Maluma’s music is becoming successful on a global scale, which has put him on the cover of the February issue of Elle.
The Colombian singer will make the jump from music to movies, co-starring with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson in the upcoming rom-com Marry Me.
Lopez, who is also a producer on the film, brought Maluma to the project.
“We talked about a lot of different people for that part,” JLo told Elle. “From Adam Levine to John Mayer to Drake. And then I was like, ‘You know what — it would be great to have a bilingual album for the movie. Why don’t we get a Latin superstar?’”
According to Maluma, his relationship with Lopez goes far deeper than just being co-stars.
“Jennifer, she’s not only a work partner — I would say she is my friend,” he explained. “She is someone I admire, and she is someone I’ve followed since I was a little kid. So for me, being part of this movie was almost surreal. It was a big surprise when they called me, but I was ready for it.”
Maluma also discussed “Medellín”, his steamy collaboration with Madonna, and performing the song live with her at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards.
“Madonna loves doing things in an organic way — she is very spiritual,” Maluma said. “When we were doing the ‘Medellín’ video, it was almost 48 hours working nonstop, and I was surprised, because Madonna, she was 60 years old, but she looks like she is younger than me.”
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That admiration is a two-way street.
“When I first met Maluma, I was drawn to his positivity and good energy,” Madonna told the magazine. “But when I got to know him, what surprised me was his work ethic. Being in the studio with him was effortless, and performing with him on ‘Medellín’ was a gratifying collaboration. We proved to be creative kindred spirits and had a fun time doing it.”
In fact, Maluma believes the connection he forges with artists such as Lopez and Madonna is more spiritual than anything else.
“I feel like the artists right now, the modern artists, are losing their spirituality, and that’s kind of sad,” he said. “I don’t feel like they pray or meditate, and that’s why I feel connected with artists like Madonna, Shakira, and Jennifer. Sometimes people tell me that I’m an old soul because of that, but at the end of the day, you can be the biggest star in the world, but if you are not spiritual, you are empty inside.”
The entire interview is featured in the latest issue of Elle.
