Belinda: “Pop has improved, but it’s still sexist”

Belinda: The recording in Spain of the Netflix series “Welcome to Eden”, in which she plays one of the leading roles, has brought Mexican pop star Belinda back to her roots, the country where she was born, and also to find the inspiration to work on their first album since 2013 and new illusions.

It’s hard not to ask this composer, performer, and actress, who began her career as a child and who is often more scrutinized in the media for what she wears than for her work, about the conditions of the artistic environment, especially music, and the different requirements that are made to them and to them.

The recording in Spain of the Netflix series “Welcome to Eden”, in which she plays one of the leading roles, has brought Mexican pop star Belinda back to her roots, the country where she was born, and also to find the inspiration to work on their first album since 2013 and new illusions.

It’s hard not to ask this composer, performer, and actress, who began her career as a child and who is often more scrutinized in the media for what she wears than for her work, about the conditions of the artistic environment, especially music, and the different requirements that are made to them and to them.
“It’s totally unfair. He’s improved, but he’s still sexist,” laments the nicknamed “princess of pop” before recalling that “since she was little”, in her first jobs in children’s soap operas, they told her that “the girls wanted to see the guys”, so they asked the female actresses to stand “in the back”.

Belinda Peregrín (Madrid, 1989) denounces that even today as a composer she has to put up with a certain skepticism. “In my themes, there are still five authors, because credit is given to all those who participate, as it should be, even if they have put a phrase or a word. ‘Oh, of course, she will not have done anything,’ they usually think. It’s always like that when perhaps the woman has done 80%,” he laments.

He declares himself a fan of Rigoberta Bandini, the Spanish singer, and songwriter who wrote songs like “Perra” or “Ay Mama”, which has become the unofficial anthem of the demonstrations on the last International Women’s Day. “I would love to work with her. In fact, I have written to her on Instagram but she did not answer me. Please, Rigoberta, answer me!” She asks through Efe.

The next album insight

In recent times, her musical facet has been more focused on collaborating with other artists, such as in 2021 in the hit “Niña de la Escuela” with Lola Índigo, another empowering song for women.

“I liked it from the beginning because it’s different. These urban songs had never touched that theme of the strength of women since I was a girl. It also gave me the opportunity to be in Lola’s studio, which is a great artist whom I love. I admire a lot as a person,” he says about what led him to that project.

However, it is surprising that he has not released more albums since in 2013 he released the fifth album of his career, “Catarsis”.

“When I make a record, I get in 100 percent. I have to be inspired and find out why, and it just wasn’t the time. I have no other answer,” he simply alleges with respect to that long period of time.

He then confirms, however, that “we won’t have to wait long” to enjoy an LP with his signature again. “This is very inspired,” he says after confessing that his work in the “Welcome to Eden” series has had a lot to do with this new state and summons his followers to the news “that will be heard very soon”.

More projects in Spain?

That filming for Netflix has allowed him to establish himself for a long season in Spain, where he does not rule out being seen more often with new projects. In that sense, an exchange of complicit glances with her team practically confirms her performance at the upcoming Madrid Pride festivities.

“I hope so. I would love to. I will be here for the next 6 months of my life and I am happy to see the sunrise in Madrid,” he says.

Along these lines, he also enthusiastically receives the suggestion of starring in a musical on the Gran Vía after his debut in 2019 in that area with “Today I can’t get up”, which he performed in Mexico. “Musicals are wonderful and ‘I Can’t Get Up Today’ has been my favorite. I wish I could do it here,” she subscribes out loud.

The Mecano songs that she listened to as a child through her parents are just some of the many things that have continued to tie her to her roots on this side of the Atlantic. She is the daughter of Spanish, she assures us that although she moved with her family to Mexico when she was 4 years old, her relationship with the country of her birth is very present in her day today.

“I have spent more time in Spain than everyone thinks, for example, summers or Christmas. This is my home and it will always be, because of my roots, because of the music I listen to, because of my parents, and because of the food”, he emphasizes, before assuring that “wherever you are, at home the potato omelete, the Serrano ham and the ‘pa amb tomàquet’ are law”.