Natalia Jimenez talks about a new life chapter and music

At the beginning of this 2021, Jiménez made it public knowledge that her romantic relationship with Daniel Trueba had come to an end after five years of marriage. Since then, the singer chose to address the separation from her husband with their four-year-old child Alessandra in mind. While it is true that as a public figure the news made headlines, the singer of “Creo en me” has been very careful and has only shared necessary information with the public.

With the wisdom that characterizes her, the Spanish star has already closed that chapter in her romantic life and is immersed in her new musical projects, one of which is a new single entitled ‘Qué bueno es tenerte.’ The song was born from another collaboration with Banda MS, which also coincides with the confirmation of a new musical chapter: a new record to be released in August 2021.

During an exclusive chat with HOLA! USA, Jiménez addresses her divorce:

Similarly, she revealed to us, with excitement, that Arnold Hemkes, her road manager, is indeed the person who occupies an important place not only in her work but in her heart.

Natalia will make her acting debut in the Netflix series ‘Los Mariachis’ and is about to close an important transition in her professional career on the small screen, which will only add to her already extensive career that includes: Latin Billboard Award, two Lo Nuestro awards and several Latin Grammy nominations.

The artist starts a new life and a next musical chapter. She is returning stronger than ever!

What music have you been listening to during this time and what inspires you?

Well, mind you, I‘ve been sort of going back to what I heard when I was 15 years old. I think that because of the need to want to have fun, I have purely been listening Spanish groups, a lot of Spanish groups. I have been listening to Platero again, Los Suaves, Extremaduro, I have been listening to Fito, then I have started to listen to Los Rodríguez again; things like that ... you know? I haven’t listened in a long time and I’ve been listening to a lot of Spa music to find inner peace and then at the same time I put on Molotov records (laughs).

Is it that music is an escape for problems …?

Yes. If it had not been for music in the pandemic, one would go crazy.

A pandemic that has brought good and bad things ...Let‘s start with the good and your new single with Banda MS. What is it about?

It was funny because this was like at the beginning of December that Sergio Lizárraga sent me a message. He was not my manager yet; and he sent me the song, and told me to listen to this, see what you think. And I listen to him and say to him: “It‘s terrific,” and he says: do you like it? When do you want to come and record it? I planted myself in Mazatlán (Mexico) two weeks later. I recorded the song and then he became my manager. We decided to put the song on the album of ”México de mi corazón” with Banda MS. I feel very natura and that’s the truth that with Sergio and with Banda MS it has been super organic and supernatural. They are all uncomplicated people, super noble and I identified with all of them. So we’ve gotten along super well from the start. Since last year, on the last album that we recorded together “El color de tus ojos”, we have gotten along super well. I am very happy because it is the only unreleased song by Banda that I have done in my life, and I am super happy to have it on this album “México de mi corazón 2.” I am very happy.

Where are you now?

I am in Miami.

In this time of change, how do you balance your personal and professional lives?

Although it [the pandemic] has been a nightmare for me and for everyone, I have found a blessing in the nightmare. I have felt, thanks to the pandemic, I have been able to show myself who I am, say: “this is what it is,” “I live like this,” “I am like this,” “I look like this without make up,” “My daughter and I get along like this,” “My life is like this,” “My bank account is like this,” and I have gotten rid of nonsense and other people’s worries, of acquired worries and I am very happy to take off all the pressures that I had before. To think that each time she took a photo of me, I have to come out perfect, because she comes out perfect and no… I mean, no; I don’t have to. They are my networks, my life, my everything; I do what I want. I live it as I want and that is what the pandemic has done a bit for me, it has given me back a bit of being genuine with myself and being loyal to who I am. I said: “Well, what I like are motorcycles. I don‘t like yachts.” “I like motorcycles and I like rock [music]. I like to get into a kayak instead of going to Dubai,” things like that.

You live life without filters …

That‘s fine and if you don’t like it, don’t let them be in your life. I have realized that you can’t buy what is actually worthy. What is really worthy you create, you do with what you have inside and not because you have more things or because you are more things will make you happier. You have to make yourself happy with what you have inside, and if you have trash, no matter what you have around you, it’s going to be trash too, you know? And in the end, that’s a little bit of what the pandemic has taught me.

Are there things that you have learned about yourself that you may not have previously realized?

You know when we are in the pandemic, we have had to spend a lot of time alone. Some of us have had to spend a lot of time alone and you have to see if you can put up with yourself, without all the things you did before or all the people you had before, and that‘s when you realize what you can repair and say: why do I keep doing it? Why do I keep feeling this way? And I have felt that I have flourished, that is, I have flourished with the pandemic, I am happy. I mean, we all have bad days, sometimes I wake up with depression from time to time, but for that I go to therapy and that’s it! (laughs).

Speaking of difficult topics, how is the divorce process going?

The truth is that I am very grateful to the media that have treated me with respect. The truth is that I am already well. We went through this divorce process a year ago. I filed for divorce last year ... April 28th is a year. So, the truth is that it has been a process that we have carried out in private, as private as possible until people found out in January of this year. They just found out well… a couple of days before we signed the agreement; then it was pretty good. I am grateful that we have done this during the pandemic, because we have avoided all that media pressure that, in addition to already having a divorce, having the pressure of the media and everything, would have made it much more difficult. I am happy because that only benefits my daughter. It is what matters most to me, that my daughter has benefited in the event that it has not been something public, overwhelming, a circus. I have never wanted that and I have also tried to wear it in the most elegant way possible. I have already explained all my things on the networks, you can always go to my networks to check what I said, because I am not going to repeat it.

Watch Natalia’s New Video with Banda MS!

Is the divorce already finalized or is the legal process still underway?

Ya está cerrado desde enero. Cerrado ya del todo.

In regards to your daughter, what have you agreed upon?

We are super good. We have an agreement that I cannot talk about because it is confidential. But hey, what you can know is that we have it at 50%. We are doing co-parenting. I have her for a week, he has her for a week. When I go on a trip, he can take care of her for me. So it is super good and we are super calm. Everything ended very well and well, this is how divorce processes are, at the beginning everything is always very dramatic and very difficult.

Have you two been on good terms?

We have reached an agreement and we are calmly moving forward with everything and everything is positive. In the end, my daughter is fine. My daughter is super happy that each of us is moving forward and rebuilding our lives and working. Which is what matters most to me. I have to work a lot because divorces are expensive ... you know that the wedding is expensive, imagine the divorce (laughs).

Can you address the legitimacy surrounding your bankruptcy rumors?

Look, shame is for those who have things to hide. I mean, I have nothing to hide. My Chapter 13 [which requires the debtor to pay off some or all debts according to a payment plan] is a bankruptcy in which I pay my debts. That is, I am not losing my house, my property, or my phone, or anything. Everything is the same. The only thing I am doing is paying my debts at a rate that I can pay them without interest for 5 years. So, I am not drowning in debt while I have no job.

It must have been doubly difficult to face a divorce and then lose work due to the pandemic. What have you learned from these experiences?

This last year has been very difficult for artists, especially for those of us who are not Maluma and Yankee. We make out living from concerts. When all the concerts I had last year were canceled and I found myself in a position where, if I wanted to keep paying my debts, that was the only way to get ahead. So, I made this plan with my accountant and we asked for a chapter 13 and you can see it there. I have it on my social networks, but I‘m super good. I’m working, I have my money. I have my little things. I just have to keep paying this for five years and I’m taking it easy. And so I can also be calmer and dedicate myself to what I have to do, which is singing and doing concerts.

¿En qué momento decides tomar un nuevo respiro en esta etapa?

Creo que fue cuando me fui a ver a mi hermano a Seattle, me fui a ver a mi hermano que hacía muchos años que no lo veía porque desde que me vine a vivir a Estados Unidos nunca fui a verlo. Nunca fui a ver a mi hermano y eso era como un signo de que las cosas no estaban como tenían que estar. Entonces, cuando cerré todo esto fue como una semana después que dije: vámonos a Seattle y compré boletos con millas y me planté ahí, de sorpresa, sin decirle nada. Le dije: “Adivina ¿dónde estoy?”. Le mandé la foto del aeropuerto. Me fui de sorpresa a verlo y estuvo increíble. La última vez que estuve ahí fue cuando tenía 18 años.

At what point do you decide to take a new breath at this stage?

I think it was when I went to see my brother in Seattle. I went to see my brother who I had not seen for many years, because since I came to live in the United States, I never went to see him. I never went to see my brother and that was like a sign that things were not as they should be. So when I closed all this it was like a week after I said: let‘s go to Seattle and I bought tickets with miles and I stood there, out of surprise, without saying anything. I said, “Guess where I am?” I sent him the photo of the airport. I was surprised to see it and it was incredible. The last time I was there was when I was 18 years old.

You have rekindled a love relationship with Arnold Hemkes. How do you feel?

Fortunately, when you already have so many experiences behind your back, you also look at what things you can improve in yourself and what things you can add to your life so that your partner and your relationship can be better; and that the mistakes of the past do not stop you from finding love ... that is, that it cannot happen. You cannot think that because you have done badly once, you will continue to do badly forever. Not so much has gone wrong. They have been like differences. And in the end, because right now I am in a relationship in which I am very happy, I am very happy. We go day by day. This is how we have been doing it for a little while now and we are very happy. And here it is quite simple: give affection, love, understand. Talk a lot and enjoy the day to day. You never know what will happen tomorrow.

Would you remarry, do you still believe in marriage?

Well, I don‘t know, I don’t know. Certainly not in Florida. I mean, no, this state of marriage is the worst there is. No, never, never!

Because you said so?

No, just look at the laws. I mean, it‘s terrible. We better forget about it. Nothing. I’m fine. If I get married again, I’ll marry in a hippie ritual in Tulum and so on with candles and coconuts and we bring some spider monkeys to bring us the rings and that’s enough.

What are your professional plans?

I have many plans. I have a tour with Banda MS that we are going to start in July and it ends more or less in December, so we have a lot of concerts planned. We are going to be in California. We are going to be in Texas. We are going to be in Arizona. We are going to be in other states here in the United States. We are just closing all dates. We‘re going to go on the show together, which is amazing. The album comes out in August. I am also doing a series called “Mariachis,” which we are going to be filming in Mexico and I am still waiting to see if some television projects will be confirmed.

¿De qué se trata el proyecto televisivo?

It‘s something on television that I can’t say anything about because they won’t let me. So, we better wait a little longer.

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