As one of the new voices in the Latine music scene, María Becerra’s star is burning bright. Millions tuned in to her video content when she first achieved fame on Facebook and later YouTube. Today, the world is witnessing her ascent into music superstardom, and it’s a star turn for the books. After several major collaborations and hit singles, the 22-year-old Argentina native is just getting started. With the release of her second studio album, La Nena de Argentina, Becerra is ready to cement herself among the ranks of the greats that came before her. Remezcla chatted with Becerra ahead of the new release about creating the album, what it takes to make a lasting legacy, and why she had to fight to release the LP without any features.
Despite her busy schedule, Becerra began work on her new album as recently as early last year. She admits that she always knew she wanted to name one of her albums La Nena de Argentina. “I really wanted to install it,” she says, explaining that people were already calling her by the moniker after she first used it on her collab “Animal” with fellow Argentinian singer Cazzu. “I have a lot of love for it, and I don’t know how long it will last, but I want to immortalize this chapter of my life with it.”
While she might be Argentina’s darling, the sonic influences on the project go beyond her homeland to highlight Becerra’s versatility and broader appeal. There are reggaetón bangers like the album opener “Perreo Furioso” that whips into the fiery “Automático,” a single she first released in Sep. One minute Becerra is cooing over a trap beat on “Cuando Hacemos el Amor,” the next, she’s pouring her heart out on the bachata-tinged “Hasta Que La Muerte Nos Separe.” Perhaps the biggest surprise on the set is “Adiós,” a dance floor commanding cumbia she first premiered at Remezcla Studios in Las Vegas, NV. Becerra’s visibly excited when she says “Adiós” is the song she’s most excited for fans to hear since it’s her first time experimenting with that style.
Becerra further explained that she enlisted musicians who could authentically perform each genre for the album, including people who have backed Marc Anthony for his recording sessions. “We really gave these songs the time and attention they deserved. That’s why I think [the album] is going to do well,” she says earnestly. Beyond commercial success, Becerra has her sights set on something even bigger. She cites the late Selena Quintanilla as an example of whose longevity she would like to emulate. “We all talk about Selena, and we have a lot of sentiment for her,” she says. “She’s immortalized by her music, and we all remember her with love. That’s something I want.”
She wants to be an artist that transcends time. “[I don’t want to] just have the hit of the year, only to put out another hit two months later that eclipses it,” Becerra muses. She seems aware of the challenges that that level of immortality requires. “In this day and age, I feel like things move very quickly,” she continues. “It’s rare that someone will remember what was their favorite song a year later,“ she says in reference to how much new music is churned out lately. “I want to dedicate more time to the songs instead of putting them out so fast. There were a few times I’ve made that mistake because of anxiety.”
“[I don’t want to] just have the hit of the year, only to put out another hit two months later that eclipses it. In this day and age, I feel like things move very quickly… I want to dedicate more time to the songs instead of putting them out so fast. There were a few times I’ve made that mistake because of anxiety.”
Perhaps one of the most fascinating parts of Becerra’s rise is her ability to secure a slew of high-profile collaborations so early in her musical career. At the beginning of the year, Becerra performed her hit collaboration with J Balvin, “Qué Más Pues?,” at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Since then, she’s cut songs with Becky G, Camila Cabello, Prince Royce, Zion & Lennox, Natti Natasha, and Manuel Turizo. The singer mentions that she’d love to work with Myke Towers (“what he does fascinates me”) and Anitta (“I love her, she’s a total queen”). Becerra bursts into laughter when we ask about Karol G. “I always namedrop her, she’s gonna hate me! But Karol is incredible.”
Despite being a feature darling herself, there are no collaborations on Nena — an intentional choice Becerra explains she had to fight for. “I’m not signed to a record label,” she affirms. “I wanted to [put the album out] on my own from the start, and obviously, there were concerns because a solo album is a risk. Lately, when someone releases an album, there’s always a [feature], even the singles too.” Despite this, she seems confident that the risk will be worth the reward. “I hope it all goes well,” she says while flashing a smile.
As 2022 comes to a close, Becerra says she would love to do a tour in the U.S. and Latin America next year. In March 2023, the singer is set to perform at Lollapalooza Argentina. “We’re planning to put together an incredible show and bring it around the world,” she gushes as she reveals rehearsals are already underway. Before her schedule picks back up again, Becerra is looking forward to some downtime at home for the holidays. “I want to spend it with my family [and] my partner. I just want to enjoy Argentina [because] I miss my house a lot. I have 12 cats, and I miss them!”
With all the co-signs and being Spotify’s most streamed female artist from Argentina, it seems like Maria Becerra’s global domination is imminent. Becerra could very well be “La Nena de Argentina” today, but it’s only a matter of time before she gets claimed as “la nena del mundo,” too.
Check out La Nena de Argentina below.
