Enrique Iglesias: "Barcelona is one of the most gay-friendly cities"

Mar. 28 2014

by misterb&b

With "Euphoria", his ninth album, Enrique Iglesias has given himself a new collection of hits: "I like it", "Heartbeat" in duet with Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, "Tonight (I'm Fuckin' You)"... More dance rhythms, torrid clips, the most gay-friendly Latin lover of the pop planet has raised the fever among his fans! A few days before his concerts in France, in Nice and Paris, on the occasion of his "Euphoria" tour, we asked him about this album, his favorite places in the world and his travel habits.

You are 35 years old, your career has been at its peak for 15 years... What did you want to tell in this album "Euphoria"?
Enrique Iglesias: "Euphoria" is about those little moments when you have a good time, when you feel so happy that you could die... That's kind of what this album is about, trying to make people happy. It comes at a very important moment in my career: I feel more mature, I try to take things more simply and enjoy life as it is.

How is this album different from your previous albums?
EI : "Euphoria" is probably my most eclectic album, with both dance tracks and ballads. It's also the first album where I include songs in Spanish that are not just adaptations of my English songs. I really enjoyed working with RedOne on the production. It wasn't necessarily easy for me to move away from my usual repertoire, going for more rhythmic tracks, more dance sounds.

In your opinion, which track will speak the most to your gay fans ?
EI : "Heartbeat", the duet with Nicole Scherzinger, of course, because of Nicole and this very sexy video... And then probably "Tonight (I'm Fuckin' You)", right ? It's a pretty good song, and I guess the theme of the song speaks to gays, right? (laughs)

In all your travels, which country has impressed you the most ?
EI : India. It's a country that is both beautiful and terrifying, because of the poverty in some places. It's a country of contrasts, which forces you to change your perspective on life. A country from which you can't come back without being impressed, either for good or for bad reasons. I love it.

In which city do you feel at home?
EI: Miami. I live there and honestly, I would have a hard time living anywhere else. I love living near the ocean, I would say I need it, and I love warm climates. Miami combines both.
Outside of Miami, I would say Barcelona and Paris, both for their architecture, culture, lifestyle, food, and all the friends I have in those two cities.

What place would you recommend to a tourist to get a feel for the "real" Miami?
EI: Lincoln Road, a pedestrian street with lots of stores, cool boutiques, bars and restaurants. It's really Miami and it's a great place to walk around.

What are your favorite places in Miami?
A bar: I like the Palace, on South Beach. It's a very cool gay bar where they play remixes of the best songs of the moment. You can have a drink, have a bite to eat. You have to go there on the weekends to see the drag shows. They do cartwheels in the street, have fun with the tourists... It's good spirit.
A restaurant: Try Cofradia in Coral Gables. It is a Peruvian restaurant, the food is amazing and delicious.
A hotel: The W Hotel in South Beach, modern and design.
A club : The Twist is a very nice gay club in Miami, it's been there for years.

And your favorite places in the world?
A hotel : The Georges V in Paris. Not because of the decoration, not because of the size of the rooms, not because it's a classy place, no, because of the bedding! The beds are soft and I manage to sleep well. I am an insomniac and I always have a hard time falling asleep when I am traveling. So when the bedding is not good, it's even worse. Also, I like their breakfast.
A restaurant: I don't have a favorite restaurant. I like to eat in general, so I like to change restaurants every time.
A store, a brand: This is a question for my friend Anna (Kournikova, ed.), not for me! I'm not a shopper at all...
A vacation destination: the Caribbean. I go there almost every vacation. Most of the time, we rent a boat with friends and we cruise from island to island.

What item do you always take with you when you travel?
EI: A hat. Without a hat, I feel like I'm naked. And then I have a little player/recorder to warm up my voice before each show.

What's the best city to party in?
EI : It's hard to say, because it depends a lot on the people you are with. In my life, I've had just as much fun in Mexico as in London or Ibiza. It depends on who you party with.

The ideal city to fall in love ?
EI : Without any hesitation : Paris. It's really a romantic city.

The most gay-friendly city in the world ?
EI : Barcelona and Ibiza are certainly the most gay-friendly cities in the world. The atmosphere is very special and no one cares if you are gay or not. There is a feeling of freedom that you can't find anywhere else.