For Venezuelan singer-songwriter Joaquina, 2025 has been a year of firsts. First time touring in the U.S. First time securing a brand partnership. Entering her twenties. And while she may not have all the answers now, her music just might. “It’s an album that I wrote in a moment of my life where I started to become an adult for the first time,” Joaquina tells Her Campus in an exclusive interview. “All of the songs I was writing were trying to decipher things about life I’ve never learned before — things about myself that I’ve never learned before.”
As much as the album in question, al romper la burbuja — which translates to “when the bubble bursts” — explores themes of discovering who she is and navigating adulthood, Joaquina simultaneously emphasizes the importance of taking care of her inner child. The opening track, “carta (a mí),” was a heartfelt letter to herself that explored this inner desire. There’s a sort-of buildup throughout the album, a stream of consciousness that eventually leads to the answers she seeks, which is prominent in tracks like “desahogo” and “pasatiempo.” “The concept of this album ended up becoming this thing where I asked myself, ‘How can I grow up and become the person I want to be? How can I find out who that is?’” she says.
Joaquina only began taking music seriously about two and a half years ago. Her debut album, los mejores años (notas de diario), which was released back in 2023, is filled with demos and live performances, capturing “the best years,” like the title conveys. The beauty of both this album and al romper la burbuja is their ability to capture a raw intimacy that’s prevalent in both the lyrics and in their technical production.
“Some writers will sit at the piano and see where it takes them,” Joaquina says.” But for me, I’ll always have the concept first and I’ll write some of the lyrics first. Then, once I have that little seed in my brain or the hook, or where I want to go, then I sit down at my piano or my guitar and build the song around that.”
Her unique approach to songwriting stems from her own widespread music taste. Joaquina holds a deep admiration for other Spanish-speaking artists including Alejandro Sanz, Shakira, Rosalia, and Juan Luis Guerra. “I’m inspired by artists that go outside the box and do their own thing, artists that have made their way into the American market making Spanish music,” she says. “I have lots of different inspirations everywhere.”
As she continues to claim her own spot within that market, Joaquina knows she can’t take anything for granted. A small way she’s doing that? Partnering with Invisalign to take care of her smile. Joaquina may be on-the-go on a regular basis, but with Invisalign, she’s been able to carve out time to take care of herself. “At the end of the day, your smile is just a physical reflection of what’s inside you,” she says. “It’s one of the most beautiful windows of the soul and of us as humans.”
With upcoming shows in New York, Houston, and Orlando, Joaquina’s manifesting more opportunities to continue the work she’s done for years to come, and possibly even release different versions of al romper la burbuja. And with such an award-winning smile to go with it, Joaquina’s future certainly is bright.