Q&A: KORDELYA Channels Mexican Musical Influences With “- es + (menos es más)” and Teases Upcoming Album

Q&AMusic

Oct 24

☆ Shellsea Lomeli ☆

EAGER TO CONNECT WITH THE WORLD BY SHARING HER OWN MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES — Mexican-American songstress and producer KORDELYA navigates relationships and life lessons with her most recent single, “- es + (menos es más).” Translating to “less is more,” the track is a collaboration with esteemed Mexican artist José Madero and pulls from the influences of huapango, a complex rhythmic Mexican music style led by meticulously arranged string instruments.

The song reflects on the experience of being fooled into believing in the authenticity of a relationship, but in reality, only a manipulative game exists that results in no winners. KORDELYA encompasses this feeling as she sings, “Confundi esta conección / Con tu gran colección de / millones caras y personalidades,” translating to confusing “our connection with your collection of different personalities.”

Consistent with her singles releases earlier this year, KORDELYA does not hold back from incorporating cohesive and immersive instrumental layers in a way that distinguishes her unique, transformative sound as her very own.

KORDELYA’s artistry does not fit into any mold. Having lived with her family on both sides of the border —in Monterrey, Mexico and Houston, Texas — she is a person of hybrid experiences and embraces this with Spanglish lyrics and genre-blending, which allows her to truly share herself with the world.

Explore KORDELYA’s intention behind the release of “- es + (menos es más),” her experience collaborating with José Madero, and get the latest details about her upcoming album below.

LUNA: The message behind “- es + (menos es más)” feels so special. Can you share a little about how you hope this song is received by listeners?

KORDELYA: The message in this song means a lot to me so I appreciate that so much! It talks about the power you have in letting go of a person that brings toxicity into your life. If you need to protect yourself from the negativity that a person brings into your life — regardless if they are family or have been in your life for a long time — there is nothing wrong and no shame in standing up for yourself and protecting your physical and mental health.

LUNA: Can you walk us through the creation of this track and what inspired it?

KORDELYA: I've been wanting to make a song with this type of traditionally Mexican genre called huapango for a bit. It began with the huapango feel and guitar, and I remembered the concept of “less is more” when thinking about what the song might be about. There was a moment in a friendship that I recently had to let go that shook me to my core. No matter how nice or charming they were at the beginning, they showed their true manipulative colors when I least expected it. And then it clicked. The more I got to know them the less I liked them. One of the lyrics of the songs says that I confused our connection with their collection of different personalities, faces, and masks. Playing on the various theatrical motifs such as “scene” and “play” and that of board games such as chess felt like the right way to describe this type of experience.

LUNA: “- es + (menos es más)” is a collaboration with the amazing José Madero. What was the process like creating together?

KORDELYA: I showed the demo and rough top line to José when he and I saw each other once in Monterrey and we created the hook together in just a couple of hours. I could tell that he could relate to the concept in a very personal way. That aspect alone, in my opinion, captures the effect that saying the hard truth in your songs can have on someone. No matter what language they speak, that message always bleeds through.

LUNA: How would you describe your music with just three words?

KORDELYA: Vulnerable, experimental, sarcastic.

LUNA: Can you share a little about how you’ve gone about finding your own personal sound?

KORDELYA: I first started copying other singers and producers when I was developing, but after a while of learning how to produce, my music stopped sounding like them and just starting to feel more like my true self.

LUNA: Artists begin creating for tons of different reasons — why did you feel called to create, and has this purpose/motivation changed as you’ve grown as an artist?

KORDELYA: I started playing piano because my grandfather used to have one and I got curious. Every time we went to visit him, I would always mess around with it and play songs I liked by ear. But then one day I started playing my own melody and chords. It just made me feel different, and it became way more fun to make up my own songs. It was right around that time my parents were getting divorced, and looking back I probably could have used some therapy but in a way I’m grateful that I didn’t because writing songs became my therapist. My earliest songs have a lot of questions and confusion in it, which is kind of interesting to look back to what I was thinking at the time.

LUNA: As a Mexican American artist, you primarily write in Spanish, right? How do you view the connection between music and language when you create?

KORDELYA: I get that a lot lately, but I write primarily in both English and Spanish! The first songs I ever wrote I would either write them in only Spanish or only English, but lately I like to do Spanglish too. I really think that music transcends language, and that became even more obvious to me when I really started getting into K-pop, J-pop, and some French artists. So look out for some Japanese and French in my upcoming album!

LUNA: Who are some of your top musical influences?

KORDELYA: It's honestly always changing, but at the moment it's all about xxxtentacion, little dragon, Bon Iver, Ludwig Goransson, Tsundere Twintails, SYML.

LUNA: You’ve been blessing us with a handful of amazing singles this year. Can we see a project coming in the future, and what can you tell us about that?

KORDELYA: Thank you! Yes, I am so excited to say that these latest ones are all part of an album coming next March!

LUNA: What else are you excited about for the rest of 2022, career-wise or personally?

KORDELYA: I'm excited for this next tour coming up starting from October till December, and the new music video coming out!

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫