Malú opens up about impostor syndrome and anxiety ahead of 'Quince' tour launch
Spanish singer Malú detailed her long struggle with impostor syndrome and anxiety during a candid interview on El Hormiguero, while presenting her 15th album 'Quince' ahead of a tour starting in Mérida.
A career shadowed by self-doubt
Spanish singer Malú, one of the country's most recognised vocalists, has revealed the extent of the impostor syndrome that has accompanied her nearly three-decade career. Appearing on Pablo Motos' El Hormiguero on Wednesday night, the Madrid-born artist described a persistent inner voice that told her she was lying about her talent. "He tenido problemas de autoestima, sí. Lo he pasado muy mal en ese sentido conmigo misma porque no sé si será un síndrome del impostor o qué, pero al final estás toda tu vida pensando que estás mintiendo," she told Motos, according to La Vanguardia.
The thought that came to me most was that it was a lie that I sang well.
The singer traced the origins of this feeling to her abrupt entry into the music industry. She began singing at 15, not as a childhood dream but as a way to avoid school. When her debut album Aprendiz sold a million copies and a tour was proposed, she recalled breaking down in tears and confessing to her mother that she had lied and did not know how to sing.
The creation of a persona
Malú explained that she constructed a public persona to cope with her natural shyness, but maintaining it came at a cost. "Yo creé a Malú, yo era una persona tímida. Cuando perdía un mínimo de control de mi personaje, me creaba ansiedad," she stated, as reported by La Razón. The pressure of controlling this image led to anxiety, particularly when she felt the character slipping.
A turning point came in 2018 when a severe ankle injury forced her to cancel a tour. She described the initial drama of letting people down, but also the silence that followed, during which she realised she was okay. The enforced pause allowed her to step away from the Malú persona for an extended period, though returning triggered what she called a strange crisis. She began therapy four years ago, which she now strongly recommends for the tools it provides.
A lighthearted moment on stage
Not all memories shared were heavy. Motos prompted Malú to recount an embarrassing on-stage moment from early in her career. After eating heavily before a concert at age 18, she accidentally burped into the microphone while thanking the audience. "Me quise morir, pero, como siempre, el público fue muy cálido y agradable," she said, recalling how the crowd chanted "she's human."
Personal life in a calmer phase
Beyond the professional reflections, Spanish media have noted a period of personal stability for the 44-year-old. After separating from former Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera, with whom she shares a daughter Lucía born in 2020, Malú has been in a relationship with Ángel Fernández, a production technician she met during a tour. The couple have kept a low profile since summer 2024, living together in her Madrid home. In a previous interview with EL MUNDO, she described feeling liberated after years under intense media scrutiny during her relationship with Rivera.
The 'Quince' project
Malú's visit to El Hormiguero was to present Quince, her fifteenth studio album. The title references the age she started her career and the album's numerical place in her discography. The record contains 11 previously unreleased songs. Her Quince tour begins on 12 June in Mérida and will take her across Spain through this year and into the next.
