Sexo, Violencia y Llantas

"Sexo, Violencia y Llantas" serves as the thematic thesis for Rosalía's 2025 album LUX, acting as an overture that introduces the central conflict of the record: the duality of human existence. The song explores the tension between the carnal/material world and the spiritual/divine realm.

The title itself sets up this dichotomy. "Sexo" (Sex) and "Violencia" (Violence) represent primal human instincts, while "Llantas" (Rims) acts as a symbol for modern materialism, status, and the urban "street" culture Rosalía has frequently explored (e.g., in Motomami). These elements are contrasted against the desire to "love God" and the imagery of "doves and saints."

The lyric "Primero amaré el mundo y luego amaré a Dios" (First I will love the world and then I will love God) is a powerful philosophical statement. It suggests that one cannot reach spiritual enlightenment without first fully immersing oneself in the messy, violent, and beautiful reality of the human experience. It rejects the idea of asceticism in favor of a path where sanctity is achieved through the experience of the profane. The song ultimately asks if it is possible to bridge the gap—to bring "heaven" and "earth" together so that there is no longer a "floor" separating them, but a unified existence.

The song opens with a profound existential yearning, where the narrator expresses a deep desire to exist in a liminal space between two opposing realms. She contemplates the possibility of living simultaneously in the material world and the divine sphere, proposing a sequence to her devotion: first, she will fully embrace and love the world, and only after experiencing the earthly, will she turn her love toward God.

She questions who has the capacity to traverse these boundaries—to come from the earth, ascend to the heavens, and then return, wishing that the separation between the ground and the sky would vanish entirely, leaving no solid floor to stand on, only a continuous flow between the two states. The narrator then vividly describes the two contrasting worlds she inhabits. The first is defined by raw, visceral intensity: it is a place of "sex, violence, and rims" (referencing car culture), described as "blood sports" and choked by greed, symbolized as "coins in throats."

In stark contrast, the second world is one of ethereal purity and judgment. It is populated by "flashes, doves, and saints," representing peace and holiness. Here, she finds "grace and fruit," suggesting spiritual nourishment, but also the "weight of the scale," implying the heavy burden of moral judgment and cosmic balance. The song concludes by reiterating the central dilemma: the longing to inhabit both spaces, loving the visceral world before surrendering to the divine.

Released on November 7, 2025, as the opening track of Rosalía's fourth studio album, LUX, this song marks a sonic evolution for the artist. It was recorded during sessions that spanned from Los Angeles to London, reflecting the album's blend of modern production and classical grandeur.

The track was co-written and produced by Rosalía alongside her frequent collaborator Noah Goldstein, as well as Dylan Wiggins and David Rodríguez. The production is notable for its integration of the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Daníel Bjarnason, which provides the cinematic strings that contrast with the song's harsher lyrical themes. Rosalía, serving as executive producer for the project, intended this track to be the "entrance" into the album's world—a world described by critics as "Pop's new goddess" era.

The creation of the song was driven by Rosalía's personal reflection on her chaotic rise to global fame (the "world" of rims and flashes) and her internal search for peace and meaning (the "God" of grace and saints). It sets the stage for an album that features eclectic collaborators like Björk and Yves Tumor, signaling a move toward more experimental and avant-garde pop structures.

The song utilizes a loose AABB and ABAB rhyme scheme that feels organic rather than rigid, typical of Rosalía's contemporary flamenco-pop style. For example, "llantas" rhymes perfectly with "gargantas" and "santas," creating a sonic thread that ties the violent images directly to the holy ones, reinforcing the theme that these worlds are connected.

Rhythmically, the track is less reliant on a traditional pop beat and more on a free-flowing, operatic meter. The pacing is deliberate and slow, allowing the weight of each image to sink in. There is a tension in the rhythm—a push and pull that mirrors the struggle between the two worlds, avoiding a steady dance beat in favor of a dramatic, orchestral pulse.

Literary Techniques: Rosalía employs juxtaposition as the primary device, placing harsh words like "violencia" and "sangre" next to holy terms like "santas" and "gracia." The song also uses anaphora and parallelism in the structure of "En el primero..." (In the first...) and "En el segundo..." (In the second...), clearly delineating the two opposing realms she describes. The rhetorical question "Quién pudiera vivir entre los dos?" (Who could live between the two?) frames the entire piece as a philosophical inquiry rather than a statement.

Musical Techniques: Musically, the track features a dynamic contrast between abrasive, industrial sound design (representing the "sex and violence") and sweeping, lush orchestral arrangements provided by the London Symphony Orchestra (representing "God" and "grace"). Rosalía's vocal delivery moves from a grounded, almost spoken-word lower register to her signature ethereal falsetto, physically enacting the ascent from earth to heaven described in the lyrics.

As the opener for LUX, this song cemented Rosalía's status as an avant-garde icon in 2025, moving her further away from pure reggaeton and into the realm of high-concept art pop alongside peers like Björk (who features on the album) and Arca. The song sparked discussions about the intersection of spirituality and modern hedonism in pop culture.

Critics praised it for its boldness in addressing religious themes without being preachy, instead treating spirituality as a complex, almost physical struggle. The track's title became a shorthand in cultural commentary for the chaotic mix of danger and glamour in contemporary urban life.

The lyrics are dense with symbolic imagery that categorizes the two worlds the narrator navigates:

• Llantas (Rims): A synecdoche for the material world, street culture, vanity, and the forward motion of modern life. It grounds the song in an urban reality.
• Monedas en gargantas (Coins in throats): A striking metaphor for greed or the silencing power of money. It alludes to the Greek myth of Charon's obol (coins placed in the mouths of the dead), suggesting that this material world is also a place of death ("deportes de sangre" or blood sports).
• Palomas (Doves): Universally recognized symbols of peace and the Holy Spirit, standing in direct opposition to the "violence" mentioned earlier.
• El peso de la balanza (The weight of the scale): Represents judgment, justice, and the karmic balance of one's actions. It implies that choosing between the world and God has consequences.
• El Suelo (The Floor): Symbolizes the barrier between the high (divine) and low (profane). Removing the floor suggests a desire for a non-dualistic reality where the sacred and profane merge.

The central recurring motif is the phrase "Quién pudiera vivir entre los dos" (Who could live between the two). Its repetition emphasizes the impossibility and the desperation of the wish. It acts as a lament, acknowledging that human nature is often forced to choose one over the other.

Another key motif is the "Primero... Luego..." (First... Then...) structure, which proposes a timeline for redemption. By repeating that she will first love the world, she validates her current participation in the "sex and violence," framing it as a necessary step towards her eventual spiritual salvation.