A few weeks ago I heard for the first time the name Penelope Robin or known by the people who love and admire her as “Penny”, I immediately ran to the search engine to try to find out who she was and what I could see or rather hear, were different genres, a powerful voice, a lot of energy and a total overflow of talent. As soon as I was asked if I wanted to talk to her and have the chance to know a little more about who she was, her past, her perspective on music, and of course talk about the songs she has written this year and the ones to come, I didn’t hesitate for a minute to say yes, what did I get in return? or better yet, what was the result? To meet an artist who has a great future and if at this age she already has a talent and a lovely vibe, I couldn’t imagine all that awaits us and all that Penelope Robin has to give us as the great artist that she is.

To be born into the niche of a musical and art-loving family is a privilege that few have and that not everyone knows how to take advantage of, to turn it into a gold mine and a reason to allow art to unite the soul to this world and, why not, to other universes.  To explore, to change, to study, to advance, but above all to evolve is something that I noticed in my conversation with Penélope. So let’s delve deeper into who is the 15-year-old girl who is stealing several hearts.

 This artist is a young woman who arrived a year ago in Colombia and since she set foot in the country, she put her heart into it, before this big change, Penelope lived in Miami with her family, but when we met her, we noticed immediately that the Latin blood and love for this country and Latin America runs through her veins. How does this dream of being a singer begin and how is born what today we can see as what Penny has become?

Penelope has had music for as long as she can remember, and she knows that music has been in her since before she was born, that’s why she came into the world, to be an artist. Her dad is one of her biggest inspirations and she remembers watching him work for hours with artists, composing, writing, and producing in the studio, as she watched him, she dreamed of being one of those people who would spend hours creating inside the recording studio. She started writing songs at about the age of 7, and what could an innocent little girl write about at that age? Penny wrote about her pet “Caramelo”, about happiness, joy, about fun, but during those years, she felt it was difficult to express some things and it seemed strange to her, however, she kept trying, and she kept diving into the deep and peculiar sea of what are art and music. With the arrival of the pandemic, she began to understand and see that first moment where she could express everything she felt and that was difficult to express to people, through lyrics, melodies, and how music could be that medium and voice to say all that she had inside.

With the above and with a process with her family and team, Animal was born, where Penelope begins to identify that this is her sound, that her essence is there, her genres, melodies that mix with different genres, making them talk to each other, there she began to see that Penny artist she dreamed of years ago. She identified and recognized that when you grow up, you as a human being begin to encounter other issues and begin to understand how the changes and new experiences she has begun to live through while growing up, helped her to find a new outlet, and find a way to have a voice through writing and composing music.

Not only music started and helped her to express herself through voice, but also instruments allowed her to free herself, to be who she was, and to find a “revelation” in and through music, as at any moment those little inspirations can come through ideas, words, sounds, chords and then to be together with her father and partner in creation for hours and exploring her whole world.

Talking to Penny, there was a very nice phrase she said about the art of songwriting and the process itself: “You can write about any subject you want, you can make a song about any word or thing or feeling, but you don’t need to explicitly say that thing, and that’s liberating, that’s magic”. And I want to open the parenthesis that to talk to her is to fall more and more in love with the music. Going back to her song and her line about songwriting, Animal talks about toxicity, about a person who haunts you and doesn’t allow you to move forward, however, she never talks about or mentions hate, or anger and if you look at the lyrics, it’s something aimed more at empowerment, to move forward, to finally scream and break free from those chains through metaphors, you don’t explicitly say the words toxic relationship, but it was made about it and her dad, he’s an expert at that.

Penelope is creating her own stamp, her own essence. Her main musical influences are pop and rock, but she also gives herself the opportunity to play with other genres such as reggaeton and more urban rhythms, because for Penny, everything complements, everything contributes, and above all, everything creates. Of the singers she admires, Penelope admires Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Shakira, and Karol G, and I dare say that she gives them the level of talent and also, I hope at some point in her life, they manage to collaborate together because she has that strength and as we say, that “je ne sais quoi” that captivates when you meet her through her art and her presence.

One aspect that I identified in Penny and with which I felt an affinity, is to have those inspirations and tastes so “varied” or “mixed” because they help to create an integral artist and also to discover and share new musical sounds, which gives her a plus, as she says “playing with music, listening, mixing all cultures, genres so that people can identify with my songs since they have several of them” and that they can find their own vibe or internal dialogue and storytelling in them.

Penelope has an energy that overflows, and yes, as I mentioned, she is only 15 years old and it is surprising how much she knows, how she speaks, sings, and how she is on stage. She started playing electric guitar, as a child she listened to rock because rock, together with instruments like the guitar, has a liberating sound, to scream and not keep any feelings inside, however, her first instrument was the piano and later she started playing the guitar, she also plays a bit of bass and has the desire to learn to play the drums. 

Throughout the conversation, it was nice to see her family not only in the process of becoming who she is and what she has discovered today but also that they are still a team and look up to each other. All of this has allowed Penny to want to be involved in almost 99% of everything she does, and she wants to be part of the creation in the story of her videos, in the post-production, in the creation of the music, and in every part of what Penelope Robin encompasses. She feels it is good for the artist to be behind every part and the videos as well as to tell stories visually. 

Now let’s talk about Penelope’s latest single, this song is titled “Taking Back Sunday”, a song that shows us the artist in her highest radiance and it’s a song that is empowering, it’s a song that gives peace of mind. For her, Sunday is a day of tranquillity, a day that transmits peace, happiness, and union with others, and it is for this reason that TBS talks about the fact that we can always recover peace, that Sunday that we long for so much.

The video has the participation of the director Herney Luna together with his family and a huge team with whom he was able to connect in the best way to have the incredible result that we can see now, where he manages to talk, converse and create a dialogue between the lyrics and the visual part.

Taylor Swift is a great inspiration for her because what Penelope Robin wants most of all is for people to connect with her in her music, just like they do with Tay, in each of the shows, where they feel they have a closeness and connection with her, that they don’t see her as an outsider, but that they relate to her, through her music and shows. Being herself and working hard, connecting, talking to people in the middle of the shows, generating that atmosphere of closeness and family with others. Music is her life, she sings as much as she can and is always learning. The love she has for her art is impressive, as it helps her to be the voice not only for herself, but also for many, and through music, she is able to feel many things.

“ALL PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT, BUT WE CONNECT WITH MUSIC” 

I want to meet her again and I want to continue to see the evolution that I am sure she will continue to undergo. Finally, my conversation and meeting with Penelope left me with this reflection that I would like to share with you. The magic of music transcends barriers and allows people to connect on a deep and meaningful level. Throughout history, music has been a universal form of expression that unites us all, regardless of our background, language, or culture. It has the power to evoke emotions, awaken memories and convey messages that go beyond words. Music can be a refuge, a way to heal, to celebrate, and to find solace in the most difficult of times.

Music has the unique ability to communicate without restrictions and transcend language barriers. Through its melodies, rhythms, and lyrics, it can convey shared emotions and experiences. Whether through an upbeat song that makes us dance and smile, or a moving ballad that makes us reflect and cry, music connects us on a deep emotional level. It allows us to feel understood and accompanied, even when we can’t find the words to express our own emotions. It transports us to different places and invites us to explore new worlds. In this sense, music can be a catalyst for personal and spiritual growth, helping us to understand our reason for being as human beings.

In addition to its emotional and spiritual impact, music also plays an important role in society. It can be a powerful tool for social bonding and change. The magic of music lies in its ability to connect people and help us in our raison d’être as human beings. Through its melodies and lyrics, music transcends the barriers of language and allows us to express emotions, share experiences and seek deeper meaning in our lives. Music unites us, inspires our creativity and awakens our social conscience. It is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and the beauty we can create when we connect through music.