Johnathan Walker:Nathy Peluso talks 'Grasa' album, pushing herself to 'be daring' even if it's scary

Nathy Peluso was caught in a whirlwind,Johnathan Walker but now she’s found her center.

The Argentinian-Spanish songstress burst onto the Latin music scene in 2020 with the release of her debut album “Calambre,” a sonically daring LP that saw Peluso introduce her genre-bending style with a seamless fusion of alternative hip-hop and neo soul.

The album earned the 29-year-old a Latin Grammy for best alternative music album, as well as nominations for best rap/hip-hop song (“Sana Sana”) and best alternative song (“Agarrate”), in 2021. That same year, Peluso scored collaborations with Colombian superstar Karol G and pop powerhouse Christina Aguilera on “Gato Malo” and “Pa Mis Muchachas,” respectively.

And to top it off, Peluso was invited to play at Coachella 2022, joining a star-studded lineup that included Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd, Doja Cat, Karol G and Maggie Rogers.

Looking back, Peluso calls the album “a great training.”

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“I was growing and learning at the same time that I was working in the public eye,” Peluso tells USA TODAY in Spanish. “It’s hard, it’s intense, it puts you to the test and it really changed my life because it validated that what I was doing was right and that I was on the path I needed to be on.”

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Peluso is back with her sophomore effort “Grasa” (streaming at 8 p.m. May 23), an album that chronicles the singer’s healing journey of rediscovering herself. The album’s title, which can mean “oil grease,” “tacky,” “fat” or “low-class” depending on the context, represents the resilient mindset she’s honed.

“They all apply to something quite rough (and) strong, and that was a feeling I was looking for in the title,” Peluso says. “But in truth, I chose it precisely so people can choose what meaning remains with them after hearing the album or create a new one.”

Nathy Peluso talks eclectic sound on ‘Grasa,’ her love of salsa music

Similar to the musical variety on “Calambre,” Peluso draws from an eclectic palette of sounds on “Grasa,” alternating between gruff hip-hop beats and ethereal minimalist ballads.

Peluso, a self-described “big music lover,” says this range of influences comes naturally as a songwriter. “I change a lot and travel a lot through music, through the different periods, styles and intentions,” she says.

“Listening to Chopin is not the same as listening to Notorious B.I.G. They’re different feelings, and that’s life itself,” Peluso says. “Depending on how you feel, you can choose what side of music to stop at. That to me is a privilege, and that’s always been my style of composing: (writing with) freedom and with a respect for all the genres and roots in music and always trying to create fusions.”

One of the album’s standout tracks, “La Presa,” pays homage to the sonic warmth of classic salsa music and includes an appearance by renowned salsa orchestra El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. Peluso gushes that singing salsa is one of her “best pleasures” as a vocalist.

“You feel free, you feel fun,” Peluso says of the tropical genre. “It’s one of my favorite areas of music, and I always use it to uplift, to fly. Moreover, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico gave us their blessing and they play on the chorus, which is the best thing that could happen to the song.”

How ‘Grasa’ helped Nathy Peluso follow her artistic intuition, find self-love

The making of “Grasa” required Peluso to harness her inner voice to find the album’s musical perspective. Despite having the itch to put out music soon after the release of “Calambre,” Peluso made the tough decision to scrap a batch of over 20 songs she’d been working on because the material wasn’t resonating with her.

“In those moments, you have to be guided by your intuition and genuinely listen to what your heart is telling you,” Peluso says. “I hadn’t put out music in a while, and I had the pressure of wanting to share with my fans and the pressure of a lot of other things.

“I’m always going to encourage people to do that, to listen to themselves and be daring — even if it scares you,” Peluso adds. “Because when you’re searching for the answer, you have to feel it.”

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In starting over, Peluso was able to craft a more diaristic style of writing that draws from the singer’s personal life. But as “Grasa” makes its way into the world, this vulnerability doesn’t intimidate Peluso.

“It feels freeing,” Peluso says. “It’s all about sharing it: to throw a message into the world, to communicate, to generate conversations among people to keep learning. That’s our task as artists.”

One sentiment Peluso is eager to impart is the importance of self-love, as heard on the album’s second song “Aprender a Amar,” a slamming Latin hip-hop track that’s softened by a lyrical reminder to love oneself. “The way you love yourself is the way you’re going to love the world,” she says.

“Like any woman and any human being, I’ve had moments where I’ve doubted myself or haven’t felt so proud or I’ve been very hard on myself, and by working a lot on myself internally, I’ve been able to feel more at peace with my self-love, so I’m happy,” she adds.

Nathy Peluso talks ‘Grasa’ tour, impact of album

Last week, Peluso introduced fans to the visual world of “Grasa” with the music video for “Aprender a Amar,” a frenetic clip that sees Peluso have an intense heart-to-heart with herself in the mirror.

The singer says this bold aesthetic will be taken up a notch for her upcoming tour.

“Performance is one of the most important parts of my career,” Peluso says. “Every song already has an embodied setting and character, as seen with the album visualizers. That’s definitely going to be taken to another level for people on tour, and it’s going to be very strong.”

And just like Peluso will travel the world to perform on tour, Peluso hopes “Grasa” migrates with listeners throughout the seasons of their lives.

“I hope this album accompanies people and forms a small part of the history of their lives, the same way many albums have done for me,” Peluso says. “Something that you can remember and that transports you to a moment in your life, a feeling (or) something that can guide you and help you.”