Colombia’s Council of State is considering banning +57, a controversial reggaeton song released a few months ago. Bringing together the biggest names in Colombian reggaeton, the song sparked a national controversy over its lyrics, which have been criticized for promoting the sexualization of minors.
Colombia’s Council of State mulls reggaeton hit song +57 ban
On November 7, the reggaeton scene was buzzing. For the first time, the biggest stars of the genre in Colombia joined forces on a track, +57, named after the country’s dialing code.
Pioneers of the genre J Balvin, Maluma, and producer Ovy On The Drums teamed up with global sensations Feid and Karol G, as well as rising stars Ryan Castro and Blessd—all from Medellin, as well as young DFZM from Colombia’s Pacific Coast.
However, one particular line in the chorus quickly drew attention: “Una mamacita desde los 14.”
“Mamacita”, a common term in Colombia used to express affection, love, or sexual attraction toward a woman, is used here to refer to a 14-year-old girl. The line can be roughly translated as: “She is attractive since she is 14.”
Faced with a wave of backlash and outrage from many social media users, particularly in Colombia, the artists backtracked and released an edited version with the lyric changed to: “Una mamacita desde los 18.”
However, a group of citizens submitted a request to the Council of State, received this week, demanding that the singers publicly apologize for the harm caused and commit to creating content that protects minors rather than harming them.
The plaintiffs notably ask for “the removal of the audiovisual content [+57] from digital platforms, which is feasible since this material is part of the intellectual property of those responsible”.
In the document, the plaintiffs also demand “the protection of their fundamental rights to human dignity, the fundamental rights of children and adolescents, free personal development, and dignified treatment.”
Sexual consent in Colombia
Behind the controversy lies a much more complex issue. While 18 is the legal age of majority in Colombia, the age of sexual consent is 14. This means that a 14-year-old can have sexual relations with an adult, provided the relationship is free, informed, enthusiastic, and consensual. This excludes relations involving a position of superiority, emotional or economic dependence, or any form of pressure that limits the minor’s ability to consent freely.
Currently, Congress is studying a law project that seeks to raise the minimum age of sexual consent to 16 years. This change would mean that any sexual relationship with minors under 16 would be a crime, except in cases where the age difference between the parties does not exceed three years.
A controversial song opening deep wounds
The release of +57 comes at a time when Medellin is struggling with serious issues such as the sexual exploitation of minors. A case last year revealed how an American tourist paid minors for sex, with drugs found in the hotel room.
Indignation also arose from the use of +57, Colombia’s dialing code—symbolizing the country’s biggest musical names—to promote controversial themes and a poor image of Medellin.
Moreover, the song also references alcohol and drug use, as seen in the three lines preceding the controversial lyric:
“Aquí lo que hay es exotic, pepa’, guaro, Hpnotiq
Un parche rela, te ofrezco something
Pa’ tomar, estás voladita, no te van a pillar”
Which translates to:
“Here we’ve got exotic (drugs), pills, aguardiente, Hpnotiq
A chill party, I’m offering you something
To drink, you’re high, they won’t catch you.”
The mayor of Medellin, Federico Gutierrez, commented on the song, saying: “Of course, I can’t agree with the lyrics. We are fighting hard here to protect our children, and we have a major battle against the exploitation of boys, girls, and adolescents.”
“We cannot romanticize this (child sexual exploitation) or drug use either. I see it every day when I go through the neighborhoods of Medellin and witness so many young people falling into drugs,” he added.
Karol G, the Colombian world star, reacted to the public backlash on social media, stating: “The lyrics of a song, with which I sought to celebrate the union between artists and put to shine my people … were taken out of context. None of the things said in the song have the direction they have been given, nor was it said from that perspective but I listen, I take responsibility and I realize that I still have a lot to learn. I feel very affected and I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”
So far, +57 is a commercial success, with over 136 million views on YouTube and 150 million streams on Spotify, reaching 4th position on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs.