<\/p>\n
Fanny Lu <\/a>recently marked her return to music with Una Vida Bien Vivida<\/a><\/em>, an album full of joyful and positive vibes featuring big collaborators like Bacilos, Carlos Baute, Olga Ta\u00f1\u00f3n and Yuri. It\u2019s her first studio album since 2011\u2019s Felicidad y Perpetua<\/em>, but the Colombian artist points out that she never really left.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always stayed in music with singles,\u201d Fanny Lu tells Billboard Espa\u00f1ol<\/em> during a visit to New York. \u201cI went through an emotionally and personally difficult time in my life, and God gave me the opportunity to spend seven years on La Voz<\/em>, experiencing music from the other side,\u201d she says, referring to her divorce from the father of her two children and her work as a coach on La Voz Colombia<\/em> and La Voz Kids<\/em> (Spanish language adaptations of The Voice<\/em>) between 2012-2013 and 2014-2019, respectively.<\/p>\n More from Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n Produced by Jos\u00e9 Gaviria and independently released in May, Una Vida Bien Vivida<\/em> (which means \u201cA life well lived\u201d) is Fanny Lu\u2019s fourth studio album. Before becoming a musician, she studied (and graduated in) industrial engineering and worked as an actress and TV host. With her charisma and a unique tropipop style, she soon won over a legion of fans. Her debut album, L\u00e1grimas C\u00e1lidas<\/em> (2006), landed on the Billboard<\/em> charts, reaching No. 13 on Top Tropical Albums<\/a>, while its single \u201cNo Te Pido Flores\u201d hit No. 1 on the Tropical Airplay<\/a> chart. More hits followed with Dos<\/em> (2008) and Felicidad y Perpetua<\/em>.<\/p>\n And yes, between that last album and Una Vida Bien Vivida<\/em>, she did release numerous singles, from \u201cMujeres\u201d and \u201cLo Que Dios Quiera\u201d to \u201cFuerte,\u201d \u201cEl Traidor\u201d and \u201cL\u00e1grimas de Amor.\u201d \u201cBut I kept saying, \u2018I need an album.\u2019 Because the album-making process is so different and so generous \u2014 it allows you to rediscover and reinvent yourself in the process,\u201d she says enthusiastically. As the 20th anniversary of her musical debut approached, she felt it was the perfect time to give herself \u201cthe gift I had dreamed of for so many years,\u201d and she did it from a place of gratitude and personal and professional fulfillment.<\/p>\n Below, Fanny Lu answers 20 questions about music, female empowerment, motherhood, tears, good advice, love (she\u2019s since remarried) and cooking.<\/p>\n 1. Welcome to Billboard<\/em> and welcome back to music. What took so long?<\/strong><\/p>\n I went through an emotionally and personally difficult time in my life, and God gave me the opportunity to spend seven years on La Voz<\/em>, experiencing music from the other side \u2014 from the perspective of someone who shines a light on others, who shares generously what they\u2019ve learned, who admires, appreciates and supports others. And it was beautiful, working with both adults and kids on La Voz Colombia<\/em> and La Voz Kids<\/em>. It taught me so much and allowed me to enjoy music in a different way during that complicated time in my life.<\/p>\n 2. How did you decide to come back?<\/strong><\/p>\n During that time, I released several songs as singles, but I kept saying: \u201cI need an album.\u201d Because the album-making process is so different and so generous \u2014 it allows you to rediscover and reinvent yourself. I said: \u201cI deserve to give myself this dream of a full album, to tell a complete story like when you write a book with different chapters.\u201d And that\u2019s what I did \u2014 a catharsis in the studio over several months, allowing myself to listen to myself.<\/p>\n 3. Were you scared? Excited? Both?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, a little bit of everything. But above all, I\u2019m in a moment in my life where I feel deeply grateful \u2014 for my dreams, for the blessing of being able to sing to so many people for so long, for feeling blessed in my personal life as a mom, as a wife, as a daughter, as an artist. In that space, fears and doubts fade away because you face life with peace and faith. It\u2019s been a beautiful process, and I\u2019m savoring every second of it.<\/p>\n 4. And you returned empowered with Una Vida Bien Vivida<\/em> and \u201cLa Mujer Que Soy\u201d (The Woman I Am). How do these titles define the moment you\u2019re in?<\/strong><\/p>\n As self-love. I tell my 20-year-old daughter: \u201cI would give my life to teach you what I know now.\u201d I feel like everything is a process in life, and we all come to these realizations at different times. At my age, you think: \u201cHow didn\u2019t I learn this earlier? How did I have so many doubts, so much fear?\u201d But it\u2019s all part of the journey. Realizing that self-love gives you everything you\u2019ve ever dreamed of \u2014 confidence, faith in yourself, power over your decisions, discipline, valuing your time and your life, living inwardly instead of outwardly \u2014 that sums up this album. A life well-lived isn\u2019t a perfect life; it\u2019s not just smiles and fulfilled dreams. It\u2019s a life of falls, tears, effort and sweat. It\u2019s a life of confusion that eventually leads to light and clarity.<\/p>\n 5. How does the Fanny Lu of 2011, when you released Felicidad y Perpetua<\/em>, differ from the Fanny Lu of 2025?<\/strong><\/p>\n I feel there\u2019s a deeper recognition of myself \u2014 my worth, my effort, and my growth. There\u2019s a celebration of my being, my style, my voice, and the way we make music. There\u2019s a confidence in knowing that my lane is my lane, and I value it. Today, I\u2019m not looking for anything else but to be myself.<\/p>\n 6. Having a unique and recognizable sound is essential for an artist. How did you find yours?<\/strong><\/p>\n I spent many years understanding myself musically and gave myself the freedom to experiment so I could truly discover myself in the studio. I\u2019ve been very stubborn about staying true to who I am. I\u2019ve insisted that every song I sing must feel personal, something I can defend and identify with. It\u2019s been a beautiful stubbornness to always be myself so that when people hear my songs, they say: \u201cThat\u2019s Fanny Lu.\u201d<\/p>\n 7. How would you define your style or genre?<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know. It\u2019s a tropical, Colombian genre \u2014 fun, colorful, and very fused and free. It can go from merengue to vallenato, to pop, to corridos. It\u2019s a genre full of light and vibrant brushstrokes, influenced by all the music that\u2019s accompanied me throughout my life.<\/p>\n 8. Who are your biggest influences?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve had so many, both in English-language and tropical music, and Colombian music too. For example, Celia Cruz \u2014 so iconic, with her powerful voice, unique style, joy, positivity and messages full of light. Yuri has also been an influence since I was little, and it\u2019s been a gift from God to celebrate my 20 years with her [on \u201cOtra Partida\u201d]. I used to dance to her songs all the time. There are so many others: Juan Luis Guerra, Juan Gabriel\u2026<\/p>\n 9. Besides Yuri, the album includes collaborations with great artists like Olga Ta\u00f1\u00f3n, Bacilos and more. How did you choose your collaborators for this return to music?<\/strong><\/p>\n It was very spontaneous, as if each song spoke to me. But the beautiful thing was also surrounding myself with people who have been part of my professional journey as an artist. I\u2019ve had the blessing of working with people I\u2019ve admired so much, people I dreamed of collaborating with when I was starting out in music and would think, \u201cOh, when will I get there?\u201d But also with fellow artists who have walked a similar path, like Bacilos.<\/p>\n 10. If you could collaborate with anyone, from any nationality, alive or dead, who would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n Juan Luis Guerra. I would love to because he\u2019s such an icon, and I\u2019ve grown up with his music and his influences. I love his heart.<\/p>\n 11. What\u2019s the best advice you\u2019ve been given in the music industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n Perhaps the best advice I\u2019ve been given, in music and in life, is: \u201cFeel like a sun.\u201d My mother gave me that advice. \u201cWhen you step on that stage, feel like the sun is shining from your chest, that you radiate, that you illuminate, that you bring happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n 12. Your son Teo (Mateo Madri\u00f1\u00e1n) has also ventured into music. What advice have you given him?<\/strong><\/p>\n To always fight to be himself, to always defend his artistic personality, his musical style, what he wants, and what he believes in. And honestly, it\u2019s been hard to give him that advice because now he\u2019ll tell me: \u201cMom, you told me\u2026\u201d [Laughs<\/em>.]<\/p>\n 13. How did motherhood change your artistic sensitivity?<\/strong><\/p>\n My music was born alongside my children, really. When I was having my kids, that\u2019s when this dream of mine also began. I made it a family project, because my ex-husband, very generously, fell in love with my voice and my dream, and it became his dream too. So, it was a family effort. I\u2019ve always been very sensitive.<\/p>\n 14. You graduated as an industrial engineer from the University of Los Andes. Did you ever think you\u2019d truly dedicate yourself to engineering?<\/strong><\/p>\n I actually did for a long time, but in creative and entertainment-related areas, because I had a production company called Activa. I used to answer the phone saying, \u201cActiva!\u201d and people would joke, \u201cYou mean Hyperactiva, right?\u201d because I was working in radio, working as a TV presenter, then acting, but at the same time, I was producing, directing, and doing executive production for videos. So, as the manager of that company and the executive producer of my projects, all the organization, structure, and executive capacity came from engineering.<\/p>\n 15. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? <\/strong><\/p>\n I love traveling, cooking, spending time with family.<\/p>\n 16. What\u2019s your specialty in the kitchen?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, I have a chef right at home: my husband is an amazing cook. I\u2019ve tried cooking, but then I think, \u201cWhy should I cook if he\u2019s so good at it?\u201d But being in the kitchen with him is therapeutic. When you share through food, it\u2019s like giving love, and I\u2019ve learned to really enjoy cooking.<\/p>\n 17. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of your debut album, L\u00e1grimas C\u00e1lidas<\/em> (Warm Tears), which landed you on the Billboard<\/em> charts. What do you remember about that time?<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know why tears always accompany me, even when I\u2019m deeply in love, filled with love for my kids, or so grateful for my mom. When we released L\u00e1grimas C\u00e1lidas<\/em>, I felt this urge to cry from joy but also from fear, because I was stepping into a world I didn\u2019t know. And since \u201cNo Te Pido Flores\u201d<\/a> became so big so quickly, I felt like God was saying: \u201cWe\u2019re saving this space for you, here\u2019s your spot, enjoy it.\u201d So, I felt this huge responsibility \u2014 for what people expected from me, for what my team expected, and for what I expected from myself. It was happiness, but also this immense responsibility and fear of facing my dream, which was coming true in the best possible way \u2014 the most responsible and magical.<\/p>\n 18. In no more than five words, summarize what these 20 years in music have been like for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n A life well-lived.<\/p>\n 19. You\u2019re currently part of Spotify\u2019s EQUAL campaign, which promotes gender equality in music. What\u2019s the most important change you\u2019ve seen in the industry in this regard?<\/strong><\/p>\n Women shining, women empowered. And when I talk about power, for me, the concept of empowerment has changed a lot \u2014 it\u2019s about having power over yourself, your decisions, what you do. But beyond that, I\u2019ve seen a beautiful sense of collaboration among women, a generosity that didn\u2019t exist before. That generosity expands women\u2019s participation in the industry, and that\u2019s such a wonderful thing.<\/p>\n 20. If you could sing only one song for the rest of your life \u2014 your own or someone else\u2019s \u2014 which would it be?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cLa Mujer Que Soy.\u201d It defines this moment and the greatest discovery of my life: the power of self-love.<\/p>\n Best of Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Billboard’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fanny Lu recently marked her return to music with Una Vida Bien Vivida, an album full of joyful and positive vibes featuring big collaborators like Bacilos, Carlos Baute, Olga Ta\u00f1\u00f3n and Yuri. It\u2019s her first studio album since 2011\u2019s Felicidad y Perpetua, but the Colombian artist points out that she never really left. \u201cI\u2019ve always […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2000395,"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":[25172],"tags":[345275,363474,363470,363475,363473,363471,363472,339726,318360,363476],"class_list":["post-2000394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-billboard-charts","tag-experiencing-music","tag-fanny-lu","tag-felicidad-y-perpetua","tag-juan-luis-guerra","tag-la-voz-colombia","tag-la-voz-kids","tag-olga-tanon","tag-studio-album","tag-una-vida-bien-vivida"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/\u2018The-Gift-I-Dreamed-of-for-So-Many-Years.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000394","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=2000394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}