St. Vincent Shares Duet With Mon Laferte 'Tiempos Violentos'

05-24-2025

(NLM) That surreal refrain, whispered in the unmistakable voice of St. Vincent, embodies the tone for "Tiempos Violentos" - a striking reimagining of her song "Violent Times" now reinterpreted as a bilingual duet featuring Latin alternative powerhouse Mon Laferte.

Released May 23, "Tiempos Violentos (featuring Mon Laferte)" doesn't just translate the original - it expands it. With Mon's unmistakable emotional grit and St. Vincent's sharp-edged lyricism in dialogue, the song becomes something new: a tense, hypnotic meditation on time, identity, and longing across two languages and two visions.

Says St. Vincent: "Collaborating with Mon gave the song new shape, new blood, new depth. Like a dream falling into another dream."

Originally appearing on All Born Screaming - one of 2024's most critically lauded albums - "Violent Times" took on a second life with Todos Nacen Gritando, the Spanish-language edition of the record. It was that version that caught Mon Laferte's attention and ignited what would become one of the year's most inspired cross-cultural pairings.

"When I first heard the Spanish version, I felt a deep pull," Mon recalls. "It was beautiful and haunting. I wanted to give it my own voice, to make it mine too - and to do it alongside an artist I've long admired."

And she does just that. In "Tiempos Violentos," Mon delivers a stirring, intimate Spanish verse that reframes the song's emotional arc from within, while St. Vincent's English refrains echo like distant memories, creating a spectral call and response that's as cinematic as it is raw.

"Tiempos Violentos" is much more than a remix. It's a rare artistic exchange rooted in mutual admiration, two distinct artistic voices expanding their sonic worlds together. The result is refreshingly organic, soul-stirring and utterly unique.