Aitana

Aitana Ocaña Morales, who performs under the mononym Aitana, first captured widespread attention in 2017 when she became the youngest contestant to reach the final of Operación Triunfo’s ninth season. Only three years earlier she had been uploading vocal covers to YouTube; soon afterward she booked studio time to record several original compositions. Six of those tracks charted between 2017 and 2018 and were later gathered, together with her live performances from the program, on the album Sus Canciones. Following a contract with Universal, she unveiled her first full-length studio effort, Spoiler, in 2019; propelled by the singles “Popcorn” and “TELEFONO,” the set reached the summit of both the Spanish and Mexican charts. Once her extensive touring schedule concluded, she returned to the studio without delay, completing the chart-topping 11 Razones just before its December 2020 release.

Born in Barcelona in 1999, Aitana grew up in the nearby municipality of Sant Climent de Llobregat. While still attending secondary school she began performing regularly, all the while maintaining a rigorous academic routine. After establishing a modest online audience through her videos, she relocated to Madrid’s Ciudad Universitaria to pursue undergraduate studies; it was there, early in 2017, that she successfully auditioned for Operación Triunfo.

Her first single, the duet “No Puedo Vivir sin Ti” with Cepeda, appeared during the program’s opening weeks, climbed to number two, and earned gold certification. Two additional show-related releases followed: “Arde,” which reached number 15 on the pop chart, and the duet “Lo Malo” with Romero, a five-times-platinum smash that held the top spot and served as an anthem for Spain’s International Women’s Day. Both songs appeared on the gold-certified Sus Canciones compilation, which itself peaked at number two. In July she scored her second number-one single with “Telephono,” issued shortly after she announced her forthcoming autobiography La Tinta de Mis Ojos, a volume she illustrated herself. A subsequent remix featuring Lele Pons also topped the chart, received triple-platinum status, and was performed at the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards; the track anchored her November 2018 EP Tráiler, which entered the Spanish album chart at number one and was certified gold within days of release—two weeks after the book appeared.

Universal Music issued Spoiler, Aitana’s official debut album, in Spain during February 2019. Thanks in part to the earlier momentum of “Telephono” and “Popcorn,” the project debuted at number one in Spain and later topped the Mexican charts as well. After completing headline tours throughout Spain and Latin America, she immediately resumed recording, finishing 11 Razones just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; the album was released in December 2020 and again reached the top of the Spanish charts.