Rosalía

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Rosalía's journey began at age 14 when she became enthralled by Spanish folk music, leading her to study at Taller de Músics, though she left formal education early. Before fame, she worked as an independent singer at weddings for "a little over 80 euros or in exchange for dinner" while meeting underground artists like La Zowi and Yung Beef. At 17, she underwent vocal cord surgery after tearing a cord from "intense singing practices," forcing her to stop singing for a year. Her professional breakthrough came with Los Ángeles (2017), created with Raül Refree, which she released through Universal Music Spain. This album featured aggressive guitar chords and reworks of flamenco classics, eventually reaching number 42 on the Spanish albums chart. In 2018, she invested her own money to record El mal querer with el Guincho in various studios. The album, based on the 13th-century novel Flamenca, spawned hits like "Malamente" and "Pienso en tu mirá," earning her two Latin Grammys in 2019 (Best Alternative Song and Best Alternative Music Album) and launching her into the international scene.

In Their Own Story

The ascent to global stardom accelerated with the release of El mal querer on November 2, 2018. The album debuted at number two on the PROMUSICAE chart and was hailed by critics like Alexis Petridis of The Guardian for its experimental nature. Singles "Malamente" and "Pienso en tu mirá" caught the attention of figures like Kourtney Kardashian and Dua Lipa, with the latter's video reaching social media virality. In 2019, Rosalía shifted toward urbano music with "Con altura" and "Yo x ti, tú x mí," achieving global success before releasing her third studio album, Motomami, in 2022. Motomami departed from her new flamenco sound to explore reggaeton with an experimental twist, featuring singles like "La Fama," "Saoko," and "Despechá." It became the best-reviewed album of the year on Metacritic. Her fourth album, Lux (2025), further broke records as a Spanish-speaking female artist by fusing art pop with classical elements. Throughout her career, she has accumulated thirteen number-one singles in Spain, won two Grammy Awards and eleven Latin Grammys, and became the first Spanish-singing act nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys.

Reader's Guide

Rosalía's musical evolution is marked by distinct phases of experimentation and critical recognition. Her early career included a six-year course at Taller de Músics and work with flamenco groups like Kejaleo, who released Alaire in 2013. She also performed as a duo with Juan "Chicuelo" Gómez for the Blancanieves soundtrack and collaborated with La Fura dels Baus on a show in Singapore by 2015. A pivotal moment occurred in 2016 when she met Raül Refree at Tablao del Carmen, leading to their collaboration on Los Ángeles. The album's success led to the Los Ángeles Tour, which began in Granada on February 11, 2017, and ended in Barcelona on March 1, 2018. During this period, Juanes saw her perform in Madrid and immediately asked his manager Rebeca León to sign her, calling her a "once in fifty years kind of artist." Her later work with el Guincho on El mal querer involved self-funding the project due to having no budget as an independent university student. This album's success paved the way for her 2019 urbano explorations and the experimental Motomami, which earned three MTV Video Music Awards. By 2025, her album Lux continued her streak of innovation, blending classical elements with art pop while breaking all-time records for a Spanish-speaking female artist.

Did You Know?

• Rosalía worked as an independent singer at weddings for 'a little over 80 euros or in exchange for dinner' before her breakthrough.
• She underwent vocal cord surgery at age 17 after tearing a cord from intense singing, preventing her from singing for a year.
• To record El mal querer without a budget, she invested her own money to the point of 'almost going bankrupt.'