Rosalía Paid Homage to Japanese Style With Her “Tuya” Music Video

In “Tuya,” Rosalía’s new song and music video, the Spanish singer takes viewers on a stylish tour around Tokyo. “I was inspired by Japanese instruments to create the musical arrangement of ‘Tuya,’” she says. If you’ve stalked the star’s Instagram page before, it’s no secret that she loves the Japanese city, and often travels there—so she wanted to take a moment to spotlight its beautiful culture and style. “Japan makes me want to move slowly, delicately,” says Rosalía. “It is beautiful no matter where you look at it. I admire the dedication they put into the little things—it inspires me with everything. Absolutely everything is a ritual.”

While Rosalía describes the song itself as “a connection—or an erotic encounter—with another person,” the singer says she wanted the video to have an entirely different feel. “The video [is centered around] a foreign girl in Tokyo who is alone all the time,” she says. “I found that juxtaposition interesting for the visual part.” Of course, in doing so, she couldn’t help but infuse the video with a heavy dose of cool-girl fashion as well. (It’s a signature Tokyo element, after all.) “I was having fun creating looks in Tokyo the day before the shoot,” she says. “The looks represent the playfulness from that moment, and also are part of the visual context of Tuya, where sensuality plays an important role.”

For the video, Rosalía wanted to capture the special elements that make up Tokyo style—that is, the artful way that locals can combine pieces and patterns in an effortless way. It’s a decidedly different approach to her fashion aesthetic during the “Motomami” era, when she focused on sleek black leathers and moto-inspired looks. “I find inspiration in the freedom of mixing of patterns and colors that happens naturally in Japan,” says Rosalía. “I’m also a fan of how the 60-year-old ladies dress: They look gorgeous every day when they dress up to go shopping in their neighborhood. I remember being in Kyoto and wishing that I can grow old with as much style as them.”