“I want everyone to feel empowered by all the things that they are,” says Sandra Lilia Velasquez, known to Latin music fans as SLV. “Especially in these times we are living in that alienate people based on where they come from or how they look. It is the diversity both inside us and around us that makes us rich.”
That is the message, conveyed through hip-hop, behind the artist’s new track and video, “Barras de Oro.” Previously known as the frontwoman of the Latin alternative group Pistolera, Velasquez will release her second solo album under the name SLV (her initials) at the end of March.
“This is a self-empowerment song about embracing the complexity of my identity,” Velasquez, who describes herself as a musician who plays various styles of music, a mother and an entrepreneur, tells Billboard. “All of these experiences add depth to my life and character. They are my arsenal from which I draw strength and inspiration.”