Rosa Bordallo’s “Crasseux” is a study in contrast. “The opening lyrics describe a scene I imagined from history, when Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Marianas in 1521,” says the indigenous singer/songwriter, who previously recorded under the name Manett. “It was the first known contact between Pacific Islanders and Europeans, and the clash of worlds was violent. The rest of the song is a reverie on someone I loved and lost. The feelings blur into other losses I grieve—like the elders that helped raise me and have passed on. Those memories and the accompanying ache—it all runs into each other.”
“Crasseux” is the latest single from Bordallo’s self-released Isidro LP, out January 31. A native of Guam who now lives in New York City, Bordallo recorded the album with Ben Etter (Deerhunter, Hazel English) at Maze Studios in Atlanta. She hashed out the spongey groove on “Crasseux” with just a guitar.
“I found that a marching beat made it more interesting and carried it forward,” says Bordallo. “The dynamic—between conflicts, internal and external—is something I hoped to convey. You can still miss someone who also caused you tremendous pain. You can still appreciate what those connections gave you—even after you had to move on from them.”
We’re proud to premiere Rosa Bordallo’s “Crasseux.”
—Hobart Rowland
