Rosalía facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rosalía
Rosalía in 2023
Born	Rosalia Vila Tobella (1992-09-25) 25 September 1992 (age 32) Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
Alma mater	Catalonia College of Music
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	2013–present
Works	Discography songs live performances
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Baix Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
Genres	Flamenco flamenco pop urbano reggaeton alternative art-pop avant-garde Latin pop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Columbia Universal Spain
Signature

Rosalia Vila Tobella (born September 25, 1992), known simply as Rosalía, is a famous Spanish pop and flamenco singer. She is known for mixing different music styles, which makes her an "unusual pop star." When she was 14, she fell in love with Spanish folk music. She later studied music at the Catalonia College of Music and sang at small venues and weddings.

Rosalía finished her studies with high honors. Her first album, Los Ángeles (2017), was a collaboration. Her special university project, El mal querer (2018), brought her huge success. This album mixed traditional flamenco with pop and hip hop music. Songs like "Malamente" and "Pienso en tu mirá" became very popular in Spain and received great reviews. El mal querer won a Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year and was listed among Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. This album helped Rosalía become famous around the world.

In 2019, Rosalía explored urbano music with hit songs like "Con altura" and "Yo x ti, tú x mí", which became globally successful. Her third album, Motomami (2022), gave reggaeton an experimental twist, moving away from her earlier flamenco sound. This album also gained international attention with singles such as "La Fama", "Saoko", and "Despechá". It was one of the most praised albums of 2022.

Rosalía has had many number-one songs in Spain, more than any other local artist. She has won many awards, including two Grammy Awards and twelve Latin Grammy Awards (with two wins for Album of the Year). In 2019, Billboard gave her the Rising Star Award for changing mainstream music with her unique flamenco-influenced pop. She was also the first Spanish-singing artist to be nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. Many consider her one of the most successful and important Spanish singers ever.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Growing Up in Catalonia

Rosalía was born on September 25, 1992, in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain. She grew up in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Baix Llobregat, in Catalonia. Her family spoke Catalan and did not have an artistic background. Her mother, María Pilar Tobella Aguilera, is a businesswoman. Rosalía has an older sister, Pilar "Pili" Vila, who works as her stylist and creative director.

From a young age, Rosalía was interested in performing arts. She especially loved the music of Camarón de la Isla, a famous flamenco singer. She started her music education at the Taller de Músics and later went to the Superior School of Music of Catalonia. To earn money, she also sang at weddings and musical bars.

First Steps in Music

When she was 15, Rosalía appeared on a TV show called Tú Sí Que Vales, but she was not chosen. At 17, she had to have surgery on her vocal cords because of intense singing practice. She could not sing for a year after that.

In 2012, she became the lead singer of Kejaleo, a flamenco group. They released an album called Alaire in 2013. Rosalía also worked with guitarist Juan "Chicuelo" Gómez to promote the Blancanieves movie soundtrack. She performed at different music festivals and collaborated with other artists and brands. In 2016, Rosalía worked with Spanish rapper C. Tangana on the song "Antes de morirme". This song became popular later when it was featured in the Spanish Netflix show Élite.

Rise to Fame

Los Ángeles Album

Rosalía and Raül Refree performing during their Los Ángeles Tour in July 2017

In 2016, Rosalía performed at a flamenco venue in Barcelona. Raül Refree, a music producer, was in the audience and was very impressed. They started working together on music. Rosalía signed with Universal Music later that year.

Their album, Los Ángeles, was released on February 10, 2017. It focused on the theme of death with strong guitar sounds. The album reworked classic flamenco songs and received many awards. Rosalía was nominated for Best New Artist at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. The album was very popular with critics and stayed on the Spanish music charts for a long time.

El mal querer and Global Success

Rosalía started recording her second album, El mal querer, in early 2017. This album was part of her university project at the Catalonia College of Music. She worked with Spanish musician el Guincho and developed the album's story based on an old novel called Romance of Flamenca. Even though she had a small budget, Rosalía invested her own money to create the album. It was mostly recorded in el Guincho's apartment using simple equipment. The album aimed to mix traditional flamenco with modern pop and urban sounds.

In May 2018, Rosalía announced her new album. Around the same time, she was featured on J Balvin's song "Brillo". Later that month, she released "Malamente", the first song from El mal querer. This song quickly became popular worldwide, and its music video went viral. "Malamente" won two Latin Grammy Awards. The next single, "Pienso en tu mirá", was released in July and was praised for its beautiful visuals. "Di mi nombre", released just before the album, became her first number-one song in Spain.

El mal querer was released on November 2, 2018. It tells the story of a difficult relationship. Music critics loved the album, praising its unique sound and concept. The Guardian called it "the calling card of a unique new talent." El mal querer appeared on many "best album" lists and was ranked high on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It won several Latin Grammys, including Album of the Year, and a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album.

In 2019, Rosalía appeared in the film Pain and Glory. She also started her first global concert tour, El Mal Querer Tour, to promote her album.

Rosalía performing at Primavera Sound in 2019 during El Mal Querer Tour

While on tour, Rosalía released new songs. On March 28, 2019, she released "Con altura" with J Balvin. This song topped charts in many countries and its music video became one of the most-watched by a female artist in 2019. The song's dance moves became very popular. "Con altura" won two MTV Video Music Awards and a Latin Grammy Award.

In May, Rosalía released "Aute Cuture", which also reached number one in Spain. On August 15, she released "Yo x ti, tú x mí" with Ozuna, her fifth number-one hit in Spain. In November, she released "A Palé". In December, Rosalía was featured on a remix of Travis Scott's "Highest in the Room". Billboard magazine honored her with the Rising Star award for her global success. Rosalía performed "Juro Que" at the 62nd Grammy Awards, becoming the first Spanish female artist to perform at the event. She was also the first Spanish-singing artist nominated for Best New Artist. During the 2020 lockdown, she released "Dolerme" and "TKN" with Travis Scott. "TKN" became her first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was very popular on TikTok.

Recent Projects and Motomami

Collaborations and New Album

Rosalía started working on her third album in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she moved to Miami and continued to work on the album while also collaborating on other songs. In September 2020, she was featured on a remix of Sech's "Relación", which also entered the Billboard Hot 100. She also sang on Bad Bunny's song "La Noche de Anoche", which became a huge hit. A week later, she collaborated with the Weeknd on a remix of "Blinding Lights" and with Billie Eilish on "Lo Vas a Olvidar".

On November 2, 2021, Rosalía announced her new album, Motomami. It was released on March 18, 2022, through Columbia Records. The first song from the album, "La Fama", featuring the Weeknd, was an experimental bachata song that became very successful. It was her seventh number-one song in Spain. In December 2021, Rockstar Games launched a new radio station in Grand Theft Auto Online curated by Rosalía. In February 2022, she released "Saoko" as the album's second single, which received great reviews. The music video for "Saoko" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing. On February 24, Rosalía released "Chicken Teriyaki" as the third single.

Rosalía performing on her Motomami World Tour

When Motomami was released, music critics praised its experimental and genre-bending sounds. Many publications gave it perfect scores, calling it daring and unique. Pitchfork said it was rare to hear an album so experimental that achieves exactly what it aims for. Motomami became one of the most talked-about albums of 2022. It reached the top ten in several countries and was the biggest debut for a Spanish-language album by a female artist on Spotify.

In July 2022, Rosalía started her second worldwide concert tour, Motomami World Tour, to promote the album. The tour included new songs, like "Despechá", which was later released and became a global hit.

At the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards in November 2022, Motomami won all four categories it was nominated for, including Album of the Year. Rosalía became the first woman to win Album of the Year twice as a lead artist. She also won a Grammy Award for the album.

Rosalía and her dance troupe performing at Mexico City's Zócalo on April 28, 2023

In early 2023, Rosalía collaborated with Coca-Cola to create a special drink flavor called "Move," for which she released the song "LLYLM". In March, she performed at many festivals, including Coachella and Lollapalooza. On March 24, she released RR, a collaborative EP with singer Rauw Alejandro, which included the popular song "Beso". On April 28, Rosalía performed a free concert in Mexico City's Zócalo for over 160,000 people. She performed for nearly 2 million people worldwide during her tour.

In September 2023, Rosalía signed with a new manager. She also released a charity song called "Oral" with Björk in November 2023.

Recent Activities

On August 16, 2024, Rosalía was featured on Thai rapper Lisa's song "New Woman". This song became a top-ten hit on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.

In September 2024, Rosalía helped create the soundtrack for Barcelona's annual musical firework show during La Mercè festival. She premiered a new song called "Omega", featuring Ralphie Choo, which was released the next day.

Music Style and Influences

Unique Sound

Rosalía's music is known for being unique and always changing. She has a master's degree in flamenco interpretation, so she started her career as a flamenco singer. Her first album, Los Ángeles, was a folk record that showed her deep understanding of flamenco. People have called her an "old soul in a young body" because of her mature approach to the genre.

After "Malamente" was released in 2018, her music was described as an exciting mix of flamenco and modern styles. Pitchfork magazine praised her voice as "soft liquid velvet." The Guardian said her second album, El mal querer, was more complex than other Latin pop music. Later, Rosalía's music became more mainstream, mixing urban sounds with her flamenco roots. Her 2022 album Motomami was described as "daring" and "redefined mainstream" by blending reggaeton with traditional Latin American music and other genres like industrial and jazz. Rosalía says she listens to many different types of music to learn from them. She has mentioned James Blake's 2011 album as very important to her.

Rosalía's voice is powerful and emotional. She uses Auto-Tune in her songs and live shows as an artistic choice. Her lyrics often talk about different topics and include references to pop culture. These references also appear in her music videos and visual art, which she sees as a key way to connect with her audience. Her visual style is inspired by Spanish tradition and Eastern culture, especially Japanese. She uses her knowledge of art history to recreate famous paintings and movie scenes in her projects. She loves films by Pedro Almodóvar and Andrei Tarkovsky.

Musical Heroes

Rosalía has cited James Blake (left) and Björk (right) as her major musical influences.

Rosalía has said that Camarón de la Isla, James Blake, and Björk are her biggest musical influences. She discovered Camarón de la Isla when she was 13 and was amazed by his powerful voice. He introduced her to the world of flamenco. Another flamenco artist she admires is La Niña de los Peines, who was a pioneer as a female flamenco singer.

About Björk, Rosalía said she is grateful for her existence and for paving the way for female producers. When talking about James Blake, she mentioned that his music influenced her during university. She likes his bold production, minimalism, and freedom in creating music. Rosalía collaborated with James Blake on his song "Barefoot in the Park". She also lists many other artists as inspirations, including Aventura, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Kate Bush, Nina Simone, Queen, Shakira, and David Bowie.

Fashion and Style

Rosalía's biggest fashion influence is Lola Flores, a famous Spanish artist. Rosalía loves her attitude and strength. She also mentioned Carmen Amaya, who wore masculine clothes when it was unusual for women to do so. Rosalía often attends fashion shows and loves designers like Palomo Spain, Dion Lee, and Versace. She has attended the Met Gala twice, wearing designs by Rick Owens and Givenchy.

Impact and Influence

Influence in Music

Rosalía has inspired many artists, including Christina Aguilera, Tate McRae, and Camila Cabello. Forbes magazine named her one of the "Most Influential Spanish Women" in 2020 and 2022. In 2021, Pitchfork recognized her as one of the most important artists of the last 25 years.

Rosalía's popularity has helped bring new flamenco music to a wider audience around the world. The Atlantic stated in 2020 that she "turned the harrowing music of Andalusia into a global phenomenon."

Discussions on Cultural Appropriation

Rosalía's use of flamenco has led to discussions about cultural appropriation. Some Romani people have said that she takes from their culture, as flamenco is often seen as their artistic expression. However, the exact origin of flamenco is not fully known, and it likely combines elements from Moorish, Jewish, and Romani cultures. Rosalía has responded by saying that "music is universal."

Some people defend Rosalía, saying that in today's connected world, her success can help people around the world appreciate flamenco. The New York Times said in 2019 that the debate about her cultural appropriation is unfair, and that her music is a great example of how different cultures can mix in art. Rosalía believes that these discussions are more about political issues and privileges, rather than personal attacks on her.

She has also discussed whether the term "Latin" music, which comes from Romance languages like Spanish, is misunderstood. She questions if it should only refer to people from Latin American countries. Rosalía has said she feels "uncomfortable" when this term is used for her.

Business and Other Ventures

Products and Partnerships

In November 2018, Rosalía launched a limited fashion line with Pull&Bear, inspired by her "Malamente" music video. A second collection followed in May 2019. In September 2020, she released a lipstick collection with MAC Cosmetics, with all profits supporting women, youth, and the LGBT community. She later released an eye shadow collection with MAC.

Rosalía also teamed up with Nike in March 2021 to design espadrille-like Air Force 1s, inspired by Catalan culture. In 2022, she became a brand ambassador for Skims. In January 2023, she worked with Coca-Cola Creations to create a special "transformation-flavored" Coke called Move, promoting it with her song "LLYLM". In March, she reimagined a part of her album Motomami for a commercial for SEAT's Cupra brand. A collaboration between Rosalía and Zara is also expected.

Future Plans

In February 2024, Rosalía's family created a new company called Tresmamis SL, focused on real estate. Her mother, María Pilar Tobella, is the chairperson and CEO. Through this company, Rosalía plans to build a recording studio complex in l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.

Personal Life

Family and Languages

Rosalía has Asturian heritage from her father's side and Catalan heritage from her mother's side. One of her great-grandfathers was Cuban. She speaks Catalan, Spanish, and English fluently.

Relationships

Rosalía was in a relationship with Spanish rapper C. Tangana from 2016 to 2018. They wrote many songs together for her album El mal querer. They have remained friends.

In November 2019, Rosalía met Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro. They started dating in December and made their relationship public in September 2021. They got engaged on December 31, 2022. However, in July 2023, they announced the end of their engagement. Musically, they worked on several projects together. Rosalía was a songwriter and background vocalist on some of Alejandro's songs, and he contributed to her song "Chicken Teriyaki". They released a joint EP called RR in March 2023, which included the hit song "Beso".

She was in a relationship with American actor Jeremy Allen White from late 2023 until the summer of 2024.

Views and Beliefs

Rosalía identifies as a feminist. She has spoken about wanting more women to work in music studios. She has a tattoo on her left thigh that refers to a 1970 body art performance by artist Valie Export, which explores ideas about the body and society.

Rosalía is also a strong supporter of the LGBT community. Profits from her Viva Glam campaign were donated to support women, youth, and the LGBT community. In July 2021, she spoke out against the killing of Samuel Luiz, saying, "Samuel didn't die, he was assassinated."

Regarding her religious beliefs, Rosalía has said she was never baptized or regularly taken to church by her parents. Her grandmother, who was Christian, sometimes took her to church. There, she began to believe in God, even though she has never joined the Catholic Church or considered herself Christian.

In 2019, Rosalía shared her opinion on a political party, encouraging people to vote against them. She later said that politics is a delicate topic and that she prefers not to discuss it in public. In May 2020, she expressed anger about the murder of George Floyd and briefly attended a protest in Miami for racial equality. In October, she offered her song "A Palé" for a campaign to encourage voting in the 2020 United States presidential election.

Discography

• Los Ángeles (2017)
• El mal querer (2018)
• Motomami (2022)

Filmography

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Music Videos

Commercials

Tours

• Los Ángeles Tour (2017–2018)
• El Mal Querer Tour (2019)
• Motomami World Tour (2022)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

• 

  Rosalía's signature

See also

In Spanish: Rosalía (cantante) para niños