Last month, two of Barcelona’s most iconic exports – ROSALÍA and CUPRA – began teasing a new project in cities across the world, with billboards appearing everywhere from Madrid and Barcelona to Mexico City, beaming clips from the unexpected collab into people’s phones. What were they teasing? All would be revealed during the halftime show of the King’s League final at their home city’s Camp Nou stadium, with the premiere of a fresh take on ROSALÍA’s “abcdefg”, reworked to reflect the lifestyle and sports car brand’s disruptive values.
Accompanied by a shapeshifting video – showcasing young creative talent as well as established CUPRA names such as actor Daniel Brühl, FC Barcelona players Alexia Putellas, Ansu Fati and Marc ter Stegen, driver Klara Andersson, and padel player Ariana Sánchez – the reworked track takes ROSALÍA fans on a trip from A to Z through the CUPRA universe.
Drawing inspiration from a range of sources, including music, anime and extreme sports, the reinterpretation of the track also highlights some of the company’s new “heroes”: namely its first all-electric car, the Tavascan, its UrbanRebel concept car, and its hybrid SUV, the Terramar (as ROSALÍA herself says: E is for electric, F is for flash-forward, and G is for go, go, go).
“Just like CUPRA, ROSALÍA was born in Barcelona, in fact only four kilometres away from our HQ,” says Sven Schuwirth, chief operating officer of CUPRA, noting the natural fit of the new and ongoing collaboration (the pop star is, after all, a figurehead of petrolhead style). “Similarly, both CUPRA and the artist share an international mindset and appeal, acting as cultural landmarks for individuals and new generations who look for the unconventional aspects of life.”
For CUPRA, this search for the unconventional has involved spearheading a global push to electrify motor racing, landing the brand a role as FC Barcelona’s official automotive and mobility partner. For ROSALÍA, of course, it’s fuelled a stratospheric rise to global pop stardom built on reggaetón beats and flamenco flair, bringing a community of endlessly dedicated fans along for the ride.
Watch how the two Barcelona-based pioneers come together in the reinterpretation of “abcdefg” above, and go behind-the-scenes of the project in the exclusive video below.