EMJAY is stepping into the Latin trap landscape with an energy that’s impossible to ignore. The Guadalajara native musician orginally known as María José de la Torre, is turning self-worth into sound with lyrics that pulse femme power, and transform vulnerability and attitude into anthems. With a voice that blends electric beats and razor-sharp delivery, Emjay embodies the new wave of urbano artists redefining what empowerment looks and feels like.
Her new album Me Estoy Volviendo Loca arrived after a two-year creative process filled with boss energy, headline-making collaborations with Gera X and Belinda, and electronic hyperpop experimentation in the studio. An album that musicians, producers, and songwriters have quickly recognized as one of her most personal and technically evolved works to date.
Fresh off Latin Grammy week, Emjay talked about her creative process, the realities of being a woman in the urban industry, and the importance of capturing the magic that happens behind the glass. For fellow musicians, her insights offer a rare look at the craft, discipline, and vulnerability behind her sound.
Q&A: TURNING CONFIDENCE INTO A TRAP & URBANO SUPERPOWER
WALK US THROUGH YOUR SONGWRITING PROCESS. DO YOU WRITE DURING THE DAY OR AT NIGHT?
I’m a daytime studio person. I love leaving early. But for writing, there’s never a specific time. My phone is where I really keep my notes. I open them at 4 a.m., at 2 a.m., in traffic, in a meeting. Any idea that comes to me, I always write it down in my phone. I believe ideas don’t have a schedule.”
FOR PEOPLE DISCOVERING YOUR WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH SONG SHOULD THEY START WITH?
From the new album, “Drama Doll.” It really introduces the universe behind Me Estoy Volviendo Loca, and it’s one of my personal favorites.
WHAT’S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU PEOPLE WOULDN’T EXPECT
That I’m extremely chill. I’m actually very calm and low-noise in my day-to-day life.
YOUR ALBUM ME ESTOY VOLVIENDO LOCA FEELS VERY PERSONAL. WHAT WAS THAT TWO-YEAR PROCESS LIKE?
Me Estoy Volviendo Loca was an album I made over two years, based on the experiences I was living. It is a super, super fun album. I think people were able to relate a lot to it, and I love that. It’s a very personal album and I feel it connected me so much with my fanbase. My heart was broken during the process by friends and by my exes, but I got out what I needed to get out from those experiences. I didn’t care that they broke my heart or anything. Everything I lived was excellent because it helped me create one of the most personal albums I have so far.
YOUR COLLABORATION WITH BELINDA ON “BOSS RMX” IS INCREDIBLY FUN. HOW DID THAT SESSION COME TOGETHER
Getting together with Beli in the studio was super fun. It’s what I enjoy most, when you fuse your experiences with another artist’s experiences, it’s like having a child together—a musical child. Belinda is a super boss, she’s so sweet, so fun, so talented. She doesn’t need autotune, she doesn’t need anything. She just stands there and has incredible lyrics. I really enjoyed being in the studio with her, and Boss Rmx was the result.
AND COULD THERE BE A SECOND COLLAB?
We’ve talked about it! Nothing is made yet, but I’d love to do an original track with her in 2026. Belinda, what do you say?
YOU AND GERA MX HAVE WORKED TOGETHER SEVERAL TIMES. WHAT MAKES THAT CREATIVE RELATIONSHIP SPECIAL?
Gera is a musical sensei for me. He started long before I did, and he’s always there with advice. We now have three songs together, and every collaboration just flows naturally.
YOU ALSO RELEASED “SIGNOS” WITH NOIZE, A PRODUCER KNOWN FOR WORKING WITH KAROL G AND MANY OTHERS. HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE?
Noize is family. I met him five years ago and collaborating with him is effortless. I admire him a lot, and “Signos” came together beautifully.
HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR COLLABORATORS?
Sometimes I seek out specific artists or producers. Sometimes the label introduces us. And other times you hear someone playing on a random corner and think, “Who is this?” What matters is choosing projects that align with your taste and your vision.
SEVERAL OUTLETS HAVE CALLED YOU THE NEW VOICE OF SPANISH-LANGUAGE URBAN MUSIC. HOW DOES THAT FEEL?
I started music because I loved it, because I realized it was the way I could express myself best. So seeing that title it’s incredible. I’m super happy. And also, continuing this path as a woman in the industry is what’s important. Leaving a mark and opening doors to other females in music is what excites me. That’s what I really want to accomplish. So if it’s happening, amazing!”
TELL US MORE ABOUT BEING A WOMAN IN THE URBAN SPACE.
I think there’s still a difference in how men and women are treated—not just in urban music, but in the industry in general. But I feel that over the years, women have shown with actions how incredible they are. We’ve opened the doors ourselves. Our own doors. It’s a fight women have had for a long time in the industry, but little by little it has evolved. And if you look at the top 5 artists in the world, many are women now. So we’re clearly doing something right.
“FRIJOLERO” WITH MOLOTOV AND KEVIC & MIKEY IS A MAJOR COLLABORATION. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
It was for Molotov’s 30th anniversary—they’re reimagining some of their biggest songs. When I told my dad I’d be part of the remake of “Amateur,” he almost fainted! I grew up listening to Molotov. Standing alongside them, going to the Grammys, meeting media here in L.A.—it all reminds me that I’m on the right path.
EMJAY’S MUSICAL VISION FOR 2026
As she continues to push boundaries, experiment with collaborators, and carve out space for women in the urban genre, Emjay stands at a pivotal moment, one where her craft and her voice are shaping not just her own trajectory, but the sound of a new generation.
Her honesty, humor, and raw emotional clarity make her one of the most compelling emerging voices in Latin music. Whether she’s blending genres or writing notes on her phone at 4 a.m., Emjay approaches everything with intention and a deep love for the craft.
