Xenia Rubinos‘ new album Una Rosa is finally coming out next month, and today she gives us another teaser called “Don’t Put Me In Red”. Intriguingly, the song comes from a recurrent experience she had on tour when lighting techs would constantly shade her stage in red lighting – “like it was their default red latina lighting,” she says. She adds:
“Look, I don’t know anything about stage lighting so do whatever you want but please just please don’t put me in red. It became my request at whatever venue or festival we were at, it was a pilgrimage I would make every night after soundcheck to find the lighting engineer and ask them to please not put me in red. It became this ritual of protecting my space onstage at least the little bit I could.“
“Don’t Put Me In Red” was left wordless for a long time, remaining “a dream space that becomes a nightmare where I’m running down a long hallway with people chasing and grasping at me” according to Rubinos. Even now, with the pointed words added, the ghostly sheen remains – and Rubinos accentuates it with a diaphanous vocal turn the belies the anger behind her words. The combination is haunting and hypnotising, almost operatic in its sheer presence. It’s yet another glimpse of Una Rosa that’s totally unexpected – suggesting that the album is going to be a treasure trove of unexpected sonic turns.
The video for “Don’t Put Me In Red” finds Rubinos’ singing profile, shot in black in white, and adds to the poise and magnetism of the song. Take a look below or find the song on streaming platforms.
Xenia Rubinos’ new album Una Rosa comes out on October 15 through Anti- (pre-order/save). You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
