![]() ![]() While “Wild Thoughts” also talks about the relationship between a man and woman, the newer song omits any discussion about social class. Younger listeners may recognize the beat and instrumentals of “Maria Maria,” which were heavily sampled for the 2017 song “Wild Thoughts” by DJ Khaled, Rihanna, and Bryson Tiller. This distinction is notable in the song’s music video: Maria easily fits in with the camaraderie of the energetic crowd dancing in the video, but still turns the eye of many watchful men with her radiant beauty. In these lines, he reminds the audience that Maria, past her captivating beauty and presence to the singer, is just a normal person he sees on the streets. These contrasting conceptions of America form a central part of the “West Side Story” which “Maria Maria” calls upon, adding another piece to the love’s complicated social background. The mention of a favela also reflects a common theme of America, seen as a glorified place of fortune and opportunity from the outside, presents difficult challenges to its new immigrants. While dealing with troubles in the neighborhood, the narrator sees Maria and instantly feels his burdens melting away. Thus, their relationship has to be pursued against this backdrop of unrest that threatens their happiness. “Maria Maria” transcends this conflict into modern times, with the warring streets acting as the barrier forbidding the love between Maria and the narrator. But “West Side Story” calls upon another tale - “Romeo and Juliet,” the old story of two opposing families preventing teenagers from pursuing an open love. With the repeated naming of “West Side Story” in the song’s chorus, the narrator gives a nod towards the legendary musical’s story of finding love amidst battling gangs. The looting and shooting illustrate the lower-class environment that he and his lover live in and also emphasizes the clandestine nature of their love. However, he still idealizes her beauty and believes that Maria’s life is like one of “a movie star.” The narrator calls upon the tale of “West Side Story,” suggesting a forbidden love between him and Maria further strained by social class. She’s living the life just like a movie starįramed from the male perspective, “Maria Maria” follows a man’s pursuit of a woman named Maria, whose roots lay in the culturally vibrant Spanish Harlem in New York City. Although the song’s older release puts it just out of reach of Zoomers and younger audiences, the song’s resurgence on a recent pop hit demonstrates the lasting beauty of both the song and its message. Produced by Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis, the song from 1999 features vocals from The Product G&B, an R&B duo composed of David McRae and Marvin Moore-Hough, in a R&B and Latin influenced sound. ![]() The music video was nominated in three categories at the MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year, Best Collaboration and Best Art Direction.On the shelves of legendary Latin rock band Santana’s discography, “Maria Maria” is a standout for its earned accolades, endearing beat, and message about the ineffable beauty of loving a woman. ![]() The music video for the song was directed by Colin Tilley and was shot in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida. ![]() The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Rihanna's 31st top-ten song, Khaled's third, and Tiller's first. The song also saw chart success in Australia and Canada, where it peaked at number two. Commercially, the song reached number one in the United Kingdom, marking Khaled's second and Rihanna's ninth number one. ![]()
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