EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SAUL VILLARREAL

We were able to sit down for an exclusive interview with rising artist Saul Villarreal. His newest single, “Tarde Linda,” drops on July 24th on all streaming platforms, and we were lucky enough to hear all about the track from Saul himself.

Recently, Saul performed at Michelada Festival, marking one of his first major festival experiences and giving him the chance to perform live for his growing fanbase.

His debut EP, “Illusion,” was a major success in his young career, landing in Apple Music’s

Top 50 Most Listened To Latin Albums of 2024. That momentum led into his next project, “Mejor Solo </3,” a seven-track release that proved to be another huge milestone for the artist.

Now with over 415.9K monthly listeners on Spotify, Saul’s career continues to climb — and his unique sound is quickly carving out its place in the music industry.

Below is a transcript of our full conversation with Saul, formatted for easy reading across all devices.

Interviewer: Let’s start with your upcoming single “Tarde Linda.”

It feels super nostalgic and intimate. Can you walk us through the story behind the song? What moment or memory inspired it?

Saul: It's a song about a dream that you have, and I feel like I haven't heard a song like that yet. So it inspired me to write something that explains the feeling of waking up from a dream about someone.

Interviewer: You teased “Tarde Linda” on TikTok and it really connected with fans.

How do you feel when your fans are excited and asking for you to drop new music quickly?

Saul: It's a little pressure, you know? There's pressure to drop more music and keep creating, but it’s also a good feeling because it means fans are really liking what I’m putting out.

Interviewer: Your EP Mejor Solo </3 climbed fast on Apple Music, and it’s such an emotional project. What did creating that EP teach you about yourself — either musically or personally?

Saul: I think seeing the EP react the way it did was a great feeling because that project had been ready since last year. It just dropped, and maybe my sound has changed a little since then, but I’m just glad fans had such a great reaction to it.

Interviewer: You performed for the first time at Michelada Fest this year — that’s huge. How did it feel being on that stage, and do you see more live performances or even a tour in your near future?

Saul: I think it was a fire experience. Being with my friends and performing in front of all those people was an incredible feeling — it’s something most people don’t get to experience. I’m really excited for what’s to come with shows and festivals. It’s just a rush of adrenaline that you don’t expect, and I really did enjoy every second of it. I’m definitely excited to do it again.

Interviewer: One of the standouts on the EP is “CLVH” with Julio Caesar. How did that collab come together, and what was it like blending your style with his?

Saul: I think it was a fire experience. I’ve been doing the sad sound for about two years now, and I really liked Julio’s music. I told him I wanted to try something more in his style, so we cooked up the song with our homeboy the day before we met him. He liked it, and it actually became the first love song I ever did.

Interviewer: You also collaborated with Estevie. What was that experience like, and what do you think makes her special as an artist?

Saul: Her style is great. I really dig it — she has a very unique sound, especially when it comes to her sad music. That was my first collaboration. I had heard some of her previous music, especially a song she did with Eslabon that I really liked, so I knew ever since then that I wanted to work with her. I’m glad it worked out and that the fans really liked it.

Interviewer: You talk about the sad boy style you have. How do you find inspiration to blend and create your own sound while also staying connected to what’s popular right now?

Saul: You know what, I have a lot of artists that I look up to — especially on this side of the music scene — and I think I’ve always leaned more into the sad vibe when writing. But now I’m at a point where I want to change things up and evolve as an artist. The sad sound is where I started, and it worked, and I don’t want to stop doing it — but I also want to try other styles too.

Interviewer: Who are some other artists that you would want to collaborate with and create something new?

Saul: I’d really like to collaborate with Latin Mafia. They have a really new sound, and that’s a direction I’m trying to go toward. There are other artists I’d love to work with too, but right now I really want to explore and evolve my sound.

Interviewer: What message do you have for your fans? Whether it’s teasing live performances, a tour, music videos, projects, collaborations, etc.

Saul: A message for my fans is that my music is going to change and evolve. I want to try different stuff. I’ll probably drop a couple more sad songs, and then I’ll start experimenting with new things. I hope you all like it!

Saul's newest track, "Tarde Linda" is now on all streaming platforms and officially out!

Interview and Article by Joseph Hernandez Torrejon Photos shot an edited by Joseph Hernandez Torrejon