Women's Lifestyle April 30, 2026 0 Comments

Thalia Just Became Billboard’s 2026 Women in Music Icon — But Her Next Move Will Shock You!

Have you ever stopped to think about just how deeply one artist can weave themselves into the soundtrack of your life? For many millennials raised in Latin American or Latinx households, Thalia is not just a name — she’s a cultural cornerstone. Before we even caught her starring in iconic telenovelas like Maria Mercedes, Marimar, and Maria la del Barrio, she was already a musical force, evolving from her days with Timbiriche to a solo career that has danced through four decades. And just recently, with the release of her 17th studio album, Todo Suena Mejor en Cumbia, she’s brought us full circle, embracing the cumbia rhythms that have been part of her signature sound all along. It’s no shocker that Billboard crowned her this year’s Women in Music Icon — a well-deserved nod to a powerhouse who keeps reinventing herself while staying true to her roots. Curious to dive deeper into her journey, her guilty pleasures, and which Maria she’s got a soft spot for right now? Stick around. LEARN MORE

6 min read

Millennials who grew up in a Latin America or a Latinx household likely do not remember a time before Thalia. Many of us first saw her as the titular Maria Mercedes in the telenovela of the same name, (and then we saw her in Marimar and then in Maria la del Barrio); but she’d already established a music career, first as part of the musical group Timbiriche, and later as a solo artist. Her career spans over four decades—and counting—earlier this month she released her 17th studio album Todo Suena Mejor en Cumbia, where she goes back to the cumbia sound that have shaped her sound throughout her career. It was hardly a surprise to learn that Billboard would honor her as this year’s Women in Music Icon.

Harper’s Bazaar’s newest questionnaire series, “First, Now, Next,” dives into the past, present, and future of some of our favorite creatives, spotlighting the moments and influences that have influenced them. We hopped on a call with Thalia a day before the Billboard honors, and her ebullient personality was as evident as ever; impossible to ignore even through the phone. Read on to learn about her guilty pleasures, her dream collaboration, and her favorite of the Marias (we had to ask).

What’s the first album that cracked something open in you?

Definitely the Grease soundtrack. My mom bought me the record on vinyl, I remember you would open it and it had all the different scenes from the movie. I saw that movie at the movie theater I don’t know how many times. I knew all the songs, all the choreography and I dreamed of acting and singing. So that really marked for me this desire for acting, singing, and dancing, and let me know it was all possible.

Have you had a failure that ended up changing your career?

My first solo record. I always go back to it because it is the moment that marks a before and an after [in my life]. I worked on that record with such an intense wish to conquer the world with my music, but there was a real backlash because my lyrics and my look were both considered too sexy and risqué for the time. They wouldn’t play me on the radio. And that made me understand that I needed to stand up for what I believed in, to find the people that were identifying with my work, with who I was, with my music. So even though it was a bumpy road, I kept working, and believing in it.

What was the first project that made you take yourself seriously?

Definitely “Amor a la Mexicana.” That song came to my life at exactly the right time because it was a time when I was traveling the world with my telenovelas, and no matter where I went—Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brazil, Hungary, France—they were always like “Oh, she came from Mexico!” and it was something so exotic to think I came from such a far away country. And then I had this song where I could state that I am from Mexico, that I am a Mexican woman and I love my country and my roots.

How did you define success at 16? How would you define it now?

Oh my God, success at 16 was a mansion, a Rolls Royce, a solid Hollywood career, to see my videos on the top ten countdowns on MTV and VH1, fly on a private jet, and be a millionaire. I mean, that’s what every 16-year old thinks success is; but for me success today means just feeling calm, with a peaceful mind and emotional intelligence, being healthy, feeling good in my body, working out, and eating well. To have a solid spiritual life, and do good; those things to me are the meaning of success.

What are you saying “no” to now? What are you saying “yes” to?

I am saying “no” to people who seek out conflict, who drain you emotionally, to demanding relationships. I want to be light in my life, and surround myself with people who have an infectious positive energy. I want to look ahead, I want to look above; I don’t want to look back, I don’t want to look down and see only darkness and negativity.

I am saying “yes” to projects that can bring something to my life, that can make me feel whole. I am saying “yes” to having a good time with my family, to travel, to read, to listen to old songs that can sometimes be scary to listen to because they are so full of memories.

What are these songs that you are scared to listen to—are they your own?

No, just songs that exist in these imaginary playlists from your infancy, your adolescence, your 20s, your 30s… songs that sometimes you don’t want to listen to because they are like treasures. You feel like if you listen to them too much you will wear out their meaning, their memory. So sometimes I start listening to them and then I stop because I want to keep them intact.

Did any of these songs appear in Thalia’s Mixtape, your covers record?

No, those are the songs that I like to listen to and sing and dance and jump to. Those were the songs that I listen to almost every day because I love them. I always love to put a few of my favorite songs in my albums; my latest has a cover of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” a little bit of (Son By Four’s) “A Puro Dolor,” Daniela Romo’s “Todo, Todo, Todo.” The songs I am referring to I’ll never share! (Laughs)

What was the last thing you splurged on? What is one thing you still refuse to spend a lot of money on?

The last thing I splurged on was food… it’s always food. I always feel guilty when I spend money in exotic ice creams and on caviar because I’ll eat it all and then it’s like “Oh, I shouldn’t have!”

I refuse to spend money on expensive bags.

What’s your favorite part of writing children’s songs?

I love to do them because I connect with young Thalia, with my most “me” phase, when I was mischievous, when I was discovering life, unsure of what life was about. But maybe it’s more about connecting with that moment even more so than connecting with young me.

The Billboard Women in Music 2026 - Show

Rich Polk//Getty Images

Thalia accepting the Icon Award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards.

What does being honored as Billboard’s Women in Music Icon mean to you?

It really struck me to be considered among so many women, the fact that I am still someone that people think about when they are thinking about who they can give this award to this year, even after four decades in the business. I am thankful for that the most, to God, to my public, to all the people in the industry that have allowed me to still be here, still working, reinventing myself, spreading my wings and flying. I’m truly thankful because it’s a very intense award—even the name itself is imposing.

If you could collaborate with anyone next, who would it be and why?

Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. I love him, I’m obsessed with him; and Sade. Her voice has been with me throughout my whole life.

What did you learn from working on Todo Suena Mejor en Cumbia?

I learned that it was necessary for me to come back to this sound, which is very me. It’s something that’s always been my style, but I think I hadn’t realized that the cumbia sounds have always been in my music. When I started this project it was like going back home, you know, going back to something you know really well, that makes you feel good. So I think I learned that it feels really good to come back home to what is yours.

I also learned that I really love to be in the studio; I love to be in there day after day with the engineer mixing the sounds. That’s a new thing in my life, loving the act of recording in the studio, of taking the time to really make things right and have fun.

If you retired from your industry today, what would you do in your next act?

I would love to have a farm and just dedicate myself to the earth, taking care of animals, clean the land…

At this exact moment in your life, who is your favorite—Marimar, Maria la del Barrio or Maria Mercedes?

Oh, I love them all so much! I think I love Marimar’s sweetness and how she is such a dreamer. I love her innocence. And I love Maria la del Barrio’s emotional survival instincts. So I think I would mix those two parts.