young (Up high)

[Verse 2: J Balvin]

Here in up high the winds are strong
Put on your belt and take a seat
I saw your girlfriend inside (Yes)
Money never wastes time (No, no)
Against the wall (You know it)
And I had to buy her a drink because you had her with thirst
It looks so good from here
I'm not Sky but I broke the bass again

[Pre-Chorus: ROSALÍA & J Balvin]

(Look)

Blue flowers and carats
And if it's a lie, then kill me
Blue flowers and carats
And if it's a lie, then kill me
(Up high) (Up high)

[Chorus: ROSALÍA & J Balvin]

This one is so it sticks, I go hard (Up high)
Too many nights of mischief (Up high)
I live fast and I don’t have a cure (Up high)
I'll go to my grave young (Up high)
This one is so it sticks, I go hard (Up high)
Too many nights of mischief (Up high)
I live fast and I don’t have a cure (Up high)
I'll go to my grave young (Up high)

[Outro: ROSALÍA, J Balvin & El Guincho]

J Balvin

The Rosalia

What I do is hard

What I do is hard

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Celia Fernandez
Lifestyle Writer

As the Lifestyle Writer at OprahMag.com, I cover beauty, style, relationships & love, work & money, health, and food. When I'm not working, you'll find me watching Bravo, on the hunt for the perfect jeans and white tee, or taking my yorkie, Chloe, out for walks in Riverdale, New York.