Flamboyant Latin pop artist Lasso has always done things exactly the way he wants, presenting multiple artistic iterations over his 13 years in the business. At the same time, the guitar-slinging star has become one of Venezuela’s leading artists.**
The singer/songwriter debuted as an indie rocker with his 2012 album Sin Otro Sentido. In the years that followed, Lasso tried his hand at EDM, folk, and pop with elements of música urbana on 2017's El Exilio Voluntario de Una Mente Saturada and 2021's Cuatro Estaciones. The latter earned Lasso a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2021 Latin GRAMMY Awards.
But Lasso truly found his groove in 2023 with the smoldering and nostalgic "Ojos Marrones" alongside Sebastián Yatra. The song amassed over 600 million streams on Spotify and won the Latin GRAMMY for Best Pop/Rock Song. Following the success of 2023's Eva album, Lasso has continued to trust his instincts and follow his heart. His latest LP, Malcriado, is no exception.
"I believe someone that is 'malcriado' does things exactly in the way that they want them to be done," he tells GRAMMY.com. "This album has a lot of genres. Instead of trying to make it be one way, I'm putting out all these songs because I like them and that's it. There's nothing more 'malcriado' than that."
Lasso masterfully melds his 1970s-esque pop sound with electronica in the hypnotic "Fetiche" with Ximena Sariñana, tried on cumbia in the playful "Siempre Llegas Tarde" with Sofia Reyes, and reverts to his rock roots in the swaggering "Cuando Te Dejan De Querer." He also teams up with fellow Venezuelan acts like Mau y Ricky in the new wave-infused "Bilingües" and Micro TDH in the soulful "No Escuches Esta Canción."
Ahead of Malcriado's March 27 release, Lasso spoke candidly about his delayed breakthrough, his genre-bending LP, and what's next.**
With more than a decade in the music industry, how do you feel that there's people who are continuing to discover Lasso?
When I was a kid in Caracas, the music I would normally make was different from what was playing in Venezuela. I was exploring more Anglo sounds. I saw being able to dedicate myself fully to music as a very distant dream; I didn't think it was possible.
I've been doing this for more than 13 years and I'm very grateful. A big lesson for me was that I'm too pop to do rock and too rock to do pop; I'm somewhere in the middle, and I don't think that's a great thing. I just embrace that and try to do my best with it.
Do you think all those previous iterations of Lasso helped form the artist that you are today?
Of course! When I started making music, I didn't have much hope of it going beyond something that I love to do. There was that innocence to start from zero and say, I'm going to dedicate myself fully to this no matter what happens. That allowed me to have the success I have today, to put myself out there, and to have done all the things I've done.
What's most important is that each song is a step toward forming your own artistic identity. I believe you shouldn't be afraid to experiment.
What have you learned about yourself as an artist in those 13 years?
The most important thing I've learned is that, no matter how adverse situations may be, I know I can overcome that. That's very beautiful to know because sometimes the music industry can be very adverse, thankless, and difficult to navigate. I feel that I have the tools to confront that.
Another thing is that no matter how hard I've tried to distance myself from music and look for a more calm future, music is something that I can't escape from. Music is like breathing for me. I have to make music and be in the studio. What I do will always be tied to music.
How did "Ojos Marrones" change the trajectory of your career?
That song was an important lesson for me because all my life I was trying to find a hit. In terms of music, I did the most horrendous things that you can think of: I did música urbana songs and other songs that were so far from who I am to try to have success and money and they failed one after another.
The album Eva defined a new future for me. The songs on there, including "Ojos Marrones," were not written to be hits. Without a doubt, those songs were inspired by what I liked and when that worked out, I was like, Wow! It's a song that's completely different from what's on the charts and it became a global hit. That let me know that I can do it and I can be myself in this world.
What did it mean for you to win your first Latin GRAMMY for "Ojos Marrones"?
I won with two of my best friends; our first Latin GRAMMY together was for a song that we wrote together because we've gone through a lot together. A GRAMMY is the only thing a musician can have that says, "I'm a professional in this industry." My sister is a doctor and she has this spectacular diploma that's signed by a few people, so I've always wanted that sort of proof that says I've dedicated myself to this professionally.
When I won the GRAMMY, that was my "I did it" moment. It feels great. When I go through immigration, I say, "I've won a GRAMMY." The immigration officers are like, "Wow! Ok, you can go through." [Laughs.] Things like that happen.
Did the success of "Ojos Marrones" and Eva influence the way you approached Malcriado?
Of course! It's a continuation of knowing that I have the freedom to experiment with things that are more me and not so much what's trending or what the industry wants.
I believe artists should have that freedom; they should be able to make mistakes and do new things. Malcriado is saying that I can make a música urbana song or a huapango song if I want to. There's no limits to put on yourself when you’re not doing what people expect of you.
Speaking of huapango, how did the song "Fetiche" come together with Ximena Sariñana?
When I wrote that song, it was based on my exploration of "Hasta La Raíz" by Natalia Lafourcade. To me, "Fetiche" was perfect for Ximena. I love her; she has one of the most beautiful voices in the Latin industry. Her voice makes me feel at ease when I hear it.
We've bumped into each other a lot and I've known her for a while. I sent her the song, she loved it, and jumped on it. It was very fast and easy to work with her. I sent it to her on a Tuesday and by Friday, it was done.
What does it mean for you to work with other Venezuelan acts like Mau y Ricky and Micro TDH on your album?
They're very dear to me. In the case of Mau y Ricky, they're very close to me and like brothers to me. I've always wanted to work on a song with them. With Micro TDH, this is the third song that we've worked on together. I always have fun working with him; he's very talented. My collaborations are always with people that I've greatly admired or that are very close to me. That's what makes the experience very beautiful.
I feel very proud to represent Venezuela. On an industry level, us Venezuelans are mutually supporting each other and that's happening even more now. I feel like we have a great generation of singers. In almost all genres, we have great artists that are doing things. That's beautiful to see because before, we only had a few examples of artists doing things on an international level, and now we have a lot more. It's very inspiring. We all know each other very well. When we see each other, we always have a great time together.
On "Está Bien, Estar Mal," you open up about an episode with depression. Why was it important for you to talk about mental health with that song?
That was something that was very organic. It's a very personal song; I feel like people who have gone through similar situations will connect that song. It wasn't something I was used to talking about in a song, but it was what I felt at that moment.
It's a song that makes me feel vulnerable. I'm a little ashamed of it. I remember my mom was saddened by it because she thought I was in a bad place mentally. I believe you have to make songs like that as well. In my music, I try to be as honest as possible and talk about experiences that I've gone through.
Throughout your career, you've also spoken up as an ally for your fans in the LGBTQIA+ community. I feel like that rebellious spirit behind Malcriado and its songs can also strike a chord with them.
It's a big honor for me to have the LGBTIA+ community connect with me and my music. The amount of fans I have from that community grew so much after I moved to Mexico. They've inspired me so much. All the people that belong to that community are fearless about trying new things and being free. One way they've greatly inspired me is by the way I dress, which is very colorful and eccentric. I'm honored to have their support and I support them.
What do you foresee for your future as Lasso?
I'm coming with the Malcriado Tour that will visit many countries, including the U.S. It's a tour that will be very electrifying, very intense, and a crowd-pleaser.
I would love to become a part of people's lives. That has happened to me with other artists that their songs have become the soundtrack to moments in my life. The song could be 20 years old and when I listen to it, I feel exactly how I felt in that moment that I first heard it. I know that's happening with my songs and it's very beautiful. It's sweet that someone can get married to your song, they overcome something with a song of yours, or they can dedicate it to the love of their life. However they enjoy my songs, I feel very honored to be a part of people’s lives in some way.