Sevdaliza, Pabllo Vittar & Yseult's Multilingual Hit 'Alibi' Debuts on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100
The single by the Iranian-Dutch artist Sevdaliza brings together a host of cultures and styles in a winning mix that features French singer Yseult and Brazilian drag queen Pabllo Vittar.
Yseult, Sevdaliza and Pabllo Vittar
A viral song featuring no less than four languages has debuted on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 this week.
"Alibi" by Iranian-Dutch singer Sevdaliza arrives at No. 96 on the chart, while it holds the No. 19 spot on Billboard's Global 200.
Featuring French singer Yseult and Brazilian drag queen Pabllo Vittar, the sultry single has lyrics in French, English, Spanish and Portuguese, threaded together with ominous bass tones and a heavy syncopated beat.
"Alibi" is an enticing tribute to womanhood, with a menacing undertone: "I just killed a man / she's my alibi," Sevdaliza sings, affirming sisterhood and threatening patriarchy at once.
Sevdaliza, Yseult and Vittar each sing a verse, while the song's hook reworks the century-old Cuban song "Rosa."
The song has been resonating with online listeners, taking off as a TikTok dance challenge and garnering comments on YouTube about its impressive multilingualism. The Díaz sample has also prompted some deep dives, with Instagram creator Dash Harris digging into the song's Afro-Cuban origins.
It hasn't hit the U.S. Hot 100 yet, landing at No. 7 on the Bubbling Under chart this week, but the song is already an international success, indicating the increasing globalization of the music industry. Singles don't need to break in the U.S. to have a worldwide impact.
Sevdaliza shared a heartfelt Instagram post about "Alibi," reflecting on what it means to be embraced in Latin America while she's unable to return home to Iran.
Elsewhere, Eminem has flooded the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, occupying 16 spots on the chart this week following the release of The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace). That album claims the No. 1 spot on the Canadian Albums chart, unseating Zach Bryan's The Great American Bar Scene.
Shaboozey hangs onto the No. 1 spot on the Canadian Hot 100 for the eighth week with "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which he also reclaims in the U.S. this week after being dethroned last week by Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us."
Check out the full chart here.
