Spanish star Alvaro Soler releases "La Cintura"


Tuesday 29th May 2018

La Cintura

Release date: TBC Label: Universal

 

At first glance, things seem rather straightforward. Alvaro Soler is a charming Spaniard whose debut album "Eterno Agosto" and the hits "Sofia", "El Mismo Sol" and "Yo Contigo, Tú Conmigo (The Gong Gong Song)" have collected more than 30 gold, platinum and diamond awards worldwide. He has been nominated for three "Latin American Music Awards", his songs have been streamed almost 390 million times worldwide on Spotify alone, and more than 1.5 million enraptured fans follow his YouTube channel daily. Classic, you might think, but things start to get more interesting when you look a little closer.

Alvaro has a Spanish mother and a German father, and lived in Tokyo for ten years before returning to Barcelona and studying industrial design. In 2015, he moved to Berlin and recorded his solo debut, which went straight into the top 5 in Germany, reached number 1 in Poland, Switzerland and Italy, and secured top spots in the charts throughout Europe. "Sofia" went to number 1 in 17 countries, and reached the top 5 in 30 countries worldwide. Despite these impressive records, 27-year-old Alvaro doesn't take himself too seriously, and isn't at all motivated by fame when it comes to his songs. For this multi-lingual globetrotter, it's more about bringing different cultures together on the dance floor through catchy hooks and a dash of humour. 

Alvaro proves that self-deprecation and hit qualities go well together on "La Cintura", the first single from his second album "Mar de Colores", which will be released in September. The track concerns itself with what you might call a classic subject for Mediterranean men: hips. Northern Europeans can't compete in this area, because Spaniards can do many things, and above all dance. Alvaro, however, is not the best example. "When I wrote the song, I kept thinking I still need to take 'La Cintura' (hips) out of the chorus, because it's not me at all. I'm quite tall and lanky, and absolutely not a dancer.

But then I thought, why not use my own insecurity – basically the fact that it looks ridiculous when I dance – and write about it. If I'm just honest, maybe it'll become a strength in the end..." And Alvaro packs the delightfully refreshing request to please help him get his hips under control into such a captivating, good-humoured chorus that it will unshackle all the cinturas of the world, regardless of their dancing abilities. Alvaro is dancing this summer and everyone can join in!

Posted by Craig Jones