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After navigating the spaces between funk, disco and rock in his first two albums, Colombian singer-songwriter Manuel Medrano reveals that his third studio album, Perfecto, is mostly pop. The set, which will be released on June 1 under Warner Music México, includes the previously released singles “Verano en NY” and “Este Cuento” among its 14 songs.
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“I think it’s a tribute to pop,” Medrano tells Billboard‘s Leila Cobo in an interview for Billboard News. “It’s also a way to show a little bit of everything I’ve learned in my processes.”
Since he debuted in 2015 with a self-titled album that earned him the 2016 Latin Grammy Award for best new artist and best singer-songwriter album, Medrano has taken several years between one project and another. His second LP, Eterno, came out in 2021.
“I feel it’s normal for an artist to take four or five, sometimes seven years to release an album,” he said. “The processes of modern music involve many people working for an artist, many songwriters, many producers, with a huge infrastructure for an artist to release songs every weekend. I come from another school.”
Continuing, Medrano added that he was “not criticizing the processes of other artists either, they seem fabulous and I’m connecting more and more with them.” But, when it comes to his own personal release strategy, the singer said that he leans “a little more traditional — me with my guitar, in special moments of my life, in my happy place. More intimate, getting everything out, putting everything on the table.”
Dressed in a cream suit over a black silky shirt, Medrano also spoke about his tattoos — he revealed what the next one he plans to get is — and even sang a snippet of one of the new unreleased songs from the album, “Mojado”. Watch the full interview in the video above.
After three years, Manuel Medrano announces the release of his third album, ‘Perfecto.’ He gives us a sneak peek of new single “Mojado,” his upcoming tour, explains why it took him so long to release his third album and more!
Manuel Medrano:
Hi everyone, I am Manuel Medrano and you are watching Billboard News.
Leila Cobo:
Manuel Medrano, welcome to Billboard.
Manuel Medrano:
Leila, what a pleasure.
Leila Cobo:
First of all, tell me about your look. I love all your looks, and you look very ’50s. Tell me, what are you wearing?
Manuel Medrano:
Thank you very much. It is a classic suit, bone color, a beige color with a shirt I recently discovered that comes with this knot here.
Leila Cobo:
Yes it seems like… You look from Pamplona as if you’re going to run with the bulls.
Manuel Medrano:
I like this classic style, a little elegant. I am taking my style towards that.
Leila Cobo:
This style contrasts with the tattoos because here we have an entire sleeve, tattoos down there, there too. The fire. So this is…
Manuel Medrano:
This is for kitesurf.
Leila Cobo:
Really?
Manuel Medrano:
Yes, make the board look cool.
Leila Cobo:
Is there a new tattoo for the new music?
Manuel Medrano:
There is a new tattoo for the new music. I have a broken heart here. I have a little angel here in honor of my second album. And a new tattoo is coming for my new album. You are the first person to know this.
Leila Cobo:
I can’t believe it. But you haven’t done it yet?
Manuel Medrano:
Not yet. But very possibly I will do it this week.
Keep watching to learn more!
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After an 11-year hiatus, New Kids on the Block banded together once more to create and release their new album ‘Still Kids.’ They share how their new song “Better Days” was created, their thoughts on *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, what fans can expect on their upcoming nostalgic Magic Summer tour and more!
Joey McIntyre:
It involved wooing room service, a bottle of wine. Yeah.
Donnie Wahlberg:
And then he played hard to get for two days, wouldn’t talk to John, so John would go “what happened? He’s not texting me.”
New Kids on the Block:
Hey, we’re the New Kids on the Block. This is Billboard News.
Jason Lipshutz:
You guys have a new album out for the first time in 11 years. What is the feeling like? What does today feel like for you guys?
Joey McIntyre:
Well, it is exciting to finally be able to share the album. I mean, it’s been finished and ready to go for a little bit. It’s exciting and just hearing the fans, you know, diving in right away. We’re excited, we’re proud of the album, and excited to play it, and have listening parties. Right, Jordan?
Jordan Knight:
It’s always fun to put new music out and share it with the fans. It’s something you’ve been working on for a year, or whatever how long it took us.
Jason Lipshutz:
Have you guys been scrolling social media feeds? Are you the type of guys that scroll, like to see the reactions, like favorite songs? Getting the music out? Like, are you guys plugged in on that? Or do you just kind of let it go?
Joey McIntyre:
I was just on there, yeah. And the fans are already calling out different songs.
Watch the full interview above!
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“One of the many memories I have with what the word grease evokes in me was when I was a little girl, my old man always had greasy hands because he worked at a gas station,” reflects Nathy Peluso while discussing the title of her upcoming third studio album, set to release on Friday (May 24), with Billboard. “For me it is very poetic and beautiful, as well as the symbol of people who work their backs to the bone.”
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This sense of nostalgia and respect for hard work permeates Grasa. The title, with its gritty connotation, captures the bold and ballsy essence of the Spain-based Argentine star. Known for her gritty rap style, Peluso’s album is a hodgepodge of genres and emotions.
“I wanted a word that had many meanings, something rough and strong that people could take ownership of, even redefine after listening to the album,” she adds. “Something that also seemed ironic to me, with a touch of humor, is that in Argentine slang, grasa means something very concrete and vulgar.”
This vision is evident throughout the album’s 16 tracks, which seamlessly blend elements of rap, salsa, soul and acoustic melodies. Her approach to creating it was driven by intuition and a desire to capture raw emotion. “The collaborations on this album came from the heart,” she explains. “I never strategize these things; it’s always about the connection and the feeling.”
This authenticity shines through in the ballad of “El Día Que Perdí Mi Juventud” featuring Blood Orange, and the glitchy, electronic-driven “Todo Roto” with Ca7triel & Paco Amoroso, where the synergy between artists enhances the impact of the music.
Beyond the collaborative efforts, Grasa holds a deeply personal significance for Peluso, who delves into themes of mental health with unapologetic honesty. “All humans have to take care of our minds,” she insists. “It is our pillar, what anchors us and what makes us be better every day.”
“There is a very important message in the album which is ‘Aprender a Amarse’ (learn to love yourself), which is something we all deserve, because in the end of the day, you have to be your best friend and best companion,” she continues. “For that, you have to be brave and face things that are very difficult. [I wanted to] shed a little light and energy so that people who maybe don’t find that strength in their daily lives, maybe they can put on some music on and feel encouraged. Because music has saved me many times.”
During her chat with Billboard, the artist also shares what it was like to perform with Karol G in during the Mañana Será Bonito Tour in Peluso’s native Argentina. “She is very generous. She invited me to play in Buenos Aires, which meant a lot to me,” she says. “[It was] the first time we sang ‘Gato malo,’ the song we have had together for years. We had never played it together in person, and it was super special.”
Watch the full interview above.
After a four-year hiatus, Nathy Peluso is back with her new album, Grasa. She talks about how it encapsulates her growth from her 20s to her 30s, how her dad inspired the title, her various collaborations including Blood Orange, Ca7riel, Paco Amoroso and more!
Isabela Raygoza:You also play the guitar, right?
Nathy Peluso:I do, but with these nails it’s impossible. When I go to the studio, I cut them.
Isabela Raygoza:I was looking at your nails and how beautiful they look.
Nathy Peluso:So grasa, so red.
Isabela Raygoza: They’re grasa.
Nathy Peluso:Yes, grasa!
Isabela Raygoza: I’m using the word, too.
Nathy Peluso:Hi, I’m Nathy Peluso, and this is Billboard News.
Isabela Raygoza: Thank you for coming. We saw that you were a guest on Karol G’s tour. That was incredible.
Nathy Peluso:She is very generous, she invited me to play in Buenos Aires, which means a lot to me. That was the first time we sang “Gato Malo,” which is the song we’ve had together for years. We’ve never played it together like that in person and it was super special. She has a very gigantic, beautiful, spectacular show, and I also love her very much as a friend. It was very special.
Isabela Raygoza: Grasa is the name of your album. I think it’s an incredible and catchy name, isn’t it? Tell me, why Grasa?What’s the story?
Nathy Peluso:This album took a lot of time and phases of my life, searching for what I wanted to say. In the end, it all showed in this album. And I wanted the title to come on its own. I didn’t have a title. I did all of the album without the title.
Keep watching to learn more!
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