We had the pleasure of interviewing a young Spanish artist who, thanks to her talent, is already making waves: Ani Queen. She is from Valladolid and is 23 years old. She has always wanted to be a singer, actress and dancer and, after years of training and dedication, she is realizing her dreams. Throughout this interview, we will explore her journey and how she managed to carve out a place for herself in the music world.
First of all, your new album Long Live The Queen has just been released. How was the entire creative process and what inspired you?
Honestly, it was a hard work with a lot of research and many headaches but I believe it was worth it. I was inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, particularly its first part, Hell. I combined all of this with my personal life and the story of Lilith who, for those who may not know, was the first woman in the world.
How would you describe your musical style?
Urban but I haven’t yet managed to label my music in a specific genre.
The title of your album is in English, why this choice?
The story behind this album dates back to September 8, 2022, a date I will never forget. On that day I had my first big show and opened for Jason Derulo. The former mayor of Valladolid entrusted me with this honor which for a 21-year-old Ana was a dream come true. The funny and macabre thing about this is that the Queen of England was ill and, while my dancers and I were rehearsing, we joked saying, "can you imagine if the Queen dies on the day of the show when they crown me live in front of everyone watching the concert?" I don’t know exactly what time she died at but she did that day, I was "crowned" on September 8th, and the mayor of my city made a viral tweet.
When did you start dedicating yourself to music more professionally?
Since I was little I studied singing, music theory, violin, theater, choir, acting, dance, rhythmic gymnastics... so I have always engaged in activities related to the arts. I started to dedicate myself more professionally to music when I began doing musicals but I started my career as a solo singer at 17 when I began releasing my own songs. I graduated in Performing Arts and Acting, this year I completed my final thesis, I graduated last year but I had to postpone my thesis to this year because I couldn’t do everything at once.
You are also an actress and dancer. How do you balance your three passions?
As a singer, I can perfectly combine all three because when I performmI can embody Ani Queen and try to ensure that my shows have a substantial theatrical element. It’s very easy to connect the three passions since they are all related to each other.
One of the themes that emerged in our interviews is the lack of women in music production and in studios. As a singer, have you noticed this as well?
Yes, I have noticed it. Thank God, little by little, we are seeing more and more female producers in the industry but there is still much to be done. I believe we have a long way to go.
Do you think the way you develop your projects has changed over the years compared to your early songs?
Yes, definitely. What has never changed is my ambition. I think you can see a growth and a different way of approaching things, especially since I am a very visual artist. While I am in the studio working on a song, I can already start to see or envision what I would like to see in a show or in a music video.
What do you enjoy most about dedicating yourself to music?
What I enjoy most is sharing it and seeing how people identify with it. People find themselves in it, they empathize with a feeling of mine that I have expressed in a general, universal way, so that everyone can understand and receive it in different ways. I also love working with people I admire, who inspire me and whom I respect, super talented people who bring a lot to my project and who, for some reason, decided to believe in me, in my project and have invested their time, work and talent in it.
Who are your favorite singers?
My favorite singers are Rosalía, Doja Cat, Kesha, C-Tangana, Selena Gomez, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Britney Spears... I have always been a fan of strong, empowered women, pop divas.
How would you describe the Spanish music industry?
I believe the Spanish music industry is as difficult as any other industry, everything affects the careers of artists. It’s like the EBAU (Spanish university admission exam): we all say it’s difficult but no matter how hard it is, if you want to study and graduate, you have to take the exam. So, the system or the industry is complicated but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your goals, otherwise, other artists wouldn’t have done it either. It’s not about worrying about what you can’t do, it's about focusing on what you can do and making the most of everything within your reach.
What are your future projects?
I will soon release some really cool songs and a few collaborations. I did several concerts this summer, and I have more planned... I am very excited. There will be new things for then, but I can’t reveal anything just yet!
Do you have any advice for those who want to become singers?
Work hard, don’t abandon your dreams, be persistent, keep working, focus your energy, don’t waste time, don’t let anyone influence you by telling you that you can’t achieve what you want to do, don’t accept no for an answer, ignore negative phrases but learn from them and keep working. No one can take your future away from you or prevent it from being what you want; no one but yourself.
Can you recommend a song from your country to our readers? It can obviously be yours!
From my songs I recommend Imàn and Encaramada from my latest album. Between other songs that are not mine I recommend Ya no estoy pendiente by Meddi.
You can follow Ani Queen here and listen to her music here: