Up and coming Chilean Reggaeton artist FloyyMenor shares the story behind creating his hit "Gata Only" with Cris MJ, his new album 'El Comienzo,' how he feels about representing Chilean artists and Chilean reggaeton, wanting to collaborate with artists like Karol G and Travis Scott, who his biggest music inspirations are and more!
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00Have you been in contact with Travis Scott?
00:02Yes.
00:02Wow.
00:03I met him in person.
00:04He had like 10 million on Spotify.
00:06It was going up like the speed of light.
00:07I met him in person and it was like,
00:09wow, he's sold out.
00:11Hi, I'm Floyd Menori.
00:12You're watching Billboard News.
00:17Welcome to New York.
00:18Yes, yes.
00:19It's the same as in the movies,
00:21like in the videos that come out.
00:23It's the same.
00:25Congratulations on all the success you've had musically.
00:27Yes, exactly.
00:29I've done a couple of shows in Chile,
00:31which I haven't done that much now,
00:33but I'm more focused on recording,
00:36on doing my thing,
00:38because I'm not comfortable giving interviews to anyone.
00:42Well, thank you for the interview.
00:44Yes, exactly.
00:45It's the same, it's Billboard, it's a dream.
00:48First, we have to talk about the beginning of your EP.
00:51How has your experiences influenced you
00:54in the last year while you were creating your EP?
00:57As I always say, it's like my first mini-album,
01:01so it all has to do with the beginning of my career, you know?
01:06The album was also created with seven songs,
01:09which I was also releasing songs that I didn't want anymore,
01:12I was adding more, like Peligroso.
01:19To turn off the cell and all those new songs
01:21that have gone very well, obviously, to the top.
01:24Obviously, the title, the beginning,
01:27is a new chapter for you.
01:29It means a lot because it was like an album
01:34that opened up thousands of doors
01:36and thousands of expectations for people.
01:44Both for my image and for my artists,
01:47who also opened doors for me on Billboard,
01:49who got to know me, who nominated me for important awards,
01:53to gain more recognition worldwide.
01:57Also, what I found interesting
02:00is that you have already collaborated with very well-known artists.
02:08In the remix of Gataón, you already worked with Ozuna.
02:11Yes, with Anitta. Yes, good, good.
02:14And we keep working to keep connecting
02:17with bigger artists like Xavi Scott,
02:21like Adele, and I would like to collaborate with them.
02:24With Gataón's massive team,
02:27how do you feel that this single has established
02:30the expectations for your first EP?
02:32Good. Gataón was a worldwide hit
02:35that people could say,
02:38let's keep listening to music,
02:40and I meet my EP, Gataón,
02:43and I see what's dangerous.
02:45People also started to like my music,
02:48they got to know me more,
02:51and Gataón helped me get to know my other songs
02:55and to keep listening.
02:57I found it very interesting
02:59because you released the song
03:01and then you brought Chris MJ.
03:04Gataón, as I said in several interviews,
03:07I recorded it.
03:09I wrote it about ten months ago,
03:11and it's been about a year
03:13since I wrote that song.
03:15I recorded it and I kept it.
03:17You know, I kept it
03:19and I was waiting for the right time
03:21to release it.
03:23I released it this year
03:25alone, like the original song.
03:28It was going up,
03:30it's been about two weeks
03:32and it's been about 10 million on Spotify.
03:34It was going up like a boom,
03:36so I wrote it to Chris MJ
03:38and he told me he wanted to write it,
03:40so I came and I wrote the song.
03:42We connected with Chris,
03:44we recorded it in the studio,
03:46and everything went well.
03:48You released the song
03:50and then the result,
03:52the end result.
03:54Obviously, yes.
03:56I also saw it
03:58with Chris MJ,
04:00he was already a world-renowned artist.
04:02He was already known, you know?
04:04He had already collaborated with Karol G.
04:06Exactly, with Karol G.
04:08They had a night in Medellín.
04:14So I also said,
04:16and my brother,
04:18since we are colleagues,
04:20we are like brothers,
04:22and it also helped me a lot
04:24in my career.
04:26And well, recently you also collaborated
04:28in two more songs,
04:30Déjame Pensar and Después de la Una.
04:32Tell me a little bit about how
04:34those collaborations were accomplished
04:36and how,
04:38you have been knowing each other
04:40and collaborating for almost a year.
04:42How has that story been?
04:44Actually, we have like
04:46ten songs together,
04:48so I wanted to release a mini EP
04:50called MJ,
04:52which he chose those two songs
04:54and he made a mini album,
04:56a mini EP of two songs
04:58together,
05:00and everything went well
05:02and it was going up,
05:04so now I also have to release
05:06my two songs with him.
05:10Also,
05:13how did the Chilean reggaeton
05:15become known?
05:17We became more known in the world
05:19because before it used to be
05:21a lot of PR,
05:23world stars like
05:25Anuel, Karol G from Colombia,
05:27and Chilean music was not
05:29so much seen,
05:31so with Gata Oliva,
05:33Chile is on fire,
05:35the whole industry is
05:37aiming for Chile,
05:39so we also give Chilean artists
05:41a chance to be known in the world.
05:43Tell me about your influences,
05:45your inspirations,
05:47who were the artists
05:49that you looked at
05:51that motivated you?
05:53When I was a kid,
05:55I listened to a lot of songs
05:57like
05:59Travis Scott
06:01or Coldplay.
06:07I really like the music in English.
06:09And now that you have had
06:11contact with Travis Scott?
06:13Yes, I met him in person
06:15in the studio.
06:17Are there any artists
06:19or producers in particular
06:21that you would like to collaborate with?
06:23With Karol G, I would like to do something
06:25with Travis Scott,
06:27it's like a goal that I have there.
06:29Being the first Chilean singer
06:31to be able to be here in the Philippines
06:33is also a dream,
06:35because I also wanted that.
06:37When you first
06:39made it to the Billboard charts,
06:41we heard that
06:43that achievement had not happened
06:45since Miriam Hernández,
06:47and now that you are
06:49from this century,
06:51how do you feel that responsibility?
06:53It's normal,
06:55I'm learning,
06:57being with my team,
06:59I have to mature at an early age
07:01because I'm not like
07:03those stars
07:05who have their years,
07:07who already know
07:09the contracts and all those things.
07:11I liked it because
07:13it's part of a dream,
07:15it's like a goal
07:17that I have achieved,
07:19the same as being in the Billboard charts.
07:21I knew that there was no singer
07:23who has achieved this,
07:25so being me
07:27is like fulfilling that dream.
07:29And I found out that
07:31they wanted to work with you younger
07:34because they were waiting for you
07:36to turn 18, right?
07:38Yes, exactly.
07:44But it was a mystery
07:46because you had only cars
07:48on the covers of your songs.
07:50Yes,
07:52because I didn't have
07:54the necessary resources
07:56to be able to make videos,
07:58I had to make them myself
08:00and make covers,
08:02and upload my songs
08:04with only one image.
08:06Do you get more inspired
08:08when you go to the studio?
08:10When do you get that inspiration?
08:12Normally,
08:14when I'm in my car
08:16with my team,
08:18we listen to my music.
08:20I listen to my songs
08:22to see if they are good
08:24or if I can add something else.
08:26But normally I listen to a lot of tracks,
08:28a lot of songs,
08:30to be able to write.
08:32That's my hobby.
08:34And did you always know
08:36that you wanted to be an artist?
08:38No, normally
08:40when I was young,
08:42my dream was to speak English
08:44and come to the United States.
08:46Wow, and look,
08:48you're already fulfilling that dream.
08:50What did your family say?
08:52They were proud,
08:54they always supported me.
08:56As I said,
08:58I told my family
09:00because we didn't have
09:02a lot of resources.
09:04We were like
09:06humble people.
09:08From La Serena?
09:10No, from Vicuña.
09:12It's like the interior of Serena.
09:14So we didn't have the resources
09:16to eat.
09:18Wow.
09:20And I told them
09:22that I was getting good at music
09:24and I was going to the city
09:26when I was 17.
09:28One year ago?
09:30One and a half.
09:32And you've traveled to Argentina,
09:34Mexico...
09:36Yes, I've been to Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru,
09:38and now to the United States.
09:40For the first time?
09:42Yes.
09:44You came to New York,
09:46the first city in the United States.
09:48In the capital.
09:50And you produce a lot of songs.
09:52I don't record them,
09:55all the lyrics are mine.
09:57All the lyrics are mine,
09:59written by me.
10:01Besides, I'm not like any other producer.
10:03I'm very low profile,
10:05very antisocial,
10:07I don't like to work with anyone.
10:09What do you look for
10:11in someone's qualities?
10:13What attracts you?
10:15To record with them.
10:17Exclusiveness,
10:19and to have a high level.
10:21I imagine you've talked a lot about Gata Only
10:23and all the success he's had.
10:25He made a very important hit.
10:27In history.
10:29Wow, incredible.
10:31How did you live that moment
10:33and how did you feel when he welcomed you?
10:35He's giving me a lot.
10:37I asked God a lot,
10:39because I always put God
10:41before all my goals.
10:43I'm not religious,
10:45but I believe a lot in God
10:47and I go everywhere with Him.
10:49And everything I have
10:51is thanks to Him.
10:53You're also going to participate
10:55with us in Billboard Music Week.
10:57Yay!
10:59How exciting!
11:01Yes, of course.
11:03And this year
11:05you're a finalist
11:07in several Billboard categories.
11:09Yes, that's right.
11:11What does that mean for you?
11:13Being selected.
11:15It's great,
11:17because I've always wanted
11:19to be in Billboard
11:21and to be nominated
11:23through nominations
11:25like I'm doing now.
11:27Why should someone attend
11:29a Floyd Menor concert?
11:31So they can listen to good music.
11:33Go for it!
11:39What can we expect
11:41from Floyd Menor in the future?
11:43He's going to keep studying
11:45and he's positioned as a star
11:47in the United States
11:49and all over the world.
11:51He's going to keep breaking
11:53and making hits.
11:55There's still a long way to go.
11:57Floyd,
11:59I thought we were going
12:01to surprise you,
12:03but you're going to learn
12:05the Empire State Building.
12:07It's incredible.
12:09It's the first time a Chilean
12:11does that here in New York.
12:13What do you think?
12:16Like everyone says,
12:18it's the best.
12:20It's impressive.
12:22It's an honor
12:24to have you here
12:26and talk to you.
12:28Congratulations.