Manuel Carrasco: "I've often felt like a loser, but life goes on even if there are dreams you don't fulfill."

Manuel Carrasco (Isla Cristina, 1981) walks between the Metro cars, with the workers milling around looking for a selfie. It's not that the Huelva native has hung up his guitar or that his overalls are his new work uniform; it's that one of the trains that travel along the Madrid line became an improvised stage yesterday afternoon for the presentation of his ninth album, Pueblo salvaje II , to some of his fans, before its release today.

It's a few hours before that, in the morning, when the singer walks along the tracks leading to Depot 8 of the subway. "It's nice, isn't it?" he says, running his hand over the convoy, graffitied on the outside with the name of his new album, and with the interior conditioned for this interview. " That wild town is inside me; it's where I go every now and then to feel better and find a little balance . It's important to do so in the face of so much external noise."

How do you move through that noise?

I try to abstract myself because noise contaminates, and it's almost inevitable not to stain yourself. And it's difficult because it's just a click away. But abstraction can't mean ignoring the important things in life. I now look for things that elevate me because the world will shake us up, it will play with us... it's inevitable, but that's how life has to be.

From there springs Pueblo Salvaje II, the project that at first glance sounds the least like Manuel Carrasco, yet is nothing more than that. The kid from Isla Cristina delves into his origins, his influences, his path to becoming one of the best-selling artists on the national scene and, therefore, himself. "My town, Isla Cristina, is everything; without that flame, nothing would have been the way it is. My fighting spirit, my first exposure to music, my personality, my folklore all come from there. I owe it all to them, and they keep on making gestures toward me . That overwhelms me. They recently built a road for me. But I'm too young for this, for God's sake."

Is this album a vindication of the people in every sense of the word?

We, the people, cannot forget that we hold the true power, as individuals and as a whole. That's where power lies, and sometimes I feel we've forgotten it because what comes from outside confuses us.

Did that kid who started in this 23 years ago ever imagine where he is now?

Not a chance, not even close. But since I've taken it in small steps, I feel comfortable. I wasn't predestined for these things, but they're happening to me, and I'm trying to do the best I can. It's still a blessing to be here, and I take on a huge degree of responsibility with every step I take in my career, and I have enormous respect for that.

His song "El grito del niño" (The Child's Cry) says: "The little ant that, in the sand, carries its sorrow. I am what no one knows." Is that Manuel Carrasco?

I am so many things, even things that no one knows, not even me. I am the good, the bad, the confusion, the doubts, the fears, the joy... And you might ask, how can I talk so much about that fear when I've achieved many of my dreams, even those I hadn't even dreamed of at first? Well, I do because I don't stop to bask in the laurels of success and focus much more on what has been difficult. The setbacks greatly marked a stage of my life, and I write about them because I feel I understand those who are going through them now.

What are those unpleasantnesses?

I thought there were many things I couldn't do; that's been a constant in my life. Just daring to do it was very important, and I continue to write about it because there are still many things I'm probably still struggling with. I wanted to throw in the towel many times; I even did. I've felt like a loser many times, but in life, you have to keep going, even if there are dreams you don't fulfill.

Did you throw in the towel when you already had a musical career?

Yes, yes, yes, and before too. I've had it at different times in my life, but I think that feeling made me blossom a little better.

"We, the people, cannot forget that we are the ones who hold the true power. And sometimes I feel like we forget."

The other day I heard you say that you're the only one of your five siblings who finished primary school, that in your town, bringing money home was valued more than studying... Does that feeling of wanting to throw in the towel come from that?

It was what was there at the time, what we were told, and what we saw. I don't judge myself for it. We all thought we were made for work, and you're defeated before your time. And it doesn't have to be that way. Although I think that has changed socially, social media has opened a window to the world so people can dare to try new things. And that aspect, despite all the negatives, is cool. My world was the neighborhood, and I thought I'd never leave there. That I was happy, but I also had many moments of despair, thinking that nothing would happen in my life.

Did you approach the future with pessimism? This album features songs like "Lost Dreams" and "Enemy No. 1" that sound very much like that sentiment.

Yes, yes, well, I already knew what my life was going to be like at 20, and music was my escape, the driving force behind doing different things. That's why I keep talking about it because it's left its mark on me and served me well. And I'm not talking about success, but about how it's helped me in my life.

Why expose yourself like this now?

Because it's time, because the time has come, and because I feel like doing other things. This album is the most personal I've ever made; maybe it sounds like too much, but it really is. Even in this pop music I've been doing, it's made me reach certain conclusions in which I feel very identified.

How important is that freedom to you?

Being free should be the first commandment of life, but it's not easy, my friend. Life is much more complex than it seems, but if you're out in the world trying to be as free as possible, you'll be a little happier.

After this album, there will be a stadium tour, most of which have already sold out. At a time when there's a lot of talk about ticket prices, the price of their tickets is surprising: around 50 euros on the dance floor.

I try to keep that in mind and put a lot of effort into my tours. But we don't do anything production-wise because we play in stadiums, the investment is huge, and that means tickets have to be a little more expensive than I'd like. But we really take care of it.

Would you like them to be lower?

If it were possible, of course. But you can't have everything; you have to find a balance.