Pedro Fernández , one of the greatest exponents of ranchera music, releases Te Doy La Vida on Friday (July 19), the 40th album of his career and his first in five years. It is also the first under his own label, Fernández Music, an “important” step with which he hopes to “meet the public’s expectations,” he says.
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“That’s why it took time,” explains the Mexican singer in an exclusive interview with Billboard Español . “We worked on it very carefully.”
Produced by Fernando de Santiago, Te Doy La Vida includes 15 tracks, six of them co-written by Fernández. In addition to the artist’s usual romantic ballads — such as the title track, “Dime Que Sí,” “El Milagro De Tus Ojos” and “Solo Para Mí” — and more dance-worthy tracks such as “El Mariachi,” Fernández covers two classics: “Cómo Te Extraño,” first popularized by Leo Dan, and “Cómo Será La Mujer” by Rigo Tovar. These are “jewels” of “two people I respect very much,” he says.
Among his favorites from the album are three romantic tracks: “Dulcesito de Chamoy,” a ballad in which he uses very Mexican expressions such as the title of the song, which refers to something sweet and spicy, to describe a couple; “Dime Que Sí,” an upbeat song he co-wrote with Francella Ortiz and Xavier Santos; and “Solo Para Mí,” a song by an unknown author with a mariachi string section that perfectly accompanies the love-themed lyrics.
As for the album’s title, Te Doy La Vida — which loosely translates to “I give you my life” — the star says, “In life there is sadness and there are joys, it is part of every experience. But love is a feeling that is above all. When we sing to love, we are singing to a universal feeling.”
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With career that has spanned four decades so far, Fernández remains faithful to traditional mariachi. “I am part of the old school and I will continue defending mariachi music because it represents my country, it is the genre that identifies us as Mexicans,” he affirms, although he also understands that the new generations “must add their own style.”
The star, who is also a lifelong actor — his screen credits date back to his starring role in the 1979 film La Niña De La Mochila Azul — was preparing his new album while working on Telemundo’s Malverde: El Santo Patrón (2021-2022) and HBO’s Mariachis (2022). “Acting has always been a very important tool for me,” he reflects. “I feel very grateful for the audience because they have been very generous with me. I’ve been in great productions both for TV and film with a lot of success, and that has allowed me to be close to the people.”
“It has also allowed me to stay current, because music is not a sure thing,” adds the singer of hits such as “Mi Forma de Sentir,” “Sin Verte” and “Quien,” all of which have entered the top 10 of Billboard ‘s Hot Latin Songs chart.
Fernández recently signed with Starmedia Consulting for management and touring. “I am very excited because it is an alliance that will give a different impulse in my career, and the project will also go hand in hand with my new album,” he said, adding that he expects to announce “very soon” tour dates in Mexico and the U.S. slated for 2024-2025.
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