Rosalía

Rosalía, born Rosalía Vila in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992, works as a singer spanning Spanish pop and flamenco. From her teenage period she has operated at the edges of mainstream and folk traditions while also incorporating hip-hop, soul, and trap. Flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela characterized her voice as "sharp and sweet, but with a bite, like the old ones." After Los Ángeles, her 2017 debut, attracted U.S. listeners and brought a Latin Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, the 2018 successor El Mal Querer delivered major critical and commercial impact by heading Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart and later securing a Grammy. The Weeknd-assisted single “La Fama” surfaced in 2021. Her third album Motomami featured songwriting input from numerous creators and producers, among them Cory Henry and James Blake. Issued in March 2022 after she performed the single “Chicken Teriyaki” on Saturday Night Live—the first time a Spanish singer appeared solo on the show—the record earned three additional Latin Grammy Awards and established Rosalía as the first woman to claim Latin Album of the Year twice.

Drawn to flamenco from childhood, she started performing as a teenager and quickly built a varied résumé that encompassed slots at prominent Spanish and international festivals plus joint work with fellow artists and the theater company La Fura dels Baus. She also uploaded performance clips to YouTube, attracting a large social-media following. After signing with Universal she moved to California in late 2016; the label released her debut Los Ángeles, a spare set of classic and nuevo flamenco material recorded by producer Raül Refree (known for work with Lee Ranaldo, Silvia Pérez Cruz, and Las Migas) using only Spanish guitar. The pair drew from early-twentieth-century flamenco sources as well as the minimalist emotional force of Johnny Cash’s Rick Rubin-produced American Recordings series; accordingly the album closed with a version of Will Oldham’s “I See a Darkness,” previously interpreted by Cash. Los Ángeles arrived in early 2017 to widespread praise, earned the Latin Grammy nomination, and found her singing “Cuando Nadie Me Ve” in a string-accompanied tribute to Alejandro Sanz during the ceremony; she also guested on turntablist DJ Swet’s Mudra album track “Retsu” and joined Fernando Vacas and Lin Cortés on “Un Largo Viaje” with the Royal Gypsy Orchestra. In November she followed with the single “Aunque Es de Noche,” written by San Juan de la Cruz and Enrique Morente.

Mid-2018 brought an appearance on J Balvin’s single “Billio” from the chart-topping album Vibras and its video. She released the pre-release single and clip for her own “Malamente” in May; within its first week on YouTube the track exceeded four million views, aiding its climb onto streaming charts and a number-12 placement on Spain’s Top 40. July saw the single and video for the feminist anthem “Pienso en Tu Mirá,” tied to her acting debut in Pedro Almodóvar’s film Dolor y Gloria starring Penélope Cruz. The “Malamente” video reached twenty million views inside Spain in three months, collected five Latin Grammy nominations, and won two—for Best Urban Fusion/Performance and Best Alternative Song. “Pienso en Tu Mirá” added another fifteen million views in roughly its first month despite Spain’s population of forty-six million. El Mal Querer, her second album, was produced by El Guincho (credits include Tiga and Los Punsetes) and appeared in November 2018, debuting at number one on the Latin Pop Albums chart. In 2019 she issued the Latin-trap, reggaeton, and electro-R&B single “Aute Cuture.” Another track, “Con Altura” with J Balvin and El Guincho, led charts in Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and Spain, becoming the year’s most-viewed video by a woman and second-most-viewed overall. At the 2020 Grammy Awards she received the trophy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album and earned a Best New Artist nomination.

In 2021 Rosalía collaborated with Dominican rapper Tokischa on the single “Linda.” Later that year she released the electro-bachata track “La Fama,” featuring the Weeknd, as the lead single from Motomami. The sixteen-track set arrived in March 2022 employing production from Noah Goldstein, Sir Dylan, Tainy, Michael Uzowuru, El Guincho, Sky Rompiendo, and additional contributors. Upon release it received strong acclaim, topped Spain’s albums chart, reached number three on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, and peaked at number thirty-three on the Billboard 200. It secured four Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, confirming Rosalía as the first woman to win that prize twice. By year’s end the album had generated further Top 20 Latin hits such as “Candy” and “Despechá.”