INTERVIEW: GALE Discusses Writing Songs for Your Favorite Artists, Her Debut Album and More
In an exclusive conversation with Hypebae, GALE gets candid about her accomplishments, inspirations and hopes for the future.
Whether you’re familiar with GALE (pronounced GAH-leh) or not, chances are you actually do know her music. The Puerto Rican musician got her start in the industry by writing songs for some of your favorite artists, including Christina Aguilera, Cardi B, Manuel Turizo, Juanes, Shakira, Anitta and more. However, she’s recently branched out and become her very own pop star.
In May, GALE dropped her debut album, Lo Que No Te Dije. The LP is comprised of 13 empowering tracks, all with very special messages fans can easily relate to. To learn more about GALE and her music, keep scrolling for her exclusive interview with Hypebae.
How and when did you become interested in becoming a musician?
I’ve always felt connected to music … I never wanted to be or do anything else other than to be an artist, singer, songwriter or performer. I wrote my first song when I was seven. I thought I had a superpower, and I never wanted to stop doing it since, and I never did.
How has songwriting for other artists helped you or impacted you as a singer?
The process is always different when writing for other artists, but I find it so inspiring. It helps me a lot in finding new ways of saying or describing specific feelings because every artist is unique and their own world, so it’s always a fun creative journey.
What inspired you to create this album as well as choose the title Lo Que No Te Dije? Are there any themes you had in mind when recording the songs?
This album is inspired by a very particular moment in my life when I broke up with someone and decided to put myself and love myself first. It’s all the ups and downs I went through while getting over this breakup. It’s empowering, badass and so vulnerable.
The title Lo Que No Te Dije was one of the first titles I had a mind, but I wasn’t so sure in the beginning, so I came up with like a hundred more. But deep down in my heart, I knew that was the one. It translates to “All the things I didn’t tell you,” which is literally every song in this album.
Do you have a favorite song on the album?
It’s so hard to choose one … I honestly love every single one of them. They make me feel everything at once. If I had to choose, it cannot be one. I would say “La Mitad” for being the most vulnerable, “Triste” because it’s so freeing and nostalgic, “Ego” ’cause I was so mad, I can still feel all the frustration when I listen to it and “Ahora Sí” because it’s pretty naked and straightforward with a beautiful plot twist. Oh, and “1 + 1,” of course — the reason why I created this album. I thought I was done, but can I add “Nubes.” I wrote this song about female pleasure; I think it’s an important and beautiful thing to talk more about. The whole album. Please don’t make me choose.
How would you describe your music and overall aesthetic?
Pop-Grunge-Urban. 2000s pop queen.
Do you have an artist/act you dream of collaborating with?
Shakira. I’ve created songs with her before, for her project and I love those songs and I love her as a person, but I would love to explore how a song for us would be.
What do you hope your fans take away from your debut album?
I hope they let themselves feel everything they need to feel to let go and put themselves first and know that they’re enough and worthy and so wonderful. I hope they find a safe space in this album for being vulnerable and epically themselves. And of course, to connect with each other, because it’s crazy how different we all are yet so similar in everything we feel.
Stream Lo Que No Te Dije below.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
