Quevedo Presents a Portrait of Identity & Memory With ‘El Baifo’: ‘I Would Love for People to Understand Where I Come From’

With his third studio album, El Baifo, Quevedo delivers a project that feels closer, more personal. Following Donde Quiero Estar (2023) and Buenas Noches (2024), the Spanish artist places the focus on the Canary Islands — not as a passing reference, but as a constant presence throughout the 14 tracks on the independently released record.

“I believe the Canary Islands are a key point, and that anyone who understands where I come from also understands my career’s processes and stages much better,” Quevedo tells Billboard Español.

“Baifo” is the term used in the Canary Islands to describe a baby goat, a word that is very present in the daily life of the islands. The album also plays with the idea of “GOAT” — as in “greatest of all time.” “I would love for people to feel what I feel when they listen to the album and to understand where I come from,” the artist adds.

That intention resonates throughout the set, which moves through various moods: from celebration to reflection, and to deeply personal moments. El Baifo navigates this emotional range from the very beginning, with an energy tied to festivity and an identity that doesn’t need to be explained. Songs like “Al Golpito,” featuring Canarian group Nueva Línea, take us into a recognizable space: celebration, family, local festivals.

“Mi Balcón” slows things down and provides one of the most introspective moments. With the timple as its foundation, the song is inspired by a very specific image — Canarian balconies. “They’re something very typical here, with a unique architecture. The song talks about a little bit of everything but from a place of nostalgia,” Quevedo explains.

In “La Graciosa,” a merengue track, Quevedo collaborates with Elvis Crespo. In the Canary Islands, Crespo’s music is a staple during carnival celebrations, giving the collab a special weight. “Elvis is a legend. He’s someone who knows our history; he’s been visiting the islands for years,” Quevedo says.

“For me, it’s a dream to have recorded with him,” he adds. “We’re from completely different generations, but at the same time, he connects with everyone. Mothers adore him. His music has been passed down from generation to generation.”

“Ni Borracho” — which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Spain Songs chart — falls into that same celebratory space while maintaining its ties to Quevedo’s roots. For the artist, both that track and “La Graciosa” serve as “a celebration of being from here and an embrace of the islands.”

The closing song is “Hijo del Volcán,” featuring Los Gofiones, a traditional Canarian music group founded in 1968. Here, the album shifts to a more intimate place. “I feel like it’s a union of generations of Canarians… the end of a very beautiful circle,” he says.

In the track, the artist delves into what he’s experienced in recent years and the things he’s still trying to make sense of. “I think it’s cool to make such an honest track… I also talk about how I’ve adjusted to this life,” Quevedo concludes. “I still have my anxieties in my head.”

Listen to El Baifo in full below: