Spotify Singles is back with a groundbreaking Latin American Spotify Single—a powerful anthem forged entirely by the collective strength and creativity of women.
“Mucho Peor – Spotify Singles” is a testament to the unwavering strength and talent of women who have been the driving force at every stage, from songwriting and composition to production, mixing, engineering, and content promotion. Four exceptional Mexican LGBTQIA+ musicians, Kirnbauer, Joaquina Mertz, María Centeno, and Noa Sainz, have embraced their roles as GLOW ambassadors, uniting for a remarkable initiative. This project is part of Spotify’s Created by Women playlist, which celebrates music crafted entirely by women from around the world.
Hosted on the EQUAL hub, Spotify’s global initiative for achieving audio industry equity for women and gender nonconforming individuals, the Spotify Singles project stands as a testament to the dedication of over 300 artists. Their contributions, totaling more than 700 recordings, transcend genres and have accumulated over 7 billion streams.
In our interview, we explore the stories of Kirnbauer, Joaquina, María, and Noa as individual musicians, collaborators, and friends, in celebration of women’s creativity, talent, and the power of music to bridge boundaries and uplift voices.
Kirnbauer
How did the idea for “Mucho Peor” come about, and what inspired you to participate in this landmark project created entirely by women?
I just knew from the beginning that there was nothing like that out there, and having the opportunity to create this track with a team of women – who not only inspires me, but who I also get to call my friends – was something that had to happen. I am extremely grateful for this experience.
Can you tell us about your role in the composition and production of the song? What was your creative process like?
The role that I had at the beginning on this project was to find music references that made sense for this collaboration, as each one of us have very different musical backgrounds and make different kinds of music for our own independent projects.
I remember the creative process behind the production and composition started with us looking for instrumental tracks that we could all vibe to and felt comfortable with. Each one of us had their own idea for a verse, but we all collaborated in the end for it to feel like a final cohesive idea and an amazing song that we could enjoy and share with the world.
As a queer artist, how do you feel this project contributes to promoting diversity and inclusivity in the music industry?
I think that as a queer woman, existing, creating, and sharing with the world is an empowering and a radical act. But also, it’s all about creating the space for it to happen, being visible, and crediting each one of the women that made this happen.
What is your interpretation of a Raw Femme?
A Raw Femme for me is someone that is unapologetically themself and navigates the world in their own and very unique way. Someone who’s not afraid of breaking stereotypes and has their own definition of success and way of thinking.
I hope that people feel empowered, especially women, to say whatever they want without being silenced. Existing without feeling like you are saying or feeling too much – that’s not a real thing.
Kirnbauer
Noa Sainz
“Mucho Peor” is a unique project with a focus on gender representation. How does it feel to be part of such a groundbreaking initiative?
Working with women is always better, but my highlight in this one was the opportunity it gave me to connect with artists that I already admired, but in a more personal way.
Your music has been described as R&B, and you’ve performed at notable festivals. How does this project differ from your previous work, and what challenges or exciting opportunities did it bring?
The first demo of the song was written over an R&B beat, but then Maria Vertiz presented a beat that changed the genres that the song could fit into. The most exciting part was the opportunity to share a song that I made with friends all over the world, and it also gave me an excuse to go to NYC for the first time.
As ambassadors for GLOW and participants in “Created by Women,” how do you envision using your platform to inspire and uplift other women and gender nonconforming individuals in the music industry?
I think I’m just very transparent about how I feel about things, and people connect with that. They use my words to express what they wouldn’t normally say out loud.
What do you hope audiences will experience or discover when they listen to “Mucho Peor”?
I think it is a song that has connected with people beyond the language barrier, so I think that’s a good sign of the emotional weight that we left in there.
What is your interpretation of a Raw Femme?
I think it represents a woman with the gut of a female wolf. A woman that fights for her identity.
Joaquina Mertz
Your music explores a wide range of global rhythms and sounds. How did your diverse musical influences contribute to the creation of “Mucho Peor”?
I am very lucky to have been able to work with a group of women who know the type of music I make and understand my musical background.
I was trained as an opera singer, and then extended my studies to Blues, Jazz, R&B and Latin folklore.
I am also very lucky to have been able to introduce my girls to María Vertiz, our producer. We studied classical music together and then met up in college again (Berklee College of Music), so it was very easy to ease into a musical universe that was diverse and that allowed us to move into any genre in a homogeneous way. María Vertiz is a genius when it comes to combining musical genres.
To me, existing while being expected to fit into a million boxes, has become super mundane and irrelevant. I want freedom in everything I make, and how I present it to the world. I think that was my biggest contribution to “Mucho Peor.”
As part of the GLOW initiative, how does it feel to represent the LGBTQIA+ community in music, and what role does music play in promoting inclusivity?
It has been such a dream to be a part of the GLOW initiative and to have been chosen to make such a fun and innovative song!
For me, marginalized groups have always been some of the most important vectors in culture, especially music. I feel like so many creators find inspiration in queer, Black, and Latinx culture. We have always been in the frontline of bending people’s expectations, while being unique and unafraid of telling our truth. We allow all kinds of people to feel comfortable with who they are, and we promote safe space and understanding, as well as fashion and culture.
Could you share some memorable moments or insights from your collaboration with Kirnbauer, Noa Sainz, and María Centeno on this project?
Working with my friends has been such a dream come true. I am such a fan of all these girls, their hard work, their passion and most of all what they have to say and how they contribute to the amazing up and coming projects based in Mexico.
I think our writing process and working in the studio was my favorite part of making this project. We really got to dig into each individual’s working process, and became tighter because of this experience.
My favorite part has also been becoming better friends than we already were, and being able to talk freely about our dreams, aspirations, struggles and battles within the music industry.
What do you hope listeners will take away from “Mucho Peor,” and how does it connect to your broader artistic vision and future projects?
I hope listeners feel cocky when they listen to this song; this was my main purpose while writing my verse. I feel like men have always been allowed to talk about cockiness and sexiness, and women have been deemed to not express themselves in this way. I personally don’t agree with that.
In general, I know my projects will continue to explore music and its genres. I don’t want to feel stuck, or like I can only do ONE thing. I want women and queer folks to feel inspired by my music, which will always challenge what society has implied on what I have to do, or how I have to look, or what I need to talk about. I will always be true to who I am and what truly matters to me.
I hope I have more opportunities working with women, and creating worlds in which we are the main characters.
What is your interpretation of a Raw Femme?
A Raw Femme is someone who doesn’t comply with any type of binary or standards. A Raw Femme is someone who is unafraid and unapologetic. A Raw Femme is proud to be who they are with their flaws, their grief, their darkness. Someone who takes all that and can transform it into something beautiful and true.
María Centeno
Congratulations on being part of “Mucho Peor” as both a member of a band and a solo artist. How do these experiences influence your musical style and approach to creating music?
Creating music is always a very rewarding experience. Whenever I finish a song, whether it’s on my own or with Lito de la Isla (my bandmate in La Isla Centeno), I feel very happy and complete. But there is something particularly rewarding about writing with a team of people. When you write with more than one person, you have to find a way to give everyone’s ideas a special place in the song; you have to play as a team member and learn to let go of some of your ideas in order to give space to someone else’s ideas. Writing with other people influences me by making me aware of the endless possibilities that exist for writing a song, for finding the right melody or the right words. Also, whenever you write songs with more people you have a team to celebrate with if the song does well, there’s a sense of collectiveness that is very heartwarming and fun.
Could you tell us about your journey into the world of music, and how you discovered your unique musical voice?
I think that ever since I was a baby, I was very connected to music because that’s what my mom and dad say, but I do remember clearly one day we were in music class at school (with a wonderful French teacher that used to be an opera singer). We were singing something and suddenly the teacher made everyone stop and made me sing on my own. Then, after hearing me she told me that I had a good voice, I must have been 7, I think that was the day where I realized that maybe that was going to be my thing. After that day, that same teacher had a conversation with my parents to let them know that I might never be the best student but that I liked music and that they should help me to explore that path. Thankfully my parents did so and put me in piano lessons and I just never stopped studying music. I eventually started writing songs when I was like 12 and basically I just continued to do so until now. I never imagined myself doing anything else.
What’s the significance of this project for you personally, and what do you hope it represents for the future of female artists in the industry?
I hope this project brings light to the fact that there are not enough women in the music industry.There are not enough female producers, engineers, songwriters, bookers, managers – I just hope that this collaboration between women, between friends, inspires someone somewhere.
What is your interpretation of a Raw Femme?
The words that come to mind when I hear “Raw Femme” are: Latina, Fabulosa, Freedom, Power, Sabiduría.
Stream “Mucho Peor” now, only on Spotify, and follow Kirnbauer, Noa Sainz, María Centeno, and Joaquina Mertz and follow them on Spotify!