C. Tangana, Paloma Mami Fight for Control in ‘No Te Debí Besar’ Video
Spanish wordsmith C. Tangana and Chilean-American R&B singer Paloma Mami spar over feelings of lust and shame in their shadowy new single, “No Te Debí Besar,” or, “I Shouldn’t Have Kissed You.”
Produced by frequent Tangana collaborator Alizzz, “No Te Debí Besar” is a psychological thriller of a reggaeton track: faint echoes of piano accentuate the vocalists’ cloak-and-dagger lyrics. “I come to you like a matador,” purrs Tangana in Spanish. “Prepared for the worst/Your love is like a bad pain.”
Paloma Mami plays a deceptively doe-eyed femme fatale in the video, artfully directed by Madrid filmmaker Rogelio Gonzalez. A desperate Tangana repeatedly struggles to reach her; just as soon as he gets close, he’s accosted by a violent mob. Posing fiercely with a pack of white German Shepherds, Paloma Mami flips the script on him in English. “Bebecito, don’t gas yourself/I got you like everyone else,” she boasts. “I have you under my spell/You’re not the only one.”
This song marks the first collaboration between the two urban artists. “I was amazed by [Tangana’s] creativity and the way his mind works,” Paloma Mami tells Rolling Stone over email. “He is a musical genius!”
Tangana has been indulging his dark side heavily over the past year. Following the release of Rosalía’s acclaimed LP, El Mal Querer, on which he co-wrote several songs, Tangana has distilled many of his own noir-laden singles: including 2018’s “Un Veneno” and 2019’s “Para Repartir.” He’s also worked on songs with Becky G and Miguel. A representative for Tangana tells Rolling Stone he’s got further collaborations with Latin artists in store for the fall.