Rosalía Named WSJ. Magazine's Innovator in Music

Rosalía is WSJ. Magazine's Innovator in Music for 2026. The Spanish singer is one of the most acclaimed artists of her generation, creating experimental music that draws upon her knowledge of flamenco history and love for classical suites. 'Nothing is too highbrow for her, and nothing is too popular,' says Rob Stringer, chairman of Sony Music. 'She understands it all.'

Launched in 2011, WSJ. Magazine's Innovator Awards recognize groundbreaking talents from a range of disciplines, including fashion, art, literature, entertainment, architecture, design, technology, music, philanthropy, cuisine and more. The annual event has blossomed into one of The Wall Street Journal's most special evenings and an expression of the magazine's editorial mission. The red-carpet gala encapsulates everything readers have come to expect from WSJ. Magazine: a gathering of ambitious, forward-looking minds whose originality has led to meaningful change and offers inspiration to others.

Rosalía is one of seven honorees for this year's Innovator Awards. Additional honorees and their corresponding cover stories will be announced over the next two weeks leading up to the event in New York City on October 29.

The full story from Rosalía's interview with WSJ's Elias Leight is available at wsj.com. The singer also participated in WSJ Video's 'The Job Interview' series where she discusses her fourth studio album 'Lux,' learning to sing on pointe shoes and how a crush motivated her to pursue music. The full interview can be viewed at wsj.com.

Excerpts from the story

Reflecting on her financial strife as an aspiring artist in 2018:

'My mom was helping me,' she says. 'I was en números rojos'—in the red. 'She was like, 'You really need to sign [with a record company]. We can not keep on like this.''

Back against the wall, Rosalía persuaded a production company called Canada to help make videos for several of her songs, which zhuzhed flamenco, a traditional Spanish genre, with state-of-the-art electronics. 'Later I will get a deal, and I'll be able to pay back the investment,' she promised.

'I always find a way,' Rosalía says.

On her early flamenco training:

At 16, she found a master, José Miguel 'El Chiqui' Vizcaya, to serve as her flamenco Yoda. He helped Rosalía foster vocal agility and strength.

'He would just send me the craziest flamenco pieces and say, 'Transcribe this, learn these articulations, learn these runs, and next week you will sing it in front of me.''

Producer Raül Refree on meeting and working with Rosalía for the first time:

She met Refree through a mutual friend, and 'we started talking like there was no one else in the world,' he remembers. 'We shared a love for old flamenco singers but at the same time for Kendrick [Lamar] and Kanye [West].'

'The way she sang was very special, and the way I played guitar was unorthodox,' Refree continues. 'I was not interested in technique. I was more interested in the emotion—I was thinking about [the rock bands] Fugazi or Black Sabbath.'