Guitarricadelafuente brings ‘BABIECA!’ to late night for TV debut
The Spanish singer-songwriter made his first television appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Colman Domingo guest-hosting.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Guitarricadelafuente’s first trip to American late-night television came with a hurdy-gurdy in hand and “BABIECA!” on the set list.
The Spanish artist made his television debut Tuesday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Rolling Stone reported. Colman Domingo, who was filling in as guest host for the evening, introduced the singer-songwriter before the performance.
Guitarricadelafuente opened the number softly, singing while playing a zanfona, also known as a hurdy-gurdy. According to Rolling Stone, the arrangement leaned first into the song’s trance-like side before other musicians joined him and pushed the track toward its brighter, club-flavored finish.
“BABIECA!” appears on his 2025 album Spanish Leather. Rolling Stone described the song as one of the record’s standouts and reported that it is about desire and falling hard in love.
The backstory is personal, too. According to Rolling Stone, Guitarricadelafuente drew inspiration for the track from a nightclub where his parents first met.
A folk-rooted sound gets a wider frame
Guitarricadelafuente has built his name on a blend of contemporary songwriting and traditional folk textures. With Spanish Leather, he pushed that mix into a broader sonic lane.
Speaking to Rolling Stone last year, he said he wanted the songs on Spanish Leather to feel more current and closer to the life he was seeing around him. He said the record was meant to capture a generational moment through stories rooted in everyday experience.
He also told Rolling Stone he spent several weeks in New York and Los Angeles, with much of that time in Los Angeles working with producer Carter Lang at Lang’s home studio.
Guitarricadelafuente said he had thought of the music he was making as “very Spanish,” but found that listeners from other countries were connecting with it even when they did not understand the lyrics. He told Rolling Stone that people were responding to the music’s energy, which he called “really interesting.”
A screen year beyond Kimmel
The late-night spot is not his only screen appearance on the calendar. Rolling Stone reported that Guitarricadelafuente is also starring in La Bola Negra, his first major acting role.
The film is described by Rolling Stone as a war epic that links multiple generations and stretches across different periods of Spanish history, with its story set in 1932, 1937 and 2017.
La Bola Negra is directed by the Spanish duo Los Javis. According to Rolling Stone, the film has already won the Best Director prize at Cannes.
The cast also includes Penelope Cruz, Julio Torres, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardeau and Carlos González, Rolling Stone reported.
The movie is scheduled to begin its theatrical run on Nov. 6 and premiere on Netflix on Dec. 4, according to the report.
For Guitarricadelafuente, the run now stretches from late-night music stage to prestige film rollout, with Spanish Leather still carrying him into new rooms.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.