Thalia: From Telenovela Queen to Billboard Icon
Mexican singer and actress Thalia, a trailblazer in Latin pop, reflects on her illustrious career as she's named Billboard's 2026 Women in Music Icon.
Nearly four decades into her career, the trailblazing Mexican singer and actor — Billboard's 2026 Women in Music Icon — is still finding new inspiration.
By her early 20s, Thalia was already a global phenomenon. As the star of the 'María Trilogy' of telenovelas in the '90s, she captivated audiences in over 180 countries, reaching nearly 2 billion viewers.
For Thalia, who began her career as a child actor and member of the influential Mexican pop group Timbiriche in the '80s, her early '90s breakthrough was a time of significant adjustment.
"It’s very intense to think [about] because I was surviving back then," the now 54-year-old recalls, almost in tears. "I never thought back then that I was an example for a little girl looking up at me while I was struggling. I was going through pain. I was going through tears. I was doubting myself. I did not believe in myself. I was just a teenager. I started very, very young, and I never expected to be an example in my worst moments for someone."
Watch Billboard’s Women in Music 2026 live on YouTube.com/Billboard and Billboard.com on April 29, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. For more coverage on Women in Music, click here.
Born Ariadna Thalia Sodi Miranda, the artist has transformed into a resilient woman. Since launching her solo career in 1990, she's landed 41 entries on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart, the third-most for a woman, behind only Shakira and Ednita Nazario. She’s also been a fixture on other Latin charts and has notched seven titles on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Beyond her chart presence, the Queen of Latin Pop and Telenovelas has supported emerging Latin acts like Maluma, Prince Royce, Natti Natasha, and Lali early in their careers.
"It’s kind of like a mission for me," she explains, recalling how veterans like Juan Gabriel and Emilio Estefan supported her early on. "It’s just something that we have to do in this industry. We have to look [after] each other; we have to protect each other. It’s a big family."
Thalia photographed on March 6, 2026 at Shooting Stardust Studios in Miami.
Prince Royce recalls working with Thalia on the 2013 track “Te Perdiste Mi Amor”: “So having someone as iconic as her believe in the music and want to work with me was definitely an honor.”
Years later, Natti Natasha collaborated with Thalia for the 2018 reggaetón track “No Me Acuerdo.” "She has managed to reinvent herself over the years without losing her essence," Natasha says. "She boasts an impressive career and has connected with various generations, always representing Latin culture with great strength and elegance."
At her Women in Music shoot, Thalia radiates excitement as she prepares to receive the Icon honor and release Todo Suena Mejor En Cumbia, a new all-cumbia album that includes her Los Ángeles Azules collaboration “Yo Me Lo Busqué” and a cumbia cover of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”
"I’m very relaxed in my life right now and feel happy in my own skin. I feel that it’s a moment of celebration, and cumbia is exactly that," she says. "It’s a party, family, memories, roots, neighborhood, and it’s just a project that’s so dear to my heart. It’s part of me growing up in Mexico. Cumbia is a big part of our DNA."
Thalia photographed on March 6, 2026 at Shooting Stardust Studios in Miami.
Thalia photographed on March 6, 2026 at Shooting Stardust Studios in Miami.
The singer and actor is also an entrepreneur, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and appears in Amazon Prime’s The CEO Club. She has no plans of slowing down. When asked what defines an icon, her answer is simple: “I conquer, right?”
Thalia photographed on March 6, 2026 at Shooting Stardust Studios in Miami.
"I don’t take myself too seriously anymore," she explains. "There was a moment when everything was life or death, black or white, now or never. Now, it’s just taking it easy. It’s OK. I earned my place. When [fans] approach me for a picture, or when they say they were named after me, those moments are when you realize that everything was worth it. All of these years. I always say this is the beginning. An icon is that."
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