‘SWEAT’ is out now
Credit: Aurelio
NEED TO KNOW
- Nezza’s debut album SWEAT reflects her personal awakening and journey to empowerment as an artist
- She defied advice to sing in one language, embracing Spanglish to inspire others with similar bilingual experiences
- Nezza’s viral Dodgers stadium moment and determination have fueled her confidence and unique artistic identity
This is the moment Nezza‘s been waiting for.
The Colombian-Dominican singer-songwriter began releasing music in 2018 — but it wasn’t until last summer that everything changed. Now, a new Nezza has stepped into the chat — and it’s all laid out on her debut album SWEAT.
“When we started putting the project together, I was like, ‘Okay, what’s, what am I trying to say?’” Nezza, 33, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Last summer, I uncovered a lot about myself. So this album is that new awakening, that rebirth of coming into my power. It was a mix of starting from scratch and also going into the vault and saying, ‘What do we already have that could work on this theme?’”
In June 2025, Nezza was scheduled to sing the National Anthem at a game for the Los Angeles Dodgers, she chose to sing the Spanish version, titled “El Pendón Estrellado,” amid the protests in downtown Los Angeles for the No Kings marches, as well as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in L.A.
Credit: Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty
After the performance, she claimed the Dodgers told her not to sing the anthem in Spanish beforehand — and the moment went viral on social media.
“And I’ve sung the national anthem many times in my life, but there was today out of all days, I could not,” she said in a TikTok video at the time, in part. “I’m sorry. Yeah, I just could not believe when she walked in and told me no. But I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente.”
Now, Nezza is more confident than ever — and she opens up to PEOPLE below about her debut album, the Dodgers stadium moment that changed everything and doubling down on singing in English and Spanish.
PEOPLE: So much has unfolded for you to become the person you are today, releasing your debut album. In your eyes, what has felt like a major turning point in your career?
Nezza: What I did last summer was definitely the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I just didn’t know I had that in me. It took such a crazy moment for her to come out. But now that she’s out, she’s not going back in. It has fueled me into a different person. I’m in my 30s, so I didn’t think I would have this awakening and a newfound purpose.
PEOPLE: A moment like that will certainly impact your confidence. So in a world where musicians are often encouraged to sing in one language, what encouraged you to stay true to who you are and sing in both English and Spanish?
Nezza: Oh, my gosh. ‘Cause I’m stubborn. Every label meeting I’ve ever had in the past has been, they don’t understand the Spanglish thing. They always cater towards, obviously, one language, and that’s been very frustrating. But I’m glad that I stuck to my guns because people are gravitating to it and relating to it. It’s my reality. I didn’t have a Spanglish pop star growing up. I just want little girls who are in this in between, like me, who love Spanish so much, but also, we’re here and speaking English. I want them to be able to see you can do both.
PEOPLE: You released your first single in 2018. Looking back, in what ways do you feel like you’ve evolved since then?
Nezza: I hadn’t found my sound. And people always told me just be patient. It takes some time, but you’ll feel it. With this project, I finally felt it. Before, I was experimenting. Also, I think the reason why I’ve struggled so much with finding a sound is because I am a dancer, and we grow up dancing to every genre of music. So I love every genre of music, singing it, writing it, dancing to it. Like, I thought I was gonna be a jazz singer at one point. I mean, maybe one day we’ll see.
Credit: Dana Jacobs/FilmMagic
PEOPLE: What do you want SWEAT to say about you as an artist?
Nezza: That I’m here and I’m ready. I just wanna make people dance at the end of the day. I hope that this kind of solidifies, like, “Oh, who is this girl?” The pop stars that are out right now, they’re the ones that are throwing it down on the stage. We have Tate McRae, we have Adela, we have Zara Larsson, we have Tinashe. Where’s the Latin girl?
PEOPLE: Between the excitement of releasing your debut album and making your festival debut at Outside Lands, how do you stay grounded while still focusing on what lies ahead?
Nezza: I read a lot. I love to cuddle with my dogs and my cats. And my friends. I’m so blessed with the friend group that I have. They keep me grounded for sure. Also my parents remind me every day, “Stay hungry, stay humble.”
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