"Si no estás" - Íñigo Quintero, the young artist behind the viral TikTok hit
Spanish musician Íñigo Quintero landed a global hit overnight. His single "Si no estás" stormed the charts worldwide in October. The ballad reached the top position in several countries in South America and Europe - including Germany. On Spotify, the song recorded 5.7 million streams in a single day, putting it at the top of the global Spotify charts. No other Spanish-language solo artist had ever achieved this before. Within just a few days, the 22-year-old had overtaken the likes of Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny.
His sudden success is thanks to the video platform TikTok. 2.6 million videos now feature his song. "On the first day there were around 200 videos with the song, the next day 300 and within a week thousands. I couldn't believe it," the musician recalls in an interview with stern. At the time, he hadn't even used TikTok.
Íñigo Quintero, an unknown, "enigmatic" musician
The press called Íñigo Quintero an "enigmatic artist", as the Spaniard initially bypassed the public completely. There is hardly any information about him on the internet and only a few photos on his Instagram account. Íñigo Quintero only gave interviews at the beginning of December. At first he was quite overwhelmed, he says. "I had to take time to process everything and accept that I had to find my way in a completely new industry, the music industry." Although he had always been passionate about music, he had never expected to pursue a career in music.
Íñigo Quintero Dolz del Castellar, as the Spaniard's full name is, was born in December 2001 in the small Galician town of Potedeume, where his father ran a pharmacy. His mother comes from Madrid. According to the local newspaper"La Voz de Galicia", Íñigo and his eight siblings were brought up in a religious environment. When Íñigo Quintero was twelve years old, the family moved to the provincial capital of A Coruña.
He received his first piano lessons at his school. "I think music is something very innate and instinctive for me," he tells stern. Music is "a wonderful tool to connect with myself and now also with the audience". It took some time before he dared to play in front of other people: he used to close the door to his room when practising so that he couldn't be heard singing or playing the piano.
The musician kept "Si no estás" under lock and key for a long time
In piano lessons, his teachers noticed that Íñigo Quintero had a good ear and was making great progress. One of his teachers taught him how to compose songs. At 16, the musician put together his first songs and covered the hits of his favorite artists. He finds inspiration for his lyrics in his own life experiences, in everyday life and in the people around him, he explains: "You don't need anything very profound to be inspired. It's often the little things that are a surprising source of inspiration."
After leaving school, Íñigo Quintero moved to Madrid to study psychology and teaching. In the Spanish capital, he found friends who shared his musical passion and encouraged him to publish his compositions. For the first time, he shared his cover versions and uploaded excerpts of his own songs to his Instagram stories. However, he kept his later hit "Si no estás" a secret. He only uploaded the pop ballad to Spotify in September 2022.
A year later, the song was suddenly circulating on TikTok. The melancholy song lines encouraged thousands of couples, friends and family members to embrace and express their love for each other. In the videos, many laugh and cry at the same time. "A friend told me that the song had gone viral," says Íñigo Quintero.
A fact that still seems crazy to him. "What surprised me the most was that the song resonated in countries where other languages are spoken, such as Germany or Switzerland." The songs that go viral on TikTok also influence the music charts. That's why it only took a few days for the Spanish song to conquer the charts.
The true meaning of the song remains a secret
What exactly the song is about is not clear. The lines leave room for speculation. According to the Swiss news portal"20 Minuten", it is about the pain and anguish "that comes with a break-up". The streaming platform Spotify speaks of a "love story without a happy ending". Watson throws "the search for oneself through spirituality and faith" into the ring. In fact, the Spanish press in particular has frequently debated whether "Si no estás" is a Christian song describing a crisis of faith.
The newspaper"El País" even speculates that part of its success can be attributed to Christian influencers who spread the song even before TikTok's success. The musician himself does not want to reveal the exact meaning of the song. "'Si No estás' can have many meanings, faith is just one of them. I like it when everyone finds their own interpretation," Íñigo Quintero tells stern. His hit should remain "a song with an open message that everyone feels for themselves".
The labels "Believe Music" and "Acqustic", which represent the singer, believe that the song resonates with Generation Z in particular. "The lyrics are very profound. It's about missing something essential in life," emphasizes Alejandra Olea, Managing Director of "Believe Music America" in an interview with"Billboard.com". Alejandra Olea believes that the lines of the song are exactly right for the feeling of being lost that is present in Generation Z. In addition, Íñigo Quintero's hit coincides with a general streaming boom in Latin American music.
Follow-up single is about the surprising success
The 22-year-old says that his success has only changed his life minimally: "I try to make sure that it affects my everyday life as little as possible so that I keep my feet on the ground." Íñigo Quintero still goes to his seminars every day and spent his birthday in December studying for his upcoming exams. He is hardly recognized in public. He has the face of a "character who appears in the background in video games and has an ordinary and inconspicuous appearance", the"Voz de Galicia" quoted the singer as saying.
His first stage appearance in A Coruña "scared him to death". In an Instagram post afterwards, however, he expressed his gratitude and joy for the concert and the singing audience. "Fortunately, I received a lot of support from professional people, but also from my family and friends," the 22-year-old told stern magazine.
In his new single "Lo que queda de mí", Íñigo Quintero processes his feelings after his surprising success. A conversation with a friend inspired him to write the song, in which he sings about how everything had overwhelmed him and that he wanted to stay true to himself. Similar to his worldwide hit, the follow-up is also a piano ballad. The song was released at the beginning of December. However, it was not a success. He is aware that it is very difficult to reach the level of "Si no estás".
"I am passionate about it"
"I don't want to put myself under pressure," says the singer. Just as quickly as his hit went viral, the hype on TikTok - a platform that is already known for its fast pace - died down again. This made the musician worry that he would remain a one-hit wonder, forever and ever the "Si no estás" type. "I understand that, because I've only released a few songs so far," says the 22-year-old. That's why he set himself the goal of "continuing to write songs that appeal to people". In addition to new songs, he has more surprises planned for his fans in 2024 - but he doesn't want to reveal any of them yet. "I'm passionate about it," he emphasizes.
Íñigo Quintero is hoping for a long and successful career in the music industry, but he is still pursuing his studies "because I also really enjoy teaching". Music came as a surprise to him, for which he is very grateful. But it reassures him to know that he will also be happy as a teacher.
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Despite his sudden fame, Íñigo Quintero remains an enigmatic figure in the music industry. His rise to international stardom with "Si no estás" has kept entertainment headlines buzzing, making it one of the top news stories in music. His success on TikTok and the surge in popularity of the song across various countries have made him a household name among music lovers worldwide.
Source: www.stern.de
