“Over the past year, Elena Rose has gone from a hit songwriter for the likes of Bad Bunny, Selena Gomez and Jennifer Lopez to a strong Latin Grammy contender in her own right thanks to her debut EP, En las Nubes — Con Mis Panas (In the Clouds — With My Pals), which has her”, — write: www.hollywoodreporter.com
The Venezuelan American’s profile rose considerably after Ed Sheeran tasked her with writing a new verse to “Thinking Out Loud” in Spanish this year, with their performance of the track going viral around the world.
Ahead of the Latin Grammys, Rose spoke with THR about writing for other stars instead of herself, collaborating with Sheeran and representing Venezuela with her music.
You’ve written so many hits for iconic artists; when did performing for yourself become the plan?
I wasn’t looking to be a songwriter. It found me, and it felt like something I had to do. It prepared me because when I started doing it with other artists, I would get home and I felt so drained. I would give all my heart and soul in that space. Along the way, I learned how to give without giving the parts of me that I can’t take back.
You’ve been outspoken about the political conflicts of Venezuela. With all your nominations, you really represent not just the women of Venezuela but the talent of the country as a whole.
For everything that we’ve been going through, I want to give Venezuelans a reason to smile. I love Venezuelan slang, our words. I love my culture, our colors, and I want to share it with the world. To know that my songs are going somewhere very far from home, but they have home in them, I feel grateful for that.
When Ed Sheeran reached out about “Thinking Out Loud,” did you feel impostor syndrome or get nervous?
Of course. When he was like, “You should write, in Spanish, the second verse,” I was like, “Why would I do that? I don’t want to disrespect your song. But I’m going to do it with all the love. I’m going to do it, not to show that I can do it, but because it’s more about making it fun.”
What was his reaction to it?
When I sang it to him in the rehearsal, I was like, “This is what I did. If you don’t like it, we don’t have to do it. I’m so happy to meet you.” But the reason we had the video on social media was because he liked it a lot, and he posted it. He was like, “What happened?” It exploded. I was like, “Latin America came through, Venezuela came through.”
The experience of having a superstar in front of you that’s such a humble human being as well? It was magical.
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR AT THE LATIN GRAMMYS
Bad Bunny enters the awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with a leading 12 nominations, but breakout Argentinian hip-hop duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso are fast on his trail with 10 noms of their own.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Will Bad Bunny Finally Win?
This year’s album of the year category is stacked with such nominees as Rauw Alejandro, Gloria Estefan and Carín León, but Bad Bunny remains the favorite to finally take home the gold for the first time (after four previous nominations) for his massive Debí Tirar Más Fotos.
LATIN GOES ELECTRONIC: Who Wins in Year Two?
A year after the Latin Recording Academy introduced an electronic music category, it’s now one of the most exciting competitions of the night, with Venezuelan band Rawayana a contender for its second Latin Grammy in as many years for the hit “Veneka.”
A DUO ON THE RISE: Ca7riel & Paco’s Big Night?
With a nomination for album of the year and two more in the record and song of the year categories, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso head to their first Latin Grammys with momentum from their single “#Tetas.” They’re poised to take home hardware — the only question is how much.
This story appeared in the Nov. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.