Emilia Before & After: Argentine Artist Talks New Album ‘.mp3’ & Her 2000s Obsessions

Emilia is bringing back the early 2000s with the release of her sophomore studio album .mp3, released Friday (Nov. 3) under Sony Music Latin. 

If the title is any indication, the Argentine pop artist traveled more than 20 years back to seek inspiration for her conceptual 13-track set. Each song, including the previously-released “Jagger,” “No_Se_Ve,” and “GTA,” are styled with the “.mp3” at the end because that’s how music files were saved in portable music-playing devices, such as an iPod.

“I imagine what I would have been like as an artist in those times,” Emilia, who was born in 1996, tells Billboard. “Being able to take your favorite music everywhere was something incredible to me. I wanted to revive that nostalgia in my new album, so that people would remember those moments that never come back.” 

Far beyond its sick (as we’d say in the 2000s) concept, .mp3 celebrates women. For the album, the pop singer reeled in artists such as TINI, Nathy Peluso, and Ludmilla, because she wants to send an empowering message to her fans. 

“In Argentina, we have created support among ourselves,” she says about working with her fellow Argentine artists. “We push each other, and we celebrate each other. I wanted my audience to see that reflected in the collaborations on this album.”

Musically, she navigates away from her signature pop-reggaetón sound, as heard in her debut set Tú Crees En Mí?, and experiments with hip-hop and various electronic rhythms, such as house, showcasing the beats that were popular back in the days. 

“My evolution as an artist has been an exciting journey,” she notes. “And as I’ve said before, doing things from the heart is really what’s authentic for me.”

In the hype of her new album, the Argentine darling shares some of her obsessions of the 2000s and today. Check those out and listen to her .mp3 below.