"I Wanted to Make an Anthem": Argentine Singer-Songwriter + Actor Gerard Flores Talks Debut Single "Esta Noche"

Gerard Flores is no stranger to hardship, but through the extraordinary power of music, he is rising above and becoming an example to follow, showing listeners the way to overcoming even the most painful of life’s challenges.

A veteran in entertainment, first making a name for himself as an actor in commercials, musicals, movies and television shows throughout Latin America and the United States, Flores experienced years of devastating bullying during his childhood for being “different,” but it was music that kept his head above water, providing him with a way to cope with the distressing situations he faced on a daily basis. “It was terrible,” he revealed to Musical Notes Global. “I needed to take another way home so I wouldn’t come across people and not get bullied, or get punched in the face. But I would go home and put on music and I would feel that it was going to be okay. Music would transport me to other places way better than where I was living in that moment, and that is ultimately what art should do. It should make you escape and make you feel things.”

Marked by the adversity he endured for more than a decade, now Flores is turning a negative into a positive as he launches his career as a singer and songwriter. “Music was a tool that made me forget everything that was happening around me,” he said. “I would put on my headphones and everything would be okay. It would give me joy and hope…I want to make people feel that too.” Guided by stunning empathy and refined insight, in 2020, he is encouraging his listeners to be their truest selves, harnessing the magic of song and its ability to foster human connection in order to reinforce the idea that there is beauty and strength in our differences, and that those differences are meant to be celebrated, not serve as a green light for persecution.

The Buenos Aires-born artist made his first footprint on the industry this March, and it was an invaluable one at that. With his debut single “Esta Noche,” he immediately set forth a much-needed dose of feel-good energy and comfort. “I wanted to make an anthem. I wanted people to have an uplifting song. Something with a simple message, but with a lot of positivity,” he noted. Transcending all language, culture and sound barriers, the song is euphorically resplendent, brightened by the irresistible sparkle of flamenco alongside glistening elements of pop, EDM, and other Latin genres such as reggaeton. “I wanted to show a little bit of Latin America, Spain, and part of Europe,” he explained. “Even though we are far away, we are in the same world, and we are all together in this, and we are all the same. Everything can go together because in the end it comes from people and we are all the same…You need to mix everything.”

To make his vision a reality, Flores enlisted Aleena Gibson, known for her work with Jason DeRulo, Nick Carter and David Bisbal, as his co-writer, and Grammy-nominee and Latin GRAMMY-winner Trevor Muzzy (Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, and Alejandro Sanz) to head up the production. With the help of this remarkable team, Flores was able to craft a unique sound, as well as the message that has already become his trademark and will no doubt continue to find its way into his future releases. “With this song we wanted people to step away from their problems and step away from everything they are doing, and dance and release and be themselves,” he said. “And I think that’s what I wanted to do with music.”

“Esta Noche” was simultaneously released along with an exciting video, which echoes Flores’ intent to encourage his fans to express themselves through music. He noted that the video was a lot of fun to film along with his team of talented dancers, and the whole production came together easily, with the video’s concept developing naturally, born from a moment of quiet meditation. "I just closed my eyes, put my headphones on, sat outside in my garden, and I was like, okay, what is the image that this is going to produce in my head,” he explained. “I pressed play, and I started seeing it.”

“Esta Noche” is the first single to be released from the singer’s upcoming debut album, which is set to drop later this year. “People can expect more uplifting songs, and very cool rhythms and sounds,” he revealed. “We also have a few very beautiful ballads too. So we have something for everyone’s taste. But there are a lot of Latin flavors for sure in all of the songs.”

A proponent for unity and acceptance, Flores expressed immense gratitude to all of those who have welcomed his debut single with enthusiasm. “First of all thank you for the support. Thank you for being so kind,” he said. “Everyone received the music with an open heart, and that was beautiful to see. I was receiving messages from Indonesia and different places in the world, and that made my day.”

Radiating incredible compassion and love, there is no doubt that Gerard Flores is on track to become one of the top Latin pop artists of the year, and will soon become an inspiring role model and a voice of optimism for anyone who is facing challenges of their own and needs to be reminded of the unique power that they carry with them inside. “If you’re going through a tough time, this is also going to pass,” he said. “We all need to have hope and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Everything is going to be okay if we put our hearts out there and keep our positivity. Everything will be okay.”

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