Back by public demand…..that’s German/Spanish singer-songwriter Alvaro Soler.
After a three year ‘hiatus’, the hugely popular artist has confirmed what is sure to be a sell-out appearance in Brussels later this month.
In an exclusive interview with this website, he revealed the reason why he decided to release a new song, why he wanted to go back on tour – and also how he once used to be shy.
“Last summer,” he recalls, “I received all these messages saying: ‘The year is so tough, why don’t you release something?’
“They reminded me of the reason I make music.”
He also told of his “excitement” at again appearing in Belgium, saying, “I love Belgium – my grandmother is Belgian and this gives me a chance to see my second cousins.
“Of course, I love the Belgian frites and beer too.”
“I have always been present on the Belgian market so I look forward to it very much.”
Born in Barcelona in 1991, Soler first gained fame all over Europe with his 2015 song ‘El Mismo Sol’, which was quickly followed by hits like Sofia, La Cintura, Magia – the name of his current European tour – and he’s currently breaking all records with his newest song ‘Solo Para Ti’.
After two sold out Belgian shows in La Madeleine (2017) and Cirque Royal (2019), the international pop star will finally return to Brussels on September 30 with a concert in Forest National as part of his ‘MAGIA’ European Tour.
The successes he scored with his music between 2015 and 2019 can be safely called a sensation.
Virtually straight from university, his songs rocketed the musician into the charts all over Europe and Latin America and onto stages across the world. In four years, the now 30- year-old, who lived in Tokyo for seven years and speaks six languages, amassed highlights that take others decades to accomplish.
This includes more than 80 gold and platinum awards, two million albums sold, over 2.5 billion audio streams across all platforms, and over 1.5 billion video streams.
There have also been shows with global icon J-Lo in Las Vegas and Miami, an “X Factor” coach seat in Italy, and an appearance in the award- winning German TV-show “Sing meinen Song – das Tauschkonzert.”
As he gears up for a keenly awaited concert at the city’s Forest National at the end of this month, Soler took time out from his busy schedule to speak to this website.
His rapid rise to fame has been a lot to process and the reason why Soler took some time off in 2020.
It was a chance, he says, to have a year without constant traveling and to calm down without the pressure of constantly being in the public eye.
He says, “I actually was a little tired. It was the most beautiful journey of my life, and I’m very grateful, but at the same time, it was bittersweet because I barely had a private life. I wanted some time for other experiences.
“I’ve participated in a few projects, of course, and we had some shows planned, but then, as we all know, things turned out differently. The pandemic intensified this time extremely, and, naturally, it only took two months before I started to miss the buzz a little.”
That matches the thread running through hits like “El Mismo Sol” and “La Cintura” as well as his albums “Eterno Agosto” (2015) and “Mar de Colores” (2018),
Soler is a musician with an authentic zest for life, saying, “Life’s short – it’s meant to be fun.
He goes on, “Isolation forced us to rediscover ourselves and focus on how magical the small things in life can be. For example, to embrace our parents or watch the sunset in the café at the corner. Apart from all the worries, I’ve experienced solidarity among strangers I’ve never seen before, and my desire to bring people together with my music was rekindled. Music spreads hope and helps us to keep the faith.”
He says he has “sympathy” for those musicians whose careers have struggled to get back on track after the crisis, adding, “I know musicians who were fighting to survive and others who now want to play as many shows as they can.”
The time off he took has helped him rediscover his love for music, he says. “Yes, I feel the benefit of it now. It gave me the chance to write songs at home – that was the creative or positive side of the pandemic.”
His ability to speak and understand so many languages has, he notes, also helped his career.
“Being able to speak, for example, Japanese, where I lived for a spell, has been an influence, yes.
“It has also helped with the bit of shyness I once had.”
MAGIA, the album and name of the new tour, was actually inspired by his legions of fans, he says.
“It was so much fun to write a song for people, and I felt a constant urge to dance during the process. If a song does that to you, you know something is right about it.”
It’s only fitting, then, that MAGIA was the first single after his time off, and also became the name of the album that came out in the summer of 2021.
“I realized how often we use this word for the things we can’t describe otherwise. Not everything needs a thousand words, not everything needs a reason – sometimes we’re just overwhelmed by the small things. We simply feel it.”
He says he now looks forward to finally meet people again “and discover new paths of putting his music out there.”
He likes the chance to play live again but, conversely, feels there are now “too many tours” taking place.
Solar will perform on 30 September at Forest National in Brussels
