The music video lets us know from the start that this is going to be a western - though it’s unclear if it’s in Mexico, Texas, etc. The storyline is relatively straightforward and undoubtedly silly. These may seem like trivial things to those who aren’t Latino, but in the music video things continue to be problematic. Referring to the expression that Latinos occasionally use - “ay ay ay” - the track again uses ethnic stereotypes because, contrary to popular belief, not all Latino people say this all the time. The song plays into that stereotype with the lyrics by attributing these qualities to the girl with whom they’ve been arguing to make her sexy or “exotic.” Throw in the “ayaya” of the chorus (also the Korean title), and things get increasingly murky. Their attempt at “independence” with their loud voices and heated fighting is there so that men can get off on it. The media often misrepresents Latina women as always being fiery and hot-tempered in some attempt to make them sexual the portrayal of them as passionate and spicy is not to give them agency but rather to fetishize them. And unfortunately, Super Junior follows their footsteps in using ethnic stereotypes. As a Latina myself, I can’t deny that I was excited to hear that Super Junior would be doing something with a Latin influence, but I was also wary, considering how other K-pop groups have done before. The aggression wouldn’t be more than just surprising if it weren’t for the fact that this song is called “Mamacita” and obviously alludes to its Latin influences. There’s no way you’ll stick out and be hit by a hammer If you do as you always did, go as you always went This world is good enough to play in, right? “Mamacita” is about Super Junior trying to end what seems to have been a very aggressive dispute with a girl, the “Mamacita” of the song. When I get to the lyrics though, I get uneasy. Plus, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook fill the song with fantastic ad libs that add a nice contrast to the almost harsh sound of the music. The brass throughout “Mamacita,” particularly the opening section, is fun and different from the typical electro-pop that Super Junior does and is just the great mature sound that I’ve been wanting for them.
Let’s start with the good, first: I enjoyed the song itself.
#MAS QUE NADA LYRICS OFFENSIVE FULL#
I could easily handle the trolling concept (let’s face it: Super Junior is full of nothing but trolls) if it wasn’t for the offense I take with the song and MV concept. The song is catchy and different but also has a youthful concept, though this seems more troll-ish a la Block B rather than cute-funny a la B1A4. With “Mamacita,” I sort of get my wish granted. As an older group though, they have the potential to pull off some different, more mature concepts that use their age to their advantage rather than seeming like they’re fighting against it. Now, I’m not saying that Super Junior is getting old or washed up.
After all, SJ-M maknae Henry is twenty-four - I know, hard to believe. Super Junior-M’s “Swing,” while incredibly catchy, was quite juvenile in concept for them, and it just seemed awkward to me because they’re no longer at the age where they can do cute-funny without seeming a bit, well, foolish. Strangely, their music has not been transitioning with them. SM‘s decision to transition away from their typical appearances into the more senior-like roles of working more behind the scenes, like Eunhyuk‘s recent collaboration with choreographing duo BeatBurger, is thus a logical one. I often forget the members’ ages since it often feels like K-pop doesn’t exist in reality, but they’ve already begun the quick succession of members entering military service, most recently Yesung and soon Shindong. Actually they really haven’t done anything aside from some short Super Junior-M promotions for “Swing” earlier this year and their world tour Super Show 5, which again sadly didn’t make it to the US as they had promised they would again (yes, the redundancy was intentional - side-eyeing SM real hard right now). It helped that Super Junior hasn’t done much. Has it really been two years? Is Leeteuk really back already? I can’t believe two years passed so fast.
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