"Mi Mala" ("My Mean Girl") is a single by Venezuelan duo Mau y Ricky and Colombian singer Karol G. The song was co-written by the three said artists, Matluck, Jon Leone, Camilo Echeverry and its producer, Tainy. A remix version featuring Becky G, Lali and Leslie Grace was released on 9 February 2018.
Background
The song was written by Mau y Ricky, Karol G, Camilo Echeverry, Max Matluck, Tainy and Jon Leone. It is about two people who don't want to be in a serious relationship with each other, so they know that the other sees other people, but they don't care.
On 9 February 2018 a remix version featuring vocals by American singers Becky G and Leslie Grace, and Argentinian singer Lali was released. Its music video was shot on 18 January 2018 in Miami, Florida, and was directed by David Bohórquez. The song received a nomination for Remix of the Year at the 31st edition of the Lo Nuestro Awards.[4]
Background and composition
For the remix, Mau y Ricky invited three more female voices. On the Spotify's exclusive behind the scenes, Ricky said "I think it's very important to support female talent, [so] it gets more powerful with the other ladies." Karol G admitted that she was "excited" about the song because it "is loyal to what [she]'s ever wanted with [her] project: give women reasons to feel inspired and great." Leslie Grace stated that "in the music industry, women are getting hold of their territory" and Lali added that "it's time for women to join". Finally, Becky G also expressed her excitement by saying: "we are this younger generation in music, and to be able to share the light is just incredible."[5]
Billboard described the song as a "sizzling remix of the slow reggaeton jam."[8] Additionally, Diana Marti from E! Online said that the track "is infectious and you'll find yourself leaving it on repeat."[9]Fuse's Jeff Benjamin added that "[the remix] is more than just a hot rework, it's a larger spotlight on the great female talent coming from the Latin music community and highlights the necessity to shed more light on it".[10]
Music video
The official music video was shot by director David Bohórquez in Miami, Florida on 18 January 2018. It premiered on Spotify's mobile app on 9 February 2018, on the newly relaunched ¡Viva Latino! playlist. Three days after, on 12 February, it made its premiere on Vevo. Bohórquez had previously directed the music video for the original version.[11]
In the music video, Giraldo, Gomez, Grace and Espósito all pose and smize for a camera recording them, while the guys hang out with their co-stars' faces projecting on screens. Towards the end, they all appear together in the same setting as Mau y Ricky.[10]