Puerto Rican superstar Anuel AA has a lot to unpack, ranging from the profound personal changes he has recently embraced in his everyday life to his daring pivot into the world of Mexican corridos, alongside a few playful jabs directed at his high-profile ex, Colombian superstar Karol G.
Sitting down for an expansive and candid interview with Billboard’s co-chief content officer Leila Cobo aboard a luxurious yacht in Miami, the pioneering trap artist opened up about why he feels like he has fallen completely in love with his craft all over again. The wide-ranging conversation provides a rare glimpse into the mind of an artist who has spent years at the very top of the Latin urban music scene, only to realize that external markers of success are ultimately secondary to personal peace and artistic reinvention.
The conversation immediately touched upon the significant lifestyle overhaul Anuel has undergone over the past several months. The Latin music icon revealed that roughly half a year ago, he made the conscious decision to completely stop smoking and drinking. According to the artist, shedding those habits has left him feeling significantly more alert, grounded, and present in his day-to-day existence.
Reflecting on his personal evolution, Anuel offered a philosophical take on the passage of time and the lessons that come with it. You mature over time, he noted during the interview, acknowledging that life has a way of teaching invaluable lessons through its various trials and tribulations. In a remarkably introspective moment, the trap star admitted that drugs do not fulfill a person, fame does not provide true fulfillment, and money ultimately leaves an empty void if the inner self is neglected. This newfound clarity has coincided with one of the most creatively ambitious periods of his entire career.
That profound personal transformation is running parallel to a remarkably busy stretch for his music career, highlighted by upcoming release dates that are sure to dominate the Latin music landscape. Anuel announced that his highly anticipated project, Real Hasta la Muerte 2, is officially slated to drop on November 19. Furthermore, he revealed that he may also release Cartel Real Hasta la Muerte on that exact same day. The latter project represents a fascinating sonic departure for the artist, serving as a dedicated Mexican corridos album that he is currently putting the finishing touches on.
Exploring a genre as culturally distinct as Mexican regional music has required the Puerto Rican native to completely reevaluate his approach to vocal performance. Rather than relying on the familiar cadences and production styles that defined his monumental rise in trap and reggaeton, Anuel has had to learn an entirely new way to sing. This steep learning curve, combined with active collaborations alongside celebrated Mexican musicians, has breathed fresh life into his creative process.
Working within this new genre has been nothing short of a revelation for the veteran performer. He explained that he fell in love with music all over again because he is exploring something entirely new and unprecedented for his catalog, rather than simply repeating the formulas of his past work. Among these exciting new collaborations are tracks produced in partnership with Fuerza Regida. Anuel shared that he has been in close communication with Jesús Ortiz Paz, whom he proudly refers to as his brother, noting that Ortiz Paz has been instrumental in helping him shape and polish several songs for the upcoming corridos project.
Beyond his professional endeavors and musical explorations, the conversation also navigated through discussions regarding his children, various business ventures, and the complex dynamics surrounding his relationships with former partners. The atmosphere remained lighthearted and candid when Cobo steered the conversation toward his romantic past, specifically asking whether he had actually asked Karol G to unblock him on social media.
In response to the question, Anuel erupted into laughter, clarifying that his previous comments were made purely in jest. No, I’m just messing with her, he admitted with a smile, before adding a touch of playful optimism that perhaps she might eventually decide to lift the digital restriction.
When Cobo pressed further, asking whether he desires to be at peace with all of his exes, Anuel offered a characteristically witty and pragmatic reply. He noted with a chuckle that while peace should ideally prevail across the board, achieving total harmony with every single former partner might be a stretch, though he ultimately agreed that living in peace is the ideal state of affairs.
Maintaining the playful and self-aware tone of the interview, Anuel even floated a hypothetical title for a cinematic adaptation of his tumultuous and highly publicized love life. Suggesting that a movie chronicling his romantic history should be titled Los Amores perros de Anuel, or Anuel’s Love’s a Bitch, he playfully predicted that such a feature film would undoubtedly be a massive commercial success and an incredible watch for fans.
Bridging the gap between major professional announcements regarding his upcoming double-album release and deeply personal revelations about his journey toward sobriety and maturity, the interview paints a vivid portrait of an artist actively redefining his path. As he prepares to share his evolution with the world through both trap anthems and Mexican corridos, Anuel AA stands at a fascinating crossroads of reinvention, ready to close one chapter and dive headfirst into the next.
