WOMEN AT FULL VOLUME

SIMONA, EQUAL Ambassador of the Month, Shares the Moments That Bring Her Confidence

February 14, 2022

When it comes to artistic prowess, Argentine-born SIMONA is a quintuple threat. She’s a singer, songwriter, and trained dancer, and she even dabbles in wardrobe design and beat-making, the latter of which plays a starring role in her music. 

The artist hails from the Andes Mountains of Argentina, but in 2017, she relocated to the seaside shores of Barcelona to pursue music full-time. While SIMONA’s beats and melodies are lively and upbeat, her Spanish lyrics reflect more complicated emotions that keep fans coming back for more. She credits her grandmother, a poet, for the inspiration behind her wistful, introspective verses. 

This month, SIMONA is reaching even more listeners around the globe as Spotify’s EQUAL Ambassador of the Month—part of Spotify’s EQUAL Global Music Program that aims to combat gender disparity in the music industry by amplifying the work of women creators globally. After sharing her music as Spain’s EQUAL Ambassador, this new role makes SIMONA the face of Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist, and her song “SHUT UP,” with Lee Eye and Blackthoven, is featured front and center. 

For the Record asked SIMONA to share more about her music inspirations and advice for other artists.

The artists who have inspired me the most are __.

I’m so thankful to have grown up listening to the music of great female artists like Rita Lee, Björk, Mala Rodríguez, Sade, Madonna, Eydie Gormé. Also M.I.A., Solange, Kali Uchis and Yaeji, to name a few of the contemporary performers that inspire me. And especially my musician girlfriends back home in Argentina, Anyi and LUPE.

One piece of advice I’d give other women artists is __.

Trust your authentic self and your artistic visions. Be loyal to your original ideas, and be decisive when making decisions about the production of your own music. Know that each of us is special and has something unique to show. Honor your ideas and the art you put so much love into. 

One notable moment in my career so far is __.

When I co-produced my single “TE VEO,” I realized the power of my art by being able to be fully present in the production of my music. I enjoyed the process so much; it gave me a boost of confidence to carry on materializing my ideas. 

My creative process consists of __.

Listening to what’s deep inside of me. My creative process is very slow because I like living through it! It doesn’t really happen everyday, but when it does happen, it’s truly magical. 

One way I’d like to see greater gender equity in the music industry is __.

Establishing a quota of female and nonbinary or transgender participation in every major music festival. We want to see more women working in every area: recording studios, record labels, production companies, etc. 

Some up-and-coming women artists I’m excited to watch are __.

LUPE, Anyi, Park Hye Jin, Amaarae, Shygirl . . . watch out for these girls! 

My girl-power anthem right now is __.

“Vaca Profana” by Brazilian legend Gal Costa.

Ready to discover SIMONA and other women artists around the world? Blast Spotify’s EQUAL Global playlist here.