SEBASTIÁN YATRA – ‘LA PELIRROJA’

BY JANIN AYALA FELIX | MARCH 21, 2025 | LATIN POP | TRACKS

When Sebastián Yatra asks Tom Hanks for song advice, the response is immediate and unmistakable: “That’s not even a question… ‘La Pelirroja.’” In a promo clip that broke the internet’s collective chill, the Colombian pop star appears alongside the two-time Oscar winner, casually discussing music like old friends. Cue a reel of Hanks’ most iconic film moments—Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Cast Away—all soundtracked by the opening bars of Yatra’s sweeping new ballad. If it wasn’t clear before, Yatra’s cinematic ambitions certainly are now.

“La Pelirroja,” released March 20, is Yatra’s first single of 2025, and it arrives with the kind of bittersweet beauty that’s become his trademark. Shot in Buenos Aires and directed by Rocío Gastaldi, the video feels like a love letter to missed chances and untouchable muses. “It’s one of those songs you play and your life flashes before your eyes,” Yatra told Billboard—and honestly, he’s not wrong. The track aches with nostalgia and possibility, a tale of longing so universal you almost forget it’s about someone who never really existed.

There’s no actual redhead behind the song, Yatra admits, but rather a feeling—a memory, a fantasy, that person you couldn’t have but never quite forgot. Like his previous hit “Tacones Rojos,” “La Pelirroja” straddles the line between playful and poignant. It’s romantic without being saccharine, and its lyrics hint at something just out of reach. That elusive “other” love.

The rollout has been nothing short of masterful. After a rescheduled performance at Chile’s Viña del Mar Festival due to a city-wide blackout, Yatra surprised fans by debuting the song live onstage. Since then, he’s teased acoustic versions across his social channels—28 million followers on Instagram, another 20 million on TikTok—while fans have been invited to shape the lyrics themselves via social media.

But “La Pelirroja” isn’t just a clever marketing moment. It’s the first taste of Yatra’s upcoming album, which he describes as “very pop” and “a celestial experience.” Considering his recent run—performing “Dos Oruguitas” at the Oscars, making his Broadway debut in Chicago, and contributing to the A Man Called Otto soundtrack with Rita Wilson—it’s clear Yatra is entering his artistic prime.

With “La Pelirroja,” Sebastián Yatra delivers a heartbreak anthem with the soul of a classic film and the polish of modern pop. It’s haunting, catchy, and achingly human. And thanks to Tom Hanks, it might just be the most charming song promo of the year.

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