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It’s a Thursday afternoon at a studio in Miami, and Emilia is getting glammed up for a Billboard Español cover shoot. She’s wearing a baby-pink silky robe and striped slippers, and her equally silky, chocolatey brown hair is picked up in rollers as she navigates through her playlist for the perfect song to get ready. She skips through female anthems by Beyoncé, Shakira, Britney Spears, Nathy Peluso and Doechii before selecting Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music.” She sings along and dances to the beat slightly, not to mess up her wavy bucles and makeup.

“Before, to give myself confidence when I went on stage, I would tell myself: ‘You are Rihanna! You are Rihanna!’ But someone on my team recently told me: ‘Now you have to say to yourself, ‘You are Emilia! You are Emilia!’ And believe it,” she gushes. 

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She is Emilia. And she’s on the verge of a global musical breakthrough as she prepares a 2025 tour across Spain, plans her first U.S. concerts in the U.S., and just recently made her debut at Brazil’s Carnival this past weekend.

In 2024, the Argentine artist earned her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard U.S. Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay charts with “Perdonarte ¿Para Qué?,” her collaboration with Los Ángeles Azules; she became the first Argentine act to be nominated for best pop vocal album at the Latin Grammy Awards with her sophomore set, .mp3; she was TikTok’s most-viewed and Spotify’s most-streamed artist in Argentina (the first female artist to do so); she sold out 10 shows at Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires in 10 hours — breaking the record previously held by Luis Miguel — and became the first Argentine female artist with four sold-out shows at the city’s Estadio Vélez, to name a few milestones.

Now, Emilia is making a serious bid for international expansion in 2025 that includes her first time at Brazil’s Carnival, where on Feb. 23 she performed “Bunda” with Luísa Sonza, her first track from an upcoming EP; a spring tour across Spain with three dates at Madrid’s Movistar Arena (formerly WiZink Center); and spending more time in Miami not only to be closer to her label, Sony Music Latin, and manager Walter Kolm, but to connect with artists and producers from different territories and develop her career further — a tried-and-true strategy that others have taken before her, including Karol G and Manuel Turizo.

“In Argentina, there are producers that I continue to work with and who are friends. I have everything there; it’s everything for me,” she says. “But I made the decision to come to Miami for a while to work and try new opportunities. I’ll always be returning home anyway. I can’t let that go. But I think what happens at the industry level here in Miami is very big. You come across new artists and producers all the time. And it’s good to experiment.”

Natalia Aguilera

Leaving the comfort of a home territory that sees you as a superstar has long been a challenge for Latin American artists. But thanks to an open-minded attitude, today, Emilia has positioned herself as a versatile pop act who can easily navigate from reggaetón to romantic ballads to cumbia to Brazilian funk and, most recently, vallenato alongside Silvestre Dangond on “Vestido Rojo.” 

“She understood that she had to have her base in her home country first. She had to break into her country in every sense, in consumption, transcend that consumption in ticket sales, media visibility, visibility with brands,” says Esteban Geller, GM at Sony Music U.S. Latin. “First, she conquered her country, then the neighboring countries like Chile and Uruguay, and little by little setting foot in territories like Spain, Mexico and Colombia, while simultaneously building her story in the United States. She understood perfectly what her space was in the music scene and that what she did with Los Ángeles Azules and with Silvestre brought her closer to a more commercial space, which is also fantastic. The path has been natural.” 

Emilia is already dolled up in a Y2K-inspired outfit for the photo shoot: denim mini skirt, bubblegum-pink zip-up hoodie, glitter stilettos and a fur cap that easily gives off Baby Phat clothing vibes. On her bottom eyelashes is a set of shining diamonds — eye accessories that are signature to her look. Doja Cat’s “Wet Vagina,” from her female-heavy playlist, plays in the background as she flirts with the camera with pure confidence and sensuality — something she’s worked on over time, striking that balance between sexy ingenue and likeable girl next door.

“I was always very outgoing, but I feel that today, I feel more confident with myself than ever. That took time, effort and therapy,” she says.

María Emilia Mernes Rueda, 28, was born in Nogoyá, Entre Ríos, a farming town about a five-hour drive from Buenos Aires. She’s the only child to a baker father and a cook mother. Her grandfather, a plumber but also the only musical reference in her family, gifted her a guitar when she was young so she could start taking music lessons. Growing up, her love for music expanded to uploading covers on Instagram and forming part of a local cumbia group with friends. It was a passion she never believed could go beyond a hobby. 

“I thought that dreaming of being an artist, of stepping on stage and being in that world, was impossible. Super far away,” she says. “I never thought I would be able to become a professional in this and be a singer. I saw it as impossible because of where I was from. The opportunities are usually in Buenos Aires, where the casting and music producers are.”

Natalia Aguilera

But her life took a radical turn when the videos of herself playing the guitar and singing covers on social media caught the attention of Uruguayan band Rombai. At the time, the cumbia-pop group gained popularity in South America and was in search of a new female vocalist. Emilia’s first time onstage with the group was in November 2016, when she performed for 12,000 fans at the Velódromo in Uruguay. Three months later, she was performing at Chile’s coveted Viña del Mar Festival and won a Gaviota Award — an experience she describes as a “great opportunity” and “a trampoline” in her career. “The real challenge,” she says, came two years later when she decided to go solo.

In 2019, Emilia signed a record deal with Sony Music Latin and a management deal with Kolm (her former manager with Rombai), becoming the first female artist to sign with Kolm, who also manages Carlos Vives, Maluma, Wisin and Xavi. 

“When she told me she wanted to go solo and make the music she liked the most, I saw her with such determination that I decided to be by her side,” Kolm says. “She is very charismatic and has her own initiative.”

Excited for what the future holds, he adds: “She moved to Miami to direct her career from the USA. Emilia has all the potential to be a global artist. She always knew where she wanted to go. This is just the beginning of a career that will be huge.”

Shortly after her debut solo single, “Recalienta,” co-written with Camilo and Fariana, Emilia earned her first entry on a Billboard chart with her Darell collaboration “No Soy Yo,” which debuted and peaked at No. 38 on Latin Pop Airplay in February 2020. She also scored chart entries with “La_Original.mp3,” with Tini; “Tu Recuerdo,” with Wisin and Lyanno; and “Como Si No Importara,” with Duki. 

The lattermost song — about a secretive and daring relationship on which her rapper boyfriend Duki’s chanteos lace with Emilia’s dulcet vocals — gave the artist her first entry on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart in August 2021. The downtempo sultry reggaetón song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 in 2021. Emilia then released “Esto Recién Empieza,” which reached a No. 9 high on the Argentina Hot 100 in March 2022.

Natalia Aguilera

At that point, Emilia and Duki had been dating for a year; the couple made their relationship public at the 2022 Premio Lo Nuestro, where they performed “Como Si No Importara.” The collaborations have boosted both artists. Duki is a trap star, so Emilia has helped broaden his appeal to tweens. Emilia is very much a pop star, and dating Duki has given her street cred. 

“We may seem different from the outside, but we are actually very similar, and we have almost everything in common. The only thing we don’t have in common is that I like sushi and he doesn’t,” Emilia says with a laugh as she opens up about her boyfriend with face tattoos. “But in general, we share everything, and we have a very nice relationship. We give each other feedback all the time. I love listening to him talk, to get advice from him. Beyond being an incredible artist, he’s a very intelligent, very cultured person. Sometimes he comes into the studio with me and we write together. We’re very passionate about the same thing and it’s beautiful to be able to share it without egos, without selfishness. It’s very genuine, and in a very healthy way.”

Despite Emilia’s celebrity in Argentina and her increasing presence abroad, it wasn’t until last year that the catchy cumbia “Perdonarte Para Qué?” with Los Ángeles Azules gave Emilia her first No. 1 on the Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay charts. It was a full-circle moment for the once teen girl who had a cumbia band back home.

“From the first time I heard it, I said, ‘100% yes!’” she exclaims. “I remember that it didn’t take me even two days to get into the studio and record it. I was so excited that they wanted to make a song with me, that they had taken me into account, being such legendary artists of Mexican culture and the world.” 

Elías Mejía Avante, founding member of the Mexican group, says: “We are happy, but above all grateful to be part of this great musical milestone for her. It will always be an honor to be able to merge the talent of Mexico and Argentina, seeking to infect as many hearts as possible with our cumbia. We feel that therein lies the magic, in bringing joy and authenticity with music from the hand of one of the greats of Latin pop music today.”

Natalia Aguilera

Meanwhile, in her native country, Emilia’s a force to be reckoned with.

She’s placed 39 entries on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart, 20 of those in the top 10 and five hitting No. 1. Her longest-leading hit to date, “Una Foto (Remix)” with Mesita, Nicki Nicole and Tiago PZK, ruled for 10 weeks in 2024 — the third-most behind Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” (16 weeks atop the chart) and Valentino Merlo and The La Planta’s “Hoy” (11 weeks). Emilia has released two studio albums: the ultra-personal Tú Crees en Mí? (2022) and her early-2000s nostalgic set, .mp3 (2023). The latter was Spotify’s second most-streamed album of 2024 in Argentina, following Luck Ra’s Que Nos Falte Todo.

That success on the charts translated to ticket sales.

In April 2024, she kicked off her .mp3 tour with a historic 10-night stint at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires between April and May, later adding four shows at Vélez Sarsfield Stadium in October. 

“With artists in development, we’ve had extraordinary success with Emilia and her 10 arena [shows], where she played to over 290,000 people,” Marcelo Figoli, founder and owner of Fenix Entertainment, who produced the shows, previously told Billboard, confident that Emilia “is going to be a big deal in 2025.”

“I underestimated it. I usually set my expectations low, so I don’t disappoint myself,” Emilia admits. “We came out with the ticket sales, and I hadn’t done any shows for my album [.mp3]. We came out with the album in November and at the beginning of December the tickets were sold out. I remember that my team had said that we were going to book 10 Movistar Arena shows because that was the idea. And I was like, ‘I would love it, obviously, a residency at the Movistar Arena, but I see it as difficult.’ I felt like we were going to sell three, four at most, but suddenly it was 10 in 10 hours.”

“The live show is the other big leg of this industry,” Geller adds. “She’s an artist who not only works in one vertical of the business, but also has visibility in the fashion, brand and music sectors and has transcended into selling tickets, which is the best thing. She is already proving it with shows. The success she had in Argentina, the huge success she is having in Spain, that is happening because music is starting to transcend to other spaces, which will surely lead her to a long career. That’s the faithful conclusion that we are on the right track.” 

The shows were also a test of resilience in other areas. 

“I was rehearsing for the Movistar shows and my dad got cancer… Of the most important things in my life, the two came together and it was very emotional for me, but I was able to handle both,” she says. “Today I have my dad with me, and he can see everything I’m doing. I learned to know myself a little better. What my limits are. To make mistakes and not be so cruel to myself. To value the real people I have in my life… that family is the most important thing. I learned that I love to work and that I must enjoy the moment and not live so much in the future.”

Natalia Aguilera

But living in the future is inevitable for someone on Emilia’s path. 

She’s preparing for her 2025 concerts in Europe and Latin America by working out five to six days a week, something she never did before, but is essential for next-level shows.

“The show requires a lot of cardio. You have to sing and dance, you need a good diaphragm, lungs with air, endurance. I hated training! I wouldn’t touch a weight for nothing!” she says, giggling. “But if I hadn’t trained, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Exercise has become something important for me and it does me good. I feel strong and confident.”

Emilia is now in her second outfit for the photo shoot and looks like a glistening goddess dressed in baggy jeans with gold glitter, a gold bustier and matching gold heels, posing for a second round of photos as a fan blows her wavy locks and her entourage hypes her up. This time, she’s serving sultry looks to Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills.” In the far corner, her mother, Gabriela Rueda, gets emotional as she sees her daughter in action, and with tears rolling down her cheeks, she softly tells me she remembers doing photo shoots for Emilia in the living room and her father holding the fan to blow her hair. 

“I love to show the ‘Emilia Pop Star’ and get into character,” Emilia says with a smile. “I grew up watching pop divas who do that onstage and it’s like playing for a while for me. But I’m also the Emilia who comes from Nogoyá, who gets together to drink mate with friends, who has problems like everyone else, who cries because I’m very sensitive. I’ve always been firm. I’m very positive too. I’ve always had a very objective and optimistic character and personality. I think that’s what also helped me to be where I am today and achieve everything I’ve achieved.”