Earlier this Week we caught up with Latin pop sensation, Prince Royce about his Debut English single “Stuck on a Feeling” featuring Snoop Dogg.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Prince Royce’s success, he is inarguably one of the biggest latin artists in the world. With millions of fans, Royce has garnered success in the Latin community including Grammy nominations and multiple Latin Billboard awards. On November 24, RCA Records will officially release Royce’s long-awaited debut english single “Stuck on a Feeling” featuring Snoop Dogg. We sat down with Prince Royce, the king of Latin Pop and R&B, to discuss his debut English single, transitioning from Spanish to English and more!
You just released your debut english language single “Stuck on A feeling,” tell us why now was the time for you to work on your debut english project?
Im very excited to do this infamous crossover that to latinos feels so difficult and so not common.We’ve seen Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin and a handful of artists that have done it, so it’s exciting for me to come and do something that hasn’t been done in a while, in like 10 years. I think now is the time I’ve released 3 spanish albums and it’s been a great run, I’ve been able to travel the world, been able to take bachata to Switzerland and Italy, so many places that don’t even speak spanish. With this genre that started in the Dominican Republic that is not even as popular or never was … as rock and pop, so it’s definitely been great to try something new, its been a whole new experience.
Stuck on a feeling is actually a 112 sample from a song called “Dance With Me,” so as soon as I heard the beat it reminded me of New York and growing up in the Bronx and junior high school and high school and I identified with it right away. With the record we got Snoop Dogg on it, we just shot the video last week. It was very fun and cool, it was a big production, it was choreographed and it’s like a mystery in the video and it’s very cinematic and I’m excited because it’s a new chapter in my career.
When can we expect the video to come out ?
Not sure, I’m actually going to get the first cut this week, we uploaded a lyric video which is very interactive kind of like a mini music video yesterday on Vevo, but the official launch date is this monday.
Tell us about the concept for the track?
In life, everything’s about feelings and emotions and I think that music is very similar to that song where music can take you back to a certain place or certain event or certain person and that’s kind of what the song is about; being stuck on a certain feeling and not worried about what’s going on outside, not worried about anything else but that specific moment. Where that specific moment could be happy, could be sad it could be any type of feeling and I think that’s kind of what the vibe is, having some sort of emotion and letting that emotion take over.
What was it like working with Jason Evigan?
Super dope guy, he’s produced so many hit records in the past with big name artists like Maroon 5 and Demi Lovato and I think just having one of those top notch hit makers on the team and supporting us is a big step and I think that’s what it’s all about; just putting together a great team, putting together a great production. We’re trying to be as successful as possible, we’re not trying to miss. That’s why we’ve been doing everything big, when it comes to radio, when it comes to video, when it comes to performances, we’re trying to do everything big and let people know who I am, even though I’ve released three albums and I’m very popular in the latin community, it’s almost like I’m reintroducing myself to the people who don’t know who I am to let them know where I’m from, what I’m doing and that we’re trying to do it big.
What was it like working with Snoop Dogg?
It was awesome, as soon as I heard the song I knew I wanted Snoop on it, I just heard his vibe on it. When we reached out to Snoop and his team he recorded the song in two days, very fast. I was very surprised at how fast he cut the record and when I first heard the song it was exactly how I pictured it and when I recorded the video it’s exactly how I pictured Snoop also. He was super cool, super dope and super relaxed at the video. I think he’s exactly how I pictured him to be, he was just a cool dude.
Can you speak about the differences between songwriting in spanish and english for you?
Well I think for me , Spanish is just such a romantic language. When you translate certain words it doesn’t project the same emotion and I think writing in spanish is very romantic. I don’t know if you watch telenovelas, our spanish soap operas are very emotional. If you’re sad, it’s like the world is ending and if you’re happy it’s like overjoy. So I think that crosses over into music , you know we’re very passionate. When we’re talking about love we’re talking about giving a girl the moon, and the earth and the sky and everything around it, it’s so passionate. When we’re talking about sadness in spanish it’s very deep, it’s very dark. In english it’s a whole different type of writing process, you have way more slang in english than you do in spanish, I wouldn’t say english is less romantic, but it’s edgier and sexier. You can do so many different things in english, on Pop or on R&B than you can do in Spanish. It’s whole different animal and I think it’s been fun experimenting with this whole new english vibe, for example on songs we do a lot of stacks in english, a lot of recording a lot of background, whereas in Spanish it’s more of a single voice, it’s a more raw type of vocal production. It’s a big difference but I feel comfortable with both languages. I grew up listening to both types of music so I feel very comfortable with both.
Are there any feelings or words in Spanish that you can’t express in English ?
For sure, something so simple like I like you in English, in Spanish is Te Quiero and in spanish it’s a much more serious word and then when you go into I love you it gets even more serious. So even something like I like you, in English it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a relationship and it doesn’t mean I’m in love with her, but in Spanish I like you is very different, it’s passionate. Something like that demonstrates the difference between the two languages.
You’re a native New Yorker born and raised in the Bronx and have performed at Radio City Music Hall and the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, when you were growing up did you imagine you would be where you are today and playing such large venues, winning Latin Billboard awards and Grammy nominations and essentially being one of the biggest latin artist in the world?
I think yes, I really did picture all this. I think growing up all I could think about was doing music and that’s literally all I did. After school and after work I was doing music and I think I truthfully did picture myself doing a lot of things and singing to a lot of people and being on the radio. You know you hope to achieve all these things and you hope to make your dream comes true. You don’t necessarily know if its gonna happen or when its gonna happen, but I did envision it.
What can you tell us about your upcoming album? Any producer shout outs?
We’re working with a lot of people, like Roccstar who does a lot of Chris Brown’s stuff, Oak who does a lot of Usher’s stuff. It’s a fusion of so many different things because I grew up listening to so many different things. I got pop records, I got R&B records, I got the more rhythmic, more urban, I got ballads, I got more raw just love songs, I‘ve got songs that have more latin influence type of rhythm and others that are just a little bit of spanish on the signing. I think its going to be a melting pot.
Where did your passion for singing come from?
My mom sang, but it was never something that got put on me. It was never something like hey take this guitar start playing or here you should do music. It was just a passion I had from the beginning. I started singing in the shower when I was 13 and I started singing to the girls in junior high school and I think that’s how it kind of started. I think it was just something that was always a hobby.
You’ve been able to collaborate with some incredible legends like Ben E. King, as well as artists like Selena Gomez, Enrique Inglesias and many more. Can you reflect on some of those collaborations?
I think with every collaboration it’s a learning its a learning experience because every artist works differently, every artist is a different person, a different character. I think collabing with all these artists whether it’s Maná or Daddy Yankee or Ben E. King who’s old school and getting to sing the song together 50 years later at the Grammys, you learn a lot from these artists and these veterans or these icons like Snoop Dogg. I try to be like a sponge and learn from each individual, how do they write, how do they record and what do they do when they’re in the booth. I remember when that rockband, Maná and I were recording, they were in the booth and they made the booth all white, like white curtains, candles, certain pictures of certain people and it;s a learning expereince.
Who would you like to work with in the future?
I would love to do something with Shakira, I think she’s hot, I think she represents latin women well, it’s difficult for guys to sing and crossover and it’s even more difficult for women I think. She’s done a great job representing the latin community, there are so many different artists I’d love to collab with, Rihanna, Jay-Z.
The past 5 years since your 2009 debut have been unbelievable, where do you see yourself in the next 5 years, what else do you hope to achieve in that time?
I don’t really think too far in the future, I try to think about today, tomorrow and the day after. 5 years from now I just hope that I can continue to sing and continue to be able to hopefully put out english music and latin music and maybe get into film or fashion. I’d love to just keep doing what I’m doing and still be here hopefully.
-Nishat Baig
