Rosalía: 5 Things To Know About Grammy-Winning Spanish Singer Playing Coachella

View gallery

• Rosalía (b. Rosalia Vila Tobella on September 25, 1992) is a Catalan singer and sonfwriter.
• Her third studio album, 2022’s Motomani, saw her deviate from flamenco for more experimental reggaeton.
• She is scheduled to play at the 2023 Coachella festival, four years since her last appearance.

Rosalía is a name that’s been taking the music world by storm – and that storm heads to Indio, California for the 2023 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Rosalía, 30, is bringing her Motomani experience to the Coachella stage, performing at the festival for the first time since her 2019 appearance. When attending the 2023 Billboard Women In Music event, she told Access Hollywood that it was going to be big. “I cannot say too much…It’s definitely not going [to be] a shy show. It’s not going to be an intimate show.”

Going big has been the name of Rosalía’s game since releasing Motomami in March 2022. Described as her “most personal album to date,” the album received universal acclaim from music critics, resulting in it being the best-reviewed album of the year on Metacritic. It was a deviation from the traditional flamenco sound that she used when establishing herself as an artist. ” It feels rare to hear an album that’s so experimental, that aspires to stretch itself out across genres and play with form, and that attains exactly what it sets out to achieve,” wrote Julianne Escobedo Shepherd for Pitchfork. “Rosalía was already a formidable singer, but here she also sounds like she learned that with global superstardom comes the freedom to set her own agenda.”

Rosalía performs on Saturdays, seemingly right before headliners BLACKPINK takes the stage. “I come from Barcelona. Far, far away and it means so much for me and to my people to be sharing this with you,” Rosalía told the crowd at Coachella in 2019. She’s come quite a long way since then, so get to know more about her.

She Got Her Start In Music On A Spanish TV Show.

She was just 15 when she auditioned for the singing show Tú Sí Que Vales by singing a cover of Alicia Keys‘ “No One.” Although she didn’t impress the judges enough to win the competition, the appearance got her face and vocals out there, and she went on to continue to sing and hone her craft.

She Releases Her First Album In 2017

Los Ángeles was released on Feb. 10 of that year and features songs inspired by traditional flamenco music. “With Los Ángeles, I wanted to establish my musical legacy…and honor the classic sound of flamenco,” Rosalia told Jezebel in 2018. She also told Dazed that “flamenco inspiration is, above all, the frame I compose my music within.”

“I think [Motomami] the most personal and confessional album that I’ve made so far,” she told Rolling Stone in 2021. “I’ve always considered myself a storyteller. Motomami is the most personal story I’ve told. In my head, Motomami​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ makes sense as a concept, as a feminine figure building herself. So, that’s how it goes: It’s almost like a self-portrait when an artist makes a self-portrait in the context of the modern world.”

Rosalía Has Been on Saturday Night Live.

Rosalia also appeared on SNL in Feb. 2021 when she teamed up with Bad Bunny for the song “La Noche De Anoche.” The awesome performance, which included a neon-lit background and a lot of serenading each other, got rave reviews and proved the beauty could take on live television on one of America’s biggest shows. The duo also teamed up in the music video for the song, which can be seen above. Like their SNL performance, it was full of romantic vibes that went along with the song’s lyrics.

In March 2022, she also performed as a musical guest, delivering performances of “Chicken Teriyaki,” and “La Fama.”

“I feel so grateful because I am doing the music that I feel comfortable doing,” Rosalía told Entertainment Tonight in 2018. “I know my music has risk. So if it connects with people, which I think is happening, I feel very grateful. I can’t imagine anything better. As a songwriter, as a producer, not just as a musician, not just as an artist who goes on stage and sings, I feel proud. I feel happy.

She Worked With Travis Scott & The Weeknd.

She and Travis Scott released the song “TKN” in May 2020, and the video featured all kinds of action, including dancing, children roaming the streets, and vicious gangs. Travis also raps in Spanish, showing off his versatility in the music world.

The Weeknd also had a song on Motomami. The “Blinding Lights” singer lent his vocals to “La Fama.”

Her Music Has Led To Many Awards & Nominations

Rosalia has won eight Latin Grammy awards and one Grammy award since 2018. She’s also won three MTV Video Music Awards and one MTV Europe Music Award. She was the first and only artist ever to be nominated in the Best New Artist category for both the Grammy Awards and the Latin Grammy Awards as of March 2022.

Motomami won the 2022 Latin Pop Album of the Year at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards, Best Alternative Music Album at the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards,  and racked up eight nominations at the Latin American Music Awards.

Click to Subscribe to Get Our Free HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter to get the hottest celeb news.