Since scoring his first hit back in 2015, ALVARO SOLER has used his success to celebrate his love of different cultures and people, and to communicate a love for life itself.
“Life is short - it’s for having fun and learning something new every day”, says the Spanish-German musician – who has lived in numerous places, including Tokyo, and speaks six languages – with sincerity. But at the same time, he is of course aware that in times of crisis, that can be difficult: “It’s always been important to me to create good vibes with my music, but during the pandemic I’ve become more aware than ever that even small moments can be a source of magic, and that we need music to bring us together and recharge our batteries.”
DAVID BISBAL, Alvaro’s collaborator on A CONTRACORRIENTE, agrees. The Spanish Latin star, recipient of three Grammys and the same number of World Music Awards among numerous others, and whose videos have racked up well over 1.2 billion clicks, was also eager to work on the track. “I’ve wanted to work with David for a long time”, Alvaro confides, “but our schedules never allowed for it. I was in a studio in Madrid doing some writing recently and it finally happened more or less on the spur of the moment. I played A CONTRACORRIENTE for David and he stopped the tape after the first chorus, stood up and sang a completely new melody on top of it - and suddenly there was just this crazy blast of energy in the room, it was really unbelievable. We all knew straight away that this part was something really special, and the perfect chorus. After that, things moved pretty fast, because it was obvious what we had to do.” Bisbal nods in agreement: “I loved the song straight away. The beat, the lyrics, the melody – but I just had a feeling that something was missing, and I got the idea for this new part. It all felt totally organic.”
The harmony and the special energy are clear to see in the clip – the shoot in Spain was a highlight for Alvaro: “We were in Toledo, but you would think we were in Death Valley. The team was incredible, we had an amazing time, and I hope that feeling comes across in the images. The campfire made of mirrors is meant to be a symbol of coming together, meeting each other face to face without any inhibitions and just celebrating together. I’m so proud of the video.” Despite the fact that A CONTRACORRIENTE is not on the original version of MAGIA, the new track fits seamlessly into the emotional arc of Alvaro’s most personal album to date.
ALVARO SOLER returned in 2021 with MAGIA, picking up exactly where he left off before his hiatus: In Germany, he achieved the best chart entry of his career, secured the highest airplay position to date and has already gone gold in four countries. He has now hit well over five billion views on his streaming account, and in addition to reprising his role as a TV coach on the forthcoming season of “THE VOICE KIDS”, he can also be heard both as a voice-over artist and on the soundtrack to the Disney Christmas movie “ENCANTO”.