JUNE ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: JUDELINE

In an era where global pop often feels formulaic, Judeline stands out as a strikingly original force, blending her Andalusian roots with genre-defying innovation. At just 22, the Spanish singer-songwriter and producer has become a name whispered among tastemakers and echoed across festival stages. With a boundary-pushing debut album, an international tour behind her, and a brand-new single released just four days ago, Judeline isn’t just rising—she’s redefining what it means to be a pop artist in 2025.

Born Lara Fernández Castrelo in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Judeline grew up in the small coastal town of Barbate, where her artistic curiosity took shape. Her mother, also from Jerez, immersed her in the world of flamenco cantaoras, while her Venezuelan father introduced her to the cuatro, a traditional string instrument he taught her to play. Music wasn’t just background noise as it was part of her family, her culture, and her identity. At 17, she moved to Madrid to pursue music more seriously. There, she adopted the name Judeline, inspired by the Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” a nod to her artistic sensibility: introspective, nostalgic, and emotionally expansive.

Her sound lives in a space that feels both ancient and futuristic. It is indie pop laced with Spanish and Arabic influences, filtered through moody electronics and layered vocals. What makes her compelling is how she uses these elements not as decoration, but as personal, poetic tools. Her breakout moment came in 2020, when she collaborated with singer and producer Alizzz on his Desclasificados project, a track that went viral and introduced her to a wider audience.

In 2022, she released a trio of singles—“TÁNGER,” “ZAHARA,” and “CANIJO”—which firmly established her as one of Spain’s most exciting new voices. Her first EP, de la luz, a raw and spectral collection, earned praise from artists like Bad Bunny. 

Judeline’s rise has been both organic and explosive. Rosalía praised her debut album and Spotify featured her in their Spotify Singles series as the first Spanish artist to participate. Her cover of Shakira’s “La Tortura” brought a smoky, minimalist twist to the reggaeton classic, and signaled her global potential. By 2023, she signed to Interscope Records and opened for J Balvin on the European leg of his tour. A collaboration with Argentine rapper Duki on the track “Imperio” reached the Top 15 in Spain and broke into the Top 25 in Argentina, proving her ability to resonate far beyond her home country.

Released in October 2024, Judeline’s debut album Bodhiria is a haunting, concept-driven work told from the perspective of her alter ego, Angel-A. The narrative follows a woman trapped in a dreamlike purgatory, desperate for a former lover to remember her. The album begins with a spoken-word confession, then unravels into themes of toxic love, rebirth, and spiritual dissonance. “Luna Roja,” a chilling reflection on being forgotten, marks a shift into heavier emotional terrain. Later tracks like “BRUJERÍA!,” “Heavenly” (featuring Rusowsky), and “Zarcillos de Plata” explore obsession, resurrection, and feminine rage. A standout is “Joropo,” which merges Venezuelan folk music with pulsing electronic production—a bold homage to her father’s heritage and her own diasporic identity.

In 2024, Judeline took Bodhiria on the road with a tour that spanned Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, the UK, the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. Her live shows are a different kind of sermon. From small clubs in Madrid to her debut at Coachella 2025, her performances mix ritual with rave.

Her set at Primavera Sound was hailed as one of the festival’s most emotionally intense. At Coachella, she stunned the crowd with a flamenco-infused cover of Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb,” and premiered her trilingual single “TU ET MOI,” featuring Brazilian artist MC Morena. That moment made clear she wasn’t just an act to follow, she was crossing borders.

Judeline’s latest single, “Chica de Cristal,” dropped just five days ago. It continues the sonic and emotional world she built on Bodhiria—vulnerable, haunted, and magnetic. The track weaves ethereal melodies through dark, textured production, pushing the boundaries of what pop can sound like today. Whether this is the beginning of a new era or a coda to her debut remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Judeline is evolving in real time.

Judeline’s artistry extends beyond sound. She’s a thoughtful, self-possessed voice who’s unafraid to speak on spiritual doubt, identity, and womanhood in a male-dominated industry. At a time when pop artists chase virality, Judeline is building something lasting; a world, a mythos, a message. Her music isn’t just meant to be streamed. It’s meant to be felt, lived in, returned to. Whether your taste leans toward introspective R&B, experimental electronica, or flamenco-futurism, Judeline offers an invitation into a universe that is entirely her own. One where heartbreak and healing coexist. Where ancestral memory pulses through synths. Where the future of pop might not be American, but Andalusian.

Watch her closely. Judeline isn’t just next, she’s what comes after.

Written by: Ana Oquendo

Photographed by: Steven Esperanza