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Digital Cover Spanish Edition

Lele Pons talks musical evolution, social media secrets and what’s next

The unstoppable powerhouse has shared her secret life and now she’s created a safe space where you can, too

October 28, 2020 6:41 PM EDT Updated on November 05, 2020 11:38 AM EST By Robert Peterpaul

Forget triple threat, Lele Pons is an incalculable threat. At 24-years-old, the Venezuelan-born star has shattered the glass ceiling of so many different industries that it’s a wonder why a wake of glass shards doesn’t shadow her every move. From ruling social media platforms to billboard charts to hosting a new-kind of podcast, Lele has certainly earned her fandom of millions. If you’re like us, you’re probably wondering how she balances it all.

When speaking with Lele, the answer instantly materializes. Her brain is a swift creative engine, churning out ideas as fast as likes amass on her posts. It’s hard to find a word that encapsulates her trailblazing nature, but she gives us one: “unbreakable.” The perfect choice.

Just last week, Lele celebrated her song “Se Te Nota” hitting 100 million views on YouTube. She called this “one of the most memorable moments of her life.” As of today, it’s up to 128,122,172. While the view count is impressive, it’s nothing new for Pons. In 2014, she became the first Vine user to reach one billion loops and in 2019, she basked in 3 billion views on her YouTube channel.

Lele’s path to success hasn’t been without road blocks. In her YouTube documentary The Secret Life of Lele Pons , she bravely opened up about her mental health challenges, which include Tourette’s syndrome and OCD. The entrepreneur describes this journey as something “you can manage,” but “can’t take it away.” After its debut, fans from around the world sent Lele gratitude for her honesty and unknowingly fueled her next venture. She felt inspired to take things a step further and provide a safe place for people to share their deepest thoughts. Cue Best Kept Secrets, her Spotify podcast , where callers anonymously speak to the star about their - well - ‘best kept secret.’ Lele opens up about how she ultimately hopes to make people feel less alone later in our discussion.

HOLA! USA named the entrepreneur as one of our Top 100 Latina Powerhouses in 2020, a title she thanked us for when we spoke. Get to know the woman behind the millions of views, as we chat with Lele about the dissection of her prowess, what energizes her various creative outlets as she unveils some secrets along the way.

“People inspire me as well. People that have admired me, pushed me to become better. My fans, my supporters, my family, my friends, everything.”

Is it hard to balance your personal and professional life?

I think it’s the people I surround myself with. My family has dealt with a celebrity before so they know what to do to block off the personal life. On one side, be professional and the other side be personal. I don’t like to include so much of my personal life with my business. I’m gonna tell you the truth: I wasn’t always humble. When I became famous around 20, I thought because I was famous nothing could touch me. I could do whatever I want. I was treating people bad to be honest, until my family literally came up to me and was like ‘Listen, wake up. You’re this girl. You’re not better than anybody else.’ I lost a lot of people - a lot of friends. That’s what made me click, you know what I mean? It’s important to be humble. The world doesn’t revolve around you. Many things happened that actually made me realize that. I went through some stuff and I behaved in some ways that, right now looking back, I regret so much. I’m gonna be honest, I was at that point in my life where I was like ‘oh no I’m famous’ I didn’t even go to therapy yet - I believed that I was invincible. I wasn’t very humble. Over time, my experience, my family, the people I surrounded myself with - the types of friends, the energy, the positivity that they bring… I think that’s what makes me so authentic now. El piso, my mom says. Also, living with my mom helps me a lot. I didn’t come to L.A. - which is a very toxic place - alone. She is a doctor. She doesn’t care about this world [celebrity], so she sees it from another perspective and that’s what helps me. I don’t take myself seriously, as well, since I was little.

This is apparent when you show the final product from a photo shoot versus a behind the scenes photo.

That’s what I’m saying. People want to be perfect or the version that they’re not on Instagram. I’m so tired of that. The more real and relatable you are the more they’re gonna like you. That’s who I would support. I like people like Cardi B. She speaks her mind. She doesn’t care. She eats all the time on her IG live with her hands all oily. I like that because we’re really used to a lot of people being like ‘oh I’m so perfect.’ I’m just like, listen: I have cellulite. I try to explain to people it’s OK. Sometimes people put you on a pedestal. No, I’m exactly the same. I’m no different and that’s very important. And I believe that too. I didn’t a long time ago, but I believe it. I am not famous - I’m just me. And that’s who I am on social media. Sometimes I’m hungry. Sometimes I have a bloated stomach. Sometimes I don’t wear makeup. I show my cellulite.

A reality of your own is you performing your own stunts. That is commitment. What’s the driving force behind that?

Since Vine days I’ve been doing a lot of stunts. I think it’s because in middle school I really wanted a lot of friends. My friends were the ‘mean girls.’ They were like, ‘make us laugh, make us laugh.’ I didn‘t really know how to talk in English, so I’d be, like, doing stuff physically. I’d fall… it got stuck to me. I actually became really good. I learned how to do it without getting hurt. I incorporated that in my Vines because it was the only way for me to be like ‘oh they like me when I don’t talk, but I do stuff physically.’ I still do it sometimes, not as much. I do it because I feel like physical comedy is international. You don’t have to know the language to understand it. I don’t know why I haven’t broken a bone. I drink a lot of milk [laughs].

Is there a video from the past where you had technical difficulties that made it unsharable?

There have been videos that I’ve filmed, I get it, but it cuts too soon. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I usually have two cameras now.

How has it been creating a community of listeners for your new Spotify podcast Best Kept Secrets?

I always say this to my friends: I am the last person to judge. I have done so many dumb things. I’ve done a lot of stuff. I don’t judge anymore - anybody. I think this is a really good place for people to feel open to talk about whatever they want to talk about since I did that on my documentary. I talked about something that was very deep, that I didn’t feel comfortable with and then I didn‘t feel so alone and that’s what I want people to feel. I wanted people to come talk to me so they can feel more relieved.

"Best Kept Secrets with Lele Pons" is a weekly podcast"

What’s the craziest secret you’ve heard so far?

One of the craziest secrets was this guy who slept with his cousin, but didn’t know she was his cousin, and now she’s pregnant. I’m not a therapist, but I can give advice. I can be like, ‘listen, be with her, stay with her... you guys are all in this together. Go get help. Tell someone!’ I told him that at the end of the day it wasn’t intentional.

How have you been coping in 2020?

Honestly, thank God that I’ve been in therapy for so many years. I have many exposure therapy practices. I know sometimes when I have a problem how to kinda manage it. I drink my pills every day - it’s like a religion. I see my therapist twice a week just to keep up. Even if nothing’s happening, nothing bad, I just want to always catch up, tell them what’s happening. Something that’s helped me a lot has been that I’ve been very active doing exercise, hobbies that I like, watching movies, being with my friends, being in a positive scene… that has helped me a lot especially now in quarantine.

On a lighter note, can you give us some social media secrets?

One of my biggest social media tips that I can give is to be consistent. To know that mornings are sometimes the best times to post, according to me. Also, make sure to collab, even with friends. Be authentic, be original. When you post stuff, post stuff you like to post, not stuff just to get likes. You can tell. Do things because you really like to do them, not because you want to be popular or famous or get money. Obviously we all need money. Do it for the right reasons, people will follow you, people will see you for that because if you’re really passionate about something you should go for that.

“Music is such a historical thing - it sticks to you. I wanna be a part of that. Music has always lived with me. I loved music since I was little - Shakira! Just knowing that one song is gonna touch someone’s life. If I can at least to one person do that - you made history in their lives.”

Lele Pons’s musical evolution, maturity and podcast success

Is there a question you always wish someone would ask you in an interview?

I’ve always wanted people to ask me… why am I not dating someone? That way I can answer - ‘I don’t know do you know the answer?’ [laughs] Maybe you guys know… I don’t know. Everybody’s questions are great, but if you ask something personal that’s like a new thing for me. Not just business questions.

Congratulations on celebrating 100 million views on “Se Te Nota”! What inspires you as an artist?

Music. Music itself. Have you ever had music that you listen to it and you go back in time? When you were little? I wanna be that. I wanna make that music that when people actually grow older, be like: ‘Yo, I remember when I was listening to this song it was so good, it was such a good time. I remember I was in here, Quincinerea, in the car, blah, blah, blah…Music is such a historical thing - it sticks to you. I wanna be a part of that. Music has always lived with me. I loved music since I was little - Shakira! That inspired me. Just knowing that one song is gonna touch someone’s life. If I can at least to one person do that - you made history in their lives. I love to create music. Create or listen to it. I feel like music should inspire everybody to dance, to sing, to create movies. I like movies because sometimes the track in the movies make it even more real. I saw Pearl Harbor yesterday and it was so amazing because I bet I wouldn‘t have cried that much unless the song was in there. That song is so good - the instrumental song. People inspire me as well. People that have admired me, pushed me to become better. My fans, my supporters, my family, my friends, everything.

Who would be a dream collab for you?

Daddy Yankee would be amazing one day. I would love it!

Because of your mass amount of content, is it hard to avoid comparison?

What I do is…This is for people who compare themselves a lot. I’m gonna say it for myself: Is there a girl who’s name is Lele Pons? Who has a dad named Luis and has a mom named Anna. Who has started on Vine, and actually got signed by Shots, then after that went to Instagram, then went to YouTube, was born in Venezuela, has family from … I do that. No. There is nobody. That’s it. You can’t compare because you didn’t go through what I went through and you don’t know the people that I know. There’s no comparison. You are your own person. I do too many things to be compared.