Selena Quintanilla's estate announces new posthumous album with digitally altered vocals
Moonchild Mixes will reportedly feature previously unheard recordings from the singer's teenage years that digitally age her voice
The estate of late Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla has announced a new posthumous album of the artist’s work, Moonchild Mixes, is coming at the end of August. The artist, who was shot and killed by her former manager and friend Yolanda Saldívar in 1995, would be 51 years old were she still alive today.
“It truly feels like she went into the studio again and recorded it,” Selena’s sister, Suzette Quintanilla, shared on Good Morning America. “It’s pretty incredible.”
The first single from the album, a new version of Selena’s 1987 track “Como Te Quiero Yo A Ti,” is out now. In addition to the track, Moonchild Mixes will also reportedly include 10 never-before-head vocal cuts recorded by Selena when she was between 13 and 16 years old. Her brother, A.B. Quintanella, told GMA he digitally altered the vocals to modernize Selena’s sound.
“Everything was recorded on vinyl,” A.B. shared of the tracks of Selena’s original vocals included on “Como Te Quiero Yo A Ti.” “So we had to kind of fuse the old school ways with the new school ways. Clean Selena’s vocals, put them on timing. And then we also pitched her vocal down just a hair to make her sound a little bit more mature.”
The new album is far from the first posthumous endeavor Selena’s estate has approved. In addition to a bevy of previous posthumous albums (another re-recorded version of “Como Te Quiero Yo A Ti” was first heard on the 2004 compilation Momentos Intimos) her name and likeness have been licensed for a variety of non-musical endeavors. Theres a MAC Cosmetics collection, a Forever 21 line, a Funko Pop figurine, and even a prepaid Visa.
Critics who feel yet another posthumous venture takes advantage of Selena’s legacy surely won’t be convinced otherwise by the digital alteration of her teenaged voice. But Selena’s siblings vigorously assert that they’re not bothered by naysayers and believe their sister would take pride in the album.
“What critics? We don’t care about them,” Suzette said. “As an artist and musicians and people that are in the public eye, you have to turn that off. We’re still going to do what we want with our music, with our sister, with our band. And I hope people understand that everything that we do, we do it with loving care and with beauty.”
“What we’re doing is honoring her memory, her legacy. That’s what it’s about,” A.B. added.
Moonchild Mixes is due out August 26 via Warner Music Latina.