Maluma — the hitmaking singer/songwriter and Latin Grammy-winning artist — is currently at the top of his game as a musician, but he says collaborating with Madonna on her 2019 Madame X track “Medellín” allowed him to further his artistry. The singers interviewed each other for Rolling Stone, which saw the Latin star telling the American pop icon that she “changed [his] vision in many ways.”
During their sit-down, Maluma talked to Madonna about why it was important for her to direct and co-write her new Madame X concert film. “My show is my vision, my philosophy, my soul. I need to orchestrate everything. I have a message, and I need to be clear about it. I can’t rely on other people to do it for me,” she replied.
The “Sobrio” crooner explained that Madonna’s attitude toward art inspired him to have more confidence in his own artistry. “I’m still young and I’m still learning a bunch of things in this industry and my career, but it was an important thing to just be more confident in myself,” he told her. “Since I met you, that’s something I always do, and I really appreciate that. Cheers.”
“I hope that after you worked with me, you started paying more attention to lighting and costumes and things like that,” Madonna replied, with Maluma confirming that he has. “Medellín” hit No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart and No. 18 on the Hot Latin Songs chart following its release.
The Madame X singer also opened up about how taxing a process it’s been to write her forthcoming biopic and said it has been “the most draining, challenging experience I’ve ever had.”
“It’s kind of like psychotherapy in a way, because I have to remember every detail from my childhood till now,” Madonna explained. “Remembering all the things that made me decide to be who I am, my journey as an artist, my decision to leave Michigan to go to New York, all the things that happened to me when I was young and naive, my relationships with my family and friends, watching many of my friends die — sometimes, I have writing sessions where I go to bed and I just want to cry. You know what I mean? The thing is, I realize I forgot a lot of things, and reliving, digging deep, trying to recall emotions that I felt in certain moments, both joyful and traumatic experiences ..I realize I’ve lived a crazy life.”
Madonna’s biopic has no release date yet, though her Madame X concert film arrived last week on Paramount+. Revisit Maluma and Madonna’s “Medellín” below.