State Champ Radio Interview
Page: 5
December may traditionally signal the end of the calendar year, but for Masicka, the twelfth month of the year houses plenty of new beginnings. The dancehall superstar opened the month with the release of Generation of Kings last Friday (Dec. 1), his sophomore studio album and first full-length release since signing to Def Jam in February. The 17-song set comes on the heels of his summer hit “Tyrant,” which sat alongside Byron Messia’s “Talibans” and Chronic Law & Ireland Boss’ “V6” among this summer’s defining crossover dancehall hits.
Upon Masicka’s signing to Def Jam, CEO Tunji Balogun said, via a press release, “Def Jam has always been the home for great artists across the wide spectrum of Black music, and Masicka is very much emblematic of that vision.” That may seem like a catch-all corporate platitude, but Masicka truly does embody the ever-evolving spectrum of Black music. Hailing from Portmore, Jamaica, Masicka grew up listening to not just dancehall and reggae, but also rap music. As Hip-Hop 50 has acknowledged, the relationship between dancehall and hip-hop is as storied as it is symbiotic, and Masicka continues that legacy with a stage name partially derived from his favorite blockbuster 50 Cent album.
Across Generation of Kings, Masicka infuses his trap dancehall foundation with flourishes of R&B (“Wet”) and Afrobeats (“Fight For Us”), calling on a globe-spanning collection of collaborators to bring his vision of collective royalty to life. Equally introspective and biting, Masicka’s lyrics — which explore everything from settling beef to reflections on his childhood — perfectly complement his penchant for lush melodic lines and reverb-drenched harmonies. With such a strong ear, it’s no surprise that, despite dancehall’s current Stateside commercial stagnancy, Masicka has been able to truly break through.
438, his debut album which also won dancehall album of the year at the 2023 Caribbean Music Awards, has earned over 50,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. since its Dec. 3, 2021 release, according to Luminate, and his overall catalog has collected over 258.8 million on-demand streams. Upon release, Generation of Kings looks poised to explode those numbers. In just over a week, the album has hit No. 1 on Apple Music in 16 countries, scored the eighth biggest album debut on Spotify U.K. for the period Dec. 1-3 and reached No. 11 on U.S. Apple Music. Furthermore, with Generation of Kings, Masicka became the first artist in history to simultaneously occupy the top 17 on Apple Music in Jamaica — and he even surpassed Bob Marley & the Wailers‘ unmoveable Legend compilation for the No. 1 spot on both U.S. iTunes’ and Apple Music’s reggae albums charts.
Still basking in the glow of the immediate success of Generation of Kings, Masicka stopped by the Billboard offices to chat about his future as a Def Jam recording artist, his formative musical influences and 50 Cent’s influence in Jamaica.
Let’s talk about Generation of Kings. Where was your head while making this album? What were you drawing inspiration from?
After the first album [438], mi feel like mi cement myself inna di dancehall space with a great body at work. So, with Generation of Kings, mi just feel like it’s my time. The whole era, the whole music, the whole feel, just how everything’s going.
How did you go about assembling the tracklist?
I think that was the hardest part, being we had quite a number of great tracks on the album. So, you kind of get them fi tell a storyline. Mi went back in the studio a couple of times, link up with di team, we decipher a likkle bit and then we think what we choose was more of the songs that were what people can relate to. They’re like the motivational songs you can get a positive vibration from.
So, what exactly was the storyline you envisioned for the record?
Triumph. Just transitioning and taking a greater step towards fulfilling your dreams. This album was basically telling the people dem that I’m ready.
You have some fire collaborations on the album – Popcaan, Spice and Fridayy, to name a few – tell me about bringing those artists into your vision.
The most anticipated collab was the Chronic Law [track], he’s a lyricist from Jamaican and people always wan us fi do a song together. That song also features Lila Iké too – bad upcoming female artist. Mi think di people dem really resonate with that collab. The song with Fridayy, it’s different, the one with Fave too. But I think all of the collabs went exceptionally well.
Did you reach out to Fridayy or did he reach out to you?
Tunji [Balogun] set that up! When I heard di track, I was like, “Yo, this dope,” and Fridayy connected right as his album dropped – mi love di album, it’s crazy.
Speaking of Tunji, you signed to Def Jam earlier this year, so congratulations! Why Def Jam? What drew you to them in particular?
The direction and empowerment for artists culture they have. Mi like how dem work. Mi like Tunji vision more than anything else. We spoke probably about a year and a half before [I] actually signed. Mi also like the humbleness. Mi think we share the same work ethic and vision all in one. Anything’s a risk, but mi think this a good risk.
Why did now feel like the time for you to sign to an international label?
I think, personally, mi cover a lot of ground throughout the Caribbean. I feel like I’ve done everything I needed to in the Caribbean. I’ve traveled the Caribbean like 6-7 times already, over and over again, and it’s just trying to get a greater reach. They see the talent, they see the creativity. It’s just trying fi expand the content and mek di ting grow and just build it. Nuh sense fi have all this talent and you remain on the same level.
There are a lot of hip-hop influences on Generations of Kings and the genre has a rich relationship with dancehall. Are there any rappers you’d like to get on a remix of one of these tracks?
Probably Lil Baby. Lil Baby dope. Jay-Z. 50 Cent.
Compare your headspace from the release of 438 to the release of Generation of Kings.
Mi think mi more mature. Mi think mi have more control in terms of how mi want di music fi sound. The ting before it was just di tip of di iceberg. Mi had just started to venture out into creating albums and creating projects. Mi think 438 was dope, just like Generation of Kings. But mentally, mi more mature, more settled, and the music a likkle bit more polished and direct.
What song on Generation of Kings took the longest to finish?
Mi think “Limelight.” Mi record “Limelight” and then leave it for like a month and then mi other verse come. Most of the time mi do something like that. Mi a just go inna di studio and spit something out. With “Limelight,” di riddim is different so mi actually do the chorus and then the verses.
Why did you decide to make “Limelight” a single?
Mi think di vibe — it was a likkle bit after summer, so you know everybody needs to be pumped. Mi think the vibe and the energy and the whole feeling of the song just felt victorious. Mi just feel like we had “Tyrant,” so mi haffi come with again with something sick. After the “Tyrant” success, mi just say, “Alright then, let mi listen through everything. What does it feel like?” “Limelight” was the next thing. It’s showing that it’s our space and we’re here.
Obviously, we’re in the Social Media Age — how has that been an effective tool for you as you continue to navigate your career?
Social media is the Golden Age, man. It mek it a lot easier and mek people from all over di world see your music. It helps a lot. It help to promote, it help to grow the fan base. Social media is one of the key things right now for musicians. They can just pick up the phone and see somebody in Guatemala and somebody one million miles away. We have a better advantage now than the generation of artists before us, so we just haffi make use of that.
What else do you have on the horizon to promote Generation of Kings?
Mi a shoot alla di music videos! Nuff video, nuff promo, mi already started working on a deluxe. Mi have some songs recorded. Mi think I have some sick collabs on it, it’ll be just as crazy as the album.
What do you listen for in new beats and riddims?
The thing is, you know, the beat don’t matter. It’s the once mi get the beat and mi feel a vibe, mi will record. The beat is a surface problem. For me to get a beat and really write to it, mi like pianos, beats with guitar, percussion. Mi like live songs that have a soulful feeling to it.
How do you approach songwriting? Are you more of a freestyler?
Normally, mi go inna di studio, play di beat for like 2-3 hours, and vibe it, vibe it, vibe it, vibe it, vibe it. Mi cyan write just sitting down. Mi write if mi haffi write, but mi like freestyle. Mi think the music better when mi freestyle. So mi would freestyle it and then go back inside, listen, see where we can make some more arrangements and stuff like that. That’s how mi create music. Mi have a studio at home, so mi inna di studio everyday majority of the time.
Sometimes it’s just the melody alone mi have, I just go inna di studio and mumble it. And throughout the day, when I’m playing a game or something, I just think about it subconsciously, and I finish it like that. Mi nuh have no songbook. I’ve never had a songbook.
Sonya Stephens recently praised you as an amazing songwriter, with a lot of that you can teach older generations of dance artists. I also spoke with Beenie Man few months ago about sharing knowledge across generations of dancehall. What do you think you and your peers can learn from your dancehall elders and vice versa?
Mi think we can definitely study the longevity of the artists dem before. All of them have amazing careers and dem stood the test of time, like Beenie Man and Bounty Killer. Mi think the difference is modern dancehall just gets five minutes of fame. Mi think them nuh love di craft. I think it’s more about getting out there than mastering the craft.
Bounty and Beenie Man start from when they was small, so dem actually really love di music, so they never had any other options. Now we have too much choices. There’s no appreciation for the music, so everybody feel like dem can just be a part of the music and just call themselves anything.
Definitely, mi think they can learn to take more risks, cause mi think we take a lotta risks, the younger generation. They could take more risks and pave more way for di yutes because dem have the opportunity and dem could do way more.
There were a number of global dancehall crossover hits this year, “Tyrant” among them. How do you think that momentum can be maintained?
We just have to realize it’s a bigger market out there. People with different ears, you know, so we just haffi try stuff. We just haffi try to be appealing, try the different music — but at the end of the day, keep originality and keep authenticity. We just haffi try and merge it with the Afrobeats – they’re on that level now. Dancehall was on that level, and it can be on that level again. It will, Imma speak it into being. I just think we need fi come together as people and push di music.
Do you feel that there’s any division that’s preventing that from happening?
Yeah, definitely. Dancehall is known for segregation, and that hinders the growth of the music a lot. Mi think once you have that togetherness and that unity… mi think that’s happening now. Yuh see di yutes dem now? I think the mindset is different, and mi think the yutes just work and take more risks. I venture to say that is why you have so many labels looking to the Jamaican market right now — because mi think there’s a change coming.
And I think that risk-taking, especially in terms of blending genres, is what’s really helping modern dancehall right now. Where do you think your courage to try new sounds comes from? Who were your main musical influences?
Mi love dancehall, but mi started off listening to rap. So, 50 Cent, Eminem, alla dem tings. Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, Massacre. Mi love music. Mi love dancehall, I’m a dancehall artist, but mi love music. Adele a one of my favorite artists of all time, mi listen to Lukas Graham, mi listen to so many different kinds of artists, so mi think with experimenting, it comes from feeling comfortable and mastering the craft and practicing every day. So, if mi get a beat, mi just look at miself like an instrument instead of just a dancehall artist. If I get a beat a need to sing in Spanish, then mi need fi guh learn Spanish! [Laughs.]
We only have one life, so why not experiment and why cage yourself into a box? Grow and try different stuff! Mi just think di music can be so big and diverse, you know?
You had a show in New York recently for your birthday, how was that?
Crazy, crazy. It was my birthday celebration. Di people dem love me out there. They love me in New York, so I always bring the energy. It was a crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy vibe.
Do you have any plans to tour soon?
I have a couple of shows, one in Miami. I have a show in Jamaica soon. And then we start off next year fresh. Right now, mi just a focus on GOK, and getting out there and pushing it.
So, I take it you’ll get some downtime with the family for the holidays.
Yeah, man, just spending some time. Family is big to me, so mi love fi get a likkle time fi spend with my family. I gotta take a break man. After next week, Def Jam cyan get to me! [Laughs.] Just kidding!
Looking out towards the next five years, what are some benchmarks that you want to hit?
In five years’ time, I really love fi become a fully established artist in the U.S. A fully established dancehall artist selling hundreds of thousands of records, start performing in stadiums, and sign some artists.
When it comes to signing artists, what you be looking and listening for?
Typically the same thing what mi have inna miself. Versatility, the love for di music first. You can have the talent, but if you don’t love it nah guh fully work. So them haffi have di love and di drive for it first.
Are there any notes you think the Jamaican recording industry can take from the American and African ones as you continue to work with international labels?
The professionalism. 100% the professionalism and the business behind the music. Mi think that is why the African industry is advancing now and booming like that. Mi think that’s what we lack, but we’re getting back there, right? Once we get back to that disciplinary level within di yutes and within di music, then we will have investors interested in working with dancehall artists cause you’re committed to your words and your work.
Before we go, I heard there’s a dope story behind your name.
You know, actually, it was 50 Cent’s album, The Massacre. Back in high school time, my auntie bought me the album. Initially mi never wan become an artist from di time mi was young, young, young. Mi coulda write songs mi nuh wan turn that.
What did you want to be?
A lawyer, mi was young! I still started my music career young, like 17, 18. But mi get the CD and I kept playing it. My friends dem used to call me Sicka, and then mi just decide say, Yo, Masicka, this is it.
50 Cent influence inna Jamaica is massive. You have the G-Unit tank tops, everybody loves Young Buck, Lloyd Banks — I think G-Unit was one of the crew that everybody inna Jamaica was just crazy about. You have other groups that’s mad talented, but the gangster thing, the aggressive thing just resonate with our culture.
While NewJeans‘ brand of easy-listening K-pop minimalism has earned the girl group both a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as well as a Billboard Music Award, the quintet shook up their formula when it came to recording League of Legends‘ annual world-championship anthem “Gods.”
For the musical collaboration alongside Riot Games set to one of the world’s most popular video games (League of Legends reports 80 million average monthly players), NewJeans bring a booming, maximalist electronic-pop epic fully in English where an ominous full choir accompanies members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein.
According to NewJeans, bringing “Gods” to life meant delivering their most elaborate live performance to date when the quintet took the stage at LoL‘s World Championship Finals on Nov. 19. Along with dancers and actors joining NewJeans, the performance included virtual-reality, computer-generated imagery and guest appearances from the top competing teams in eventual 2023 champs T1 from South Korea as well as Weibo Gaming from China.
Talking to Billboard exclusively after a big weekend where they not only performed and won at the 2023 BBMAs but helped open League‘s 2023 Worlds, NewJeans discuss recording and preparing “Gods” for the big stage, meeting T1 and Weibo Gaming, favorite Riot Games’ musical collaborations and more.
[embedded content]
Congratulations on a huge weekend. Not only did you perform and win at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, but you also performed “Gods” for the first time live at Worlds. How are you all feeling?
DANIELLE: The whole experience felt surreal to me! Performing for the Worlds Finals as well as the Billboard Music Awards alongside artists we deeply respect and admire was incredibly surreal! Even looking back now the scale was unbelievable and we are so grateful and honored for the experience.
The Worlds performance looked and felt very massive. How do you prepare for such a big performance with different elements like dancers, actors, VR and more?
MINJI: It felt like the stage with the most diverse range of creative elements we had so far. It was truly enjoyable going through the process of coordinating with the dancers and actors through numerous rehearsals, aligning the timing and virtual reality aspects! [Laughs]
Those VR and CGI elements are very cool to watch on YouTube. As performers, do you need to imagine the effects while you’re singing?
MINJI: I was aware that there were numerous stage setups, but when we actually rehearsed on stage, everyone was quite mesmerized. In particular, seeing the part where the video effects seamlessly transitioned into reality left everyone in awe. It was truly an honor to be able to participate in a performance of the scale!
How was making the live premiere of “Gods,” your first song in English, at Worlds? Take us through how this song was conceptualized and eventually came to life on stage.
MINJI: “GODS” was a new challenge for us as NewJeans. It has a different vocal and choreographic style from what we usually do, so we invested a lot of time and effort into it! I recall rehearsing it over and over again for a flawless and dynamic live performance on the grand stage.
HAERIN: Since it’s the anthem for a game and a tournament that is so widely loved on a global level, we thought the lyrics in English would help fans around the world immerse themselves better in the surge of emotions associated with the song.
[embedded content]
Are any of you League of Legends fans or players yourselves? Was anyone excited to see parts of the game like Leona and Mordekaiser’s character represented during the performance?
HANNI: I enjoy playing League of Legends every now and then, and because there are so many champions, I’ve become curious about all their different abilities. It was amazing to see the performance we practiced being brought to life on stage alongside such amazing dancers, actors, and all the special effects and CGI. I remember being in awe while we watched the playback of our performance backstage. Also, our outfits and styling were inspired by the champion Leona! Looking back, having Leona appear on stage with us was definitely cool to watch.
So, even your fashion had connections to LoL too?
DANIELLE: Yes!! In fact, our whole outfits were based around Leona, who is a holy warrior in League. Our accessories were specifically designed to resemble her armors of gold and shimmer!
HAERIN: Our wardrobe had a chic feel to it and was put together based on a palette of neutral tones. We wanted an attire suitable for portraying the song effectively!
Finalist teams T1 and Weibo Gaming (WBG) also joined on stage. T1 members have shared that they’re NewJeans fans. Are any of you fans of the teams or players? Did you meet at the event?
HANNI: We had the pleasure of meeting both T1 and WBG backstage on the media conference day! It was a few days before the Finals, and I can’t imagine how nervous they would’ve been, but they greeted us all very warmly. It was nice to have time to meet them! Up until then, we had seen all the small references they made about us and our music, so I really wanted to mention it to them and thank them. But, out of the excitement of meeting them, I forgot to mention it!
HYEIN: We had a lot of rehearsals to perfect our performance for the Finals. During one of the rehearsals, I turned around briefly and was surprised but also fascinated to see the players there! Also, before the stage, we had a moment to greet the players, and it was so gratifying to be able to tell the players from both teams that we’ll be cheering for them.
One of my favorite parts was the montage with people from the LoL community’s photos, like players, casters, announcers, owners and more. How does it feel to be part of this diverse community?
HANNI: The fact that we were able to take part in such a globally loved occasion and engage with such a big community still feels surreal. We were so honored to be a part of it, and we were also grateful to everyone who made it possible. Being there in person and witnessing how such a wide community shares the same love and passion, including all the staff and fans there alike, was an amazing experience. It really was the icing on the cake for this whole process.
[embedded content]
You’re now joining LoL and Riot Games’ history of musical collaborations. Imagine Dragons, Becky G, Marshmello, Kim Petras and more have participated, while Riot Games has created virtual bands like K/DA, HEARTSTEEL and True Damage. Have you listened to these collabs?
HANNI: I’ve listened to nearly all of the musical collaborations with Riot Games Music and watched all the amazing accompanying performances. I think K/DA’s “POP/STARS” was just so iconic and massive. I remember it blew up in popularity back when I still lived in Australia! Personally, “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons, the first-ever Worlds Anthem, possesses a very deep emotional sound that is captivating, and I loved immersing myself in the emotion it conveys and the expression of it itself. While we were rehearsing and preparing for the opening ceremony performance, we got to watch the other performances, and HEARTSTEEL was such a blast to watch! The song is not only fun to listen to, but the artists’ individual characteristics and personality were showcased really well on stage, while effortlessly complimenting each other!
As artists, in what ways do you see music and gaming connecting?
DANIELLE: From my perspective, I think music can enhance the storytelling aspect, enriching the whole experience of the game. I think it helps to heighten the overall immersive quality of the experience, which leads to a stronger connection between the player and the visual elements within League!
NewJeans had a massive 2023. Is anything significant still planned for the end of this year? Or any spoilers about what to expect for 2024?
HYEIN: Certainly there were many exciting events in 2023, including our music releases. I want to deliver many fulfilling and amazing performances for the remainder of 2023! I hope our fans, Bunnies, will enjoy our upcoming performances too!
NewJeans performs at League of Legends World Championship 2023 Finals Opening Ceremony at Gocheok Sky Dome on November 19, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea.
Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
Even as the self-proclaimed Prince of Christmas, Matt Rogers is still baffled by how much a single holiday has consumed his year.
“I went to a pool party on the Fourth of July this year, and people kept asking me, ‘What are you working on?’” Rogers tells Billboard over a Zoom call from a London hotel. “And I had to say, ‘Actually, a Christmas album.’ So it turns out, when you do a Christmas album, you actually better love Christmas because it becomes your whole year.”
But the comedian’s hard work certainly paid off with the release of Have You Heard of Christmas?, Rogers’ debut album of satirical holiday tracks (released on Nov. 6 via Capitol Records) designed to both celebrate the monolithic holiday and skewer its cultural oversaturation. Spanning every genre of holiday song he could over the course of 12 songs, Rogers expertly puts Christmas under the microscope, playing out every last seasonal scenario with wit, charm and plenty of holiday cheer.
The album’s origins date back to 2017, when Rogers began a one-man show in New York City, making fun of the very concept of the celebrity Christmas album. As he honed his act over the next few years, Rogers eventually got the show greenlit as a special for Showtime, debuting in Dec. 2022 — a record deal with Capitol followed shortly thereafter.
It’s become clear that audiences everywhere are also buying into Rogers’ Christmas vision — one week after its release, Have You Heard of Christmas? made Rogers a Billboard-charting artist, as the LP debuted at No. 4 on the Comedy Albums chart. Meanwhile, the comedian still can’t get over that audiences are singing his songs along with him during his live shows. “I now get to be in that club of people that have had that experience, which is really cool,” he says with a smile.
Below, Rogers chats with Billboard about the album’s origin as a joke, the “bald capitalism” of the holiday season, his favorite celebrity Christmas album and why he thinks pop music ought to be funnier.
[embedded content]
It’s been a long road for you to release Have You Heard of Christmas? — what does it mean for you to actually have this album out that you’ve been talking about for years?
It’s pretty surreal, because it’s not just that thing where you work for a month or even a year on your album; I’ve had a lot of this for about six years. I started this in 2017 as a joke when I was doing it as a one man show in the West Village. The whole bit was, “Come see my show to hear a holiday album that is definitely, for sure, for real, absolutely, 100% coming out, no doubt about it. This is not a joke.” And of course it was a joke! Now, years later, these songs that I wrote half a decade ago are finally out, and people are actually singing them back to me, which is wild.
Let’s go back to the inception of that joke — what was it about the idea of a fake Christmas album that tickled you?
I think it was an interview I watched with Mariah Carey, where I feel like this interviewer kind of said the quiet part out loud: “Wow, so you get to make lots of money every year!” And I was like, “You just boldly called out the capitalism of it all. That is so funny.” I started to really think about Christmas as this last vestige of the monoculture, where if you have a Christmas album, you know it’s going to sell every year. It’s kind of a hack; if you create really good Christmas content, you then become part of that culture. I just thought it was so funny to say, “Let me sneak into the cultural consciousness by creating a fake Christmas album,” because I always think bald capitalism is so funny.
I love Christmas, and we all love Christmas because we are kind of forced to love Christmas. But it’s also something to drag for that reason; it is this thing that forces itself down our throat every year. Like, every pop girlie can’t love Christmas, but the record labels sure do, because it makes them lots of money. So it’s just funny to me that, in every young pop star’s life, there comes a time when you have to do two things: Go to Vegas, and do a Christmas album. I’m just starting a little early, that’s all.
Among the expansive list of celebrity Christmas albums, do you have a favorite?
I’m quite partial to Kelly Clarkson’s Wrapped in Red. Don’t get me wrong, When Christmas Comes Around… is also really good, but that first album is just fantastic. “Underneath the Tree,” I think, is the candidate to be the “All I Want For Christmas Is You” of our generation. Now, as a recording artist, I’m keeping my eye on the streams of it all, and the “Underneath the Tree” streams are very similar to Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” in that they seem to increase every year. It’s becoming this thing where you have these handful of songs that just sound like Christmas in the background.
I actually made one of those songs on my album, called “I Don’t Need It to Be Christmas at All.” There’s not a single joke in it, I thought it would be funny to have this whole album of hard comedy songs, and then go, “Hey, by the way, here’s an actual earnest effort on my part.” Lo and behold, it’s the one that’s doing the best now. Even in my attempt to satirize this whole thing, I ended up having an impact with the one genuine song.
[embedded content]
Was it at all strange to go from making fun of the concept of recording a Christmas album to actually recording and releasing one of your own?
To be honest with you, everything I’ve ever gotten to do successfully is because I was making fun of doing that exact thing. Like, if I wanted to become a singer, I made fun of good singing, and all of a sudden people were like, “You’re a singer.” I just kind of faked my way into it. Now, I don’t want to say that this is a fake Christmas album, because it’s fully realized by great producers and great writers and an amazing label at Capitol Records. But I could not have dreamed that it would get here, because a certain point came where I was just used to making fun of myself and being like, “There’s no way.” When it became real, I was like, “Oh, I guess I have to find a different way to frame this.”
Another thing I’ve started thinking about now that I’ve gotten to this place is this idea of, “Who says that pop music can’t have funny lyrics?” I think that we have this idea of pop songs that are about love, or heartbreak, or partying. Who says that they can’t be about all sorts of different things?
I’m so glad that you brought that up, because I’ve noticed that pop music has been getting progressively funnier over the last couple years, especially with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Reneé Rapp and Chappell Roan bringing a lot of humor to their songs.
Yes, completely! The thing about all those girls —well, I don’t think we’ve seen this from Chappell yet, but certainly with Olivia and Reneé — is that they’re actresses. What they want to do is to embody their song, and they’re very good at that. I would be very surprised if Chappell couldn’t deliver on screen.
I come at this as a comedian and an actor myself. So what I think is so great about the record and one of the things I’m proudest of is that I can have a song like “Everything You Want,” which is like me doing this lovelorn, sad girl pop record, and then it goes right into “RUM PUM PUM,” which is my trappy, filthy club song. I really wanted the opportunity to play different characters, and I am in a unique position to bring my skills to this as a character performer. So yeah, I’m really happy that idea is coming back in pop music.
You got to work with a number of artists on this project, including Katie Gavin from MUNA, VINCINT, Bowen Yang and Leland, who both appears on and executive produced the album. What was it like to work with these very talented, and also very queer artists on a Christmas project?
I am just so proud that they all are queer artists, and I’m also really proud that they’re all queer artists who have had a major impact. You know, VINCINT’s songs were inescapable during Pride, and MUNA is just becoming more and more important to not just queer culture, but our generation. I genuinely do believe that Katie Gavin is one of the voices that we will still be listening to in 30 years — I believe she’s a Stevie Nicks-level singer.
Leland is such a great artist in his own right and such an amazing producer; the vibe that he creates creatively is so open and very collaborative. He’s also a real go-getter, because we wrote the song “Everything You Want” as a solo song for me, and he realized we were writing a MUNA song. He said, “We’re gonna call them right now,” and we just asked, and Katie said yes. Also, Leland is Troye Sivan’s [songwriting partner], and Troye was around the whole time I was recording. He would be listening to first cuts, and with “RUM PUM PUM,” he’s the one who called it “diabolical” and then asked if he could help vocal produce it. This was the week that “Rush” was coming out. He was about to have this nasty little pop boy moment, and here he was helping me with mine.
[embedded content]
You’ve mentioned all of the different flavors of holiday song we get on this album — why was that an important step in making this a successful satire on the pop Christmas album format?
I came up through my 20’s doing sketch comedy, and the similarity between writing a good comedy sketch and writing a good pop song is way more synergistic than people think. Let’s take “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson as an example. In verse one, we get the premise; “I’m not with you anymore.” The game is now about this idea of “I don’t care, I’m better off without you.” In the second verse, we explore the reality; “Here’s the things in the relationship that happened, which were actually pathetic.” The bridge is this big f–king kiss off is where she comes to the conclusion that, “We will never ever, ever get back together,” to quote another artist. And then there is this little taste at the end with her vocal that maybe she isn’t super over it. All of this essentially is three beats of a sketch: introducing a comedic idea, exploring that idea, and then seeing the idea out to its fullest potential.
I feel like the best way to really heighten a specific comedic idea in song is to just match it to a genre that can help you do that. So, if I’m writing a sketch about being in the club, meeting someone and wanting to bring them home on Christmas, obviously that should be a club song. If I’m feeling a genre first, I think about what funny idea would fit.
It also helps that you are a naturally gifted singer — was singing something you always knew you were very good at?
I think I’ve started to be comfortable calling myself a singer since I started doing the show five years ago. What I didn’t know was how good of a recording artist I was going to be, because I really think those are two different things. To me, what sets recording artists apart is having that special tone and that ability to landscape your vocals. Like, Selena Gomez is a fantastic recording artist. I don’t know that she could go up there and sing the house down like Audra McDonald, and I also don’t know if Audra would consider herself a great recording artist, right? They’re both very, very good at what they do.
When they gave me this record deal, I knew I could sing, but I didn’t know if I was a recording artist. Luckily, Leland was very encouraging about me using this like part of my voice that recalls the origins of when I started listening to music — this very JC Chasez, R&B-pop tone. What really helped, it turns out, was podcasting for all these years. That has weirdly prepared me to use a mic in this way in the studio.
Was there anything you learned in this process that further differentiated being a singer from a being a recording artist?
Listen, as a gay guy who has had a podcast for years talking about pop culture, I’ve had certain opinions about who’s “a great singer” and who’s not. Now, I have so much more respect for anyone who creates a hit and has a distinct sound where, when you hear it, you’re like, “Oh, that is unquestionably Ariana Grande, or Rihanna, or Kesha, or Selena Gomez.”
Finding out what my sound is has ben one of the most fun parts of this. It’s something that I’m really interested in exploring going forward, because I do have a sound that I think if I were to pinpoint what sounds the most like me on this album, it probably is “Everything You Want.” I think that it’s where I’m the most myself. But being able to explore all these genres is exciting, where every single day I was recording was like going to Disney World.
Have you thought about what a follow-up to this album would look like?
I don’t want to give anything away. But what I’ll say is, if I can do another album, I will go in the exact opposite direction of this. I think I would present something that was … let’s call it “seasonally opposite.” Leland and I may have even already written down some stuff. So, who knows?
Zara Larsson has come a long way since her debut 2014 studio album, 1 — not only personally, but also artistically.
That’s why her upcoming album Venus feels like a re-introduction. “This is a very solid body of work that I’m very proud of,” she tells Billboard, noting that she isn’t confined by the idea of remaining in one genre. “I find it really hard to stay sonically in one kind of genre. Even though the album is still pop, it sounds a bit more R&B-leaning and also has more just classic pop jams. There are drum patterns and drum beats on some songs and there are also some beautiful strings on most of the songs. So, while there are definitely elements which tie it together, overall, I would just say the real thread throughout the album is just my voice and me telling a story depending on what I’m feeling right now.”
In fact, vulnerability is also a common thread she’s exploring throughout the project, stepping confidently into her own inner goddess by reflecting on who she truly is — hence Venus being her first album release under her own Sommer House label.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Take her musical reunion with David Guetta, “Oh My Love,” for example. “Into the dark, into the light, baby, I go / Whether it’s wrong, whether it’s right, I will follow / I’ll pay the price, I’ll sacrifice / That’s on my love,” she belts in the chorus, which represents a promise to her younger sister Hanna Larsson that she’ll do anything for her. “Sometimes you’re super happy and no one can stop you, and then other times you’re like, I feel so sad and I feel so broken. You just go through all the emotions,” she says of being human, which is a main theme of the album.
As for reuniting with Guetta seven years after their 2016 collaboration “This One’s For You,” Larsson says being in the studio with the beloved DJ and producer is like spending time with an “old friend.” “I do really love him,” she gushes. “He’s one of the most positive and amazing people that I’ve met in the industry, and he’s always so excited for the stuff that he likes. I just love the song. I think he’s so cool and I’m super happy. It feels like a full circle moment.”
[embedded content]
Guetta is not the only industry veteran Larsson looks up to, mentioning Tinashe, Victoria Monet and Troye Sivan as some of her current inspirations. “They’ve never been cooler, and with every video and every song, the image they’re creating for themselves is getting clearer,” she says. “I just love it. So hopefully, with this album too, I’ll continue to create more of a world with my music.”
She plans to do so not only with her upcoming album, but also with her UK and European tour, which is set to kick off February 16 in Manchester, England, and stretch across Europe before wrapping up on March 16 in Reyjavik, Iceland.
“She’s definitely more dynamic than Poster Girl,” Larsson concludes of Venus. “She is more brave in the sense that she dares to be more personal and emotional, but she’s also just a bit more personal in the sassy, fun way. Like she would say some s—, you know? She’s more playful, but at the same time, more honest.”
Venus is out on February 9. Pre-order the album here.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Travis Scott has spoken out about the Astroworld tragedy in times past and is doing so once more in a recent interview. The Texas star explained in the chat that he was “devasted” by the aftermath of the event, which left 10 people dead and hundreds injured.
Travis Scott was profiled in a new GQ spread for its Men Of The Year, discussing his current Circus Maximus tour, his fourth studio album UTOPIA, and other topics. Of course, the Astroworld tragedy was an unavoidable topic but Cactus Jack gamely spoke to the matter at hand.
“I always think about it,” Scott said of the incident that took place in 2021. “Those fans were like my family. You know, I love my fans to the utmost.”
He added, “It has its moments where it gets rough and… yeah. You just feel for those people. And their families.”
Of the 10 victims, one was just nine years of age, and the news of the deaths sparked outrage and anger towards Scott. In his initial responses to the event, Scott showed remorse during a past interview and said he wasn’t aware of what was happening in the crowd during the performance alongside Drake.
Further, the crowd was way over capacity, and there was not enough logistical support in place to help control the situation. While Travis Scott was not charged, he is still named in a series of civil lawsuits, numbering over 1,500.
—
Photo: Getty
As someone who has carefully built a steady career in the music industry over the last decade, Stephen Wrabel always makes sure he’s speaking with consideration. Even over Zoom, the 34-year-old approaches conversations the same way he does songwriting — with candor, humor and a lot of self-editing.
“Maybe this sounds cliché,” he tells Billboard, before trailing off for a moment and revisiting his last thought. “Actually, I think most things in music sound cliché when you explain them. So that’s just what it is.”
The cliché Wrabel is referring to is the title of his sophomore album, Based on a True Story (out Friday, Nov. 17 via Big Gay Records). Across 13 artfully penned songs, Wrabel tackles his own demons — including sobriety, anxiety and heartbreak — while simultaneously trying to provide space for those listening to insert their own daily struggles into his diaphanous lyrics.
It’s a delicate balance, Wrabel says — writing songs that allow for personal catharsis over painful memories, and also offer some uplifting thesis of hope for listeners. Specificity often opens the door for ubiquity: “When I hear a song and there are those details — like saying ‘It was cold outside,’ or ‘I was wearing a red sweatshirt’ — my brain changes those details to what my details would be,” he explains. “I never want a song to feel overly broad, because I feel like you lose the truth in it.”
Details come in spades throughout Based on a True Story. On “One Drink Away,” Wrabel recalls dark memories of “getting blacked out in the sun” and “a place I won’t go and it’s on my way home,” before arriving at the heart-shattering claim that, despite his progress with sobriety, “I’m just one drink away from who I was.”
It’s a skill the artist has honed through writing for other artists. Along with managing his own solo career, Wrabel spent over a decade building a career as a sought-after songwriter, working alongside artists like Kesha, P!nk, Celeste, Adam Lambert and dozens more. In writing songs for others, Wrabel saw firsthand how his brand of exacting lyrics could impact others.
[embedded content]
Take “Lost Cause,” for instance. A B-side, Wrabel-written ballad off of P!nk’s latest album, the song details the various red flags arriving at a relationship’s dramatic ending, with the singer declaring that they’re “tired of thinking that tragic’s romantic, it’s bad hope.”
Wrabel originally wrote the song “years ago” while in a dark place, intentionally using “pointed” lyrics to cope with a breakup. While on the road with P!nk for her 2019 European tour, he mustered up the courage to play the song for her — and as she later told Billboard, it became one of the first two songs to form what would become Trustfall.
It wasn’t until he was prepping True Story that Wrabel decided to listen back to his original demo of the track. “The more I listened to it, the more it started taking on such deep meaning for me,” he says. “I think that I just started feeling the weight of it, and it ultimately took on this other meaning where I was telling myself, ‘Whatever anyone thinks of me, like, leave room for.’” He ultimately re-recorded his own version of the song, which appears as the penultimate track of his latest project.
While Wrabel speaks with confidence about his skill as a songwriter, he hesitates when it comes to the strategic side of being a solo artist. “I feel like the landscape [of the music industry] right now is like the Wild West — just this chaotic, oversaturated mess,” he says with an exasperated sigh. “For example, my song ‘Love is Not a Simple Thing to Lose,’ the closer for my first album, is probably my favorite song that I’ve ever written, and there are a lot of times where I find myself thinking, ‘Damn, I do kind of wish that that had its moment.’”
So when it came time to release a new solo project, Wrabel relied on the prevailing business minds around him. His management team proposed an idea to release the album in three parts — first with two standalone EPs called Chapter of Me and Chapter of You, with True Story tying the two together with a set of new tracks. Wrabel immediately understood the idea’s potential.
“The positives of that Wild West mentality is it allows me to really take advantage of the fact that I am independent, and I can do literally whatever I want,” he says. “Normally, a song like ‘Beautiful Day’ would be buried as track number nine on the album, where it wouldn’t get its day to shine. This felt like a natural, easy way to give these great songs a moment of their own.”
[embedded content]
Wrabel speaks from experience about songs getting their moment. His signature song “The Village,” an emotional ode to society’s cruel treatment of the LGBTQ community, went viral for a second time earlier this year, after dance troupe Unity delivered a stirring performance to the track on Britain’s Got Talent. The performance and song quickly picked up attention on TikTok, much to the singer’s delight.
“I think maybe four days after I saw their performance, I was on a plane flying to Liverpool to go meet them, because I had to,” Wrabel says. “One of the most beautiful moments of my career was getting to talk with them about their experiences growing up queer, with this internal dread and discomfort that so many of us have felt. To know that there were so many kids sitting with their family, turning on the TV and seeing themselves in this performance just gave me goosebumps. They were just so brave.”
The singer-songwriter is also quick to point out that, despite being released six years ago, “The Village” still sounds as poignant today as it did back in 2017. With right-wing legislatures around the U.S. taking aim at the rights of transgender people — the very community who served as the inspiration for the song — Wrabel can’t help but feel a bit demoralized that there is still something very much wrong in the village.
“This song is six years old, and I don’t know that we’re in a better place,” he says. After a beat, his face lights back up. “But it does give me hope that I get messages from people every day who are hearing it for the first time and relating to it. I’ll never not be talking about ‘The Village’ for as long as I will be making music, and that’s a good thing — it has sort of become a lighthouse in my career.”
That sense of responsibility and care for his fan base is what informs Wrabel’s identity as an artist; even when examining his own idiosyncrasies through music, he maintains a steadfast objective to put out work that provides solace in a world that can feel cruel. “I’m always trying to make something helpful,” he offers with a smile.
When Richard Bravo attends the Latin Grammy Awards in Seville, Spain on Thursday (Nov. 16), the ceremony will be a somewhat bittersweet moment. Nominated for the first time for his own work with his dear friend Camilo Valencia, for their instrumental album Made In Miami, the Venezuelan drummer and percussionist — a three-time-Latin Grammy winner — couldn’t be more proud. But he will have to travel without the composer and main architect of the album: After undergoing a third heart transplant, Valencia died on Sept. 6, just a few days before the nominations were announced.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“It made me very happy” to receive the nomination, Bravo tells Billboard Español, saying that he found out from friends who sent him screenshots in which his and Valencia’s names appeared. “I was in Europe and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this!’
“The first person I thought of was Camilo,” adds the artist, who is currently on tour with Juanes and will also perform with the Latin Grammys band at the awards show. “I said, ‘Wow, all the effort on this record and all the sacrifice, the time, the energy, the money, everything, and it happened.’”
Valencia, an award-winning Miami-based multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer born in Cuba, worked throughout his career with stars like Carlos Santana, Ricky Martin, Shakira, José Feliciano and many others. He was also the musical director of TV shows such as La Voz Kids, A Oscuras Pero Encendidos and Viva El Sueño, and created countless jingles for commercials with Bravo and Carlos Oliva.
“Here in Miami, not a day goes by that I turn on the radio or the TV and something that he did doesn’t come out,” says his brother, bassist Rafael Valencia, also an experienced musician who worked on the album and received a nomination for best arrangement for “Songo Bop,” his only song on Made In Miami.
He says that, before he was hospitalized, Camilo went to his house for lunch and told him that they had submitted Made In Miami for the Latin Grammy nomination for best instrumental album, and that they also sent his song for the best arrangement category. “I thought, ‘Why!?’ I liked his arrangements better,” he recalls with a laugh, before adding with emotion: “That was a gift that Camilo gave me before he left.”
Nominations were announced on Sept. 19, 13 days after his death due to unexpected complications. He was about to turn 64.
Camilo Valencia and Richard Bravo.
Made In Miami is the only album of his own that Camilo Valencia got to record. Comprised of 11 songs, the project pays tribute to the cultural diversity of his adoptive Miami, fusing elements of pop, jazz, funk, R&B, bebop, songo, salsa, samba and Afro-Cuban. Renowned musicians from Arturo Sandoval and Ed Calle, to Milton Salcedo, Philip Lassiter and Luis Enrique, participated in the album. All of the songs, except for “Songo Bop,” were written by Valencia over the course of two decades.
It all started with the first heart transplant, says Bravo, his friend for over 30 years: “I told him, ‘Camilo — because he always had music in his head — why don’t you make use of your time in the hospital, while you recover, and start writing songs?’ The first one he wrote was called ‘CCU,’ which is the hospital’s cardio unit, and that’s how it started. Little by little he wrote the songs, and in recent years we started recording the entire album.”
In addition to “CCU (Coronary Care Unit),” which opens Made In Miami, there are songs like “Hurricane Jiménez,” dedicated to his cardiologist, and “One Heart at a Time,” dedicated to his second donor, “a teenager from Puerto Rico who was murdered by robbers to steal his car,” says his brother Rafael. But there are also titles that pay tribute to the family, such as “Café Union,” which is named after the restaurant his father owned in Cuba, and “Papadin,” a song in honor of Bravo’s father, with whom Valencia was also close.
Family is an important element that’s also very present musically on the album. “It’s very special, because not only are all the Valencias, but all the Bravos here,” explains Bravo. “There’s my brother, my son and my nephew, who recorded the same song [‘Papadin’],” as well as Rafael and his son Ralfy.
When talking about his feelings the day of the nomination, Bravo recalls that he always thought that he and Valencia would travel to Seville together. “I thought he was going to leave the hospital,” he says. “He did it three times [before], and I thought it was going to happen.”
Valencia is survived by his son Eric, his brother Rafael, his sisters Barbara and Maria, and a large extended family. In his honor, many of them will attend the Latin Grammy Awards ceremony.
Stream Made In Miami below:
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Jeezy, who recently ended a nearly two-decade run with Def Jam, is moving into new roles after releasing a book and other massive life changes. Sitting down with Nia Long for a revealing chat in support of his new double album, the rapper born Jay Jenkins bares it all with the veteran actress, and the pair share jewels of their journey along the way.
On Tuesday (November 7), Jeezy released the highly-anticipated hour-long YouTube chat with Nia Long titled after his 13th studio album, I Might Forgive… But I Don’t Forget. Long, serving as the lead interviewer, gets Jeezy to open up about his childhood before getting into his rise as one of the most consistent rappers in the game. However, the questions weren’t one-sided as Sno also asked his series of questions of Long, with the pair sharing intimate details of their upbringing.
Of course, this discussion turned to the topic of Jeezy’s recent split with Jeannie Mai, and while he never says anything negative about Mai, he makes it clear that he tried to save their union. This, in turn, inspired Long to open up about her past relationship with current Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and the explosive scandal that occurred when he coached the Boston Celtics.
After remaining poised and professional, Long appeared to be emotional when speaking about her former relationship and raising the former couple’s son. However, whatever work that Nia Long and Jeezy have done in therapy is apparently paying dividends.
In our opinion, it’s one of the best things you’ll watch today if you’re into seeing a Black man and a Black woman get honest about their struggles with one another. There are still some online that aren’t buying some of the points raised in the conversation, but mostly many of the comments online have remained positive.
Check out the interview below.
[embedded content]
—
Photo: Getty
Tori Kelly is fresh off a successful tour and a new EP Tori, and the star sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to reflect on her past few months. Thankfully, the 30-year-old singer says she’s “feeling really good” after she was hospitalized back in July for blood clots in her lungs and legs. “It totally […]
In a few days, Laura Pausini will be honored as the Latin Recording Academy’s 2023 Person of the Year — becoming the first artist born outside of Latin America or Spain to receive the accolade, one of the biggest handed out each year as part of the Latin Grammy Awards celebrations. And although the news took her by surprise, she proudly says that she feels Latina.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“For 30 years I always say that I am the most Mexican, most Argentinian, most Spanish Italian… because I have grown up spending many days of my life with you,” says the Italian pop legend, who has recorded in Spanish since the beginning of her career. “Maybe not my blood, but my soul, my ideas, my ideals, I have made them grow with yours, and I feel Latin.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 15, on the eve of the 24th edition of the Latin Grammys — which for the first time leave the United States to take place in Seville, Spain — Pausini will be celebrated at a gala in which other stars will perform versions of her well-known repertoire. It’s something she has done for other Persons of the Year, from Juan Gabriel in 2009 to Marc Anthony in 2016 to Marco Antonio Solís last year. That means she knows the drill, and won’t know in advance who will sing for her that night, or which songs they will sing.
What she does know is that she will be accompanied by her entire family to cap off a year of great personal and professional achievements, including her March wedding to Paolo Carta after 18 years together; the recent release of Almas Paralelas, her first studio album in five years; her upcoming world tour, which starts in December; and of course, her award as Person of the Year.
“It is the true celebration of a life, of the lives of us Pausinis. I don’t see it only as my career,” says the star. “My family is obviously the one that knows the most about my love for Spanish, for Latin America, and my parents are very excited, my daughter, my husband, my sister will come.”
Born in Faenza, Italy, Pausini started her music career at age 19, rising to fame in 1993 after winning the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival. Her records have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide, she has done nine world tours, and landed three songs in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart: “Las Cosas Que Vives,” “Víveme” and “Como Si No Nos Hubiéramos Amado” — all of them Spanish versions of songs she originally recorded in Italian.
A Latin Grammy and Grammy winner, Pausini also shares a Golden Globe Award with Diane Warren for best original song, for “Io sì (Seen)” from the movie The Life Ahead, which was also nominated to an Oscar. Beyond music, she has been honored with the Starlite Humanitarian Award, the Global Gift Humanitarian Award, and was named Person of the Year by the Diversity Media Awards for her support of the LGBTQ+ community, among other honors.
“Laura Pausini is one of the most talented and beloved artists of her generation whose commitment to advocacy and equal rights is exemplary,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, when the award was announced in May. “Throughout her more than three-decade career her extraordinary voice continually breaks down barriers across languages and genres, creating a special bond with audiences around the world.”
You have had a year full of emotions. How do you feel now, just a few days before being honored as Person of the Year?
I feel blessed, I must say, because after 30 years [career] what is happening in my life is not obvious. I realize all that and I feel very grateful. I hope I deserve all that, and that’s why I work so much, especially for the people who are still there, who continue to believe in me, perhaps more than myself, and give me the strength to continue.
What did you think when they told you that you were the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year, being an Italian artist?
They told me that the president [Manuel Abud] wanted to talk to me. Since I had finished co-hosting Latin Grammys a few months earlier with Anitta, Thalia and Luis Fonsi, I thought that something was not good and that he wanted to tell me something about it. So we started this Zoom and he told me: “Laura, on behalf of the Academy, I want to tell you that you are the Person of the Year.”
I mean, very unexpected! Especially because of what you’ve said, I’m Italian, so I didn’t think that was possible for me. I asked him if I could video-call my father, since he was the one who instilled in me the love for music… Each of us was in another city, the three crying with joy. I really started sobbing like crazy, it was very emotional.
I didn’t expect it at all and I am very grateful that I am the first [honoree] who was not born in a Latin American country [or in Spain]. But, for 30 years I always say that I am the most Mexican Italian, the most Argentine, the most Spanish, the most everything, because I have grown up spending many days of my life with you. Maybe not my blood, but my soul, my ideas, my ideals, I have made them grow with yours, and I feel Latin.
Last year, you sang at the Marco Antonio Solís tribute as Person of the Year, and you have also done so at other galas in the past. How do you feel now that you will be the one honored and others will sing your songs for you?
(laughs) That makes me smile. Besides, I’m starting to imagine who will sing, whether it will be my friends I know or new singers. I have no idea because you can’t know, and I know how it works because, as you said, last year I sung for Marco Antonio, but I also sung for Marc Anthony and also for the great Juan Gabriel, so I already had the experience of being on stage as a guest while the Person of the Year did not know. So, this time it’s my turn and I receive it with great pride.
What do you expect from that night?
Well, my whole family will come, and it is the true celebration of a life, of the life of us Pausinis — I don’t see it only as my career. My family is obviously the one that knows the most about my love for Spanish, for Latin America, and my parents are very excited, my daughter, my husband, my sister will come. I don’t know if I can fully make people understand what it means for a person who has always been considered a “foreigner” to feel part of you. For us as a family it is to feel truly loved, as if we were born there. It’s something really very deep that touches a life within a person, more than a career.
You just released your first album in five years, Almas Paralelas. Why did it take so long?
Never before had so much time passed between the previous album and the new one, and I have to say that a lot of things have happened in my life in recent years, some incredible as you also already know, like the Golden Globe, an Oscar nomination, starring in a docu-film about my life… But there have also been moments of great insecurity, fear, doubt, especially thinking about the future as a woman, obviously as a mother, and logically as a singer.
I questioned how I could deserve, for example, the new awards that I won, because with every award that you win comes a new responsibility, and I was afraid of not being able to have new responsibilities. I wondered if I was really capable of accepting a daily challenge with what is happening today, every day, between the wars, imagine in Italy during COVID, but more importantly, with myself. So the truth is that I was blocked for a time. I needed help, and thanks to the people who are by my side, close to me, I regained some of my strength and then I began to challenge myself again, and worked, in a very long search, on new songs. I also worked hard to get to the point where I had the nerve to put my voice and face before everyone’s judgment.
Now I am very happy with what I am singing on my new album, Almas Paralelas. It is a truly conceptual album that covers 16 stories of real people that are different from each other. It is an album that celebrates diversity and the right to individuality, which in my opinion should be respected more as citizens of the same streets, but with different souls, different dreams, different desires. So on this album it’s like we live in a world with shared places, but not necessarily the same ideas. And in this world represented [on the album cover] by the street and its zebra crossing, I’d like there to always be respect and love between the individuals who inhabit it, and I would like for the listener to fall in love with the human beings who live like souls on a parallel path.
What have you learned about yourself in these 30 years of career?
I have learned that my stubbornness has saved me many times. My determination to be very honest with myself, and then with the audience, has allowed me to have no regrets — although it may have happened that some songs work better than others… Sometimes I’ve been suggested to change my style, or adapt more to what worked on the radio. At this point, I am happy to have been determined to listen to my skin in the selections of the songs, obviously trying to have new artists by my side, new producers who will help me maintain my melodic style, but with more contemporary, current sounds. I didn’t want to change.
In reality, I have not changed; I have grown in age and mentality, but I am not a different person. My ideals are the same, so I want my music to continue to be a reflection of my mind.
