Chilean Pop Star Javiera Mena Goes Back to the Future in 'Flashback'

Javiera Mena’s queer chileno disco is timeless — and so is her glossy new single, “Flashback.” It’s the singer-songwriter’s first solo outing since the release of her previous album, Espejo, which was named one of Rolling Stone‘s Best Latin Albums of 2018.

In the Hugo Rubiano-directed clip, Mena plays a cyberpunk sci-fi protagonist, lost in a virtual reality of her own design. “Si me encanta este loop/Yo vivo en el pasado y no está bien,” she sings wistfully, embracing her nostalgia for a love lost, then pushing it away. “Yes I love this loop/I live in the past and it’s not OK.”

“Flashback” is the lead single off her upcoming album, which is due for release in 2020. In a written statement, Mena describes her new project as “a night album, with desire as a common thread. A lot of mystery, sensual dance and above all, a lot of fire. The style of the album is an evolution of who I am. Electro with ballad tints.”

Now based in Madrid, Mena adds a special note to her fans — who, like her, are presumably in quarantine. “I hope that this new song can enrich the hearts of people who are in reflection mode at home,” she says. “I think that the mood it has is connected to the planetary moment we live in.”