IN CONVERSATION WITH LAURA PAUSINI

interview by JANA LETONJA

With a career spanning more than three decades, Laura Pausini has become one of the most successful and influential artists in international pop music. She has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, amassed over 8 billion streams, and broken countless barriers as the first, and still only, Italian artist to win a Grammy Award and chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. A five-time Latin Grammy winner and the Latin Recording Academy’s 2023 Person of the Year—the first non-native Spanish speaker ever to receive the honour—she has also won a Golden Globe and earned nominations for both the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. Most recently, she received the Billboard Icon Award and the Global Icon Award from Billboard Women in Music, further cementing her status as one of the defining voices of international pop. Following a successful first leg of her IO CANTO / YO CANTO World Tour earlier this year, Laura returns to the road this October for the European arena leg before continuing across the world through 2027, bringing her spectacular live show to audiences in dozens of countries.  

More than 30 years after your breakthrough, what still excites you most about making music and stepping onto the stage?

Music itself. It still gives me goosebumps. It’s what lights something inside me and gives me a reason to be happy—not only as an artist, but as a woman, a mother, a wife, a daughter and a sister. Music gives me a reason to feel alive.

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You’ve become one of the very few artists whose career truly spans continents. What has this success meant to you?

First of all, I never dreamed of becoming famous. I dreamed of becoming a singer. That’s a very important difference because it has shaped the way I’ve lived this life.

When everything began in Italy, and then expanded across Europe and North and South America, I felt I had to deserve that success. I wanted to keep learning, to surround myself with people who could help me grow, and to always choose quality.

For me, success has always meant staying focused, realistic and authentic. Of course, it brings incredible experiences, and I’m grateful for them, but there are also difficult aspects that people don’t see. Fame isn’t always easy, especially if you’re an emotional person. You have to work on yourself constantly, your mind and your heart, to keep your balance. It’s a beautiful life, but it isn’t always an easy one.

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You have often said that authenticity has always guided your career. In an industry that constantly changes, how have you managed to stay true to yourself?

I owe so much to my parents. From the time I was a little girl, they taught me values that still guide every decision I make. They helped me stay grounded, because success can be wonderful, but it can also make you lose yourself if you don’t know who you are.

I’m also a Taurus, so I’m very stubborn. That has helped me more than anything. I’ve always known what I wanted, even when I had to defend my ideas alone. I believe that determination is a gift from God, but it’s also part of my personality. Sometimes we have to thank ourselves too.

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You’ve just received the Billboard Icon Award and the Global Icon Award. When you look back at your journey, what do these recognitions mean to you at this point in your career?

These awards mean so much because, when I started at eighteen, people constantly told me that success belonged to youth, that the biggest opportunities would come early in my career.

I believed that at times. But today, some of the greatest recognitions of my life are happening now. I’m not talking about record sales. Of course I sold more records in the 90s, but today I’m playing more concerts than ever, and receiving honours I never even imagined existed.

I want young women to know that there isn’t an expiration date on dreams. Success doesn’t only belong to young people. If you keep working, stay disciplined, remain stubborn in the best possible way, and continue believing in yourself, incredible things can still happen later in life.

People often imagine the music industry as “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.” That was never my reality. Music is a passion, but it’s also a profession. It requires discipline, honesty and consistency. I don’t drink, I take care of my voice, I rest, and I respect my work. Those daily choices have allowed me to keep singing with the same voice I had when I was eighteen.

One lesson I’ve learned is to listen to advice without losing your own instincts. I made mistakes, especially when the industry shifted from physical albums to digital. Sometimes I allowed others to choose singles I didn’t truly believe in because they seemed more commercially appropriate. Looking back, I know those decisions weren’t right for me. My audience connects with me because they understand who I am, and authenticity always wins.

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You have performed on some of the world’s most iconic stages, from Madison Square Garden to the Royal Albert Hall. Is there one concert that still gives you goosebumps when you think about it?

There isn’t just one. The first was May 16, 1982, when I was eight years old. My father was performing as a piano bar singer, and I asked him if I could borrow his microphone. It was only a restaurant, but for me it was my first stage. Without that night, I wouldn’t be here today.

The second was San Siro Stadium in Milan. I became the first woman to headline the stadium in Italy, and at first I almost said no because I was afraid of failing. But then they really convinced me. From the very first minute, I was really scared, even though I knew it was sold out. That was a night that changed my perspective of life as a singer. I felt a huge responsibility, not just for myself, but for every woman who might follow. That concert changed me.

The third is the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2012. Before the show, my husband and I became parents. That night will always be the most important concert of my life.

This October you’ll return to the stage for the next leg of your IO CANTO / YO CANTO World Tour. What can fans expect from this new chapter of the tour?

The IO CANTO / YO CANTO albums have been a wonderful adventure for me. Every one of these projects is dedicated to my fellow artists because I love paying tribute to the singers and songwriters who have inspired me throughout my life.

The first IO CANTO, released in 2006, was dedicated to the Italian artists whose music shaped me. I later translated those songs into Spanish for YO CANTO, because I’ve always recorded in both Italian and Spanish. At that time, the concert was the same everywhere because the repertoire was built around those Italian songs.

This time, it’s different. Over the past twenty years, I’ve lived between Europe and North and South America, and Latin culture has become part of who I am—my blood, my heart and my way of thinking. It felt like the right moment to pay tribute to Latin music as well.

Latin music is incredibly rich and diverse. It has allowed me to explore rhythms and styles that are very different from traditional Italian music. We have just completed the Latin American leg of the tour, and the setlist reflected that audience. Beginning in October, the European shows will be different because I’ll perform primarily in Italian.

The European tour will be different from the Latin American shows because I’ll sing primarily in Italian, while celebrating both my own songs and some of the artists I’ve always admired.

Visually, however, the production remains the same. The stage is designed as a castle because I believe the only true queen is music itself. People sometimes call artists “the queen of music,” but for me, music is the real queen. My musicians, my crew and I are simply there to protect and honour her.

Even my microphone stand reflects that idea. It’s shaped like a sword, made from three microphones. One represents my own voice, one represents the artists I’m paying tribute to, and the third belongs to the audience, because these songs are meant to be sung together.

This time I chose not to have dancers. I wanted the focus to remain entirely on the music and the voices.

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Music today is consumed very differently than when you began your career. Do you think artists have gained more freedom, or more pressure?

Both. Today it’s extraordinary that we can discover music from anywhere in the world with a single click. In the 90s, I had to ask friends in Brazil to send me albums because I couldn’t find them in Italy.

But at the same time, social media has created enormous pressure. Too often it thrives on fake news and controversy. Sometimes I read things that are completely untrue, and what surprises me most is how quickly people believe them.

That environment can make artists feel less free. I wish people would focus more on the music and the work an artist creates than on everything surrounding it.

You have always used your voice beyond music, supporting humanitarian causes and organizations around the world. Why has giving back remained such an important part of your life?

Because long before I became famous, I met people who needed help. My parents taught me to visit hospitals and elderly homes, and to spend time with people who often felt forgotten. Those experiences stayed with me and made me ask myself why I was here.

Music is one answer. Helping others is another. I’ve never wanted to change that part of myself because it feels true to who I am.

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We’ve seen you performing at the finale of The World Cup just a few weeks ago. How was that experience for you?

It felt like being a little girl in a candy shop. I was overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude. It was an honour to perform a song with such a meaningful message of hope. At a time when the world needs hope more than ever, it felt incredibly special.

Performing alongside Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger was a privilege. The three of us became one on that stage, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.

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Finally, after everything you’ve accomplished, what is the dream that Laura Pausini still hasn’t fulfilled?

My greatest dream is to never lose the courage to look towards the future. I never want to settle for less simply because something is comfortable or successful. That would feel like giving up a part of myself.

It’s easy to fall. The challenge is to stay curious, to keep dreaming, and to keep fighting for the life that truly feels like yours. That’s the dream I’m still chasing.

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TEAM CREDITS

talent LAURA PAUSINI
photography FERNANDO SIPPEL
styling ROWAINE GRANT
styling assistant ANGEL SIPILIA
personal styling MONICA SERANI
hair CLAUDIO BELIZARIO using Bumble and Bumble
makeup DANIELA ZEQO using Charlotte Tilbury
photography assistant ROMULO PIRES
location Braza Studio
editor TIMI LETONJA
interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN