Rosalía Brutally Calls Out an Ex in Her <i>Lux</i> Song ‘La Perla’
Rosalía has some choice words for her ex (or, perhaps, exes). On her new album, Lux, the Spanish singer includes a track that’s laden with insults about a former partner.
Titled “La Perla,” which translates to “The Pearl,” the song appears sweet and charming at first with its cheery melody, but the lyrics tell a different story. Throughout the song, Rosalía drags a nameless former partner, beginning with the very first line, in which she calls this ex a “peace thief” (or “ladrón de paz” in her original Spanish lyrics).
The criticisms only grow harsher as the song progresses. She calls this person a “local fiasco, national heartbreaker, emotional terrorist, world-class fuck up” and later describes him as a “walking red flag” and “absolute drag.”
On top of that, she implies this man cheated on her, calling him a “playboy” and claiming he kept a “bra collection.” She even adds, “Loyalty and fidelity, that’s a language he'll never get.” Whew!
Rosalía briefly touched upon the song during her interview with Joe Coscarelli and Jon Caramanica on The New York Times Popcast. While discussing “La Perla,” the singer said, “There’s always a villain. There’s too many villains. The faith in masculinity is lost. That’s all I will say.”
When they joked that she’s now “surrounding [herself] with female saints,” referencing the religious themes of the album, Rosalía quipped, “Oh yes. Celibacy.”
She was similarly tight-lipped about her love life—though far more generous—when she spoke to ELLE for our September 2025 cover story. “I feel grateful to each person with whom life has made me find myself,” she said.
Rosalía doesn’t name names in “La Perla,” but the song is bound to spark speculation among fans. Who could it possibly be about? Is she pointing a finger at her ex-fiancé Rauw Alejandro? They were together for three years before they called off their engagement in 2023, and when cheating rumors surfaced, Alejandro put out a statement denying the claims.
He wrote at the time, per Billboard, “There are thousands of problems that can cause a breakup but, in our case, it was not because of infidelity or a third person. During this time that I’m taking to assimilate everything, there have been false public allegations, and because of the respect I have for her, our families and all we ever lived, I couldn’t stay quiet and continue to see how they try to destroy the most real love story God has ever allowed me to live. With nothing more to add, to my fans that I love so much, thank you for being there.”
Or, perhaps, “La Perla” could be about Rosalía’s more recent ex-flame, actor Jeremy Allen White, who later moved on with his The Bear co-star Molly Gordon? (They were reportedly seen kissing on Rosalía’s birthday.) Or maybe it’s a mix of all the above and a few other partners? Listen to the song below and read the full lyrics, in both Spanish and English, to decide for yourself.
Spanish:
Hola, ladrón de pazcampo de minaspara mi sensibilidad
Playboy,un campeóngasta el dinero que tieney también el que no
Él es tan encantadorestrella de la sinrazónun espejismomedalla olímpica de oro al más cabróntienes el podiode la gran desilusión
La decepción localrompecorazones nacionalun terrorista emocionalel mayor desastre mundial
Es una perlanadie se fíaes una perlauna de mucho cuidado
El rey de la 13 14no sabe lo que es cotizarél es el centro del mundoy ya después ¿lo demás qué más dará?
Por fin vas a terapiavas al psicólogo y también psiquiatrapero de qué te sirvesi siempre mientes más que hablaste harán un monumentoa la deshonestidad
No me das penaquien queda contigo se drenasiempre se autoinvitasi puede vive en casa ajena
Red flag andantetremendo desastredirá que no fue élque fue su doppelgänger
Bueno es que claro…no referirse a él como iconosería para él una narrativa reduccionista ¿me entiendes?
Nunca le prestes na’no lo devolveráSer bala perdidaEs su especialidad
La lealtady la fidelidades un idiomaque nunca entenderá
Su masterpiecesu colección de brassi le pides ayudadesaparecerá
La decepción localrompecorazones nacionalun terrorista emocionaleI mayor desastre mundial
Es una perlanadie se fíaes una perlauna de mucho cuidao
English translation:
Hey, peace thiefMinefield
for my sensitivity
Playboy,a championspending the money he has
spending the money he doesn’t
He’s so charmingstar of senselessnessa miragegold medal in being a motherfuckeryou’ve got the podium
of disappointment
Local fiasconational heartbreakeremotional terrorist
world-class fuck up
He’s a pearlhe can’t be trustedhe’s a pearl
a nasty piece of work
The rip-off kinghe sells himself shorthe’s the center of the world
and anyways, who cares about the rest?
You’re finally in therapygoing to a psychologist and a psychiatristbut what’s it worthif you lie more than you talkthey’ll build a monument
to your dishonesty
I don’t feel sorry for youwhoever hangs out with you ends up drainedbeing a tagalong is what you do
you’ll move in and forget about rent
Walking red flagabsolute drag he’ll say it wasn’t himit was his evil twin
Well the thing is...to say he’s anything but an icon
would be a reductionist narrative in his eye, understand?
Don’t lend him nothin’he won’t give it back being a loose cannon
is his special knack
Loyalty and fidelity that’s a language
he’ll never get
His masterpiece is his bra collection if you ask him for help
he’ll just leave with the keys
Local fiasconational heartbreakeremotional terrorist
world-class fuck up
He’s a pearl he can’t be trusted he’s a pearl
a nasty piece of work
elle
