In conversation w/
LA ZOWI

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 → WORDS ADRIÁN GOMIS EXPÓSITO

In the realm of contemporary music and visual artistry, La Zowi stands as a multifaceted artist who has redefined the boundaries of creativity. Her latest album, ‘La Reina Del Sur’, has set the industry abuzz, promising a new level of musical and visual sophistication. In this exclusive interview, La Zowi shares the inspiration behind her project, the intricate storytelling woven into her music and visuals, and her unique approach to fashion. She also offers a glimpse into her upcoming collaborations and future endeavours, as well as her future tour dates in Spain, Europe and South America. Join us as we delve deep into the creative universe of an artist who continues to push the boundaries of artistic expression.

The announcement of your new album, ‘La Reina Del Sur’, has been generating a lot of buzz. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this project and what listeners can expect from it?

‘La Reina Del Sur’ is a female character who has appeared in different books and movies; a character that already existed and represents a strong, independent, feisty woman who has gone through difficult moments in her life that made her fight to achieve her independence and become a powerful woman. This character always inspired me when creating music, and I wanted to capture it in this project. I have put a lot of work and effort into this album, and I would dare to say that it is a level above the rest of the songs I did before ‘La Reina Del Sur’. Musically, I think people will be able to notice a maturity in my sound. I have also been able to go deeper into what I wanted to tell, and I have played more with the melodies. In short, I think this project means a level up in my career.

Where did you find the inspiration to come up with this new project? What story does your new album tell, and how are the songs and visuals intertwined?

The cover and the artistic concept of the album come from a photo shoot I did with Sita Abellán (@sitabellan), where she was directing the creative part. We found the idea and inspiration between both of us, and we could find some elements that we wanted to include, such as the blood, to represent the stab wounds that I have endured in the past. The blood does not represent anything wrong or death itself; in any case, it is a symbol to bury the past or the bad things, bringing a new Zowi back to life with this album. Part of the content of the photo shoot is what you could see on the cover, and we wanted to complete the concept by giving more life to these photos. Noe (@noealoe) and Christian (@christiangxlxn) directed the creative part of these visuals, and together with Guerri (@akaguerri), they ended up animating the photo shoot and turning it into the streaming and show visuals. The result was so cool! In addition, the visuals of the live shows were enhanced with the work of Unax Lafuente (@wicboyx), who made some of the clips that you can see in this interview exclusively.

Creativity plays a significant role in your music and image. Can you talk about your creative process and what fuels your artistic expression?

The truth is that for me the visual part of my projects is very important, from the aesthetics to the image I want to convey in the videos or covers. It’s something that I enjoy a lot and that helps me complete my music. Let’s say that in that way, I consider myself a pretty multidisciplinary artist. Just with music, it would be very difficult to express everything I want to say, and I think I wouldn’t enjoy it as much. I really have fun with the other parts of the process, such as shooting a music video or doing photo shoots. I think it would be very hard for me to understand my music without all that visual part.

After this brief tour, do you plan to continue touring Spain and Europe? Do you enjoy tour life?

Indeed, there is no rest! We start the Spanish tour on October 5th. I’m really excited about it because, unlike the festivals, you can experience an intimate, powerful atmosphere during the show. In addition, we have focused on making this show really for my audience, ensuring that it’s more personal and closer to my fans than what we’ve been doing at festivals. Here are the dates: we will be in Pamplona, Zaragoza, Málaga, Santiago, Valencia... We will also be in Barcelona on December 1st and a few more cities. I’m proud and excited to be performing on December 9th in my city, Granada. We will be in many cities, including Paris, and I hope to see you all there! Stay tuned to my social networks; you can find all the info there, and there will likely be some surprises, especially for the people in Madrid, where I was able to present the first show of ‘La Reina Del Sur’ last May, and I want to come back with something even stronger.

We heard you’re planning a mini tour in South America, where you’ll be performing at various festivals in cities like Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Uruguay. What are you looking forward to the most about this tour?

I always enjoy performing there! For me, countries like Chile and Argentina are very important because I think they were the first Latin American places where I had fans, and I feel that they have been supporting me for a long time. I’m very happy; the truth is that the shows have gone so well, and I received a very warm welcome. I also have a lot of friends in the industry here, and I end up meeting new artists or making new connections every time I come back, so I like that too.

Your sense of fashion has garnered attention and admiration. How do you use fashion to express yourself as an artist, and are there any fashion trends or designers that inspire your style?

The truth is that it has always been funny for me to be related to the fashion world because I consider myself quite a ‘basic bitch’. I really love black basics (sometimes even a little bit classic). I think it all comes from being a pretty flirty girl since I was a child, and I’ve always had a great taste for aesthetics in terms of fashion, makeup, hairstyles... In the end, I think that for me, it’s a way to express myself, feel good about myself, and create a character, but in a natural way without seeking it. I don’t consider myself a fashion freak; it’s something completely natural for me. I enjoy it, and I have a good time doing it. That’s why it makes me laugh, and I like it when people tell me that they have been inspired by my style because, as I said, it’s something that just feels quite innate to me.

Your music videos often feature unique and striking visuals. How do you approach the creative direction of your music videos, and can you share any insights into the visual storytelling behind your songs?

As I said before, for me, music videos are a really important part of my musical project, and I enjoy them a lot. I think I have a keen eye. In fact, when I started, I was the one who directed the music videos and coordinated everything. Many times when I’m composing a song or just finishing it, I begin to come up with ideas for the music video very quickly. For me, it’s another way to convey what I want to say with the song. Over time, the project has grown, and I have had to delegate a little more of the production and the artistic part of the videos, but working with other artists is also something I really enjoy. For ‘La Reina Del Sur’, we left all the videos in the hands of Esther Boyarizo (@estherboyarizo), who is not only a great director but also a long-time friend of mine. We have been able to work on all the ideas hand in hand, although most of them are hers. I also like to take inspiration from movies that have influenced me and that I just love. For example, for ‘Bitch Feka’, we found references in the movie ‘Death Proof’, especially in the atmosphere and attitude. We found a kind of fantasy that I think represents me being a bit extra. To tie it all together, we could count on Samantha Hudson (@badbixsamantha) and Olivia Missy (@eterna.olivia), two strong, independent women with an attitude that I can relate to.

Beyond ‘La Reina Del Sur’, can you give us a glimpse into your next projects or collaborations you’re excited about in the near future?

Even though I’m constantly on tour, I’m still taking time to go to the studio, and I’m constantly working on new music. Yes, there are new songs ready, but I don’t like to talk about these things without having a release date. What I can reveal is a new collaboration with Mariah Angeliq (@mariahangeliq) that will be released soon, and I’m very excited about it. The song is really awesome, and we already have the video ready!

TOP JAVIER GUIJARRO THONG SONIA CARRASCO
CUSTOM BOOTS CLARA AKO

CREATIVE DIRECTION UNAX LAFUENTE
PROJECT COORDINATION & PRESS NOEMÍ GEA, CHRISTIAN GALÁN
VIDEO UNAX LAFUENTE
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTIAN GALÁN
STYLING CLARA AKO
HAIR & MAKE-UP BARBARA MATTEL
DIGITAL POST-PRODUCTION UNAX LAFUENTE
WARDROBE ASSISTANTS CHRISTIAN GALÁN, NOEMÍ GEA
GAFFER LUCÍA SALAMANCA
VIDEO ASSISTANT MARC FERRER
STUDIO ALDER ART STUDIOS
SPECIAL THANKS ABRA PARIS, LA MANSO, DAVID KOMA, SONIA CARRASCO, JAVIER GUIJARRO, HABEY CLUB, LADO BOKUCHAVA, THE NOIZY, NEW ROCK, COOLOOK, AVISUAL PRO

For more information about La Zowi’s upcoming shows and tour dates, visit lazowi.com/tour