The Singles Jukebox

Tasty!

[Video][Website]
[6.71]

Jonathan Bogart: A summit of Lusophone queens, wherein the premier Angolan trans kuduro star (yes, there’s more than one) and the premier Brazilian drag funk star (of which there are a galaxy) meet for a remix of a song off Titica’s third album, released earlier this year; the video was shot in the neutral territory of Portugal. “Eat and Leave” is a literal translation of the title, but the connotation is less dine and dash than wham bam thank you ma’am (one lyrics site translates “baza” as “fuck”). Indeed the grind of the chorus replicates the rhythms of patient sex (or stylish dance, which is the same thing), alternating between rhythmic “come … baza” and insistent “baza baza baza baza.” Ticny’s characteristic throaty whimpers and Pabllo’s characteristic Gibbian falsetto ensure that the orgy is proudly queer, as they trade verses celebrating one-night stands and their queenly prerogative to dismiss at will any guest who bores them. It’s a kuduro song, but it’s steamier and sweatier than a typical dust-dry musseque workout; hipwork, not footwork, is what is demanded here.
[8]

Jessica Doyle: I’m not sure whether I just got invited to an exhilarating party or taunted for three minutes straight. Either way it was great fun.
[7]

Tim de Reuse: I can see what they were trying to do with the chorus — lust becoming unchained, the atmosphere of things getting out of hand — but the breathy chant of the title finds no real profundity in repetition.
[3]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: This is deeply unsubtle, both in form and content, but who needs subtlety? With Titica undergirding the song with a throaty vocal performance over an almost martial beat and guest star Pabllo Vittar providing an explosive bridge, “Come e Baza” makes a compelling dancefloor argument without sublety ever crossing its mind.
[7]

Iain Mew: Pabllo Vittar’s vocal performance is once again extraordinary, and Titica provides a battering ram of a song that’s a fine setting to make use of Vittar’s combination of power and subtlety. She plays along to the raw whine of the synth riff and against it at the same time, and the effect is sometimes uneasy but always exciting.
[7]

Ryo Miyauchi: The shuffling drum beats and the tinny synths rattle the senses, but it’s Titica and her brazen verses that really demand you catch up to her rhythm. Her attitude has no patience for foolishness, but it’s charismatic enough to make the commotion something enticing to dive into. Vittar, meanwhile, coasts more straightforward, though her showy styling gives the beat a sense of glamour as much as toughness.
[6]

Thomas Inskeep: This kuduro beat is so hot I can imagine Beyoncé utilising it in a couple years. And pairing the huge Angolan trans star Titica with Brazilian drag queen/pop star Pabllo Vittar? That makes this one of most important queer singles of the year. But no matter your sexuality or politics, this record is undeniable, a banger from start to finish.
[9]