Quevedo has returned, releasing his second single in 2024, the first after an announced break that has lasted months. ‘DURO’, their new single, can be heard from Wednesday night and offers a different sound than usual.
‘DURO’ is a production indebted to the pop-R&B of the early 2000s, and not only because one of its producers, KIDDO, has worked with Beyoncé. In the credits we also find the Valencian GARABATTO, a regular at Quevedo’s sessions.
The beat of ‘DURO’ evokes those that Timbaland produced in the aforementioned period, hand in hand with Danja, for Justin Timberlake or Nelly Furtado. In fact, the beat of ‘DURO’ is pure ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’. The problem is that that sound sounded like the future in 2006, not anymore.
Or perhaps Quevedo is getting on the bandwagon of reclaiming this sound that we already remember with nostalgia, recently recovered by Tate McRae. In his case, Quevedo seeks to make the song stick by making very marked use of repetition in the chorus of ‘DURO’, in which he triggers the song’s title repeatedly and hammeringly. Like Justin did in ‘SexyBack’, by the way.
‘DURO’ is being received with diverse opinions. Many negatively criticize the repetition of the chorus: “Quevedo has been creating hype for months to finally release a song that is based on saying ‘hard’ 20 times” is one of the criticisms of ‘Duro’ published on networks. As if repeating a word 20, 30 or 40 times in a song were not a resource used to the point of satiety that has left behind great works of pop, as Rihanna (‘Work’) or Britney Spears (‘Gimme More’) know. Breaking news: pop lyrics don’t have to be illustrated poetry, thank you very much.
Some already call it the “song of the durum.” Others joke that Quevedo’s new work is ‘HARD’ to listen to. But ‘HARD’ is not based only in repeating its title countless times, although that aspect of the song is part of its charm. It’s a negative aspect if you expect a chorus from, I don’t know, Joaquín Sabina. Don’t Quevedo’s fans overlap with those of Lírico en la casa, author of the chorus “Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela, Marianela?” ? (by the way, what a great song). We bet that, in a week, all of Spain will be singing “duroduroduroduroduroduroduroduroduroduroduroduroduroduroduro” without stopping.
On the other hand, the video clip for ‘DURO’ evokes – leaving aside the distance – that of ‘As’ by George Michael and Mary J. Blige due to its use of the cloning effect and time freezing. Quevedo may not return as ‘HARD’ as expected, but it shows that he has acquired some good taste.
