For Maluma, social isolation has been a period of going back to his artistic roots. The 26-year-old singer, who blends the sounds of pop and reggaeton on hits like “Felices los 4,” has been isolating at home with his family in Medellín, Colombia. Instead of crisscrossing the world performing for his fans, he has seized the opportunity to work on his music and rediscover his skills in the studio. Without an engineer by his side, Maluma says he’s been getting back behind the mixing boards.
“Now that the only way to record is by myself, I started doing it again,” he says. “It’s crazy, the memory that we have as human beings. I started playing with the computer, with Pro Tools and everything. That’s something that I do almost every day. I go to the studio and I try to do as much music as I can.”
This slowdown is a break from a two-year period where he released two albums, 2018’s F.A.M.E. and 2019’s 11:11, and two duets with Madonna on her album Madame X while also touring nonstop. Still, he is planning to release another single in July, his third solo drop of the year so far.
He spoke to WSJ. about the shows he’s been binge-watching, his workout regimen and his love of Colombian coffee.
EARLY RISER Maluma wakes up at 6 a.m. on a busy day.
Photo: Raynner Alba for WSJ. MagazineWhat time do you get up on Monday and what’s the first thing you do?
If I have to work, or if I have a lot of things to do in the day, I wake up early. So I will wake up maybe at 6 a.m., because I also like to work out early in the morning. That’s the first thing I do before I have breakfast. I live in a house where fortunately I have my gym here. So I go straight down to work out. But if it’s a lazy Monday, I would say 10 a.m.
Do you have a specific routine that you do in the gym on Mondays?
I prefer doing cardio actually because now, during this quarantine, I like to enjoy the weekends. I prefer working super-hard during the week and trying to take it a little bit easy during the weekend. Maybe I’ll drink some wine on Friday or Saturday, so I prefer starting the week with cardio. You know, it’s better to burn all the calories that we had during the weekend.
Is there something you eat for breakfast every day?
My favorite breakfast is eggs Benedict, for real. I love it. With avocado? For me, that’s like heaven. But sometimes when I’m on my strict diet, I have to eat healthier. So I only have egg whites, chicken and arepa, a very Latin American, very Colombian thing that we make here at my house. But in quarantine, I’ve been working out harder so I feel like I deserve eggs Benedict almost every morning.
Are you into taking vitamins?
Every day, two little gummies of multivitamins. For me that’s very important. And now in this thing that we live in, we need to be strong.
WORLD CUP The Colombian superstar admits to being a total “coffee addict.”
Photo: Raynner Alba for WSJ. MagazineDo you have caffeine in the morning?
Every day. All day. I love coffee. Here in Colombia, we have one of the most amazing coffees, I have to say. And being Colombian and having this amazing coffee is something that I’m going to miss when I have to go on tour again. Because that’s something that I do every morning. I have my coffee and then I go work out and then I have another coffee and then, at like 6 p.m., I have another cup of coffee. I’m a coffee addict.
Are you feeling creative lately or has it been tough to get those wheels turning?
I feel very creative. The only thing I think of when I wake up is going to the studio. I dream about music and videos, and I already have the idea of my next single. I didn’t have this free time when I was touring. I was on tour for eight or nine years. It was like the perfect time to start thinking more deeply [about] my music and all the things that I actually want to release. Before that I just wrote songs. These composers, they used to send me songs, and I would cut the vocals. Two weeks later we had the mix, and then we released the song. Now I actually have time to plan, to make a real plan in my career.
FINE ART Posing in front of a mural in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.
Photo: Raynner Alba for WSJ. MagazineWhat do you miss the most about being on the road so much?
I miss everything, man. I spent nine years on a plane, in a hotel. And now, I’ve stopped. It’s changing my lifestyle. I miss my friends. I miss that adrenaline onstage and performing my songs. I released my last single, “ADMV,” that’s a very romantic song. Before I released it, I was planning on doing this beautiful performance with a huge amount of roses around me. I always wanted to have that moment onstage, and now that’s not happening. I wish we could go back on tour because I really miss it. It’s crazy because when I was touring, I was like, I miss my house. I want to be with my dogs. I wanted my mom, my family, whatever. And now it’s totally the opposite.
You recently shaved off your beard. Is there anything that you did to make it grow back nicely?
No, not at all. I had to develop these barber skills and do everything on my own because I really like change. I change almost every week. So I was growing my hair and then I got bored, and I just wanted to cut it. So I had to do it by myself. And I also asked my mom to do it. It’s difficult to look clean and shaven in this quarantine.
What kind of news are you watching? How are you keeping track of what’s going on?
Well, to be honest, I don’t like watching the news because it’s very dramatic, and that’s the last thing that we need right now. We don’t need more drama. We need positive things. My mom, she’s the one who tells me almost every day what’s going on. I don’t like turning on the TV and seeing the negative news.
Have there been any funny or weird moments from your life at home that really stand out to you?
I wanted to [cuddle] with my sister’s dog—he’s a beautiful Frenchie. He is 1 year old, and I was very excited. When I woke up the next day, he had shit on the sheets. That was a very nasty moment, but it was funny because when I saw his face, he was like, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know this place. I don’t know this house. I don’t know where you have to go and take a shit. I did it on your bed and I’m sorry.” His name is Príncipe. Like Prince. So that’s the last time he sleeps with me.
SKY HIGH Maluma, who has a new single coming out in July, has spent his isolation time reconnecting with his artistic roots.
Photo: Raynner Alba for WSJ. MagazineIs there anything that you’ve watched or read recently that you really loved or that inspired you in some way?
Yeah, there are two. They’re my favorites. I just finished the Michael Jordan one, The Last Dance. Beautiful, very inspiring. And also there’s another one, a drama TV show called La Casa de Papel [Money Heist on Netflix], a Spanish TV show. It’s insane, too. Those two are my favorites.
What did you like about the Michael Jordan documentary?
I feel very connected with him. As celebrities, we have a lot of pressure on our shoulders, and we have to be the best in every situation. Not only that, but our families are the most important thing for us. I felt very connected with the TV show.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
"all day" - Google News
July 13, 2020 at 07:33PM
https://ift.tt/306aeUt
What Maluma Wants for Breakfast Every Day - The Wall Street Journal
"all day" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35pEz2D
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "What Maluma Wants for Breakfast Every Day - The Wall Street Journal"
Post a Comment