Anything that comes out of lead singer María Reál’s mouth is heaven in our world so we are really excited to get a stream of new music from the group as we move into the cozy holiday season.
The Marías continue their steady stream of singles with the release of "We're The Lucky Ones" single + video. For this new track, the band puts together their own rendition of a holiday song, the result is a beautiful, three-minute reminder of the fragility of life. The notion of the Christmas season appearing in a song by The Marías is an unexpected moment of peace from the group during a time of real struggle.
María expands:
“Even though it’s my favorite holiday and immediately gives me a sense of warmth and nostalgia for happier times, it also makes me grieve for the ones who lost their lives and didn’t make it to Christmas. I feel like one of the lucky ones. We are all lucky to be alive.”
Directed by Bethany Vargas, the visual plays into the song's holiday theme, with old home footage of the band and their families spliced in between shots of María wistfully basking under falling snow, peering into a doll house that sits beside her. "We're The Lucky Ones" was recorded remotely, with all the string arrangements played in separate rooms due to Covid, and is their third release following "bop it up!" and "Care For You."
"bop it up!" showcases another side of The Marías. The track is built on a dark, pulsing groove that creates a menacing energy, but sacrifices none of the band's catchiness. "bop it up!" was written by María and Josh a month into quarantine in LA. It was a time of uncertainty due to the lack of knowledge of the virus, lack of direction from the government, and news outlets regurgitating the same grim stories about death and the fragility of life itself.
"Care For You" delivers The Marías patented blend of jazz, lounge and psychedelic grooves that expand the band's sonic palette with a hypnotic saxophone solo. The video filmed in Mexico is shot to transport viewers to a rainforest, María notes, "From the beginning, Mexico has shown us so much love. Undeniably, we wouldn’t be where we are now without the fans from Mexico."
María shares about the meaning of the song, "This song reminds me of being back home in Puerto Rico with my family. They live in the mountains of Puerto Rico, where their houses are basically in the middle of the rainforest. When I think of it, I can already smell the humid air – a mix of ripe mangoes, cilantro from my grandma’s kitchen and the rain falling to quench the thirst of the land. I haven’t been able to see any of my family since Covid hit, and this song instantly transports me there. With the video, we wanted to transport viewers to a rainforest as well, one that reminded me of being in Puerto Rico."
For the last few months during quarantine the bilingual band have been quietly working at home on new music following their vigorous 2019 touring schedule. Be sure to immediately stream all their music like now - do it now :)
