Sofi de la Torre – Pero No

Still a lot of love, just don’t mention “Vermillioh how could we not?

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[6.71]Ian Mathers: Separated from the “but is it as good as ‘Vermillion’???” issue I feel like she sometimes gets around here (it isn’t, most things aren’t, it’s still good) this is the kind of song that makes a sort of vocal diffidence actually work for it (and lyrical, really, given that you could title this “but like, no” in English); between that and a percussion sound I want to inject straight into my veins there’s a lot to like here.
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Hannah Jocelyn: So I dissed Sofi de la Torre around a month ago when talking about Caroline Polachek’s “Door,” and de la Torre responded. It’s not entirely true that she’s underwhelmed since “Vermillion,” especially as songs like “Give Up at 2” and “$” are just as good (in the case of “Give Up,” even better.) For a while, though, there was a sense that she was trying to find an identity beyond the branding of #popdoneright. And she found it! The clipped, breathy atmospherics of “Vermillion” find new life over an unusually heavy reggaeton beat. As a chorus gimmick, “pero no” is a perfect fit for de la Torre’s characteristically detached delivery, and Jonas Karlsson ensures that nothing crowds out that voice. There’s enough spaciness to compete on any Spotify chillout playlist. But it’s how de la Torre does — or doesn’t — fill the space that makes her stand out.
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Iain Mew: The beat takes up so much of the space, and yet she fits so much into moments in between. Paused and poised for reflection and possibility, the flow between those moments gives “Pero No” its life.
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Nortey Dowuona: Wispy, frothy synth chords waft behind clacking, flat percussion as Sofi drifts aimlessly within the froth.
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Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: I like the way that the chorus shifts as the song evolves, and de la Torre’s anguished “swear to God” hits well every time. But “Pero No” feels oddly rudderless, a decent hook in search of an actual song or idea to cling to.
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Iris Xie: “Pero No” will inevitably invite comparisons to “Fingias,” but there are distinct differences in moods. Where Mami is sorrowful in her betrayal, Torre is more defiant and cool about her situation. This is underscored by how the drums and percussion sound like subdued fire, highlighting the resentment that stirs underneath her casual vocals.
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Will Adams: This year, Sofi de la Torre’s branched out into Spanish-language singles, earlier with “Estamos Mal” and now “Pero No.” Both take advantage of Sofi’s distinct voice — a midpoint of breathy and sharp, like the edge of a filed-down icicle — and her nimble delivery, but “Pero No” really nails the formula. It reminds me a lot of “Fingías”: an embittered lyric set against a mechanical, heavy beat that’s danceable enough to create an intriguing contrast. It’s the pulse that makes the words feel more urgent, more fiery.
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