Sophia Michaels
Rosalía is the artist behind Motomami — a “genre-bending” album featuring The Weeknd and co-written with Pharrell. What is a motomami, and what does the word mean to Rosalía? Here’s what we learned from one interview with the “Hentai” singer.
Rosalía released the album ‘Motomami’ in 2022
As an award-winning Spanish artist, Rosalía debuted Motomami, complete with songs “La Fama,” “Chicken Teriyaki,” and “Saoko.” What does Motomami mean, though?
When broken into two parts, this word roughly translates to “biker chick.” According to one Urban Dictionary definition, “a motomami is a bald, tough girl that can also be really sensitive and have issues.”
“A way of living, motomami is the vibe of power, the liberty of being,” another definition reads. Some users also note the significance of this word in regards to Rosalía’s music and her recently released album of the same title. The word also has a personal meaning for this singer.
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What is a ‘motomami?’ Rosalía weights on on the meaning behind her 2022 album
Rosalía shared that the word “motomami” also has a special, personal significance. That’s part of the reason why she chose the slang as her album title.
“Motomami is the name of my company,” Rosalía said during an interview with Billboard. “Back when I was a teenager, I had a friend whose email account was ‘Motomami.’ I loved the name, and it stayed with me. I associate it with my friend and with motorcycles. My mom has always had motorcycles, I’ve ridden since I was eight years old with my dad.”
“And a Motomami, well, my mom is the OG Motomami,” she continued. “There’s so many Motomamis in the world who have inspired me. My mom, my sister, my friend Hunter Schafer. Motomami is an energy. Anyone can be a Motomami, Motopapi. It’s the way you feel. And also, it’s doing as much as you can with what you have.”
Rosalía even included a song titled “Motomami” on the 2022 release. Some of the verses’ lyrics state, “To every copy you see You give your blessing And I don’t want to compete If there’s no comparison” when translated to English. This track earned over 15 million Spotify plays.
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Rosalía explained the meaning beyond ‘Motomami’ songs ‘Saoko’ and ‘Hentai’
In one Genius video, Rosalía explained some of the meaning behind “Hentai.” Inspired by Disney ballads, this song has explicit lyrics and contrasting “cute” images to the song’s themes.
“I was thinking of a cute image,” the songwriter said. “I was thinking of a bike as in bicycle. You might think it’s a motorcycle for Motomami, but it’s a bicycle. And so, I thought of that cute image.”
In a separate video, Rosalía elaborated on the meaning behind “Saoko,” the first song included in her 2022 release. Music by Rosalía, including Motomami, is available on most major streaming platforms.
RELATED: Rosalía Wants People To Know It’s Important To Have a Sense of Humor
Written by: CheatSheet
