{"id":1977393,"date":"2025-08-24T14:51:32","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T14:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=1977393"},"modified":"2025-08-24T14:51:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T14:51:32","slug":"isabela-merced-talks-superman-peruvian-heritage-new-salsa-music-and-projects-in-the-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/isabela-merced-talks-superman-peruvian-heritage-new-salsa-music-and-projects-in-the-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Isabela Merced talks &#8216;Superman,&#8217; Peruvian heritage, new salsa music, and projects in the works"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em><small>Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl in &#8216;Superman.&#8217; Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.<\/small><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Isabela Merced chatted about starring in the new Superman film, where she plays Hawkgirl, her Peruvian heritage, new salsa song and video for \u201cApocalipsis,\u201d and working with her brother Gyo.<\/p>\n<p>First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said: \u201cThe future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.\u201d This quote applies to Isabela Merced.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-apocalipsis-duet-single-with-tony-succar\">\u2018Apocalipsis\u2019 duet single with Tony Succar<\/h2>\n<p>Gyo served as a co-writer and producer on the song, and she joined forces with multi-Grammy and multi-Latin Grammy winner <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tonysuccar\/?hl=en\">Tony Succar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On their new salsa duet single \u201cApocalipsis,\u201d she remarked, \u201cThe song is huge for us, and Gyo has been a part of it from the beginning. He was on the original and we recorded it in our home studio. It was a crazy setup.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe put it in our office and now we have a big studio that I built in my house, where we are now going to work in, and we will keep making music for everyone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Isabela Merced - apocalipsis (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OQhYeh-psCU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-gyo-on-writing-and-producing-apocalipsis\">Gyo on writing and producing \u2018Apocalipsis\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>On being a part of this project, Gyo said, \u201cIt has been really fun. It has been so long since we did this\u2026 since the pandemic and we did it in our home studio that we built We just recorded everything in there, and we filmed the music videos all at home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis song will make our aunts, uncles, the grandparents, and relatives in Peru happy,\u201d Gyo noted. \u201cI am actually curious\u2026 I want to hear what my grandma thinks of this song!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTony got a hand of the song last year he heard it, and he wanted to remix it. Tony did all the magic,\u201d Gyo added.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-working-with-grammy-winner-tony-succar\"><strong>Working with Grammy winner Tony Succar<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cIt was amazing!\u201d she exclaimed. \u201cTony sent the remix to us on his accord and his initiation during the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTony sent it to us and then we recorded it immediately because I was just such a fan of it. We did it in Los Angeles, and he was in Miami with his fellow songwriter who helped us with a lot of like the salsa melodies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just did it like in the studio, and then we were sitting on it for so long and finally, Tony wanted to release it as a part of his project post-Grammy win,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt felt like a full-circle moment. Tony believes in me so much and he believes in Gyo too. Tony cannot speak higher about Gyo\u2019s work; he is such a fan and we\u2019ve become so close since making this song,\u201d she elaborated.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-new-salsa-music-video-for-apocalipsis\"><strong>New salsa music video for \u2018Apocalipsis\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>On the new salsa music video, she exclaimed, \u201cThat was fun! Gyo was there in spirit! He wasn\u2019t there on the day we filmed it, but he got the footage, and he liked it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWatching Tony on the drum was cool,\u201d Gyo added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Apocalipsis (versi\u00f3n salsa) - Isabela Merced &amp; Tony Succar\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QlU53taGqno?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe drums are his signature thing,\u201d Isabela said. \u201cI love that he always wears boots. Tony is always such a classy guy, and he is young like us, and we all love to work with family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, in the SiriusXM performance that I did live that is coming out in October, Tony\u2019s brother was one of the background singers in it. Tony also works with his mother a lot. I work with my mom, and she is always helping me. So, it was very much a family affair,\u201d Isabela elaborated.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-isabela-merced-on-more-music-in-the-works\">Isabela Merced on more music in the works<\/h2>\n<p>When asked if there will be more music in the works, she responded, \u201cI hope so! We are sitting on so much music that is from the past five years that we worked on during the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, we have a lot more music to release and to show you guys,\u201d she noted. \u201cThe question is in what order and when? I make all kinds of music. I think that\u2019s what is the most fun about writing\u2026 you can pretend to be someone else and tell a story.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Isabela Merced. Photo Credit: Jad Gorman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-isabela-merced-on-writing-music-being-similar-to-acting\">Isabela Merced on writing music being similar to acting<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWriting music is similar to acting in that way,\u201d she acknowledged. \u201cWhen I perform, it feels like I\u2019m taking on a different character. Like that Isabela P\u00e9rez de la Candela in the video of \u2018Apocalipsis\u2019 is not me. That\u2019s not how I would perform. It was like a character for me, so that was really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would love to put on more performances like that,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-learning-the-dance-moves-for-the-music-video\"><strong>Learning the dance moves<\/strong> for the music video<\/h2>\n<p>On learning the dance moves for the music video, she revealed, \u201cI learned that in an hour and a half the day before, and it was in my hotel room where we came up with the ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe performance felt very cute to me and homemade,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-working-with-gyo-as-writer-and-producer-during-the-pandemic\">Working with Gyo as writer and producer during the pandemic<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cGyo has gotten better as a producer, and he is working on making music every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was honestly the best time to make music though. Right now, I am working with some pretty good artists in the Latin and hip-hop genres,\u201d Gyo added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Isabela-Merced-2.jpg\" alt=\"Isabela Merced\" class=\"wp-image-3763196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Isabela-Merced-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Isabela-Merced-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Isabela Merced. Photo Credit: Dito Andr\u00e9s.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tipping-her-hat-to-peru-and-her-peruvian-heritage\">Tipping her hat to Peru and her Peruvian heritage<\/h2>\n<p>With this song, Isabela and Gyo were able to tip their hat to their Peruvian heritage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGyo loves Peru for the food alone. He is driven by Peruvian food alone; he just loves it. He loves the way that Peruvians make rice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m blessed to have a Peruvian mother who always cooks for us, and makes Peruvian dishes,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mom\u2019s love language is making food. So, we stay being fed. Just this morning, she made us a delicious breakfast with rosemary touches on the top. It was beautiful,\u201d she expanded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very lucky because Peruvian culture is very warm, rich, flavored, and it\u2019s historic where you have so much to pull from,\u201d she acknowledged. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust the Peruvian art alone is fantastic. So, I\u2019m very lucky that it has been a part of my life, and I\u2019ve been able to implement it into my music and my acting,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-isabela-merced-on-playing-hawkgirl-in-superman\"><strong>Isabela Merced on playing \u2018Hawkgirl\u2019 in \u2018Superman\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>On portraying Hawkgirl in the new DC superhero movie \u201cSuperman,\u201d she stated, \u201cPlaying Kendra\/Hawkgirl was a cool experience for me.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope I get to do more of Kendra, the wings, and the screech. A huge shout-out goes to writer and director James Gunn,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was so excited about this project, and for months I couldn\u2019t say anything about it, but now that the movie is out, I can say it all,\u201d she admitted.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Superman | Official Trailer | DC\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ox8ZLF6cGM0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cGyo was there at the premiere too,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth of my brothers came, and my mom was there too. \u00a0We stole some fan pillows from the after party. Gyo got to meet my whole cast, and it was a really fun time for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs you can see, I love to bring my family everywhere with me if I can,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-working-with-david-corenswet-and-rachel-brosnahan\"><strong>Working with David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>On working with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/davidcorenswet\/\">David Corenswet<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rachelbrosnahan\/?hl=en\">Rachel Brosnahan<\/a>, she remarked, \u201cThey are both like seasoned actors.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, getting to watch their scene in the movie where they\u2019re like having an argument and it\u2019s such a technically long scene, but they made it feel so lively that you don\u2019t even notice the time passing by. They are such good actors,\u201d she elaborated.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lessons-learned-from-the-superman-movie\"><strong>Lessons learned from the \u2018Superman\u2019 movie<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cFor me, it taught me that being yourself is the most bad-ass thing you can do,\u201d she reflected on \u201cSuperman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlso, staying true to your morals and your values in a world that asks you to compromise on them is also very relevant and important and it taught me that dogs are the best ever\u2026 everyone should have a dog as a best friend,\u201d she expanded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI liked the dog\u2026 \u2018Superman\u2019 was actually probably my favorite part of the movie. It was feel-good, and it was my favorite movie of the whole year, hands down,\u201d Gyo revealed.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stage-of-her-life\"><strong>Stage of her life<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>On the title of the current chapter of her life, she revealed, \u201cI\u2019m moving in and moving on.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, I am literally surrounded by boxes. I just moved into a new place; my box cutter and I are best friends,\u201d she said with a sweet laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hope my brother, Gyo, can help me unpack because I have so many boxes and I just can\u2019t do this alone. It has been crazy,\u201d she admitted.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-new-movie-in-the-works-psyche\"><strong>New movie in the works \u2014 \u2018Psyche\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Isabela has a new indie movie in the works that is titled \u201cPsyche.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m moving out as well because I am going to do an independent film that I am producing and that I am going to be a part of in September,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s called \u2018Psyche\u2019 and it is based of f of the goddess of the soul in Greek mythology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, we\u2019ll try to respect the Greek culture and try to bring it as much as we can into the film,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-isabala-merced-on-max-ehrich\">Isabala Merced on <strong>Max Ehrich<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Isabela had kind words about actor and signer <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/maxehrich\/?hl=en\">Max Ehrich<\/a>. \u201cEven though I haven\u2019t seen him in so long, Max Ehrich is like a brother, and he was a big part of my career early on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMax has always been really supportive, and I really appreciate him for that. I am glad that Max is keeping busy these days,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ai-on-the-future-of-the-industry\"><strong>AI on the future of the industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Isabela addressed her thoughts on AI (artificial intelligence) on the future of the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n<p>Isabela stated, \u201cI think it\u2019s hard in this industry now. We are all scared of AI taking over but I think it\u2019s going to be quite the contrary. I think AI is going to be everywhere and all the time, to the point where people are going to crave authentic art from human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think AI is going to stand out more than anything. Art should be human,\u201d she underscored.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe hard part is that it can\u2019t generate like its own ideas very efficiently.\u201d Gyo said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a great tool.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you give it a sample, it can expand upon that. AI is only trained on the music that is already out. So, it\u2019s not good at creating something that has never been created before. It is always basing it on what has been created,\u201d Gyo elaborated.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-success\"><strong>Success<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Regarding her definition of the word success, Isabela said, \u201cSuccess means finding a good balance between prioritizing personal life and work life. To me, if I can prioritize my personal life and my health more than anything, that is success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlso, success is the peace of mind that comes with it,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Steven-Simione.jpg\" alt=\"Isabel Merced\" class=\"wp-image-3762600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Steven-Simione.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Steven-Simione-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Isabel Merced. Photo Credit: Steven Simione.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-closing-thoughts-on-the-new-music\"><strong>Closing thoughts on the new music<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For her fans and listeners, Isabela expressed, \u201cI hope that this opens up even more eyes on the \u2018Apocalipsis\u2019 salsa version, in particular. I hope people appreciate live bands, the instruments, the efforts that go into, and the complexity of what goes into making tropical music.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did a lot of homages to iconic artists and groups and songs that are so old that you can\u2019t necessarily even find the original songwriters of the compositions,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, I hope people do their research and get opened up to a whole new world of music that could potentially the direction of where we\u2019re going,\u201d she foreshadowed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think if we go back to the roots and what we used to value and love, there is just so much potential there and beauty,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more about <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/entertainment\/interview-isabela-merced-is-in-an-era-of-musical-and-artistic-self-discovery\/article\">Isabela Merced<\/a>, follow her on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/isabelamerced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/isabelamerced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@isabelamercedmusic?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TikTok<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/isabelamercedofficial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.digitaljournal.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl in &#8216;Superman.&#8217; Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Isabela Merced chatted about starring in the new Superman film, where she plays Hawkgirl, her Peruvian heritage, new salsa song and video for \u201cApocalipsis,\u201d and working with her brother Gyo. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said: \u201cThe future belongs to those who believe [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1977394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[353578,327569,353579,353580,353581,21800,353582,353583,31353,353584],"class_list":["post-1977393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-apocalipsis","tag-dc","tag-gyo","tag-heritage","tag-isabela-merced","tag-music","tag-peruvian","tag-salsa","tag-superman","tag-tony-succar"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Isabela-Merced-talks-Superman-Peruvian-heritage-new-salsa-music-and.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1977393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1977394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1977393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1977393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1977393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}