Argentine Megastar on Her Hit Songs, Connecting With Lovers & Extra

It’s a Thursday afternoon at a studio in Miami, and Emilia is getting glammed up for a Billboard Español quilt shoot. She’s dressed in a baby-pink silky gown and striped slippers, and her similarly silky, chocolatey brown hair is picked up in rollers as she navigates thru her playlist for the very best track to get in a position. She skips thru feminine anthems via Beyoncé, Shakira, Britney Spears, Nathy Peluso and Doechii earlier than settling on Rihanna’s “Don’t Prevent the Song.” She sings alongside and dances to the beat fairly, to not reduce to rubble her wavy bucles and make-up.

“Sooner than, to present myself self belief after I went on level, I’d inform myself: ‘You might be Rihanna! You might be Rihanna!’ However somebody on my group lately advised me: ‘Now you must say to your self, ‘You might be Emilia! You might be Emilia!’ And consider it,” she gushes. 

She is Emilia. And he or she’s at the verge of a world musical step forward as she prepares a 2025 excursion throughout Spain, plans her first U.S. live shows within the U.S., and only recently made her debut at Brazil’s Carnival this previous weekend.

In 2024, the Argentine artist earned her first No. 1 hit at the Billboard U.S. Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay charts with “Perdonarte ¿Para Qué?,” her collaboration with Los Ángeles Azules; she turned into the primary Argentine act to be nominated for perfect pop vocal album on the Latin Grammy Awards together with her sophomore set, .mp3; she used to be TikTok’s most-viewed and Spotify’s most-streamed artist in Argentina (the primary feminine artist to take action); she bought out 10 displays at Movistar Area in Buenos Aires in 10 hours — breaking the file up to now held via Luis Miguel — and turned into the primary Argentine feminine artist with 4 sold-out displays on the town’s Estadio Vélez, to call a couple of milestones.

Now, Emilia is making a major bid for world growth in 2025 that incorporates her first time at Brazil’s Carnival, the place on Feb. 23 she carried out “Bunda” with Luísa Sonza, her first observe from an upcoming EP; a spring excursion throughout Spain with 3 dates at Madrid’s Movistar Area (previously WiZink Middle); and spending extra time in Miami now not handiest to be nearer to her label, Sony Song Latin, and supervisor Walter Kolm, however to connect to artists and manufacturers from other territories and increase her occupation additional — a tried-and-true technique that others have taken earlier than her, together with Karol G and Manuel Turizo.

“In Argentina, there are manufacturers that I proceed to paintings with and who’re buddies. I’ve the entirety there; it’s the entirety for me,” she says. “However I made the verdict to return to Miami for some time to paintings and take a look at new alternatives. I’ll all the time be returning house anyway. I will be able to’t let that move. However I feel what occurs on the business point right here in Miami may be very giant. You return throughout new artists and manufacturers always. And it’s just right to experiment.”

Leaving the relaxation of a house territory that sees you as a famous person has lengthy been a problem for Latin American artists. However because of an open-minded perspective, these days, Emilia has located herself as a flexible pop act who can simply navigate from reggaetón to romantic ballads to cumbia to Brazilian funk and, maximum lately, vallenato along Silvestre Dangond on “Vestido Rojo.” 

“She understood that she needed to have her base in her house nation first. She needed to wreck into her nation in each and every sense, in intake, go beyond that intake in price tag gross sales, media visibility, visibility with manufacturers,” says Esteban Geller, GM at Sony Song U.S. Latin. “First, she conquered her nation, then the neighboring nations like Chile and Uruguay, and bit by bit surroundings foot in territories like Spain, Mexico and Colombia, whilst concurrently construction her tale in the US. She understood completely what her area used to be within the tune scene and that what she did with Los Ángeles Azules and with Silvestre introduced her nearer to a extra business area, which could also be incredible. The trail has been herbal.” 

Emilia is already dolled up in a Y2K-inspired outfit for the picture shoot: denim mini skirt, bubblegum-pink zip-up hoodie, glitter stilettos and a fur cap that simply offers off Child Phat clothes vibes. On her backside eyelashes is a suite of shining diamonds — eye equipment which can be signature to her glance. Doja Cat’s “Rainy Vagina,” from her female-heavy playlist, performs within the background as she flirts with the digital camera with natural self belief and sensuality — one thing she’s labored on over the years, placing that steadiness between horny ingenue and likeable lady subsequent door.

“I used to be all the time very outgoing, however I believe that these days, I believe extra assured with myself than ever. That took time, effort and remedy,” she says.

María Emilia Mernes Rueda, 28, used to be born in Nogoyá, Entre Ríos, a farming the city a few five-hour pressure from Buenos Aires. She’s the one kid to a baker father and a prepare dinner mom. Her grandfather, a plumber but additionally the one musical reference in her circle of relatives, proficient her a guitar when she used to be younger so she may get started taking tune classes. Rising up, her love for tune expanded to importing covers on Instagram and forming a part of an area cumbia crew with buddies. It used to be a keenness she by no means believed may transcend a interest. 

“I believed that dreaming of being an artist, of stepping on level and being in that international, used to be unattainable. Tremendous some distance away,” she says. “I by no means concept I’d be capable to turn out to be a certified on this and be a singer. I noticed it as unattainable on account of the place I used to be from. The alternatives are most often in Buenos Aires, the place the casting and tune manufacturers are.”

However her existence took an intensive flip when the movies of herself taking part in the guitar and making a song covers on social media stuck the eye of Uruguayan band Rombai. On the time, the cumbia-pop crew received reputation in South The usa and used to be looking for a brand new feminine vocalist. Emilia’s first time onstage with the crowd used to be in November 2016, when she carried out for 12,000 enthusiasts on the Velódromo in Uruguay. 3 months later, she used to be functioning at Chile’s coveted Viña del Mar Competition and gained a Gaviota Award — an revel in she describes as a “nice alternative” and “a trampoline” in her occupation. “The true problem,” she says, got here two years later when she determined to head solo.

In 2019, Emilia signed a file handle Sony Song Latin and a control handle Kolm (her former supervisor with Rombai), turning into the primary feminine artist to signal with Kolm, who additionally manages Carlos Vives, Maluma, Wisin and Xavi. 

“When she advised me she sought after to head solo and make the tune she preferred essentially the most, I noticed her with such resolution that I determined to be via her aspect,” Kolm says. “She may be very charismatic and has her personal initiative.”

Excited for what the longer term holds, he provides: “She moved to Miami to direct her occupation from the US. Emilia has the entire doable to be a world artist. She all the time knew the place she sought after to head. That is only the start of a occupation that might be large.”

In a while after her debut solo unmarried, “Recalienta,” co-written with Camilo and Fariana, Emilia earned her first access on a Billboard chart together with her Darell collaboration “No Soy Yo,” which debuted and peaked at No. 38 on Latin Pop Airplay in February 2020. She additionally scored chart entries with “La_Original.mp3,” with Tini; “Tu Recuerdo,” with Wisin and Lyanno; and “Como Si No Importara,” with Duki. 

The lattermost track — a few secretive and bold courting on which her rapper boyfriend Duki’s chanteos lace with Emilia’s dulcet vocals — gave the artist her first access at the Billboard International Excl. U.S. chart in August 2021. The downtempo sultry reggaetón track peaked at No. 3 at the Billboard Argentina Sizzling 100 in 2021. Emilia then launched “Esto Recién Empieza,” which reached a No. 9 prime at the Argentina Sizzling 100 in March 2022.

At that time, Emilia and Duki were courting for a yr; the couple made their courting public on the 2022 Premio Lo Nuestro, the place they carried out “Como Si No Importara.” The collaborations have boosted each artists. Duki is a entice megastar, so Emilia has helped increase his enchantment to tweens. Emilia may be very a lot a pop megastar, and courting Duki has given her boulevard cred. 

“We would possibly appear other from the out of doors, however we’re in reality very an identical, and we’ve nearly the entirety in not unusual. The one factor we don’t have in not unusual is that I really like sushi and he doesn’t,” Emilia says with amusing as she opens up about her boyfriend with face tattoos. “However typically, we proportion the entirety, and we’ve a really nice courting. We give every different comments always. I really like paying attention to him communicate, to get recommendation from him. Past being an implausible artist, he’s an overly clever, very cultured individual. Every so often he comes into the studio with me and we write in combination. We’re very enthusiastic about the similar factor and it’s gorgeous so that you can proportion it with out egos, with out selfishness. It’s very authentic, and in an overly wholesome manner.”

In spite of Emilia’s famous person in Argentina and her expanding presence in another country, it wasn’t till ultimate yr that the catchy cumbia “Perdonarte Para Qué?” with Los Ángeles Azules gave Emilia her first No. 1 at the Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay charts. It used to be a full-circle second for the as soon as teenager lady who had a cumbia band again house.

“From the primary time I heard it, I mentioned, ‘100% sure!’” she exclaims. “I keep in mind that it didn’t take me even two days to get into the studio and file it. I used to be so excited that they sought after to make a track with me, that they’d taken me under consideration, being such mythical artists of Mexican tradition and the arena.” 

Elías Mejía Avante, founding member of the Mexican crew, says: “We’re glad, however above all thankful to be a part of this nice musical milestone for her. It’s going to all the time be an honor so that you can merge the skill of Mexico and Argentina, looking for to contaminate as many hearts as conceivable with our cumbia. We really feel that therein lies the magic, in bringing pleasure and authenticity with tune from the hand of one of the crucial greats of Latin pop tune these days.”

In the meantime, in her local nation, Emilia’s a drive to be reckoned with.

She’s positioned 39 entries at the Billboard Argentina Sizzling 100 chart, 20 of the ones within the best 10 and 5 hitting No. 1. Her longest-leading hit up to now, “Una Foto (Remix)” with Mesita, Nicki Nicole and Tiago PZK, dominated for 10 weeks in 2024 — the third-most in the back of Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” (16 weeks atop the chart) and Valentino Merlo and The L. a. Planta’s “Hoy” (11 weeks). Emilia has launched two studio albums: the ultra-personal Tú Crees en Mí? (2022) and her early-2000s nostalgic set, .mp3 (2023). The latter used to be Spotify’s 2d most-streamed album of 2024 in Argentina, following Good fortune Ra’s Que Nos Falte Todo.

That luck at the charts translated to price tag gross sales.

In April 2024, she kicked off her .mp3 excursion with a historical 10-night stint on the Movistar Area in Buenos Aires between April and Would possibly, later including 4 displays at Vélez Sarsfield Stadium in October. 

“With artists in building, we’ve had bizarre luck with Emilia and her 10 area [shows], the place she performed to over 290,000 other folks,” Marcelo Figoli, founder and proprietor of Fenix Leisure, who produced the displays, up to now advised Billboard, assured that Emilia “goes to be a large deal in 2025.”

“I underestimated it. I most often set my expectancies low, so I don’t disappoint myself,” Emilia admits. “We got here out with the price tag gross sales, and I hadn’t executed any displays for my album [.mp3]. We got here out with the album in November and firstly of December the tickets have been bought out. I keep in mind that my group had mentioned that we have been going to guide 10 Movistar Area displays as a result of that used to be the speculation. And I used to be like, ‘I’d like it, clearly, a residency on the Movistar Area, however I see it as tricky.’ I felt like we have been going to promote 3, 4 at maximum, however unexpectedly it used to be 10 in 10 hours.”

“The are living display is the opposite giant leg of this business,” Geller provides. “She’s an artist who now not handiest works in a single vertical of the trade, but additionally has visibility within the style, logo and tune sectors and has transcended into promoting tickets, which is the most productive factor. She is already proving it with displays. The luck she had in Argentina, the large luck she is having in Spain, that is occurring as a result of tune is beginning to go beyond to different areas, which can indisputably lead her to a protracted occupation. That’s the trustworthy conclusion that we’re on course.” 

The displays have been additionally a take a look at of resilience in different spaces. 

“I used to be rehearsing for the Movistar displays and my dad were given most cancers… Of crucial issues in my existence, the 2 got here in combination and it used to be very emotional for me, however I used to be ready to maintain each,” she says. “Lately I’ve my dad with me, and he can see the entirety I’m doing. I realized to grasp myself somewhat higher. What my limits are. To make errors and now not be so merciless to myself. To price the true other folks I’ve in my existence… that circle of relatives is crucial factor. I realized that I like to paintings and that I should benefit from the second and now not are living such a lot one day.”

However dwelling one day is inevitable for somebody on Emilia’s trail. 

She’s getting ready for her 2025 live shows in Europe and Latin The usa via understanding 5 to 6 days every week, one thing she by no means did earlier than, however is very important for next-level displays.

“The display calls for numerous aerobic. It’s important to sing and dance, you wish to have a just right diaphragm, lungs with air, staying power. I hated coaching! I wouldn’t contact a weight for not anything!” she says, laughing. “But when I hadn’t skilled, I wouldn’t be capable to do it. Workout has turn out to be one thing vital for me and it does me just right. I believe robust and assured.”

Emilia is now in her 2d outfit for the picture shoot and seems like a glistening goddess wearing dishevelled denims with gold glitter, a gold bustier and matching gold heels, posing for a 2d spherical of pictures as a fan blows her wavy locks and her entourage hypes her up. This time, she’s serving sultry seems to Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills.” Within the some distance nook, her mom, Gabriela Rueda, will get emotional as she sees her daughter in motion, and with tears rolling down her cheeks, she softly tells me she recollects doing picture shoots for Emilia in the lounge and her father protecting the fan to blow her hair. 

“I really like to turn the ‘Emilia Pop Megastar’ and get into personality,” Emilia says with a grin. “I grew up looking at pop divas who do this onstage and it’s like taking part in for some time for me. However I’m additionally the Emilia who comes from Nogoyá, who will get in combination to drink mate with buddies, who has issues like everybody else, who cries as a result of I’m very delicate. I’ve all the time been company. I’m very sure too. I’ve all the time had an overly goal and constructive personality and character. I feel that’s what additionally helped me to be the place I’m these days and succeed in the entirety I’ve completed.”