"Alibi" is a song by Iranian-Dutch artist Sevdaliza, Brazilian singer Pabllo Vittar and French singer-songwriter Yseult. It was released on 28 June 2024 through Twisted Elegance. It samples Colombian musician Magín Díaz's song "Rosa", a version of the Cuban son "Rosa, qué linda eres", first recorded by the Sexteto Habanero Godínez in 1918.[1] Musically, "Alibi" is an alternative pop song with club-influenced production that incorporates elements of various Latin genres, including funk carioca, reggaeton, and bullerengue.
Commercially, "Alibi" peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the top 10 in Brazil, France, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and Switzerland. In the United States, the song debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning all three artists their first entries on the chart.[2] Vittar became the second drag queen ever to chart on the Hot 100 after RuPaul.[A]
A remix version of "Alibi" was released on 6 September 2024, with the addition of the Brazilian singer Anitta.[3][4] Another remix of the song by Dutch DJ Tiësto followed on 29 November 2024.[5]
"Alibi" is an "operatic" murder ballad.[6] Music critics described it as a "club-focused" alternative pop song,[7] though it also experiments with Latin rhythms such as funk carioca, reggaeton,[6][8] and bullerengue.[9] With lyrics sang in French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, it incorporates ominous bass tones and a heavy syncopated beat. While each performer contributes with a verse in the song, the chorus samples the song "Rosa" by Colombian musician Magín Díaz.[10] A song also performed by fellow Colombian artists Carlos Vives and Totó la Momposina, "Rosa" is a version of the Cuban Cuban son "Rosa, qué linda eres".[6]
Before its commercial release, "Alibi" went viral globally on TikTok, earning over one million creations on the app. In less than three weeks, the song surpassed 35 million streams on Spotify.[11]
Rosie Long Decter, writing for Billboard Canada, described "Alibi" as an "enticing tribute to womanhood, with a menacing undertone."[10] Josh Sharpe of BroadwayWorld saw the song as a "passionate and emotive continuation" of Sevdaliza's artistry in an "exploration of the divine female energy", amplified by "the shared experiences of all three artists".[12]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 32. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
^"Media Forest – Weekly Charts. Media Forest. Retrieved November 11, 2024. Note: Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
^"Media Forest – Weekly Charts. Media Forest. Retrieved October 22, 2024. Note: Select 'Songs – TV'. Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 2. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 32. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
