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Karol G and Nicki Minaj fans were united in shock Thursday night, after the two dropped a surprise new single, “Tusa.”
The title comes from a Colombian slang term for the heartache one experiences after a breakup. Still, Nicki and Karol don’t sweat it — in both English and Spanish, they promote the benefits of partying away the pain. “Se cansó de ser buena/Ahora es ella quien los usa,” sings Karol G. “She got tired of being good/Now it is she who uses them.”
Colombian producer Ovy on the Drums accents the swaggering reggaeton track with a crisp sample of a classical string quartet. The song’s pomp is matched by the luxe, Rococo feel of the video, directed by Mike Ho; together the divas revel in diamonds, feathers and miles of pink satin. “Pero hice todo este llanto por nada/Ahora soy una chica mala,” sings Nicki in Spanish, which translates to “I did all this crying for nothing/I’m a bad girl now.”
And, she adds in English, “now you kickin ‘and screamin’ — a big toddler!”
The track came together after Karol and Nicki began messaging privately on Instagram, then swapped a few demos. It was Karol’s idea for “Tusa” that finally won Nicki’s approval. “[The collaboration] came into my life unexpectedly and I wanted to keep it like that for my fans,” said Karol G in a press statement. “The collaboration and the song means more to me than I can put into words. I hope everyone enjoys ‘Tusa’ as much as Nicki and I did creating it!”
