Leading up to the release of her second EP, ANGELA, Mexican singer-songwriter Foudeqush is not limiting herself to one singular sound on her new, boastful electronic-dance song “MMM” featuring fellow Mexican singer Girl Ultra.
Her name might be unfamiliar to most, but when “Con La Brisa,” a lush, Spanish-language song made in collaboration with producer Ludwig Göransson for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, got singled out in one of the movie’s pivotal scenes, she saw a sudden rise in popularity. Before her breakthrough, Foudeqush, real name Paola Maldonado, was part of Kiddie Gang, a hip-hop group that went on hiatus when the pandemic hit, paving the way for her subsequent solo career.
With the help of Girl Ultra, “MMM” is far closer to a sound she’s comfortable in and has flourished with since debuting at the start of this decade: electronic music inspired by the 90s in both sound and confidence.
“MMM” is, above all other possible purposes, meant to provide an ego boost, with the bass-heavy production giving every line of braggadocio more punch despite the whispered, sensual vocal style. While the single reflects electronic music’s split identity, where one side of the genre is reserved for dance floors and the other for ragers, both singers bring the two sides into one, allowing what is otherwise a relatively simple track to transcend its brief yet easily rewindable runtime. When compared to one another, “Con La Brisa” and “MMM” are two singles that, although different, speak to Maldonado’s wide-ranging reach of genres.
The music video for “MMM” couldn’t be any simpler, showing Foudeqush and Girl Ultra, who co-directed the video alongside Yahir Lobo, trading verses in the backseat of a car. The decision to employ strobe light-like editing and photos of the two rapidly appearing during the song’s intense moments adds to the track’s frenetic energy. Even in the event that the visuals were shot on the fly, that arguably is more fitting for the song than any pre-planned shoot with a high budget since both Foudeqush and Girl Ultra approach “MMM” with an unmatched ease.
It’s one thing for a singer like Maldonado to have their big break relatively early in their career. But to do so on an international stage is an accomplishment in its own right that not every artist can reach. That amount of eyes and ears watching out for her next move has understandably led to multiple appearances at festivals and shows in the U.S. and her native Mexico. Now based in Monterrey, a city in Mexico where music artists and bands of all kinds have flourished, there’s a good chance that Maldonado herself will keep rising wherever her music takes her.
Words: David Sosa
“MMM” by Foudeqush is out now on all streaming services. For more on new music and potential tour dates, follow her on Instagram.
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