“¡Yah! ¡Ombe!” The infectious shouts pierce the hazy reggaeton swing of Feid’s “BUBALU,” released in 2018 to great success across Latin music charts. In its 2 minutes and 54 seconds, “BUBALU” captivates listeners with slick rhythms, sweet melodies, and intimate lyrics that engage both timeless and taboo themes.
While on the surface a catchy reggaeton confection, this multi-layered track reveals deeper connections to Colombian culture, African influences, and the complexity of human relationships. As both a casual fan and student of Latin music, I’m enchanted by the masterful “complete package” Feid has crafted here.
The Artist: Ferreira Smith
Colombian singer, rapper and producer Feid was born Ferreira Smith in 1991 in Medellín. First rising to fame as part of the urban duo Maz Blaz, Feid has crafted a hugely successful solo career over the past decade across pop, reggaeton, and Latin trap. He’s collaborated with artists like J Balvin, Maluma and Nicky Jam.
Feid is acclaimed for his skillful songwriting and musicality. Dabbling across genres, his tracks engage audiences through sharp production, magnetic performances, and lyrics that feel both familiar and boundary-pushing. This interplay of the traditional and modern fills Feid’s work – including his slippery, summery pop confection “BUBALU.”
Sweet Inspiration: Engaging African Music
In a Genius Verified explainer video, Feid traces the inspiration for “BUBALU” to his discovery of Nigerian music through DJ sessions with his producer. Drawn to the rhythms and poetry of these African tracks, he incorporated their influence into composing an original song with reggaeton at its base.
"I connected a lot with African music – in reality, in pop, in culture… So I wanted to make a song that had these characteristics and had a lot to do with this culture."
This cross-cultural pollination bears rich fruit. In fusing Afrobeat inspirations with Latin foundations, Feid expands creative boundaries by weaving global genres together with care.
Diving Into the Spanish Lyrics
Let’s break down the Spanish lyrics driving this steamy, intimate track. I’ll provide occasional translations, though some of the idiomatic phrases resist easy translation.
The opening lines set a playful, inviting tone:
Bubalú puede ser lo que tú quieras, literalmente
Bubalú es un chicle pero bubalú es algo que te gusta mucho
"Bubalu can be anything you want, literally
bubalu is a piece of gum, but bubalu is something you really like”
Our narrator equates his tempting “bubalu” with a piece of sweet candy or chewing gum. But as we’ll see, this “bubalu” points to the seducer’s desired partner, who captivates his taste.
The pre-chorus intensifies the steaming invitation:
Solamente dime si te molesta que te quiera dar un beso
Y cuidao‘ porque de verdad me estás provocando
“Just tell me if it bothers you that I want to give you a kiss
And watch out, because I‘m daring you for real”
In the coy lead-up, he asks permission – but barely waits for an answer before admitting his passion provoked. The way Feid stretches out the phrase “cuidao’,” paired with a slight groan in his voice, wonderfully encapsulates both lustful intent and caution.
Let’s skip ahead to the climax of this courtship dance and object of the singer’s desire: the chorus.
Tú ere‘ mi bubalú, bubalú, bubalú (¡Wuh!)
Tú ere‘ mi bubalita, bubalú, bubalú (¡Yah!)
“You are my bubalu, bubalu, bubalu (Wuh!)
You are my little bubalu, bubalu, bubalu (Yah!)”
In the lead singles of global hits like Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito”, the chorus often sums up a song’s emotional and thematic core. Here Feid confesses his feelings with an intimate, loving refrain – this partner is his cherished “bubalu,” the sweet treat he adores.
Sprinkled throughout are playful exclamations like “¡Wuh!” and “¡Yah!”, universal sounds of enjoyment and satisfaction. Paired with the repetitive chorus, they act as both punctuation and celebration of the narrator’s desire.
Poetic Devices for Passion
Devices like repetition, metaphor and emotive language are strategically used to stir passion and intimacy. Calling a lover “my little bubalu” casts sensuality through figurative language. Repeating “bubalu, bubalu, bubalu” creates an intimate incantation.
As scholar Mikaela Martha explores in her musical analysis, these tactics all push boundaries of expression, reimagining courtship through artistic vision.
Rhythms of Courtship, Echoes of Tradition
Clearly contemporary in production, “BUBALU” also subtly engages with traditional Latin courtship concepts. Through its lyrical interplay and references to romantic festivities, Feid taps into time-honored cultural rituals.
Literary scholar Mikaela Martha examines these connections in her paper “Festejância and Feid‘s "BUBALU"”. She sings how the lyrics “reflect the dynamics of festejância, a Brazilian courtship practice tracing back centuries and still prevalent in Latin cultures today.”
What does this oldworld ritual look like in action? Martha describes festejância as a “call-and-response flirtation between prospecting partners through dance, gestures, and conversation.”
In live settings, gatherings like Carnival contain designated courtship areas where singles actively mingle and connect under watch of their communities. Perhaps you can glimpse parallels in "BUBALU"’s narrative of pursuit and connection.
Through his lyrics, Feid engages the tension between restraint and expression central to these courtship customs. Sly metaphors act as socially safer vessels for communicating desire, even as he challenges boundaries.
Cinturita échate pa‘ acá, mami échate pa‘ allá
Tenemo‘ toda la noche pa‘ jugar, jugar, bailar, bailar
“Little waist come over here, mami come over there
We have all night to play, play, dance, dance”
Musicality: Reggaeton Rhythms Meet Global Grooves
Beyond its lyrics, the music of “BUBALU” enriches its intimacy through reggaeton rhythms, sweet melodies, and global textures. Musical qualities work symbiotically with poetic lyrics to sweep listeners into an experience engaging mind, body and spirit.
Reggaeton Pulse
The core rhythm of “BUBALU” is unmistakably reggaeton – a genre blending Puerto Rican and Pan-Latin influences that emerged in the 1990s. Critics trace reggaeton’s distinctive beat to African and Caribbean styles like bomba, plena and reggae.
In reggaeton’s insistent groove patterns, beats alternate between kick drum and snare, with rapid-fire piano fills and triplet flows often ornamenting melodies. “BUBALU” heightens tension through rhythmic halts and momentum shifts sprinkled throughout.
This tactile musicality activates dancers and listeners on a physiological level – which all the better primes them for amorous lyrics seeping in!
Sweet Melodies
Curling around reggaeton’s beats, “BUBALU” features a repetitive synth pattern that serves as sonic "earworm bait”, hard for listeners to shake once lodged in deep.
Reporter Andrews Rodriguez notes "the instrumental, carried by a synth-flute combo, is as playful as Feid‘s flirtatious intentions throughout.” This flirtatious interplay between smooth vocals and instruments creates a harmonious "hookup".
Soaring over all is Feid’s nimble voice, sliding between rap-adjacent bars and feverish crooning. Through catchy melodies, sign-songy phrasing and exclamations of joy, his performance beautifully delivers lust and playfulness hand-in-hand.
Pushing Boundaries: Reception and Controversy
Upon its 2018 release, “BUBALU” shot rapidly up Latin charts while also sparking some controversy with its intimate themes. As Feid himself noted, the song enjoyed commercial success in part by giving listeners something fresh and unexpected.
"I think people connected a lot with the song because today there are very similar songs… I try to make songs that do not sound like other songs.”
Rodriguez suggests audiences craved exactly this flavorful change of pace: “During a time when Latin trap and reggaeton’s commercial side seem to pull the mainstream to opposite extremes, "Bubalu" finds a harmonic common ground between artistic depth and worldwide appeal."
This “harmonic common ground” lies in Feid’s imaginative blending of oldworld Latin courtship motifs with cutting-edge production. The resulting alchemy both respects and challenges traditions – and plenty of listeners latched hungrily on.
Lasting Impact: Streaming Success and Artistic Growth
Quantitatively, “BUBALU” enjoys staggering success, especially for an non-single album track. Since release, the song has amassed over 223 million YouTube views and 401 million Spotify streams – outpacing even some of Feid’s proper singles. Clearly this sweet confection keeps audiences coming back thirstily for more.
Four years later, the song continues icing streaming playlists and heating up dancefloors. Part of its longevity owes to lyrical details that reward repeat listens, revealing nuanced dimensions. Musically, the fusion of cultures and genres feels increasingly relevant as artists blend Latin foundations with global elements.
For Feid himself, composing this passion project opened new spaces of creation at the intersection of cultures, rhythms and languages. Since “BUBALU” he has leaned further into romantic lyricism and willingness to engage taboo themes.
When NPR reporter Stefanie Fernández profiled Feid’s artistry, she noted his "frank lyrics on gender relations and sexuality.” By spotlighting intimate subjects often excluded from mainstream platforms, Feid expands creative boundaries and gives voice to universal human experiences.
A Complete Confection: Music, Lyrics, and More
In “BUBALU” Feid lives his artistic philosophy of making “complete package” songs, weaving together musicality, meaningful lyrics, and magnetic performances. Like the best treats, this track dazzles the senses through multiple dimensions working in harmony.
As both a fan and analyst, I’m compelled by the way Feid blends cultures, eras, and identities within a tight pop confection. “BUBALU” respects rhythmic and lyrical lineages even as it reimagines intimacy for new generations. Through his imaginative vision, Feid makes the old feel daringly new – and the new warm with familiarity.
So next time you unwrap this sweet summer jam, savor itssticky satisfaction layer-by-layer. Let pulsing beats prime your body, languid melodies delight your mind, and poetic confessions nourish your spirit. With “BUBALU,” Feid has crafted a cross-cultural sugar high for the ages – now pass me another hit!