Review: "Perreo Triste" by Rita L'Oujdia

A melancholic dance hit that provides a blueprint for fusing rhythms and cultures.

Turning a messy breakup in a pop anthem is hardly a new concept in music. The lyrics to CeeLo Green’s iconic hit “Fuck You” are still shouted at the top of people’s lungs in any party setting. Taylor Swift has made a career off making punchlines out of her exes in songs to which people dance—even if you’re in a happy and healthy relationship.

But doing so while mixing together languages and fusing the sounds of two distinct cultures puts an artist on a different level of creativity.

That’s part in what makes “Perreo Triste” by rising Moroccan artist Rita L’Oujdia such an earworm of a song.

The singer, building off her recent releases “TODO” and “Parara”, croons in both Spanish and Moroccan darija about the drunken reaction to breaking up with an ex lover.

The intro sets the tone for what will be a journey through the mind of L’Oujdia as she tries to process this breakup in real time.

“One day I promised I would always be yours, you left,” she opens with a hint of fatigue in her voice, as if exhausted from feeling these emotions.

L’Oujdia sings about posting pictures on Instagram for her ex to see, checking her phone constantly in hopes of some kind of reaction from him, and going to a club to dance her pain away.

The subject matter is not what hooks listeners, however. It’s the manner in which L’Oujdia, who also wrote and produced this song, is able to seamlessly craft a melancholic hit that integrates the thumping rhythm of reggaeton along with the thumping North African drum patterns of both Algerian Raï and Moroccan Reggada.

L’Oujdia’s voice floats over the production, melodically weaving its way through the production and providing the song with a sense of sadness. The singer delicately walks a fine line between weariness and euphoria, giving listeners a song that feels poised to take over summer nights.

You can listen below to “Perreo Triste”, the third single from her upcoming EP.