Borja, without surnames and written in capitals, is the stage name of this young promise from Barcelona who is nominated in the category of best new artist at the Latin Grammys 2023. The recognition came to him just two months after releasing his first album of study, Rimas del verbo amar the main single is the song of the same name released two years ago.
Borja likes to sing to the loves he has experienced firsthand: "I've always thought that you can't sing to something you don't believe in or haven't heard". As in his album, he is not ashamed to admit that he is a sensitive guy. "I don't know if I break hearts or not, but I feel things a lot and sometimes I'm very vulnerable", he explains.
His album is very empathetic. He sings about love from many points of view and ingeniously explores the evolution of this feeling through emotional melodies and meaningful lyrics that have earned him almost 5 million views on various platforms.
The main theme of the album arises from a long-distance relationship that was not going through the best of times: "One day I got tired of it and said 'I only want to talk about things that rhyme with the verb to love'. The subject is a hug at a distance."
He places his style within romantic pop with good lyrics, "but at the same time I want to bring new sounds, I want to surprise". Borja's success is not the result of a fortuitous situation. Rather it has been the result of a continuous life project, rather than a fluke with a song.
"I've studied, I've been working in recording studios, I've composed for other artists... until I found the perfect moment to release my music and work on my project 100%". He once even participated in a composition session for Lola Índigo while working in the United States after his time at the renowned Berklee College of Music.
At the moment he has not signed with any record label, which he admits gives him freedom: "I was able to take time to release this album because no one was waiting for it". Still, he knows that when there's a record label behind it, it shows in other ways. For example, he had to cut expenses "by carrying the material in a backpack instead of someone else carrying it... But always without giving up the best sound".
Among his current references are Alejandro Sanz, Pablo Alborán or Daniel Caesar. Next Thursday, his fate will be decided at the gala in front of some of these role models, but he already feels very lucky because "being nominated is already an award in itself".
