• Tweet
• Pin It

“I don't like to use the word ‘return’ because I never really left,” says Amanda Miguel.

Amanda Miguel re-emerges from the recording studio with a new album, 80-15. The album, produced by Diego Verdaguer, boasts 12 songs comprised of re-mastered classics and new material. 80-15’s first single, “Vaya Pedazo de Rey,” is one of her new songs that, along with the music video, holds true to her trademark voice and powerful delivery of her music.

80-15 serves as a retrospective of Miguel’s glorious past, paying homage to the ’80s ballads which made her famous. Songs like “El Me Mintio,” “Donde Brilla el Sol,” “Quién Sera” and ”Así no te Amará Jamás” among others have been revisited on her new album.

She elaborates on the project: “That’s right. Those songs have the original voice from back then, but also have totally new arrangements. It’s all very ‘now.’  It was Diego’s idea to include both classics as well as the new material from 2015. This is my way of reinventing myself. ‘Así no te Amará’ is timeless, and this version was completely redone because it wasn’t in the list that Diego was re-mastering.”

In an exclusive with Living Out Loud – Los Angeles, Miguel also discusses her absence and her take on the way music is recorded today.

“I don’t like to use the word ‘return’ because I never really left. I have stayed active and giving concerts. I just haven’t really had the desire to record because of how much the industry has changed,” she says. “I feel the industry has degenerated so much that no one feels they should pay for music anymore. We literally bust our heads composing and writing, only to have someone download our music and take ownership of it. Something has to change.”

The ‘80s were widely considered a golden age for Spanish-spoken ballads, and Miguel was one of its biggest sellers, coming out with hit after hit. She nostalgically remembers those days and one of her mentors, Raúl Velasco.

“He was a magician,” she sighs. “His show was the ultimate launching platform for artists back then. If you went on his show and people liked you, you were automatically a star. It’s not like nowadays where you have to use so many different platforms to get yourself noticed.”

Nevertheless, Miguel does recognize some of the advantages artists have in the music industry today.

“The Internet would have to be the biggest advantage. The problem is that people want free everything now,” she says. “Record companies want artists to give them their mind, body and soul, for even a chance at being successful. No guarantees. There is no more splendor, either. Everything feels very artificial.”

Without a doubt, Miguel’s new album is a great gift to her loyal fans and can perhaps also attract a younger following. It is going to be interesting to see how such a genuine artist will be received, since her greatest hits are now part of the echelon of Spanish-spoken music.

Miguel also wishes to express her love and appreciation for the gay community, whom she considers her greatest fans.

80-15 is now available in stores all over North America and at amandamiguel.com, where links to several online platforms are available.

• Tweet
• Pin It