Earlier in the night, the 26-year-old Spanish flamenco singer took home the award for best latin rock, urban, or alternative album forEl Mal Querer, beating out fellow nominees Bad Bunny(X 100Pre), J Balvin & Bad Bunny (Oasis), Flor De Toloache (Indestructible) and iLe (Almadura).
She’s also up for best new artist. Read on for five things to know about the breakout star.
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1. She grew up around flamenco.
Rosalía, born Rosalía Vila Tobella, has performed the traditional Spanish music for over a decade, including in flamenco clubs called “tablaos” throughout her home of Barcelona as a teen.
2. She released her debut album in 2017.
The record was calledLos ángeles— but not after the city. Rosalía made her self-recorded concept album based off a collection of traditional flamenco songs, all dealing with death. (The title roughly translates to “the angles” in English.)
“I feel like withLos ángeles, I wanted to establish my musical legacy … and honor the classic sound of flamenco in the most traditional sense,” Rosalíatold Jezebel in 2018.
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3. Her acclaimed second album tells the story of a tragic relationship — that draws on Justin Timberlake.
“It’s the story of a woman who married a man who becomes consumed with jealousy, and he goes crazy and imprisons her,” Rosalía toldPitchfork. “And it got me thinking, almost anthropologically: Centuries later, have we altered the ways in which we love and relate to other people, or are we still acting in the same ways?”
“Bagdad (Cap 7: Liturgia)” features a familiar melody — taken from the chorus ofJustin Timberlake‘s 2002 hit “Cry Me a River.” Rosalía’s Spanish lyrics, according to Genius, translate in English as “And she’s going to burn, if she stays there / The flames rise up to heaven to die / There’s no one else around there / There’s no one else, sitting and clapping.”
4. J Balvin isn’t her only major cosign.
The flamenco starhas also recorded withPharrell and made her follow-up to “Con altura,” “Barefoot in the Park,” with English electronic artist James Blake.
And outside of music, Rosalía has also worked with Oscar-winning director Pedro Almodóvar onPain and Glory, starring Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz.
Rosalía.Robin Little/Getty
5. She won big at the VMAs last year.
The 62ndGrammy Awardsare airing live from Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
source: people.com
