Mexican superstar Danna has been in the music industry long enough to know: Labels could do more to foster sustainable talent growth.
Last week, the 29-year-old launched an independent label called One Percent Records alongside her beau, multiplatinum artist and producer Alex Hoyer, who will serve as the company’s chief music officer. Yanin Gonzalez, a creative director and manager, will join One Percent Records as its president.
The L.A.-based boutique label will equip Latin artists with the necessary tools to sustain long-term music careers — centering artistry over money-making moves. The pair hopes to replicate this model in Mexico.
“In recent years I’ve realized the things I wish existed for all of us, for the benefit of the artist … from there comes the need to create my label, by artists for artists,” said Danna, who is the label’s chief executive officer.
The past year has been an active one for Danna, who will continue to release music under her contract with Universal Music Group. She dropped “Paola” from her artist name before unveiling her 2024 LP, “Childstar,” a slick electronic pop album that helped her shed her past as a young telenovela star. Danna also sang the part of Elphaba on the Latin American dub of the 2024 musical film “Wicked,” after she performed the role live in the first Spanish-language adaptation in Mexico City.
“Labels do not function without artists,” said Danna. “Everything is so ephemeral and so immediate that it is important to return to our roots and create a label where you have support.”
The move to create an independent label comes as a response to outdated industry practices that often leave acts without development or ownership of their work. The team behind One Percent has shared many of the concerns voiced by American pop star Chappell Roan, who raised issues with major labels at the Grammy Awards in February. “I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists,” Roan said as she accepted the best new artist award.
“What’s happening is that artists don’t know their rights. They don’t know what is standard, so that’s where we come in to consult with them and educate artists,” said Diego Rodriguez-Palma, Danna’s former lawyer and chief operating officer of One Percent. “The big labels are basically a bank and view the artists as an investment.”
Danna and Hoyer’s move to start their own label follows examples set by peers like Fuerza Regida frontman JOP, founder of StreetMob Records, and Peso Pluma, who established Doble P Records. Puerto Rican label Rimas Entertainment is perhaps the biggest indie success story in Latin music; founded in 2014 by Noah Assad, it’s been the longtime home of Boricua superstar Bad Bunny, who has enjoyed an unprecedented level of success despite turning down multiple offers from major labels.
“We believe that art is the most powerful and clear tool that we can use,” said Hoyer, who got his start in the industry through the popular Mexican singing competition “La Voz Mexico” in 2014. His publishing contract with Warner Chappell Mexico expires later this year; he will release a full-length album via One Percent Records in May.
“One needs to understand how to navigate within the industry but without losing focus of what is most important, which is that the artist can create and be as authentic as possible,” Hoyer added.
To inaugurate One Percent Records, Danna and Hoyer quietly dropped a joint track on Soundcloud called “Angel_Rough.12” under the moniker Xng3l (Angel). The intent behind their subtle debut, released without the usual industry promo push, is to demonstrate artistry beyond the constraints of social media algorithms in order to build a genuine following.
“I believe that in order to form a career, you need partners that are focused on your development, beyond the numbers,” said Danna. “What we want is to return to that principle of music over business.”
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