Spanish singer/songwriter Borja is on a mission to bring romance back to Latin pop music.
Borja's sentimental outlook colors his debut album, Rimas Del Verbo Amar, which helped him garner his very first Latin GRAMMY nomination. At the 24th Latin GRAMMYs, Borja is the sole artist from Spain in the Best New Artist category.
Borja is nominated alongside Conexión Divina, Ana Del Castillo, Natascha Falcão, Gale, Paola Guanche, Joaquina, Leon Leiden, Maréh and Timø.
"To be nominated feels like a dream come true," Borja tells GRAMMY.com. "It's something I've thought about all my life. It's something I've been working on for years and for it to suddenly happen is like, Wow, we can truly make things happen if we work hard and we dream hard enough."
Before releasing his debut LP in May, Borja spent the past few years getting his bearings in the industry. He graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 2018 with a degree in music business, and also worked with GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Julio Reyes Copello at Art House Studios in Miami. Borja later cowrote songs for acts like Reik, Lasso, Marco Mares, and Nicole Zignago — all of whom have previously been nominated for Best New Artist.
Borja was also releasing music under his own name, including the breathtaking ballad "Aire," the flamenco-infused "Tu Cuarto," and the trap-lite track "TBB" featuring Peruvian artist Sergi. Not only is he wearing his heart on his sleeve, but he is also pushing that Latine pop that he grew up on into the future. Borja injects a bit of rock angst with his guitar in-hand in his breakup anthems "Amigos" and "Ódiame Si Quieres."
The 12-track album captures all the emotions that love can spark. "I think romantic pop is great. At the end of the day, we all feel the same things," he reflects. "It's not only focused on the beautiful side of things. It talks about being vulnerable, knowing that it doesn't always happen like you expected and that's fine."
Borja will also be performing at the Latin GRAMMYs on Nov. 16 in Seville, Spain. He and a few other Best New Artist contenders this year will be joined by Colombian icon Juanes, who won the award in 2001. Ahead of the ceremony, Borja talked with GRAMMY.com about his first Latin GRAMMY nomination, his breakthrough year, and how he is redefining Latin pop.
Did starting out as a songwriter help you in your journey to becoming an artist?
I've learned a lot. I started in the studio watching Julio Reyes Copello, who is one of the most important producers, recording with artists like Marc Anthony and Will Smith. I remember one time Bad Bunny came to the studio and I was like, “Wow!” I was listening in and trying to learn. And then I moved onto songwriting with Reik, Lasso, Marco Mares, and Nicole Zignago, who are a bunch of artists that I really like. I got to learn from being able to see other artists do their craft before I was doing mine.
Is there any advice that you got from your songwriting sessions that stuck with you?
You can always learn from anyone. If you allow yourself to be vulnerable in the studio and honest, you learn so much by just doing that exercise. There's many lessons, but one of them I remember is from Gian Marco, who is Nicole's father and an amazing artist. He told me, “Every song you put out has to be a whole universe. Take care of the music." I think that's very important to respect the music you're making and make it into a whole universe.
How would you describe the experience of transitioning from songwriter into becoming an artist?
It was really easy in the sense that my dream and my final goal has always been this. It was really natural. It's definitely different because you're putting yourself at the forefront.
Even if no one was listening to me, I would still do music and I would still write with people because it's what I love doing. It's been a bit more work having to do both things. But at the time, it's what I always wanted.
On top of that, you're also navigating the music industry as an independent artist.
That makes me really proud because I've had to learn about how everything works. I have a great team, but obviously a smaller team. We don't have 25 to 30 people helping us with the music video shoots, licensing, clearance, and all of that music business side. It's definitely a lot more work, but at the same time, I feel like I grow a lot more.
What was the inspiration for your debut album Rimas Del Verbo Amar?
Rimas Del Verbo Amar is like my baby. It's really important in that sense that I was writing for it for almost the past six years. The first song is from 2017 and the last one is from 2023. It's been amazing to see how I've been able to grow as a person and as a musician. And my songs have stayed relevant for me; a good song is a song that is always going to be relevant.
The album really talks about the experience of love — giving love and receiving love — but in every angle. It's not only focused on the beautiful side of things. It talks about being vulnerable, knowing that it doesn't always happen like you expected and that's fine. Not everything is meant to be forever and that's okay. It touches on all the areas that I've been learning about.
How are you reviving romantic pop on this album?
What I'm trying to do is keep the essence of the old pop, from like the 2000s, but at the same time, I'm trying to mix it with the new sounds. Maybe make it a bit fresher with new production. Maybe the songs are a little bit shorter now. That's a challenge now because you have fewer words to say the same thing. That's my interpretation of what pop should be nowadays.
I think romantic pop is great. At the end of the day, we all feel the same things during life, like, no one can really escape that. [Laughs.] Sooner or later, we are all going to go through similar situations. Love is universal. Love is everywhere. Love is in music and in relationships with your family, your friends, your loved ones. That's really important to me and I try to put that a lot in my music.
How did you feel to see your song "Rimas Del Verbo Amar" cross one million streams on Spotify?
It's the first song on my project that has done that. It's funny because it's a really simple song in a sense that it's just piano and vocals. But that comes to show you that many times, if it's done well and if it's saying the right words, it connects with people. That was really important for me to see that people connected to the song even though it was a really intimate little song.
You worked with previous Best New Artist nominees Vale on the song "Terco." What is the story behind that collaboration?
I love the girls. They are so talented. I met them two years ago in Miami because we were doing a songwriting session with them and with Marco Mares. It was a great vibe from the start. We wrote that song, we went out to dinner, and we just had a great time. Then nothing happened with the song for a while.
That happens sometimes with songs, they just fall behind a little bit, and you don't know what to make of it. I just grabbed the song and I started producing it myself. Once I got it to a point where I really liked it, I called Andrés Saavedra. I was like, "When I bring the girls onto it, I think it will be a cute pop romantic ballad." That song was really special to make.
What's the response been like to this album where you are opening your heart in your songs?
It's been great. I always say when someone who follows my music or a fan writes to me to explain their whole story based on my song, that's like my GRAMMY. The other day a guy from Colombia wrote to me, "I found your music and it just so happens that I'm in a long distance relationship with my girlfriend. I haven't seen her in like a year. We're going to reunite in Barcelona and for our anniversary, I want to dedicate your song to her." To know that you can have that kind of impact, it means everything.
How do you feel to represent Spain in the Best New Artist category?
It feels amazing! Obviously, it's the first year the Latin GRAMMYs are happening in Spain. I'm the only Spanish nominee in the Best New Artist category, so it's like a double prize for me. There's a lot of talent in Spain who maybe sometimes don't have the opportunity to come abroad to the U.S. or Latin America. For this to be in Spain, makes me super proud and for me to be representing Spain in this category makes me even prouder.
You attended the Latin GRAMMYs before in 2021 to support Marco Mares and last year to support Nicole Zignago. What do those previous Best New Artist nominees think of your nomination?
We were super excited. When my nomination came out, we called each other because we studied together at Berklee in Boston, so we used to talk about being nominated for Best New Artist. We used to dream of it and joke about it. It happened that all three of us have been nominated. It was amazing to talk with them and be like, "Wow, look what we've done."
What can you tell us about performance at the ceremony this year?
I'm going to be doing two performances. The first one will be at the Best New Artist showcase. This is a little secret, but we're going to be doing a little medley of my songs. It's going to be super cute. We're rehearsing for it. On the day of the gala, we're singing with Juanes. I think that's going to be super special.
Who do you want to collaborate with in the future?
Alejandro Sanz would be amazing, and also Pablo Alborán. I think Pablo is one of the best voices in Spain. He has such massive control over his voice. His songwriting is amazing. Working with Pablo would be a dream.
What do you want to achieve with your music?
Just for people to be able to connect with their feelings. I think it's very important to be honest about what we feel. I feel that maybe if someone listens to my music, they might be able to connect with that and do that.