After more than two decades of building a global reputation on the strength of two intertwining acoustic guitars, Rodrigo y Gabriela take a notable turn on their new record by singing for the first time. The duo’s debut with lyrics, a Spanish-language song that tackles migration, displacement and shared dignity, gives the album a fresh political and personal edge.
New sound, new stakes
This is not a one-off experiment. The track, titled “Somos Como Tú”, opens a different chapter for the pair: they move from pure instrumental storytelling to using words and voices to name real-world struggles. The change amplifies the album’s central idea — that “home” can be an internal state as much as a place on a map — and makes the record feel timely in a moment when migration and belonging are global conversations.
Singer and guitarist Alejandro Sánchez (commonly credited as Rodrigo) and Gabriela Quintero worked for years before landing on a vocal arrangement that felt true to their approach. Sánchez treats the lead line with restraint, while Quintero answers with a faster, percussive delivery that recalls the metal influences both honed early in their careers. The song is supplemented by hand percussion and a layered choir, giving it a communal texture that contrasts with their usual two-guitar focus.
Why this matters now
The move to Spanish lyrics and explicit themes of migration makes Rodrigo y Gabriela’s music more immediate for Spanish-speaking audiences and for listeners tracking cultural responses to displacement. It’s an instance of a long-established act retooling its language — literally and artistically — to reflect current conversations about identity and belonging.
Recorded and produced at NK Sound Tokyo, OurHome finds the duo reconnecting with places and voices that have long inspired them. Japan’s visual and artistic landscape played a key role in shaping the album’s sound and aesthetic, and that influence is visible both in the music and in the collaborators they invited to the sessions.
- First vocal single: “Somos Como Tú” — Rodrigo sings lead; Gabriela responds with a quicker cadence.
- Album: OurHome — recorded in Tokyo and produced by the duo.
- Themes: migration, dignity, displacement, and the interior sense of home.
- Notable collaborators: former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman, cellist Hiyori Okuda, and guitarist/composer Yukihiro Atsumi.
- Production credits: mixed by Dave Sardy and mastered by Stephen Marcussen.
From a manga dedication to an official collaboration
One of the album’s lead singles, “Monster,” carries an unusual visual pedigree: the music video was created by celebrated manga artist Naoki Urasawa. The partnership grew organically. During a Japan show, the duo dedicated the song to Urasawa — himself the creator of the story that inspired the track — and word reached him through someone in the audience. A meeting followed, and the admiration was mutual, culminating in a video that the artists describe as an authentic, artist-to-artist collaboration rather than an industry-driven tie-in.
Thematically, “Monster” reflects the duo’s appetite for complex narratives: a story about violence that nonetheless leaves room for hope. The visual collaboration with Urasawa adds a layer of cultural exchange, underscoring how the pair’s influences have broadened beyond musical borders.
Where Rodrigo y Gabriela stand now
More than 20 years after they first broke out — gaining early traction in Ireland after leaving Mexico — Rodrigo y Gabriela continue to blur genres. Their technique fuses classical precision, Latin rhythmic motifs and the intensity of heavy-metal riffing. With OurHome, they expand that sound while also stretching their expressive palette to include sung Spanish lyrics.
The record’s guest list and high-profile mixing and mastering credits underline the duo’s standing in contemporary music, while the songs’ intimate focus keeps the album grounded in personal and social questions rather than commercial trends.
Tour plans and key dates
Rodrigo y Gabriela will bring the new material to North American audiences on a broad tour. Highlights include a late-September U.S. start and a return to Mexico City in early October, where the pair will play the Polyforum Siqueiros — a venue notable for housing the murals of David Alfaro Siqueiros. The routing moves through major markets including Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco and Seattle.
For listeners who follow the duo’s two-decade arc, OurHome marks both continuity and change: recognizable instrumental firepower now paired with voice and narrative urgency. It’s a pivot that reframes their music for current conversations about migration, belonging and creative renewal.
