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Mexican superstar Belinda knew she wouldn’t generate much revenue from her viral song “Heterocomía.” She did it anyway.
In an interview with CNN en Español, the singer revealed that she brokered a costly deal with Disney to secure the rights to the theme from the 1970 animated film “The Aristocats.”
“I don’t think I will see those royalties, ever” said Belinda in the interview with Juan Carlos Arciniegas. “But it was worth it.”
She put her own spin on a 20-second sound bite from the film’s original soundtrack, and used it to kick off her track “Heterocomía” which was released earlier this summer as part of her comeback fifth studio album, “Indómita.”
“[The Aristocats] is a classic,” said Belinda. “And I imagined that introduction because it’s the vibe of the song.”
The Spanish-born singer, who is also of French descent, didn’t stick to the original lyrics sung by Maurice Chevalier. Instead, she added her own flare, puffing up the bourgeois frippery of the original song to meet this modern moment: “Which cats wear Loro Piana? What cats only play golf? Which cats drink Aperol? Naturellement, the Aristocats.”
The song’s fairy-tale introduction quickly devolves into a gloomier tale riddled with deception — and the culminating moment of realization that she had been fooled by a two-faced lover.
“I obsess over the intros in songs and that they sound one way and then completely break off into another song,” said Belinda.
Following the release of her fifth studio album, Belinda drew attention to these lyrics with a homemade TikTok dance video, which has amassed more than 14 million views since its upload on June 8.
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Many online fans began to speculate that the song hinted at Belinda’s past romantic relationship with Gonzalo Hevia Baillères, a billionaire heir whose family owns El Palacio de Hierro, Mexico City’s upscale department store and made their fortune mining the country.
Hevia Baillères has heterochromia, a condition in which one’s eyes are two different colors. It is also the namesake for this seething track.
Belinda has not confirmed the validity of these comparisons to the public, but the song’s scorching lyrics might provide some insight: “You are old money, they call you Bunny, and I’ll pass your palace through my booty.”
So while Disney may keep a majority of the royalties from the song, it looks like Belinda is walking away with something that money can’t buy: sweet revenge.
