Argentina’s Tini Reveals the Important Lesson She Learned From Her Disney Start
Martina Stoessel, aka Tini, has been working for more than a decade since launching her career as an actor and singer in her native Argentina. The 25-year-old has come of age in front of our eyes via her role on the Disney series Violetta, as well as her music, which she says “goes hand-in-hand” with her personal growth and evolution.
Foundation
As the lead actor in the Disney Channel Latin America telenovela Violetta (2012-2015) — which followed musically talented teenager Violetta Castillo — Tini learned firsthand that music had no barriers, having recorded songs for the series that was broadcast in non-Spanish-speaking countries such as Italy, Poland and Germany. “People in other countries were singing my songs — well, Violetta’s songs — in Spanish,” recalls Tini, who credits artists like Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and Shakira as her biggest inspirations. “It was crazy to me, but that’s when I understood that people will connect to a song no matter the language.”
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Discovery
“I’ve loved music ever since I was little,” says Tini, who is managed by her father, TV producer-director Alejandro Stoessel. “To be able to connect with kids, initially, via Violetta was special.” At 19, she began transitioning from acting to singing, launching her self-titled debut album in 2016 under Hollywood Records, which is part of Disney Music Group. “When I started my solo career, it was hard because I didn’t know if it would work out, and it wouldn’t be easy to grow out of that role that so many kids identified with,” Tini says. She has since released two more albums, Quiero Volver (I Want To Come Back) (2018) and TINI TINI TINI (2020), and has collaborated with artists such as Alejandro Sanz and Karol G, trading her bubblegum pop style for a more contemporary approach and often fusing her core pop sound with commercial genres like reggaetón and cumbia.
Future
Her upcoming album, the first under a partnership between Hollywood Records and Sony Music Latin, will be dropping “soon,” she teases, saying the songs tell the stories that shaped her. Even with new material coming up, she’s already eager to return to the studio after a few months of touring in South America. “Next year, I’ll start acting again, so I want to make sure that I have songs and music videos recorded before I begin — and be able to combine music and acting again.”
This story originally appeared in the Sept. 17, 2022, issue of Billboard.
