Spanish singer-songwriter Quique González has released his new album '1973', named after his birth year, and will start a tour in November. In an interview with elDiario.es, he denounced the normalization of precarity in society and the music industry, defending art's value beyond mass sales.
Quique González, with over 25 years in music since his 1998 debut album 'Personal', has recently released '1973', an 11-track record aimed at 'looking to the future'. The Madrid native, who feels 'very comfortable' managing his team and recordings, will begin a tour of halls and theaters in November to celebrate these compositions, which he describes as 'an honest and faithful reflection of the type of musician I am'.
In a meeting with elDiario.es members moderated by Laura García Higueras, González criticized multinational pressures for 'immediate economic returns' at the expense of artistic development. 'Let's not consider good what is mainstream or has millions of listeners', he stated, adding: 'Not liking everyone or not filling four WiZink Centers doesn't mean you're worse than other artists'. He used a stark analogy: 'If good is only what sells a lot, McDonald's would be the best restaurant in the world'.
The artist also addressed social precarity, noting how 'they are getting us used to precarity being the norm'. He cited the example of someone earning 1,800 euros monthly but paying 900 in rent in central Madrid: 'You're not middle class if more than half your salary goes to pay where you sleep'. He deems this 'dangerous' and 'studied' to prevent uprisings.
'1973' was one of his most difficult albums, with disagreements with a sound engineer, but saved by producer Toni Brunet, whom he praises: 'I need someone who gives me perspective'. González, whose frustrated vocation is filmmaking, performed 'Salitre' (2001) and 'Preguntas sencillas' (2025) at the event. On lyrics, inspired by Bob Dylan, he prefers they retain 'mystery' for personal listener interpretation: 'We are eager to celebrate these songs and see people singing with their eyes closed at concerts'.