Malgastaba comes from the verb malgastar, a powerful combination of mal (bad) and gastar (to spend). It means "to waste" or "to squander," implying spending something precious carelessly.
In the song, the singer describes his state after the breakup: "Yo malgastaba los segundos" (I was wasting the seconds) while his ex was traveling the world. This single, evocative word paints a vivid picture of being stuck in heartbreak, watching time slip away uselessly.
This song is the ultimate anthem for when an ex suddenly reappears after they were the one who left. Morat lays it all out on the table from the very first line: "No hay más que hablar" (There's nothing more to talk about). The singer is completely baffled that this person has shown up at their door, "Con la certeza de que sigue abierta" (With the certainty that it's still open), as if nothing happened. He reminds them that it was their choice to leave, asking, "Si hay tantos peces en el mar / ¿Hoy por qué vuelves a buscar / Algo conmigo?" (If there are so many fish in the sea / Why are you coming back to look for / Something with me today?).
What really makes this song hit is the contrast between what they were both doing during the breakup. While the ex was off living their best life, "de fiesta en Barcelona / Jugando a ser otra persona" (partying in Barcelona / Pretending to be someone else), the singer was stuck at home, "Dando mil vueltas en la cama sin dormir" (Tossing and turning a thousand times in bed, sleepless). But the pain is in the past. He's not the same heartbroken person they left behind. He makes it clear he's moved on with the powerful line, "Yo no cambié / Sólo aprendí a vivir sin ti" (I didn't change / I just learned to live without you).
The four of Morat met at school in Bogotá, Colombia, and were playing as Malta by late 2011, renamed before the first record. Juan Pablo Isaza sings and plays guitar, Juan Pablo Villamil plays the banjo that gives their pop its country tilt, and the Vargas brothers hold the bottom end, Simón on bass and Martín on percussion.
They broke out in 2015, first on Paulina Rubio's "Mi nuevo vicio" and then with their own "Cómo te atreves". Sobre el amor y sus efectos secundarios (2016) led to Balas perdidas (2018), a number one in Spain and Mexico with "Besos en guerra" alongside Juanes plus "No se va", which Grupo Frontera's 2022 cover turned into their most-streamed song. ¿A dónde vamos? (2021) and Si ayer fuera hoy (2022) followed, then Ya es mañana (2025), their first Latin Grammy winner, for Best Pop/Rock Album. Its tour opened with six nights at Bogotá's Movistar Arena in August 2026, and a May 2026 duet with Silvestre Dangond, "Lo poco que yo quiero", previews a second volume.