In the midst of darkness, Blanca found light in her music. As the Orlando-based Puerto Rican-American singer and songwriter started writing her second album, Shattered, in 2016, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer—passing away shortly thereafter.
However, Blanca didn’t stop. Instead, she dove into her boldest, brightest, and biggest body of work yet by opening up like never before.
“With everything my family was going through, trying to write for a record was initially impossible,” she admits. “I felt empty and emotionally drained. At the same time, I needed to be real and honest about where I was at. A lot of these songs were birthed out of that place of losing my mom. I’m the type of person who tries to make everyone happy in my life. When I came up with the title, Shattered, it felt healing to express myself so honestly. It had to be raw and authentic and connect on a deeper level. It was the best way to honor my mother.”
In order to do so, she pushed herself to tread new territory both musically and lyrically. She co-wrote the bulk of the material and incorporated her Latin roots into the sonic palette for the very first time. Writing and recording Shattered throughout 2017, she initially heralded the record with the Real Love EP. The title track, “Real Love”, exploded as her biggest hit on Spotify, with over 4 million streams as its Spanish-language reinterpretation “Amor Real” marked her proper introduction into the Latin genre.
Singing in Spanish, she directly drew upon her heritage for inspiration in the music. The emotional nature of the creative process dramatically fostered this evolution. Nowhere is that clearer than on Shattered’s bilingual tropical anthem “Give It All” [featuring Redimi2]. Alongside the Dominican rapper, she went on to fulfill one of her mom’s wishes as she spoke directly to her Latin fans."
"I'm a second generation Puerto Rican," she goes on. "With the record, I wanted to showcase my heritage and the heavy influence of Spanish culture on my background. Again, it was something I hadn’t done before. Redimi2 is amazing. I've featured on his records before, so it was great to flip roles. The funny thing is my mom always dreamed of me doing something in Spanish; I finally did.” Following “Real Love” and “Give It All,” Blanca paved the way for the arrival of Shattered with “Steady” in Summer 2018, which illuminates her jaw-dropping range over rapturous upbeat production. Meanwhile, the lead single “What If” builds from a fingersnap-drive groove into a glowing and gorgeous hook. In many ways, the sweeping piano keys and cathartic vocals of the title track “Shattered” capture her message of healing at its most pure, poetic, and powerful.
“‘Shattered’ felt like my heart on paper,” she says. “It inevitably drove where I went on the album and this chapter of my career. It’s the start of something.”
She set the stage for such a moment through a lifelong commitment to music. Following a decade in Group 1 Crew, her 2015 eponymous solo debut, Blanca, soared to the Top 10 of the Billboard Top Christian Albums Chart, produced a pair of number one radio singles in “Who I Am” and “Not Backing Down” [feat. Tedashii], and earned syncs from ESPN and more as she performed at Winter Jam and beyond. Within two years, her total streams surpassed 25.7 million and YouTube views eclipsed 16.2 million.
Ultimately, Blanca’s risks pay off with her most relatable and resonant body of work yet in Shattered.
“When you listen to Shattered, I want you to feel like you aren’t alone in whatever you may be walking through,” she leaves off. “My healing is your healing. I’m not alone in it either, so let’s walk together. Hopefully, through the music, you leave a little stronger, encouraged, and more hopeful in what God can do in our lives. At the end of the day, I’m just a girl with a story to tell. I’m staying true to myself and inviting people to come on the journey with me.”
