Despojo is a fascinating word with multiple layers of meaning, making it quite unique and impactful in this song. It can refer to 'remains,' 'spoils of war,' or the act of 'stripping' something away.
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The whole song is one question asked over and over: "¿Por qué me temes?" (Why do you fear me?). A woman is speaking to a man who is afraid of her, and she keeps handing him reasons he might have — each one an accusation dressed up as a concession. "Si soy fruto de algo que no tiene nombre" (If I am the fruit of something that has no name). "Si estoy hecha para estar arrepentida" (If I'm made to be repentant). Every verse opens with si (if), so she is arguing on his terms, and his terms get uglier as she goes: "Si tus celos me acuchillan por la espalda" (If your jealousy stabs me in the back), "Si tu ira me dispara en la cabeza" (If your rage shoots me in the head). The violence arrives inside a hypothetical, sung over a slow bolero, and that is what makes it land.
By the last verse the fear has spread outward — "Si el mundo juzga con ojos cerrado'" (If the world judges with closed eyes), and "todo lo que hago es un pecado" (everything I do is a sin). Then the closing line changes one word and turns the whole song around: "¿A qué le temes?" (What do you fear?). Not why do you fear me any more, but what is it, actually, that you are afraid of.
iLe, from Puerto Rico, began her musical journey as the female vocalist for the group Calle 13, performing alongside her brothers. After their time with the band, she started her solo career, building her own artistic vision.
Her debut album, iLevitable, blended classic Latin American styles like bolero and bomba with a modern sensibility. She uses her commanding voice to explore social and political themes in her music.