Gente en la Calle

"Gente en la Calle" (English: "People in the Streets") is a song by Argentine singer-songwriter Fito Páez featuring vocals by Argentine singer Lali, from Páez's twenty-fourth studio album La Conquista del Espacio (2020). It was written by Páez and its producers Diego Olivero and Gustavo Borner. The track was released by Sony Music Argentina as the album's fourth single on March 4, 2021.

"Gente en la Calle"
Single by Fito Páez featuring Lali
from the album La Conquista del Espacio
Released	March 4, 2021 (2021-03-04)
Studio	Capitol (Los Angeles)[1]
Genre	Latin pop rock en español gospel
Length	3:59
Label	Sony Music Argentina
Songwriter(s)	Fito Páez
Producer(s)	Fito Páez Diego Olivera Gustavo Borner
Fito Páez singles chronology
"Maelström" (2020) "Gente en la Calle" (2021) "Lo Mejor de Nuestras Vidas" (2021)
Lali singles chronology
"Ladrón" (2020) "Gente en la Calle" (2021) "Disciplina" (2022)
Music video
"Gente en la Calle" on YouTube

In 2021, the song received a nomination for the Collaboration of the Year award at the 23rd Annual Gardel Awards.^[2]

Background

The artists' relationship developed through the years as each of them showed interest in each other's work. In 2018, Lali covered Paez's 1990 song "Y Dale Alegría a Mi Corazón". Lali's version was part of a Spotify campaign in which some artists released songs in support of their homecountries' national football teams on the 2018 FIFA World Cup.^[3]

Moreover, Páez invited Lali to perform his song "Yo Vengo a Ofrecer Mi Corazón" with him in two occasions: the first time in 2018 at Teatro Gran Rex, Buenos Aires, and the second in 2019 at the Fillmore Theatre, Miami.

In 2020, Lali released her fourth studio album, Libra, which had Páez as songwriter and background vocalist of the last track, "Una Esquina en Madrid". According to Lali, she sent the lyrics to Páez after having written the song. In return, he sent her a video of himself "finding the melody" of the song in a piano.^[4]

Composition

In an interview with Billboard, Páez compared the song to Steely Dan's music, one of his favorite groups, and said that it is "melodically very difficult". He added that:

"[the song] talks about something very awful that’s happening here in Buenos Aires, but also in Los Angeles and Bogota, Lima, Rio de Janeiro. There are a lot of people living and sleeping in the streets in very marginal conditions. And this song is a way of telling that. The song is not three-dimensional. It’s two people walking through the city and telling us what they see. So, there’s no political undertones here. It’s a faithful reflection of reality. So, it has this duality where the song pleasantly floats, yet the lyrics are harsh. This was the experiment I wanted to do: That with beautiful music you can tell terrible things".^[1]

Music video

A music video directed by Guido Adler and Alejandro Ros premiered on March 4, 2021. In the clip, Lali and Páez interact in a street-like set with huge traffic lights in front of screens that project real-life images of Buenos Aires and people living in its streets.^[5]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2020) Peak position Argentina (Argentina Hot 100)[6] 80 Argentina Airplay (Monitor Latino)[7] 14 Argentina Latin Airplay (Monitor Latino)[8] 11 Argentina National Songs (Monitor Latino)[9] 1

Year-end charts Chart (2021) Position Argentina (Monitor Latino)[10] 81 Argentina Latin Airplay (Monitor Latino)[11] 61

See also

• List of airplay number-one hits in Argentina

References

1. Leila, Cobo (11 March 2020). "Fito Páez's New 'Conquest': A Conversation on New Album, Relationships & Working With Lali Esposito". Billboard. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
2. "Premios Gardel: Nominados 2021". Premios Gardel (in Spanish). Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
3. "Lali Espósito y su versión de "Dale alegría a mi corazón" para el Mundial". La Nación (in Spanish). 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
4. Espósito, Sebastián (12 October 2020). "Lali saca sorpresivamente su cuarto disco, Libra: "Hay que hacer un trabajo fino para no repetirse"". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
5. "Fito Paez y Lali unieron sus voces en su nuevo single y video "Gente en la Calle"". Billboard Argentina. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
6. "Lali – Chart History (Argentina Hot 100)" Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Singles for Lali. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
7. "Top 20 Argentina – General – Del 15 al 21 de Marzo, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
8. "Top 20 Argentina – Latino – Del 15 al 21 de Marzo, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
9. "Top 20 Argentina – Nacionalidad – Del 15 al 21 de Marzo, 2021" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
10. "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2021 – Argentina – General – Tocadas". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
11. "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2021 – Argentina – Latino – Audiencia". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 December 2021.