Pedro Fernández talks about the new album “Te Doy La Vida”: “Love is above everything”

Pedro Fernández, one of the greatest exponents of ranchera music, is out Te Doy La Vida on Friday (July 19), his 40th career album and his first in five years. It's also the first with his own record label, Fernández Music, a “significant” step with which he hopes to “meet the public's expectations,” he says.

“That's why it took time,” explains the Mexican singer in an exclusive interview Billboard Español. “We worked on it very carefully.”

Produced by Fernando de Santiago, Te Doy La Vida includes 15 tracks, six of which are co-written by Fernández. In addition to the artist's usual romantic ballads – such as the title track, “Dime Que Sí”, “El Milagro De Tus Ojos” and “Solo Para Mí” – and more danceable tracks such as “El Mariachi”, Fernández covers two classics : “Cómo Te Extraño”, first popularized by Leo Dan, and “Cómo Será La Mujer” by Rigo Tovar. These are “jewels” of “two people I respect a lot,” he says.

Among his favorites from the album are three romantic tracks: “Dulcesito de Chamoy,” a ballad in which he uses very Mexican expressions like the song's title, which refers to something sweet and spicy, to describe a couple; “Dime Que Sí”, an upbeat song he co-wrote with Francella Ortiz and Xavier Santos. and “Solo Para Mí,” a song by an unknown writer with a mariachi string section that perfectly accompanies the love-themed lyrics.

As for the album title, Te Doy La Vida — which loosely translates to “I give you my life” — the star says, “In life there's sadness and there's joy, it's part of every experience. But love is a feeling that is above all. When we sing to love, we sing to a universal feeling.”

With a career spanning four decades so far, Fernández remains faithful to traditional mariachi. “I'm part of the old school and I will continue to defend mariachi music because it represents my country, it's the genre that defines us as Mexicans,” he affirms, although he also understands that the new generations “have to add their own style. “

The star, who is also a lifelong actor – his screen credits date back to his starring role in the 1979 film La Niña De La Mochila Azul — was preparing his new album while working at Telemundo's Malverde: El Santo Patrón (2021-2022) and HBO's Mariachis (2022). “Acting has always been a very important tool for me,” she reflects. “I feel very grateful to the audience because they have been very generous with me. I have been involved in major productions for both television and film with great success and this has allowed me to be close to the world.”

“It's also allowed me to stay informed, because music isn't a sure thing,” adds the singer of hits like “Mi Forma de Sentir,” “Sin Verte” and “Quien,” which have entered the top 10. Advertising signHot Latin Songs chart.

Fernández recently signed with Starmedia Consulting for management and touring. “I'm very excited because it's an alliance that will give a different impetus to my career and the project will also go hand in hand with my new album,” he said, adding that he expects to announce tour dates “very soon.” in Mexico and the USA for 2024-2025.