Who is Natalia Lafourcade? ‘Song Exploder’ delves into her biggest Latin record ‘Hasta la Raiz’
All the episodes from the first season and rest of the episodes from season two featured either American or British musicians. Bringing a fresh breath of air, season two of Netflix’s ‘Song Exploder’ features Mexican pop-rock crooner Natalia Lafourcade in the fourth episode. For those who are not aware, she is a 36-year-old pop-rock and folk singer-songwriter from Mexico.
The talented singer debuted in 2002 and she has been one of the most successful and influential singers of Latin America. Her voice has been categorized as a lyric soprano. Natalia grew up in Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico, surrounded by music and art and the same is shown in the fourth episode of the ‘Song Exploder’ Season 2. Natalia is best known for her award-winning track ‘Hasta la Raiz’ which is also the name of her 2015 album. In Netflix’s docu-series, she sits down with the host Hrishikesh Hirway to reveal how she ended up making the biggest record of her life.
After scoring a chart-topping album at the age of 17, she flew to Canada leaving behind her roots with an intention to discover new music while also dealing with writer's block. Upon returning to her native place, she collaborated with her old friend and renowned singer Leonel Garcia. While speaking to Hrishikesh, she reveals the secret of how she made the biggest record of her life ‘Hasta la Raiz’ which still resonates with people. “One of my rules was to not take the song so seriously. I wanted to play around and share the experience. I didn't want to be really strict and serious about it because that's how I was earlier. But now, I wanted to be more like let it be. I was not thinking about the song going on the radio or it going commercial. I was freer. And, then Leonel (Garcia) asked me to go into the studio and sing the song.”
Speaking on the same lines, Leonel Garcia states, “If you want to make people excited and proud, you need to give them some phrases, some words, that makes them feel related to their roots and their feelings.” ‘Hasta la Raiz’ proved to be one of the biggest songs coming out of Mexico and won Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Alternative Song at the 16th Latin Grammy Awards.
The second edition of ‘Song Exploder’ comes two months after the first one aired in October 2020. The first season saw artists like Ty Dolla $ign, ‘Hamilton’ star Lin Manuel Miranda, Alicia Keys and the rock band R.E.M. breaking down one of their best works. The Hrishikesh Hirway-created podcast, which originally started back in 2014, got picked up by Netflix and turned into a docuseries.
The new series sticks to the original pattern which includes artists deconstructing their most popular or newly-made composition into its component parts. Viewers also get to see the in-depth interviews, archival footage and raw recordings as each artist breaks down their hit song, layer by layer and gives an intimate insight into the personal inspiration behind the music and lyrics. The second season of 'Song Exploder' airs on Netflix on December 15, 2020, and apart from Natalia, the docu-series also features Dua Lipa, American rock band The Killers and Trent Reznor, who is the frontman of legendary rock band Nine Inch Nails.
