Alejandro Sanz Talks About His New Album, Working With Shakira & More | Billboard Presents

Billboard cover star Alejandro Sanz is gearing up to release his first album in four years, ‘¿Y Ahora Qué?’. The Spanish singer is teaming up with Shakira once again for a new duet, “Bésame.” He shares the inspiration behind “Palmeras en el Jardín,” what it’s like to work with Shakira, his collaborations with Grupo Frontera and Manuel Turizo for his upcoming album. He also opens up about his mental health, what fans can expect from his tour, and more!

Are you excited for Alejandro Sanz’s new album? Let us know in the comments!

Leila Cobo:

Alejandro, welcome. 

Alejandro Sanz:

Thank you, like always.

Like always. Now tell me, what now?

Well look, “what now” is the first phrase that appears on the album.

Oh really?

On “Palmeras en el Jardín.” “And what now? Now what do you say.” You know how the song starts. But also, I think it’s a phrase that’s common all throughout the world because whenever you start something new, something always happens and you always have to go head on with change, you always ask yourself, “what now?” And when you go to write a new song, it’s a little bit like that. And when you are going through sentimental and emotional changes in your life, and things that really move you, you ask yourself, “what now,” right?  Fortunately or unfortunately, the world presents us with so many changes, different things that we don’t know what’s going to come after and how we are going to face those kinds of things. It seems really graphic and I like to gather phrases or words that are in common imaginations and give them a poetic feel inside of an album.    

And you do that all the time? Better said, do you do it consciously and thinking of that?

Well, I try to. 

Ok so, “Palmeras en el Jardín,” you wrote it before the rest of the album, right?

Yes, almost before the whole album.

I ask because “Palmeras en el Jardín” is a really sad song, honestly. 

Keep watching for more!