Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Pedro Capó made good use of quarantine quiet.
With the world shut down, Capó carefully crafted his most personal and hands-on album yet, La Neta. That introspection had significant results; while Capó has spent more than a decade writing for himself and artists like Ricky Martin, his first GRAMMY nomination offered a special validation.
“I make music because I love it. It’s who I am. It motivates me to keep doing what I’m doing,” Capó tells GRAMMY.com. “To be considered by the Recording Academy is quite the achievement. It validates my path. It lets me know that I’m on the right track. I’m 43, so it’s sweeter when it happens at this point.”
Capó’s La Neta is nominated for Best Latin Pop Album; its title translates to “The Truth.” Capó was indeed operating from a place of truth, if not purity, while creating his sixth album. When stay-at-home orders were put in place in 2020, Capó built a home studio where he wrote, co-produced, and recorded La Neta. Capó often worked with his teenage son to develop the album’s aural influences.
Across its 10 tracks, Capó blended the music of his youth that he grew up listening to in New York City with the rhythms from Puerto Rico. The swaggering “Hoy Me Siento Cabrón” fuses elements of grunge with a reggaeton-influenced breakdown. In the funky “FOMO,” Capó translates the anxiety from the “fear of missing out” into Spanish.
At the heart of La Neta is the feel-good “La Fiesta.” At a time when people were stuck at home facing the dark reality of mortality, Capó wanted to comfort listeners with a carpe diem anthem reminiscent of Billy Joel.
Although Capó has had hits before — including the global smash “Calma,” which won Song Of The Year at the 2019 Latin GRAMMYs — he sees this GRAMMY nomination as a sign that honesty is the best policy. Ahead of the 66th GRAMMY Awards, Pedro Capó shares the story behind his LP, why La Neta garnered GRAMMY interest, and what’s next in his career.
Seventeen years into your music career, how does it feel to receive your first GRAMMY nomination?
Elated. Grateful. [La Neta] was a homemade album. A pandemic album. Made with a lot of heart and very little expectations. It was a pure moment of photographic honesty.
I’m happy to be embraced by the people first and foremost, and to get the highest of compliments, which comes from my peers. It’s the first time I get an Anglo GRAMMY nomination, so it’s pretty special seeing my name alongside people like Paul Simon, who have been so influential to me in my career. It’s mind blowing.
What about your sixth album La Neta finally garnered you a GRAMMY nomination?
I think it’s honesty. After we had the huge hit with “Calma,” I had to go through a process that was very new to me of rediscovery. Do I chase the dragon? Do I replicate the moment? Or do I go back to the studio and do exactly what I did with “Calma,” which was to have fun, be honest, and express myself in a pure way? That’s what I did.
It took me back to the New York days where I lived over there and played in bars, the sounds that I used to mess around with. I went back to that aspect of my essence and it paid off. I think the connection level relies on honesty at the end of the day. That’s what we did with La Neta alongside Diego Contento and Alexa Zabala. We just had fun in there and we portrayed what was happening, part of my reality at the moment.
You were fully hands-on with this album as a co-producer and writer. Can you describe the experience of putting this album together?
Amazing! It was the album that I enjoyed the most. That’s why it carries such honesty. It’s really a byproduct of my walking in life. It was done in my home studio for the first time. The pandemic made me build a home studio in my house so that I can work.
I spoke with Diego Contento, who hadn’t produced before. [He is] a Berklee graduate [and] he worked at George Noriega’s studio where I used to record at. I said, “Hey bro, why don’t we start messing around in the studio and painting our story?” It was a lot of fun. I’m already working on the next album. La Neta taught me about that path and I definitely want to continue to explore it in such ways.
Pop music is a very malleable genre. How did you make it your own for this album?
[By] going back to my honesty, my influences, and the things that move me. Funnily enough too, my 18-year-old kid, Jahví, kind of became an A&R of sorts or the musical director. The direction of the album comes from my bond with him. We show each other music.
Curiously enough, that music that he’s into has early ’90s alternative as an influence and that’s what I used to listen to when I was his age. It made sense to me to follow that direction and reconnect with my teen self and my son who is a teenager. It kept me fresh. I’m so grateful. He’s my ears to the ground.
I grew up listening from salsa and reggae to rap and blues in the New York years — all of that stuff is definitely present there.
The biggest song from La Neta is “La Fiesta.” Why do you think that millions of people have connected with that song dealing with death?
We all have that in common. We’re all going to go there. Even if we are strong in faith and have these rooted beliefs, in reality there’s uncertainty. We have all this little bit of anxiety and curiosity about the mystery of that leap. It’s the most natural thing in life.
I spoke from my perspective, while also trying to find that common denominator in the human experience. People related to that, to the reality of the human condition, and also putting it in a light way. I think we got to have the conversation and ease up a little bit about it. The unavoidable event of our departure is but an invitation to enjoy every second that we have here on this earth.
You’ve also written a lot for Ricky Martin, who has won the GRAMMY Award for Best Latin Pop Album twice. What does it mean to you now that you’re up for the award?
It’s wild! I remember being 17 or 18 when his Vuelve album came out and blew my mind away. I was also a big fan of Robi Draco Rosa, who was producing a whole bunch of songs on that album. When I walked into the studio to work with Ricky, it was crazy. I’m honored.
It goes to show — and that I will tell to young artists as well — just stick to it. The possibilities are endless. The drop hits the rock so many times that it might break. I’m happy. Grateful.
How will you celebrate if you win your first GRAMMY Award?
[By] heading back to the studio. That night I’m sure I’ll have some champagne and hug my friends and call my family and celebrate it. [I’ll] be present in that moment, but get back to it.
Music is not only my job or my hobby. It’s my way of expression. It’s my therapy. It’s my playground.
What do you want to achieve or accomplish next?
When I achieve a goal, there’s a million more that come to mind. I want to write a musical theater piece. I want to go back to acting and keep growing in that area.
Just make good music, music that impacts the world in a positive way. The way music has saved my life has been so instrumental in my evolution. I want to pay it forward as well. My channel and my way to contribute is through music. We’re going to start releasing singles soon from the new album that we expect to fully drop around August.
