Graphic by Ella Sylvie
Cuban-Spanish singer-songwriter and producer Lucy Calcines is in the works of becoming a future superstar. Recently a semi-finalist on “The Voice UK,” she has shown her versatile talent of being a bilingual artist by singing in both English and Spanish. She puts her heart into everything she works on and is determined to become successful within the music industry. I had the pleasure of recently interviewing Lucy on Zoom to talk all about her career — from her experience on “The Voice” to gaining her musical sound known as “Popton” and to understanding her songwriting process.
Lucy’s love for music stems from her family, both of her parents being musicians. When she was just three years old, she saw her parents singing and wanted to try it as well. She knew it was something she was meant to do, as singing came naturally to her. While her parents are probably her biggest musical inspirations, she also gains influences from artists like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, BTS, Jennifer Lopez and J Balvin (we sidetracked from the interview for a few minutes to discuss Ariana Grande’s latest record “Positions,” agreeing that “pov” is definitely the standout song on the album as it encourages you to love yourself). These artists all contribute to the type of music she wants to create, as well as her image as an artist.
I asked Lucy to describe her experience on “The Voice UK” to me, and it was clear from the smile on her face how much the journey meant to her: “It was the best experience of my life. I learned so much, met so many amazing people and was just so grateful to be part of the show.” It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to establish herself as an artist, and it also helped her expand her fan base internationally. She chose will.i.am., a member of the music group the Black-Eyed Peas, as her mentor and further discussed how it was like working with such a musical legend. Lucy described will.i.am. as having a creative mind, and how he truly inspired her a lot. He helped her understand how the music industry really works apart from being a singer, like when it comes to producing and writing. “It’s why I picked him,” she told me, “ … because I knew he was going to help me with all of my other attributes as an artist.” Lucy also said he always supported her visions and encouraged her to do what she thought would be better creatively, which is what she thinks helped her the most. Her performance of “Attention” by Charlie Puth was probably her favorite performance on the show, as it was her most “complete performance.” She showcased a different side of herself as an artist by playing the piano and being able to collaborate with the band in order to come up with the arrangement for the performance.
Lucy is a versatile artist, as she sings in both English and Spanish. When it comes to musical genres, she tries not to be too inside the box. She likes to touch upon different genres and fusion them together. Lucy explained the sound of the music she typically creates, a new genre she likes to call “Popton,” which is a mix of pop and reggaeton. According to Lucy, “Popton” blends commercial pop with Latin influences, allowing her to develop her own unique sound. When she is in the process of creating a new song, she often starts with the beat and writes over it. The melodies of her songs will often come to her while she is in the shower, causing her to rush out of her shower to record the melody on her phone so she won’t forget it. Lucy released her debut single “Ain’t Got Time” in 2019, soon after following up with another single, “Pa Ti,” which is her current most streamed song on Spotify with 103K streams. Her most recent single, “OFFICIAL,” currently has 95K streams on Spotify and showcases her fierce “Popton” sound.
According to Lucy, it is key to be certain of what you want, and to be emotionally ready for anything that may come your way.
We talked about her latest single, “OFFICIAL,” discussing everything from the inspiration for the song, to working on the production for it, to filming an iconic music video. Lucy always writes from her personal experiences. She wrote the song two years ago and said it is based on a relationship she had previously been in. A year and a half after the relationship, she had a different perspective on what had happened and therefore wrote “OFFICIAL.” Production-wise for the song, Lucy mixed afrobeats with reggaeton. She explained to me that afrobeats is a genre that is very popular in the U.K., and wanted to have both (reggaeton and afrobeats) in the song so people could “identify with it and relate to the song.” As for the music video, Lucy wanted to convey a concept of self-worth. She is seen in the video as a purple alien and came to Earth to take back a stone from a human, with the stone representing self-worth. She wanted to express in the music video that it is important to love yourself, and to never let anyone step on you in any relationship you may be in.
Speaking on giving advice to other young aspiring singer-songwriters, Lucy would tell them to have thick skin. She said that the industry can be somewhat difficult, and to expect rejection, emphasizing having confidence and believing in yourself. She also advised that there are people in the industry who may not believe in you, and may even make you not believe in yourself. According to Lucy, it is key to be certain of what you want, and to be emotionally ready for anything that may come your way.
Lucy has had a phenomenal musical journey. She told me that being on “The Voice” was “the highlight of 2020” and was “the most important thing” she has done in her career so far. She aims to keep growing as an artist and will continue to dedicate her time to her music. What exactly can we expect from Lucy in 2021? She told me there are a few projects currently in the works and to expect new music coming up soon this year. Lucy Calcines is an artist that should be on everyone’s radar; her vibrant energy is contagious. The hard work and dedication she puts into her music are inspiring, which will only allow her to succeed in her goals of becoming a superstar.
Be sure to follow her on all social media platforms to stay connected and updated on her upcoming new music!
Instagram: @lucy.calcines Twitter: @LucyCalcines Follow Lucy on Spotify here and on Apple Music here. Check out Lucy’s YouTube channel here.