Emilia is the next big pop star to emerge from Argentina. The 25-year-old is making quite the statement with her debut project, Tú Crees En Mí? Throughout the fierce eight-track LP, there’s no doubt that Emilia believes in herself and her artistry. She even received cosigns from fellow Argentinian acts like Nicki Nicole and Tiago PZK, who feature on the album. In an interview with Remezcla, Emilia opens up about the inspiration behind her debut record, the stellar collaborations, and her love for her LGBTQ+ fans.
“[The album title] goes well with my personal story,” Emilia tells Remezcla. “The certainty that something is real is to believe in something. I believe that’s what happened with my career and my story. With the confidence I had in myself and the sacrifices I made, I was able to achieve what’s happening now. It felt beautiful to put that name on my album for what it represents.”
Emilia hails from the province of Nogoyá in Entre Ríos. While trying to become a musician as a teen, she faced bullying. Emilia persevered and released song covers online and appeared briefly in the duo Rombai. After she left Rombai to go solo, there were doubts if she could make it on her own, including from her own father.
In the triumphant “Cielo En La Mente,” the most personal song on the album, Emilia sings about following her heart to continue in music. “It’s me singing to 16-year-old Emilia about everything that she’s overcome and what she’s learned from the experience,” Emilia says. “I feel like my story is inspiring for kids and young people who are frustrated in their rooms with their guitars like I was. What helped me to keep going and fulfill my dreams was being able to believe in myself. It’s beautiful for me to be able to share that with my fans.”
Emilia is part of the new wave of artists in Argentina who are breaking out of El Cono Sur to global audiences. Artists like Nicki Nicole, Duki, and Tiago PZK have led the way, and they’re also offering support to Emilia on her album. Emilia shares a romantic moment with her boyfriend Duki in sultry “Como Si No Importara.” The collaboration, which came out in July 2021, marked a turning point in her music career.
“That’s a special song,” Emilia says. “I feel like that was a new start, a new era of Emilia. With that song, I understood the direction that I wanted to go [with my career], and I found my essence. To be able to collaborate with Duki, who is one of the biggest artists, for him to give me that opportunity to work together, I loved it. He inspires me and I learned so much. I’m grateful that we could collaborate on such a beautiful song.”
There’s a major girl power moment on the album with “Intoxicao.” Emilia teamed up with Nicki Nicole, who made waves this year as an Argentine performer at the Coachella music festival. Backed by hip-hop beats, the two women trade verses about living their best lives.
“Nicki Nicole, for me, is one of the biggest artists,” Emilia says. “She inspires me with her music. She’s an incredible example. Beyond the talent she has, she’s an incredible person. To be able to do this together, it was a great honor for me. I invited her to collaborate on the song and she told me yes right away. We got in the studio together, fusing our voices and styles together, and something beautiful and unique came out of that.”
Like Nicki Nicole, Emilia is aware of the strong LGBTQ+ fanbase she has as a female voice in a male-dominated industry. On her bangers like the perreo-ready “Cuatro Veinte,” she invites everyone to ponerse perra on the dancefloor. With LGBTQ+ Pride month here, Emilia was very happy to share a message with her queer fans.
“What helped me to keep going and fulfill my dreams was being able to believe in myself. It’s beautiful for me to be able to share that with my fans.”
“I love them!” she exclaims. “I feel like they care about me unconditionally. My music is for everyone. I love that they can feel represented with the music that I make. And to be able to sing those songs to them, they inspire me.”
On the album, Emilia even sings a bit in English in the Spanglish bop “Latin Girl.” After singing a few of the English lyrics during the interview, she says with a laugh, “My English is good, right? It’s for my fans who laugh at me for not speaking English that well.” The empowering message behind the song is true to Emilia’s impact on the Argentine music scene and beyond. “It felt really beautiful to put out a song in English that’s speaking about Latina women. To give women a pedestal. They’re my biggest inspiration in life.”
Listen to Tú Crees En Mí? Below.
