Adriano Moreno (Madrid, Spain)– Emilia and I walk through the long hallway of the eighth floor of Prisa Radio. We are heading to a recording studio at LOS40. Along the way, we discuss her performance at the LOS40 Music Awards – it was one of the highlights of the night – and then we talk at length about .mp3, her second studio album. I can’t contain my excitement and start asking her questions before the camera pilot turns on. She is delighted and proud of the work done on this album. She knows that this studio work has put her in a privileged position, establishing her as the new pop diva of the Latin and international scene. By the way, the concepts of diva and pop star are things she likes and finds amusing: «I feel like I’m in my pop star era. I’m not saying I’m a megastar; I have to earn such a title, but I’m really enjoying this era.» And like everything in life, this era has an origin.
In recent years, amidst the Argentine music craze, the singer released a debut album, ¿Tú crees en mí?, with several collaborations and some hits that had already worked in her home country. In .mp3, there is a clear intention to climb positions in the global industry, although its origin was not only ambition but also her love for 2000s music. «¿Tú crees en mí? was a very nice album, but it wasn’t very planned or had a clear concept,» says Emilia. «With .mp3, every time I entered the studio, most of the songs leaned towards the 2000s. I had moments of frustration where I didn’t know what to do. I thought I wasn’t good, that I couldn’t compose, that I didn’t know what to say in my songs. But then I kept working, kept going to the studio, and found inspiration in that era of music.»
Emilia is smart. She understands the current moment of urban music in Argentina and the rest of the world, and although she doesn’t deny that, she has made a brave move, differentiating herself with a pop DNA project but with electronic and hip-hop influences from another era. «I love reggaeton, but I felt that every time I made such a song, it turned out to be a very generic reggaeton. I wanted to break free from that,» the singer says. «I found it interesting to experiment with different genres from that time, the songs I listened to when I was a child. Fergie, Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliott, Avril Lavigne, Kylie Minogue… all those artists were essential to make this album.»
Emilia, one of the New Pop Divas of the Latin and International Scene
«In .mp3, I have been able to express everything I had, both the good and the bad. I have captured my fears and insecurities, but also my moments of power and assertion. There is an alter ego in songs like ‘Facts’ or ‘Exclusive,’ songs that convey some powerful messages that the pop divas of that time launched,» explains Emilia. «There are also other messages because I have fears, I have friends who betrayed me… I am a human being, and a lot of things happen to me. Despite being a pop album, .mp3 is a very real album.»
On this journey towards the top, Emilia doesn’t lose focus. She wants to be the pop star of her generation, but she is very clear about her values and is not willing to lose them. Keeping her feet on the ground to avoid falling. «Even if tomorrow I become number one, which hopefully happens someday, I feel that there is something in my values that I won’t lose no matter what happens,» the artist points out. «It is also very important not to be surrounded by people who tell you all the time that you are doing everything right. That doesn’t help me, and it doesn’t fulfill me. I have also developed a sensitivity to know when people are real and loyal and when they are there for other intentions.»
Regarding the criticism, especially those she received when she published the ‘GTA.mp3’ music video, Emilia comments that it is not wrong to highlight the mistakes of a public figure if they have really done something wrong, but she recalls that in her case, it’s not like that, and criticism never occurs on equal terms. «It can’t be that just because we are women and do a sexy dance or show a bit of our bodies, we are punished in that way. We are expected to excel in all contexts,» Emilia responds, confident and resolute in her answer. «We are told that we have to be charismatic, that we have to be beautiful, that we have to weigh a certain amount… it’s exhausting. I feel like we are in a constant struggle. Sometimes I read social media, and I realize that we are light years away from changing and finding that equality we so much seek and fight for. In my songs, I try to contribute my grain of sand to achieve that change.»
If you want to watch Emilia’s full interview here, on LOS40.
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