Rosalía

Rosalía

Photo: Sam Wasson/Getty Images

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Rosalía Cries A Literal River In "Bagdad"

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In the video for her first release since she took home two Latin GRAMMYs last month, the Spanish artist makes the pop classic "Cry Me A River" beat on the track come to life
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 6, 2018 - 11:34 am

Back on Nov. 15, Rosalía took home her first two Latin GRAMMY Awards for "Malamente," the lead single from her sophomore album El Mal Querer, showcasing the wide appeal of her unique pop-infused and hip-hop-inspired take on classic Spanish Flamenco music. Fast-forward to Dec. 4, when the rising star dropped the fourth single from the album, "Bagdad," complete with another stunning visual accompaniment. The song builds off the beat from Justin Timberlake's 2002 GRAMMY-winning classic "Cry Me A River," so it seems only fitting that Rosalía would fill an entire room with her tears.

In her Tweet announcing the video, she shares (in both Spanish and English) that it is, "For all those who were heartbroken and drowned in their sorrow."

The video, directed by French artist Helmi, shows Rosalía donning a long blonde wig and red spandex bodysuit in a dimly lit adult entertainment club, with approximately three minutes of the video dedicated to her sobbing in the bathroom until it fills completely with her tears. While the video is stylistically simpler than her others from the album, in which she highlights plenty of Spanish cultural subjects, it too finds inspiration from her native Barcelona, with religious undertones and the inspiration of a specific club, also named Bagdad.

Read More: Latin GRAMMY Winners Karol G, Rosalía, Maluma & More Share Excitement On Social Media

In a track-by-track of the album, Rosalia told Beats 1 about the inspiration behind the song, which shines through in the video, and about her excitement that Timberlake approved her interpretation of on his song. "I was very inspired by an erotic club in Barcelona called Bagdad and by 'Cry Me a River' by Justin Timberlake. He heard the song and said, 'Yes, you can use the melody'; I was so excited because he never approves anything."

Rosalía Thanks Women In Music At Latin GRAMMYs

"Cry Me A River" was Timberlake's second single released as a solo artist, from his debut solo album Justified. Both the single and the album earned him his first GRAMMY wins at the 46th GRAMMY Awards, where he took home Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album for each, respectively.

Timberlake has made news recently for having to unfortunately postpone shows on his Man Of The Woods Tour due to bruised vocal chords. Hopefully he sees a speedy recover after some rest and doesn't have to cry anyone any rivers in the meantime.

Rosalía Shouts-Out Lauryn Hill, Kate Bush And More Women During Latin GRAMMY Speech

Rosialia

Rosalía

Photo: Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto/Getty Images

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How Rosalía Is Reinventing What It Means To Be A Global Pop Star

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Nominated for five Latin GRAMMYs, meet the artist who is getting noticed for her striking blend of new and old, flamenco and electro-pop, and tells the world: "Not now or ever will I put flamenco aside"
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 9, 2018 - 6:14 pm

Meet Rosalía. The young Spanish singer is getting noticed globally for her modern take on her country's tradition of flamenco music, rife with passion and infused with her electronic-infused and pop-ready flair. Her unique sound is something the world is showing its ready for and feels almost as if it should belong in a new genre shaped by her alone.

The 25-year-old is from Sant Esteve Sesrovires, a suburb of Barcelona in the Catalonia region in Spain. She began studying music since age 13, the same age she first fell in love with traditional Spanish flamenco music. She learned flamenco formally at the Taller de Músics in Barcelona, which only accepts one student a year, and received a degree from the Catalunya College of Music, where she developed the concept for her latest album as her graduate thesis.

Music clearly runs through Rosalía's veins, and her desire to perfect her art and make it her own is admirable. Reflecting on the first time she heard flamenco, "It was like getting pierced by an arrow—it was the purest thing I had ever heard," feeling called to the sound and later realizing, as she told Pitchfork, "I have the power to communicate something, and I'd like to develop that. This is what I want to do with my life."

She co-produced both of her albums and released her debut, Los Ángeles, on Feb. 10, 2017, when the buzz began, even resulting in a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2017 Latin GRAMMY Awards. On May 29 she released the lead single "Malamente" for her sophomore album El Mal Querer, which just dropped on Nov. 2, and the excitement around Rosalía has only continued to build, in Spain and far beyond.

This year she is in the running for five Latin GRAMMYs, the second-most nominated artist behind reggaeton king J Balvin, even though nominations went out before her second album was released, with just its lead single eligible for consideration. Pointing to the record's wide appeal, "Malamente" is up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Urban Fusion/Performance, Best Alternative Song and Best Short Form Music Video.

The momentum the rising star has built in just a year in both Spanish and English language markets is quite impressive. She has been garnering a diverse, growing group of music fans, including other musicians. She worked with the likes of Pharrell Williams and J Balvin; "Brillo" is featured on Balvin's hugely popular Latin GRAMMY-nominated album Vibras.

Other musicians such as James Blake and Dua Lipa have noticed her as well and are on her growing list of fans—Lipa shouted her out when we asked her who she wanted to collaborate with a few weeks back. Rosalía told Pitchfork how "working with Pharrell was a dream….Collaborations like that are where you come up with sounds that maybe you wouldn't have found otherwise." The future looks bright for the young, innovative singer—keep reading to get a taste of her sound and style.

"Malamente"

Rosalía released "Malamente" as the lead single from El Mal Querer, and the music world has paid attention; the music video has 29.8 million views on YouTube to date. It is a great introduction to Rosalía and her sound, with flamenco-inspired clapping, or palmas, over a catchy, electronic beat and a mix of both haunting vocals and spoken word; her singing and clapping is interspersed at several points with an echoing repeat of words "mira," or look—indeed the world is.

She recently addressed the personal and cultural significance of the video's visuals themes, like the motorcycle "bullfight"— a controversial subject in Spain, as bullfighting was banned in Catalonia in 2010 and later overturned by the Spanish government in 2016 for reasons of "cultural heritage." 

Her aim was for the video to reflect traditional and modern elements of her Spanish culture, as she does in her music by having Nico Mendez, the director of both videos ("Malamente" and "Pienso en tu Mirá"), "visually translating this musical idea, which is about tradition but also about experimentation, with the current sound of electronic music. So on one hand it has this classic side, and on the other this current and transgressive vision." she explained to Billboard. "I told him I wanted to do a video that had to do with Spanish iconography, with all of the images that make up our culture."

"Pienso en tu Mirá"

This song also features a steady dose of palmas, which play a part in much of her music. The video features more artist references to her Spanish heritage, semi-trucks, which were a regular feature of the industrial suburb she grew up in, a bull mounted on the wall, a miniature singing flamenco girl in the style of a Lladró, cermamic figurines made (and popular) in Spain. In her videos we get a taste of the star's edgy, hip fashion sense, which is at times very street-style inspired and at others almost VIP-entrance-to-the-club ready. The young star is an artist and experimenter in all senses of both words.

"[For this new album] I felt that I wanted to experiment with electronic music, to develop an idea that I´d had since I was 17. The idea of flamenco and sampling. Because electronic music forms part of my background. I wanted to develop a project that had the voice at the forefront, a lot of harmonies, very rhythmic, nothing like Los Ángeles," she said.

"Catalina"

"Catalina" is the one single she released from Los Ángeles and gives you a taste of her sound on that album, with a somewhat more traditional take on flamenco, without electronic sounds. She describes her experimentation on the album as focused mainly on playing with the way the guitar is used, with both the sharp chords of the guitar and her piercing vocals shining through on this song, offering a sample of a slightly more "pure" flamenco version of Rosalía's music.

"That folklore is part of who I am, and that's the key: I don't want to lose my roots. I think that's what gives you your identity," Rosalía said. "Rather than trying to adhere to some kind of global pop standard, it's much more interesting to look to my roots and to the popular music of where I'm from. Not now or ever will I put flamenco aside."

19th Latin GRAMMY Awards: 19 Things You Didn’t Know

Ozuna

Ozuna

Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images

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2019 Latin GRAMMYs: Ozuna, Miguel, Alicia Keys, Residente, Farruko, Fito Páez & More Added As Performers

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The show will open with a special tribute to Latin music and its 20th anniversary, with 20 artists performing together collectively for the first time
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 12, 2019 - 2:20 pm

Yesterday, Nov. 11, the Latin Recording Academy announced the final wave of performers for the upcoming 20th Latin GRAMMY Awards, taking place in two days. Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY winners Beto Cuevas and Residente, as well as GRAMMY winners Alicia Keys and Miguel, will perform at the historic 20th anniversary show, hosted by Ricky Martin, Roselyn Sánchez and Paz Vega.

Current Latin GRAMMY nominees Calibre 50, Farruko, Leonel García, Ozuna, Fito Páez, Milly Quezada and Tony Succar also join the star-studded musical lineup. Past Latin GRAMMY nominee Prince Royce, along with Carlos Rivera, top off the newly revealed performers list.

These artists join the previously announced acts, which include current Latin GRAMMY nominees Alejandro Sanz, Rosalía—the top nominated artists this year at eight and five nods, respectively—Ximena Sariñana, Anitta, Bad Bunny, Sebastián Yatra, Fonseca, Luis Fonsi, Alessia Cara and Juanes, the Latin Recording Academy's 2019 Person Of The Year, who will perform a special medley of his hits during the show.

Pepe Aguilar, Pedro Capó, Reik, Draco Rosa, Sech, Darell, De La Ghetto, Dimelo Flow, Christian Nodal are also among the artists previously revealed to perform. GRAMMY-nominated Mexican regional/pop singer Alejandro Fernández will sing together with his father, iconic ranchera singer Vicente Fernández, as well as his son Alex Fernández, for the first time.

Read: 2019 Latin GRAMMYs Viewer's Guide: Here's How, When & Where To Watch

The 20th edition of the legendary awards show will, of course, feature "historical moments, reunions, tributes and one-of-a-kind performances from nominees, past winners and legends."

To start things off accordingly, the show will open with a very special tribute to Latin music from 20 artists performing together collectively for the first time. The musical tribute "will interpret multiple iconic songs spanning various genres of Latin music, while commemorating the past 20 years of excellence." The Latin Academy also stated there will be "a special moment" with past nominee Thalía.

Additionally, yesterday's announcement also shared more presenters, who will hand out the prestigious awards during the evening: Ángela Aguilar, Eduardo Cabra, Sofia Carson, Emilio Estefan, Mon Laferte, William Levy, Rudy Mancuso, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Michael Peña and Dayanara Torres. The presenters will be joined by eight of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation scholarship recipients to help deliver the eight televised awards, "symbolizing the next generation of artists fostered through the Foundation's international programs."

Watch Shakira's Fiery Performance Of "Ojos AsÍ" At The First-Ever Latin GRAMMYs | GRAMMY Rewind

In just five years, the Foundation has offered $5 million in scholarships, grants, musical instrument donations and educational events in the United States and Ibero-America. One fun way to help support their work is by purchasing limited-edition 20th Latin GRAMMY merch. In collaboration with Footaction and streetwear designer Guillermo Andrade, the stylish T-shirts feature current nominees Bad Bunny, Greeicy, Christian Nodal and Sebastián Yatra.

Don't forget to tune in to The Biggest Night in Latin Music on Univision this Thurs., Nov. 14 from 8–11 p.m. ET/PST (7 p.m. Central). Check out our viewer's guide here for more info on the events leading up to the show, including where to see the red carpet. Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com for live coverage of all the magic.

Exclusive: Sebastian Yatra Teases 2019 Latin GRAMMY Performances & Reveals His Life's Purpose: "To Share Love With People"

Jesse & Joy

Jesse & Joy

Photo: Jason Koerner/Getty Images

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Jesse & Joy, Pablo Lopez, Fito Paez & More To Perform At Latin Recording Academy Person Of The Year

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On the eve before the 20th Latin GRAMMYs, Rosalía, Alejandro Sanz, Sebastián Yatra, Ozuna and many more will celebrate Juanes as the Latin Recording Academy's Person Of The Year, with special performances of the Colombian icon's music
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Nov 7, 2019 - 1:08 pm

Today, the Latin Recording Academy announced the performers for their prestigious Person Of The Year gala, which will be held next week, Nov. 13, in honor of 23-time Latin GRAMMY winner and two-time GRAMMY winner Juanes, who was previously announced as their POTY.

The star-studded, pre-Latin GRAMMY Awards show event will feature performances by current Latin GRAMMY Awards nominees Rosalía, Alessia Cara, Ozuna, Fonseca, Juan Luis Guerra, Mon Laferte, Alejandro Sanz—who was their 2017 POTY!—and more.

All of the musical guests will perform songs from Juanes' rich, three-decades-long musical catalog. Other artists announced in today's announcement include fellow current Latin GRAMMY nominees Sebastián Yatra, Cami, Morat, Draco Rosa and Paula Fernandes.

Past Latin GRAMMY- and GRAMMY-winning Mexican pop duo Jesse & Joy, past Latin GRAMMY-winning and GRAMMY-nominated rock pianist Fito Páez and past Latin GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter Pablo López will also serve up their best renditions of Juanes hits. Australian guitar slayer Orianthi will also take the stage, as well as Colombian comedian Andrés López.

This year's event will also showcase the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation scholarship recipients, featuring the Foundation's global ambassador Sofia Carson. Net proceeds from the sold-out gala will support the Foundation, "whose mission is to further international awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions of Latin music and its makers to the world's culture through scholarships, grants, and educational programs. The Foundation's primary charitable focus is to provide scholarships to students interested in Latin music with financial need, as well as grants to scholars and organizations worldwide for research and preservation of diverse Latin music genres."

A portion of these proceeds will also benefit Juanes' Colombia-based nonprofit, Fundación Mi Sangre. Founded in 2006, the organization aims to help young people heal from and overcome violence, to help them "exercise their powers as builders of peace" and create more peaceful, connected communities.

The Ricky Martin-hosted 20th Latin GRAMMY Awards is just one week away, on Nov. 14, the evening after POTY. Juanes is up for three awards, including Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year for "Querer Mejor," his 2019 duet with Cara—the first time the GRAMMY-winning pop star recorded in Spanish. For his third nomination, Juanes is also up for Record Of The Year for his upbeat track with Lalo Ebratt, "La Plata."

To catch all the excitement of the Biggest Night In Latin Music, tune into Univision on Nov. 14 at 8-11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT).

 Stay tuned to GRAMMY.com, as well as @RecordingAcad and @LatinGRAMMYs on Twitter next week, to find out what went down at POTY and to catch the biggest wins and onstage magic from the show itself.

Ricky Martin To Host The Biggest Night In Latin Music 19 Years After Performing At Inaugural Show

Carlos Vives at the 2018 Latin GRAMMYs

Carlos Vives at 19th Latin GRAMMYs

Photo: Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images for LARAS

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Carlos Vives, Elsa Y Elmar & More Celebrate Their 2019 Latin GRAMMY Nominations

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As the monumental 20th anniversary Latin GRAMMYs approaches, share in the excitement with some of this year's nominees
Ana Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 26, 2019 - 2:05 pm

On Sept. 24, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences shared the nominees for the 20th Latin GRAMMY Awards, set to take place in Las Vegas on Nov. 14.

In the day and a half since the big news went live, many of the nominated artists have taken to social media to share their gratitude and excitement for their nods.

GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning Spanish singer/songwriter Alejandro Sanz leads as the artist with the most nominations at eight total. His nominations include Album Of The Year and Best Contemporary Pop Album, for his coyly titled 12th studio album, #ELDISCO ("the album"). Two of its singles, "No Tenga Nada" and "Mi Persona Favorita," featuring GRAMMY nominee Camila Cabello, are both nominated for Song and Record Of The Year, marking the first Latin GRAMMY nods for the 22-year-old Cuban-born pop star.

Cabello shared a heartwarming post (switching between Spanish and English) filled with seven exclamation points, while revealing that "Mi Persona Favorita," which she and Sanz co-wrote, was inspired by her younger sister:

"My dear friend Alejandro Sanz, this is so special because this song is with someone I love and admire so much, and was written with so much love! I love you so much, wow!!!!! When we wrote this song I was inspired by my sister, my little Tofi, who is mi persona favorita!"

Sanz, who was honored as the 2017 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, wrote on Twitter, "Celebrating every nomination for each and everyone of the people that are behind every award. Thank you, always. Congratulations to all of the nominees."

Los Angeles-based mixing engineer Jaycen Joshua also received eight nominations, including for his role as album mixer on three Album Of The Year-nominated LPs—Luis Fonsi's Vida, Rosalía's El Mal Querer and Sebastián Yatra's Fantasía.

Speaking of flamenco-fusion queen Rosalía, the Barcelona-based Latin GRAMMY winner, who took home her first two wins at the 19th Latin GRAMMY Awards, was also one of the top nominees, earning five nods this year. 2018's El Mal Querer not only earned her the major Album Of The Year nod, it is in the running for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album and Best Engineered Album (an award given to the audio engineers). Several of her 2019 singles are nominated for Latin GRAMMYs as well, including "Con Altura," with her co-producer El Guincho and fellow Latin GRAMMY winner J Balvin, for Best Urban Song, and "Aute Couture" for Record Of The Year.

Celebrating her nominations on her 26th birthday, Rosalía tweeted, "A thousand thanks Latin GRAMMYs and everyone else for these nominations!" She also shouted out El Guincho in the post, which included of a video of the creative powerhouse pair each holding big unicorn balloons.

Another multiple nominee is Mexican alt-Latino singer Ximena Sariñana, who, like the two aforementioned Spanish pop stars, also earned Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year nods, for her album ¿Dónde Bailarán Las Niñas? and "Cobarde," respectively. "I feel very honored to be nominated," she posted to Twitter, shortly after the nominations were announced.

Eternal Colombian musical icon Carlos Vives celebrated his nomination for Best Long Form Music Video for "Déjame Quererte" ("Let Me Love You"). The song and video celebrates the rich beauty of his home country along with a diverse group of fellow Colombian artists: Cholo Valderrama, Cynthia Montano, Elkin Robinson, Kombilesa Mi and Velo De Oza. The multiple GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner marked the nomination with a thoughtful post. "I never miss the opportunity to continue looking to my country through music and to show the world a more inclusive Colombia. Thank you to the Latin Academy for the nomination and for honoring this."

He also shared his excitement (with three exclamation marks) for another nominee and fellow GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning musical vanguard. "Congratulations dear Rubén Blades!!!" Vives wrote along with a retweet of the Panamanian Latin jazz/salsa heavyweight's tweet about his three nominations this year. Blades, whose many Latin GRAMMY wins to date include Album Of The Year in 2017, is up for Album Of The Year again, for his 2019 collaborative project Paraíso Road Gang. For this project, the musician/activist/actor featured artists that share his Panamanian roots, including Horacio Valdés and Kansas City-based alt-rock group Making Movies.

GRAMMY winner Alessia Cara, who is nominated for Record and Song Of The Year for "Querer Mejor," her first release in Spanish, shared a simple yet stoked: "YEAAAHHHHH," complete with three star emojis. She also tagged her duet partner in the song, GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY winner Juanes, who retweeted her post.

The longtime Colombian alt-rock artist is also up for a third award for "La Plata," featuring Colombian rapper Lalo Ebratt, and is also up for Record Of The Year. Additionally, Juanes has been named the Latin Recording Academy's 2019 Person Of The Year, which will be celebrated with the special show held annually during Latin GRAMMY Week.

Brazilian tri-lingual (she sings in Portuguese, Spanish and English) pop star Anitta added her joy to the online celebrations, as her fourth studio album, Kisses, earned a nod for Best Urban Music Album. The reggaeton princess wrote, "I'm so so happy to be nominated…for my album "Kisses"! Thank you to the Latin GRAMMYs, thank you to all of my friends who helped me make this project that I love so much"

Arguably one the most exciting parts of the annual Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY nominations is meeting the class of first-time nominees, including the recipients of Best New Artist nods. One of these Latin GRAMMY Best New Artist nominees is rising Venezuelan Latin jazz artist Chipi Chacón. Like Rosalía, he celebrated both his Libra birthday (Sept. 23) and his nomination. The 31-year-old shared a long, heartfelt post on Instagram, writing "What an incredible birthday present. I'm thankful for the Latin GRAMMYs for taking my music into consideration. This nomination is completely for Venezuela. Thanks to all of the incredible musicians and engineers who participated in my album Transparente."

Another Best New Artist nominee, Colombian Elsa Carvajal, shared in that special first-time nom feeling. The Berklee College of Music graduate, who makes dreamy alt-pop as Elsa y Elmar, shared a teary-eyed video reflecting on the nomination. In the post she wrote, "I thought these things were not for me… Thank you for being part of this reminder that the hard work is worth it… Thank you to the academy, Latin GRAMMYs, for considering me worthy of a nomination. Like this, punk as I am."

Make sure to tune in to Univision on Nov. 14 to catch all the magic of the Biggest Night in Latin Music live from Las Vegas. Also, stay tuned to GRAMMY.com—and @RecordingAcad on @LatinGRAMMYs on Twitter—for timely updates on all the big winners and lively Latin GRAMMY Week events.

The 20th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards Nominations Are Here