On her latest single, the rising Colombian singer experiments with folk and country sounds
Colombian singer Ela Taubert has been on the rise over the last few months, gaining fans with her colorful, bright-eyed approach to pop music. Her new song “Para Qué?” borrows folk and pop-rock sounds and showcases just why so many people have been drawn to her confessional lyricism and bubbly production style.
On the song, she reminds an old lover that he was the one who left her and promises she’s never coming back. Taubert explains that the idea for the song was deeply personal and came after she’d gone through a similar experience. “‘Para Que?’ is a very special song for me,” she tells Rolling Stone. “It was lyrically inspired by that moment in my life where everything was already fine around me and I was completely healed after a breakup and suddenly that person comes back and leaves me thinking ‘Para que vuelve?’ [‘Why does he come back?’]”
She adds, “This song means everything to me! I will always carry it in my heart, and it reflects a lot of the music I listened to as a child. It’s a mix of pop and country and very true to my inner child.”
In the video, Taubert walks into a movie theater and watches a film that she also stars in with one of the ushers. As the protagonist, she glares at an old boyfriend and sings about how it’s way too late to win her back. Taubert directed the video herself and sees it as a continuation of her last single, the melancholy electro-ballad “¿Cómo Pasó?” “The video for ‘¿Para Qué?’ also reflects the pink and fun part in me, which is the opposite of the blue I show in the video for ‘¿Como Pasó?’” she says. “Being the director of my own videos is very rewarding as I get to watch my thoughts come to life.”
Taubert has been touring through Latin America and recently wrapped up the Mexico leg of her first tour. She’ll have a homecoming show in Bogota on Sept. 28 before stopping through Peru, Chile, and Argentina.