Considered by any as the next budding star of latin pop, we had the great pleasure of interviewing Manu Manzo. Manu who is of Venezuelan descent and raised in Miami, Florida. Is a newcomer whose sound is evolving right before our eyes. At just the ripe age of 24, Manu has already been nominated for a Latin Grammy (Best new artist 2015) and has seen her most recent single Caminando reach over five million views on YouTube.
So while 2015 was here coming out party with the release of her first EP, Como Soy. The following years have been transitional years for Manu, as she signed as a songwriter for Peer Music and most recently as an artist for Universal. As for 2018 however, Manu released her second EP titled Intermedio, which fittingly describes the current state of Manu’s sound.
Meaning intermediate when translated, Manu’s sound for the most part has always had an eclectic taste with elements of jazz, neo-soul and reggaeton sprinkled into each of her songs. With most of her music revolving around love and heartbreak.
However, a great change is seen with her recent single Caminando. More upbeat and cheerful than her previous songs. Manu seems to be eliminating some of her darker themes for a less serious and more joyful tone. “I don’t have to talk anymore about that past love. I’m at a point in my life where there is harmony in all parts of my life.” Manu would continue speaking on how a brighter outlook on life has influenced her music. “I write about my life. And right now I am enjoying it to the fullest and I’m happy. Which means more upbeat music. Basically another side of Manu the world hasn’t heard before.”
The change in theme however, has nothing to do with Manu’s willingness of including her own personal life to her music. “Sometimes you don’t want to share with people your failures…But that’s the great thing about being an artist that you can showcase your vulnerability.”
Adding onto an ever accumulating list of accomplishments, Manu was just recently listed as one of the top latin artists to watch in 2019 by Pandora. Reason being that Manu’s ability to infuse soul and R&B into Latin Pop makes her as unique an artist as there is in the genre. Now whether Manu’s recent happier tone continues to persist moving forward in 2019 is yet to be seen. One thing is for sure, Manu has every intention on becoming Latin Pop’s next mainstay.
Check out our full interview with Manu below! [Interview is in Spanish with English subtitles]
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