Mexican popstar Gloria Trevi reflects on career, prison time, new tour: 'It wasn't easy'

Nostalgia can be pure retro fun, but for Gloria Trevi, it’s a balm for the soul.

The Latin music icon, known as “The Supreme Diva of Mexican Pop,” was catapulted to stardom in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with hits such as “Dr. Psiquiatra,” “Tu Ángel De La Guarda” and “Con Los Ojos Cerrados,” as well as starring roles in the feature films “Pelo Suelto” and “Zapatos Viejos.” She was once Mexico's hottest popstar.

Born Gloria de Los Ángeles Treviño Ruiz, Trevi has also faced her fair share of scandal over her nearly four-decade career, including a four-year prison sentence in the early 2000s on charges of corrupting minors (for which she was later acquitted) and a December 2022 lawsuit accusing her and ex-producer Sergio Andrade of childhood sexual abuse and sexual battery. Trevi filed a cross-complaint, accusing Andrade of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Those cases are ongoing, according to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Trevi is embracing a hopeful future with the Mi Soundtrack World Tour, which kicks off Friday in Hidalgo, Texas. The 32-city trek expands on the recent release of Trevi’s albums “Mi Soundtrack Vol. 1” and “Mi Soundtrack Vol. 2,” compilations in which the 55-year-old singer reimagines her most iconic hits.

But with an array of “avant-garde” musical arrangements and modern-day ensembles, Trevi is refashioning her oeuvre for what she anticipates will be a poignant production for herself and fans.

“Just like Christmas songs can evoke the scent of cinnamon and vanilla and pine, I feel like my songs – depending on the person and their own memories – they can bring smells, they can bring (fans) to places,” Trevi tells USA TODAY in Spanish. “I hope that when it’s time for the show, the connection is so strong that it’s as if many matches came together and we become one sun.”

Gloria Trevi on reclaiming her catalog with ‘Mi Soundtrack,’ being an independent artist

With her “Mi Soundtrack” albums, Trevi is not only breathing new life into her Latin pop "clásicos," she’s also taking ownership of her musical legacy. Now an independent artist, Trevi owns the master recordings of her reworked songs.

“I’m always going to be grateful for the record company colleagues I worked with,” Trevi says. “Those were my first steps, but right now I’m taking giant steps. I’m my own boss, and I’m excited about that. My music is my music. It’s my catalog now.”

Part of reclaiming Trevi’s catalog has included wrapping up unfinished business, such as when she recorded the unreleased songs “No Hay Almohada” and “El Huevo” for “Mi Soundtrack Vol. 2.” Trevi says the songs, composed by “Pelo Suelto” songwriter Mary Morin, were originally written for her, but she was allegedly prevented from recording them by someone on her team at the time.

“It was a pleasure to record them on ‘Vol. 2,’ even though I hadn’t recorded them before,” Trevi says. “They were destined to be recorded in the ‘90s, so (this) reactivates things, closing certain cycles for good.”

Gloria Trevi reflects on anniversary of comeback album ‘Cómo Nace el Universo’

Aside from her tour, 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Trevi’s album “Cómo Nace el Universo,” which was released just two months after the singer was released from prison in September 2004.

Trevi was arrested in January 2000 following allegations that she, Andrade and choreographer Maria Raquenel Portillo had abused minors as part of a sex ring. She served a four-year sentence in Brazil and Mexico on charges of corrupting minors and was acquitted in September 2004, with a Mexican court citing a lack of evidence.

Despite the grueling circumstances, Trevi says the album – written in part during Trevi’s prison sentence – was made “during a period of transition.”

“It was an album that marked my comeback, and it gives me great pleasure to say it wasn’t easy,” Trevi says. “Because there were people who defamed me and brought me to a place where I never should’ve been, deprived of my freedom, accused of things I didn’t do and that I was acquitted of.”

Trevi's comeback racked up a trio of gold-certified albums with hits such as “Todos Me Miran,” “Cinco Minutos,” “Me Lloras” and “Que Me Duela.” And with her past behind her, Trevi says her career triumphs take on a deeper meaning.

“I think (my success) is a reaffirmation for many women who have gone through the same thing I have at some point, that you’re really better off without your abuser,” Trevi says. “Because a lot of the time, those people make you think that without them, you’re nothing.”

What is Gloria Trevi’s proudest career achievement?

The Latin pop star has sold more than 30 million records, performed at the iconic Viña del Mar International Song Festival and been inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. But these days, success is a much humbler experience for the “Medusa” singer.

“The accomplishment I’m most proud of is the most recent concert I played,” Trevi says. “Because after all the sad things people said about me and continue to say about me, it’s a great blessing to see those people lending me a shoulder, singing with me, screaming ‘You’re not alone.’”

Trevi says it’s this unconditional support from fans that have made her latest shows an emotional communion.

“We survived. Those of us who are here, we fell, but we got up a bunch of times and we’re here because of the times we got back up,” Trevi says. “I shed a lot of tears in the ‘90s, but the people who are there make every tear worth it. Because there are people capable of loving the way I love and they’re in that place, singing in one voice.”

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Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gloria Trevi reflects on career, prison, new tour: 'It wasn't easy'