Luna Ki, one of Spain’s most outspoken artists on non-binary identity and mental health, who has continually pushed the boundaries between genders, has released the single “Diva suicida” in recent days. Few artists have dared to address these topics so directly, though the song is connected to “Honey,” the track that closed her previous album, Luna. There, she already sang: “you know I want to die, honey, and with the same longing to live.” The contradiction, therefore, is not new for Luna Ki: it’s part of her mode of expression.
In “Diva suicida” that contradiction becomes even clearer. “I can’t take it anymore,” “I don’t want to get old anymore,” “I want to die, but I don’t dare,” or “the ambulance is here; I won’t answer the door” are fairly brutal lines, vulnerable to the extreme, yet they sit inside a song that musically goes in the opposite direction. The production, co-signed with Ares Negrete of Nueve Desconocidos, is bright and energetic, with punk-pop guitars and melody, hints of hyperpop, and an accelerated energy.
“Diva suicida” functions as pure emotional drainage while still having a good time. The track talks about wanting to die, but also about clinging to music, about the fear that prevents it, and about continuing to want to be a “diva.” The chorus repeats “suicida, viva” until the contradiction becomes a mantra. The lyrics are uncomfortable and at moments brutal, but the song somehow sounds strangely life-affirming. It’s quite catchy, like much of what the author of “CL34N” (2022) tends to produce.
It is a Luna Ki who feels especially fresh and carefree, even as she continues to sing from a very vulnerable place. There is something almost liberating about a line this harsh set to such luminous guitars. “Diva suicida” is pure emotional release, but it also has a desire to have fun. It speaks of wanting to die, but also of wanting to live, turning that contradiction into pop.
