BRUSES CONFRONTS LIFE, DEATH AND REBIRTH IN SOPHOMORE ALBUM 'DESDE EL COMA'

WORDS RACHEL EDWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW HUANG THOMAS

Not many people can say they've written an album describing their time in a coma, but that's exactly what Latin singer songwriter Bruses did when she wrote Desde El Coma, out today. The five time Grammy nominated artist's sophomore album feels like a reclaiming of self and a sort of sonic rebirth.

Bruses, born in Tijuana, Baja California, nearly lost her life at age 20 after a car accident left her with life-threatening injuries and in a medically induced coma for a month. “I died for 3 minutes and it took me 3 years to make this album since my coma,” she reflects. “This accident that took me to a coma destroyed my life, but this album gave me my life back.”

The 15-track journey begins with ANTES de MORIRME (“Before I Die”), a song punctuated by operatic vocals that can't help but evoke thoughts of mortality and the afterlife. From there, the album unfolds like a lucid dream - shadowy, cinematic, and fluid - where memory, body, and imagination merge. A sense of chaos lingers throughout, mirroring the disorientation of a coma, as tempos and tones shift without warning. On COMA PARTY, Bruses dives directly into that surreal landscape, her whispered delivery embodying the ghostly figures and warped realities she faced in unconsciousness.

Bruses has never been one to shy away from vulnerability, previously stating that she wished she had grown up with role models who were open about their own mental health struggles. I'M SO HAPPY pokes at the pressure to perform and be "on" all the time (think men who tell you to smile). Her journey from the underground, where she first gained attention for her collaborations and lo-fi experiments, to stages like the Latin Grammys and KEXP has been marked by her raw honesty about anxiety, depression, and survival. With Desde El Coma, Bruses transforms that honesty into art that is relatable and inspiring.

Released in a moment where Latin pop continues to push boundaries globally, Desde El Coma positions Bruses as one of the most compelling voices of her generation. If her debut established her as a rising star, her sophomore effort proves she is here to stay.