The debut album.

You only do it once, and GALE is as stoked as humanly possible on hers. The Puerto Rican artist and songwriter, who cut her teeth writing for artists like Christina Aguilera and Selena Gomez, has arrived at the moment prepared. Lo Que No Te Dije – that’s “What I Didn’t Tell You” in Anglo speak – is in her own words, “a breakup album” that distills down the finest elements of urban, latin, and grunge. A 13-track affair that clocks in at just 34 minutes, it’s clearly pop, and she’s not trying to hide it. But it’s hard to imagine where it would be without distorted guitars.

“This album is my dream honestly,” says GALE, whose real name is Carolina Isabel, despite the fact that “nobody” calls her that, “At this moment I’m doing… all of these guitar and grunge sounds. This combination is what I wanted this album to be, with cool synths, and pop sounds.” With singles like the dancefloor-primed “Nuestra Canción,” and reggaeton/pop ballad crossover “La Mitad,” there’s also an added element of early Aughts rock that sets it apart from much of the field. “Problemas,” she brags uses a chord change heard in “Sk8r Boi” by Avril Lavigne, and sun-soaked guitars dominate on one of the album’s finest cuts in “Triste.”

But behind the sounds are a batch of songs rooted in life experiences GALE finds paramount. “This album… means so much to me,” she says with cadence, “It’s so close to my heart, so special, and honest. I’m just excited to share this with the world.”

Words and photos by Andy Gorel

Andy: You’re from a small city in northern Puerto Rico. What was it like growing up there?

GALE: Growing up in Arecibo was so much fun. I loved it. It was small, but I had my friends and was very connected to myself and my thoughts. I grew up very close to my family as well. I’m an only child, so I’m close to my whole family. I have two half-brothers on my dad’s side who I’m close to as well.

I grew up in a music house. My dad is a percussionist. He had a music group as a hobby that still plays every Christmas party, and sometimes weddings. My mom did theater, so I had all the drama and the music growing up. My grandfather who I never got to meet unfortunately because he passed away at 47, he was a musician as well. He was a cuatrista. The cuatro is a folk guitar from Puerto Rico. My grandmother used to sing too.

I started a journal when I was 6 – a very dramatic, musical little girl – and I wrote my first song when I was 7, so I’ve kind of always known music is what I wanted to do.

Talk to me about the Puerto Rican mentality and culture. You’re American citizens but have your own ethnic identity. How did that affect your path?

Puerto Rico is my favorite place in the world. We’re so small, but we’re not. We make ourselves be heard. There is so much talent on that island. It’s crazy.

Would you say there’s a minority mentality to it? Like a proudness.

Yes, for sure. Because I haven’t met people from anywhere who write songs as much as Puerto Ricans do about Puerto Rico. We have so many songs about being Puerto Rican. Every time someone takes out the bandera, the flag, it makes me cry – every time. I think we all have that. We’re very proud to be from Puerto Rico. The people are very special. We’re warm, fun, passionate people, and I think it definitely translates to how I am as an artist.

Did you always want to be an artist and a songwriter?

Always. It’s very strange. You know how kids go through different phases? As a kid, you wanna be a doctor, then a lawyer, then an astronaut… I always wanted to be an artist, a singer, a performer. I’ve always known. How I was going to be able to do it, I didn’t know. But to me, it was meant to be.

So I’ve always worked towards that. My parents saw that in me, and when they divorced I moved in with my mom and stepdad in the capital San Juan. They put me in a music school called La Escuela Libra de Musica. It was like a Giulliard in Puerto Rico from 7th grade to senior year. It was from 7:30 AM to 6 PM every day. It was just classical music, not Jazz. Now it’s incorporated more Jazz, Pop, and Salsa.

I’m assuming you’ve had a publishing deal for a bit now?

Yeah, for about three or four years.

Were there any jobs you worked in the interim, before music became the main gig? Did you go to college?

I did. When I was 17, I told my mom and dad “I graduated from school. I studied classical music, and I’m ready to be a star (laughs). So I’m probably moving to Miami or New York. I don’t know.” And papi was like, “No. You’re going to college.”

I was like, “Fine. Then I’m gonna study music,” and he was like, “No. You already did that. You’re going to study something else to help you.”

I went to myself, “What the fuck am I gonna study? I know music is it.”

I was so frustrated. I did some research and decided, “Ok, I’m gonna study Advertising.”

And I did. I studied Advertising at La Upi in PR, but I took summer classes. I did it all with a sense of urgency because I wanted to get to Miami. It taught me a lot in terms of branding, and marketing. I’m very happy that I went. I didn’t even go to my graduation. I was already in Miami a week after my last day of class.

My godmother – my aunt from my mom’s side – she lives in Pembroke Pines. I moved in with her for the first six months. She helped me out until I was able to figure it out on my own. It took a long time for me to figure it out. I started living with roommates and thought about all my options – what I could do to be an artist. I was like, “Ok I write songs. I’ve written songs my whole life, by myself, in my room. What if I try to get in rooms with other artists, and write for them, with them? And then get a pub deal so I can work on my artist project, and see later how I’m going to fully pursue it.”

“Every time someone takes out the bandera, the flag, it makes me cry – every time. I think we all have that. We’re very proud to be from Puerto Rico… We’re warm, fun, passionate people, and I think it definitely translates to how I am as an artist.”

So it was a year and a half of working my ass off. I went to this music academy in Coral Gables called Let It Beat looking for a job. It’s owned by these rockstars, Guillermo Vadalá and Nerina Nicotra. They’re both legendary bass players from Argentina. I went there and was like, “This is what I wanna do, but I also have to move, and pay rent. I only want to work part-time because I need to do sessions every day.” They were like “Yeah, we got you.” It felt really cool to be there working with them, and doing my thing.

I had sessions every day. My first offer to do a session was with Fanny Lu, an artist from Colombia. I was in the room with a producer, songwriter, and her. I wasn’t sure how it would go.

She ended up loving the song and wanted to do another session, and again, and again. Then the producer was recommending me to other people. Through word of mouth, I got into many different rooms with many different songwriters and producers. A year and a half after that was when I got my first offer from Warner Chappell.

It was June. I was like, “This is amazing, but I should wait until I have more leverage.” By December, I had offers from Sony, Warner Chappell, UMGD, Ryan Tedder’s company, Dr. Luke in LA… Then I was like this is all good, but ended up with Warner Chappell anyways.

So you taught music before you got a pub deal?

I did! And I created a class for the academy. When I was studying in college in Puerto Rico, I couldn’t just be doing college. So I did musical theater professionally in Puerto Rico, with a Black Box Theater workshop, and other incredible directors. I was at school, but after would go and do theater. I did Rent, I was Mimi. It went so well it got extended another weekend. I did Spring Awakening – I was Wendla Bergmann. I did a couple others as well. It was a good experience that taught me how to manage an audience. Musical theater is a whole other monster, but it helped me a lot.

How long ago was it that you moved here then?

Well, I’m 29 and graduated in 2016. But I was back and forth between PR and here. After Hurricane Maria I officially came here. That was 2017. I got stuck there for a couple months which was fine. The most important thing was that my family and everyone else on the island were ok. I feel we’re still recovering from that storm it was terrible. My whole family is still there.

You said you considered New York. Did you ever consider LA? What are the optics of each city as a Latin artist? Miami is probably the best, right?

For Spanish and Latin music, I felt I had to start in Miami. Thank God I did the songwriting thing. It’s a part of my journey. This opportunity with Sony, who is now my record label, came because I was in a session with Wisin y Yandel who are legendary rappers and reggaeton artists from Puerto Rico. I was in the Sony 5020 Studios. Afo, who is the president here at Sony, says to me “GALE, can I talk to you for a second?” I was like, “Of course Afo!” And we went outside. He was like, “Listen. I’ve heard you have an artist project, and I didn’t know. Can I please hear these songs?” And I was like, “Of course.”

When was this?

This was like a year and a half ago.

So it was this current batch of songs.

Yeah, which are written because I started working with a producer named DallasK. He’s from LA. He’s a DJ and producer. We worked a lot during the pandemic via Zoom. He was my first ever session in LA when I went there because Prescription, Dr. Luke’s company, wanted to sign me. They flew me to LA to do a few sessions, and he was the first one. It was super cool.

During the pandemic, we had a very productive year songwriting-wise because I was at home and couldn’t go anywhere. I was just writing songs. Thank God it was like that for me, because I know it was very hard for a lot of people. I also developed anxiety later on, but it’s fine. The work was fine (laughs).

He asked me during one of those sessions, because one of our songs got cut with Christina Aguilera, and it was going to be her single. He was like, “What about your artist project?” And I told him I knew what I wanted to do, how I wanted it to sound like. I had this vision of myself as Bad Bunny meets Dua Lipa meets Avril Lavigne. He was like, “Ok, that sounds cool. What if I come to Miami and we just do some sessions for a week – no pressure, just to see how it goes?”

And it went amazingly. So he went back to LA, then came back to Miami for another week with his stepbrother Josh Berrios, who’s also a really cool producer.

“For Spanish and Latin music, I felt I had to start in Miami.”

I was going through a lot of personal stuff at the time. I had just broken up with someone. I felt like I was losing myself and changing for that person, which I didn’t want to do because I like to be authentic, and myself. I was just like, “I’m not gonna do this anymore.” It was like a three-year relationship.

So I was done with that, and ready to write all of these songs. That’s when we got together and worked on this project at Criteria Studios, which was also very cool. A couple months later when we were in the session and Afo told me he wanted to hear about my artist project, I was prepared. The songs were already done.

We basically wrote the whole album in two weeks which was crazy. We wrote a bunch the first week we worked together and the rest in the second week. I felt like they were it. We wrote a couple other songs later, when I was sitting with them for a while. We wrote “D Pic” and “Nuestra Canción” later. But it was a really cool bunch I had to present to him.

When Afo got there the next day he was like “I’m leaving on Friday. Can you meet tomorrow? I wanna hear the songs,” and I was like “Yes.”

So I told my manager Rafa about it. In my head, I thought it would be a very casual meeting.

When I walked into the meeting it was Afo and Alex Gallardo, who is the president of Sony US/Latin, and a lawyer, and an A&R, and I was like “Oh shit,” (Laughs).

The first song plays, then the second. By the third song, they all started clapping. The third song was La Mitad. So there was definitely a connection there. They liked that I was from Puerto Rico, and doing pop, but with an urban flow because of being from PR. And they liked that it had some grunge and rock in it too. All of those things I am, and that’s my project. They fell in love with it and have been such a great family and team since.

How’d you arrive at the name GALE?

When I came to Miami I wanted a name that was me. I love my given name, Carolina Isabel, it sounds dramatic and pretty, but I wanted a name that described my project and sound. It’s not an alter ego, because I’m still me.

I was like, “So what do I like?.. The galaxy.” I was driving in Pembroke, looking out the window and was like, “Oh my god, ‘galaxia,’ gala… like Salvador Dalí’s wife.” He’s one of my favorite artists. Her name was Gala. This was all mind work. I thought how almost all girl names end with an “a.” Christina, Rhianna, Carolina… I wanted to make it different. I wanted people to hear it and be like “What the fuck is that?”

So “GALE,” was it. Then, and not a lot of people know this, one of my roommates at the time was from Mexico. She was like, “My mom’s best friend is a witch in Mexico.” I was like, “Well, maybe I need to talk to her.”

She said, “She specializes in words, and letters – combinations of them, what they mean.” I was like, “I need to talk to her.”

Did you talk to her?

Of course I talked to her!

(Both laugh)

I talked to the witch! She didn’t know who I was. She didn’t know anything. I was like, “I’m just wondering about this name GALE.” She was like, “GALE. G-A-L-E. GALE means musicality, leadership, and harmony. And it’s related to sounds and music.”

I was like, “Ok!” And then I remember that week – I’m very connected to my dreams – I dreamt it. I dreamt I was in a sea of people, and someone yelled at me, “GALE,” and I turned around. That’s when I woke up and knew it was my name.

It was a lot of research. It’s a big responsibility.

I mean, yeah. You talked to a witch doctor in Mexico. That’s kinda next level.

I know! (Laughing)

“When I came to Miami I wanted a name that was me. I love my given name, Carolina Isabel, it sounds dramatic and pretty, but I wanted a name that described my project and sound. It’s not an alter ego, because I’m still me.”

Miami is sort of the cultural capital of the Latin American world. Would you agree?

Yeah.

What made you decide on Miami over anywhere else in the Americas?

I mean, if it were up to me, I would live in Spain. I did a student exchange there. I lived there for six months and loved it so much. It inspired me a lot.

Europe definitely does that. It’s an inspiring place.

Yes, they take time to live life. They don’t just work all the time. Here it feels like you go-go-go – all the time. Over there I would go-go – but not as much.

I have anxiety. Over there I noticed my nervous habits going away. It was harsh coming back. I came back to PR, which is very chaotic.

I’ve always wanted to visit PR.

Puerto Rico is so freaking awesome, you have to go.

What is it like being an American artist where almost all of your target markets are foreign countries? Of course, you’re really Puerto Rican – but you’re a US citizen, based in the US, signed to a US label…

I love it. It feels like there are no boundaries when it comes to the music. It’s an amazing thing to be able to be from wherever you are and connect with people who are from everywhere. It’s very inspiring and fulfilling, and if I get to travel and meet these people, and perform for them, that’s the best part of it.

Do you play live with a full band?

I do. I did a festival in Colombia which was amazing, and also Empire Music Festival in Guatemala. I also did this festival in Puerto Rico called Fiestas De La Calle San Sebastián. It’s amazing. It’s one of the biggest festivals on the island, hundreds of thousands of people gather for the weekend, and it’s four days long. It was really special. I look forward to touring more.

What’s your demo process? Do you plug into Logic when you’re bored and play guitar? Do you play guitar?

Yes. I play guitar and a little bit of piano – enough to write a song. I’m learning drums. I love it so much.

I think you need to be a drummer – or at the very least be able to get inside the mind of a drummer – to be a good producer.

You think?

Yeah. Think of all the parameters you have to manage to inject feel into the drums on a record.

That’s true. And nowadays you can quantize everything. I’ll never forget – I once worked with Pharell Williams. I was the writer in the room with him, Anitta, and his partner from The Neptunes. I was just watching him produce, and asking all these questions (laughs). I was like, “How are you making the drums sound like that?”

He was like, “You know what GALE? I do not quantize anything.” I was like, “What… the fuck?” And he was like, “Yeah, that’s why it feels so groovy, and not so perfect.” I was thinking, “That’s really fucking dope.”

“I’ll never forget – I once worked with Pharell Williams… I was just watching him produce, and asking all these questions. I was like, ‘How are you making the drums sound like that?’ He was like, ‘You know what GALE? I do not quantize anything.'”

Totally, and it’s not something that you easily pick up on, because of how subtle it is. You mentioned Dua Lipa. Listen to some of those drums on Future Nostalgia. You know they’re fake, but if you just took those samples they use, as is, and put them on a grid, it totally wouldn’t sound like that. There’s an upper echelon of pop production skill that involves drum programming.

And that’s why I love collaborating with awesome producers, because I get to focus more on the song and the melodies. That’s more how my brain works. I focus on finding chords, but once we have that, I want the mic on. My melodies are endless from there. Then I freestyle, but in an organized way. I think of an intro, verse, pre, chorus, and then I stop, and do it again, and again. For the second verse, I go ahead and do something else because I like the second verse to be different. In the urban side of things we like to do a more rap-styled verse, at least I like to do that, in the second verse. Then we go in and Frankenstein the song, moving sections around.

I wanna talk more about that in a minute, but I saw you had a DIY record out a long time ago. It was very different, so it doesn’t change the fact Lo Que No Te Dije is your debut album. But what was the story behind that?

That first thing that I did was when came here to Miami. I wrote those songs in my room. They were very personal. I still got to work with pretty awesome people here for it, but it just wasn’t entirely what I wanted to do so I wanted to start this project over. It was a very nice personal project though. Even still some people will message me like “Espirales sin sentido! Where can I find this song?” And I’m like, “Send me your email! I got you (laughs).”

You talked about the producer you did the album with, DallasK. Tell me about the synergy you guys have together.

We have very good creative chemistry in the room. He is very much a pop mastermind. I’m more of a songwriter, emotional, also pop, but more about melodies. The combination is awesome because I need to have the flow. One of my other collaborators is Dani Blau, she’s a songwriter from Costa Rica who lives in San Diego. And also Josh Berrios, who’s a studio rat. He’s just like – sounds, and sounds, and sounds. I like that too.

A studio rat. God bless those people. Someone has to do it.

Yeah (laughs). I don’t go out. I’m super work-oriented, but he’s like that times 10. He’s just always on the computer, searching for and tweaking sounds.

You said this album is Urban meets Latin meets Grunge. There are a lot of elements of 90s guitar rock. Is that a genre you grew up on?

Oh yeah. 100%. No Doubt, Avril Lavigne, oh my God so many. I love that grunge but pop sound. I grew up listening to all these empowering women which was super dope. I also had my Simple Plan era, but it was mainly all these girls – Shakira when she started, Nelly Furtado.

When you’re in the grocery store and “I’m Like A Bird” comes on.

Chills. I cannot skip that song.

Is this sound still a big influence of yours?

Definitely. I always say as people we’re constantly evolving. The next album may be different, but at this moment I’m doing my dream, which is all of these guitar and grunge sounds. This combination is what I wanted this album to be, with cool synths, and pop sounds. This album is my dream honestly.

A lot of Spanish pop music leans more into Reggaeton and sounds like that. Your music leans more on alternative. Are there any other Spanish artists that you would consider contemporaries that people might be sleeping on?

I like Tini. She’s very melodic and has an awesome voice. I’ve worked with her. I feel she keeps that pop sound, but has an urban feel to a lot of her songs too. Her melodies and her voice are more pop though. I love Pol Granch from Spain. He’s French and Spanish. His last album Amor Escupido is just awesome. He does incorporate lots of pop sounds, but also grunge. Love him. Bruses, from Mexico. Awesome artist. She’s more punk or pop rock. Her voice is sick.

So the new album, Lo Que No Te Dije. You started unrolling these songs as singles a year ago, and now it’s here. How stoked are you?

I am so stoked, so happy. I’m also so grateful – grounded in some way, but my head is in the clouds. I am here and there at the same time. I’m about to explode from love, excitement, and passion. It’s crazy because I go back to these songs – and I’ve heard them a bunch already – but I still get goosebumps and cry. This is real. I hope when I go back to these songs a year from now, five years from now, ten years from now, I’ll still feel something. And that these songs will help me connect with that moment in my life that I was going through. Hopefully, it connects with people, and not only people who are going through what I am right now, but are able to connect in a way that makes them know what these feelings feel like.

“I’m about to explode from love, excitement, and passion. It’s crazy because I go back to these songs – and I’ve heard them a bunch already – but I still get goosebumps and cry. This is real.”

Lo Que No Te Dije is kind of a breakup album…

It’s definitely a breakup album, but it hurts to hurt someone. It’s not like I got my heart broken. I broke someone else’s heart. In this sense, it’s that type of breakup album. I’m putting myself first because I love myself. I would rather find, and be the best version of myself, instead of losing myself because of someone who is holding me back. That’s where I draw the line.

The opening track “1+1” kind of deals with that and sets the tone for the rest of it.

That song is like the reason for this album. It’s called “1+1” because one of the first lines of the song says “Uno más uno no siempre se pueden sumar.” One and one cannot always be two.

“Problemas” has a strong grungy element. It’s got that Dua Lipa “Good In Bed” trope to it too. You mentioned Dua earlier, is she a big influence of yours?

I love Dua. Yes, when I mention her alongside Bad Bunny and Avril Lavigne, it’s better for the producer to understand what I mean. Dua is pop – four on the floor, big drum sounds. Future Nostalgia is great. My favorite song on the album is “Cool” which Tove Lo wrote.

I didn’t know that. That’s a great song. I think my favorite might be “Pretty Please.”

That one was a Julia Michaels cut – which I also love. I love her work.

Back to “Problemas.” I’m gonna explain to you what stands out to me about this song, and then I want your take on it.

Please!

It’s very radio-ready, but the pop of it all camouflages how interesting the arrangement is. It actually kind of reminds me of Limp Bizkit. The first verse starts minor, and then it opens up to major for the chorus. That progression holds for the rest of the song. But each verse has a completely different melody and rhythm. The second verse is melodic, four on the floor, and the third verse is like rap rock. You talked about Frankensteining songs together. What was the process behind creating this song? Was it all the same session? Did you know from the jump – like, “This is a crazy ass pop song”?

Yes. So this one I wrote by myself, with Dallas. We were in LA, and he just started on an acoustic guitar playing some chords. He started playing that chorus progression. If there was a guitar I would play it for you.

We manage to track down an acoustic guitar.

(Guitar in hand) He started playing these chords, and the first thing that came into my head, I was like, “Ok, this song is going to be about makeup sex.” And he was like, “Ok?” (laughing). And I heard something like this (sings chorus melody). Dallas loved it and was like we need a B part in that chorus, and it was something that was different than what ended up being the final. It was super pop and punk. I was like, “That’s it?” We had the chorus, and it was very clear what it was, what it was about, problems, makeup sex. I was like, “If the chorus is going to feel that pop and major, how do we make the song a little more mysterious in the beginning? It needs an intro.”

“It’s definitely a breakup album, but it hurts to hurt someone. It’s not like I got my heart broken. I broke someone else’s heart. In this sense, it’s that type of breakup album.”

So you popped down to the relative minor for that first section.

Exactly. (Plays progression). And I loved it. So I went up to the mic and improvised the melody, then sat down and wrote the lyrics. For the post-chorus, I knew I wanted a breakdown, so Dallas did those lead guitars, which I fucking love. Then for that third verse, I wanted a rap, but a melodic rap. (Plays third verse)

Then it goes to that last chorus. I wanted that verse to be a cool bridge but also this rap part that is like “You motherfucker!” (Laughs). Which is kind of what it’s saying, like, “I don’t understand, why am I still here? I don’t like you!”

Yeah so outside of that minor intro, it’s the same progression the whole song. C is 1 and then it ends on F which is 4.

Yep! Pop. One of my favorite songs ever is “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys. I love how it makes me feel. I love how complex it is. But with my songs, I don’t want that. I need it to be simple and straightforward. At least for right now, with this album and what I’m working on. The first part of “Problemas” has that change. It also has this one little chord change that I fucking love, from “Sk8r Boi” by Avril Lavigne. (Plays post-chorus chords, which walk down a half step between 6 and 5).

Oh yeah, that’s a classic late 90s, early Aughts pop rock gadget. Lit loved doing shit like that.

Alright, now that we just nerded out about chords for 20 minutes… “Nuestra Canción” is the current single. I have this lyric written down, “Hoy que no estás conmigo, pido nuestra canción…” from the chorus. “The only way out is through” is the message here, right?

Yeah, so you always have a song that reminds you of your ex. Everyone does. Once the relationship was over, what was happening to me was I was feeling down, and sad. I needed to figure out how to just get over it. I was like, “Ok. I’m going to go out, and have the time of my life. I’m just gonna tell them to play our song, and dance my heart out to it. That’s how I’m gonna get over it.

This really happened?

Yeah! And it’s also very badass to think about doing that. But how the song happened was I got into the studio and wanted to write my version of “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn. It doesn’t sound anything like it, but it inspired it. I wanted that feeling. I wanted it to have a dance part at the end. With Dallas being a DJ it was perfect, so we added that outro. That song to me is like a movie. It takes you through all these feelings. It’s dramatic and nostalgic, but also fun.

Is that song the focal point of this whole era? I know it’s kind of an unfair question.

I would say “Nuestra Canción” and “La Mitad.” “Nuestra Canción” is the perfect balance of every song on this album. It’s like the combination of them all in terms of sound, meaning, empowerment, freedom – it has the pop and the dance, but the vulnerable, honest, raw lyrics too.

“Triste” is a song that really caught my attention. It reminds me of Third Eye Blind, or that new artist renforshort.

“Triste” is grunge.

Yeah, it’s got those big distorted, modulated guitars. Another song that has those “better off alone” vibes.

“Triste” is one of my favorite songs on the album, especially to perform. It’s badass because the verses are like, “I won’t lie, I do kind of miss all these little specific things.” Like, watching the Barca game at 10 AM on Saturday, or being scared to listen to a certain song. But then the chorus is about not regretting the decision I made because I’ve come to realize the relationship was the only thing keeping me sad. “Now that I’m alone, I’m no longer sad.”

It’s a happy sad song. It’s empowering and nostalgic. I’m all about nostalgia. It has that drop in it too which is Latin. It’s a freeing moment of just dancing and letting it go. The first verse is about being sad, but the second verse is about being authentic again. It’s about that freedom, which the whole album has. I feel it’s badass to say, “Hey without you, I’m no longer sad.”

Oh my God when he hears this album… Oh my God (laughs).

Do you have any internal discourse on putting the album out and knowing that? Like anticipating the reaction?

I love feeling those things. I love that fear because it’s real. It’s true and honest. That’s how I express myself – writing about my experiences and making music that is from my heart. When it feels honest, then I need to stand by it. That’s why it’s so personal and close to my heart. I always feel that fear and embrace it. When I’m writing I’m like, “Should I say this? Maybe I shouldn’t because it’s a little too specific.” And then I’m always like, “That’s why I should say it. That’s how it’s unique, and me.” So yeah, I feel the fear, but that’s how I live my life. I just do things. I love feeling things deeply.

“I love that fear because it’s real. It’s true and honest. That’s how I express myself – writing about my experiences and making music that is from my heart. When it feels honest, then I need to stand by it.”

Which song are you most excited for listeners to hear on the album? That wasn’t a single.

All of them, but probably “Triste,” because when I perform that song it’s crazy. Also “La Mitad,” which by the time this runs will already be out. “La Mitad” is the most devastating and beautiful song.

Well those are the two that caught my attention the most. What’s next once the album is out? Touring? Making more music?

Well, I am ready to keep on performing these songs, and keep connecting with people through live shows. That’s the most important thing for me right now. And yes, I am so ready to write my next album, but I am very happy to be in the Lo Que No Te Dije era – to promote, talk about, and perform this album because it means so much to me. It’s so close to my heart, so special, and honest. I’m just excited to share this with the world.

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