Drake Bell is embracing his love for Latin music.
The 39-year-old singer-songwriter just released his new single, “Break Your Heart,” with Colombian artist and music producer Kevin Roldán. The track marks a new and bold direction for the pop-rock singer, as he experiments with Latin rhythms and dance-pop elements, which is a departure from his previous albums, including last year’s Non Stop Flight.
“The new EP is a far, far departure from Non Stop Flight,” Bell says over Zoom from Florida. “You’ll get to see the huge diversity in the music. This is an entirely new and different record. It’s going to have a new and fresh sound for the fans’ ears. It’ll be a nice transition.”
Bell, who divides his time between his home in Mexico City and Orlando, Florida, feels a close connection to his Latin American base, having released songs in Spanish. Before his move to Mexico in 2024, he released a full Spanish album, Sesiones En Casa, in 2020, and plans on releasing even more.
“It’s funny because every time I release a Spanish song, I get asked the same questions if [I’ll be] releasing more,” Bell laughs. “Then I release more, and then get asked [again]. I think we understand that I’m releasing more songs. I definitely love writing and singing in Spanish. It opens me up to a whole different audience. So, there will definitely be more.”
Bell’s collaboration with Roldán began when Bell reached out to the singer for potential collaborations. Having grown up watching Bell’s show “Drake & Josh,” Roldán was a fan and agreed to work together.
“I was in Mexico at the time, and he flew out to Mexico,” Bell recalls. “We were able to go to the studio and bust this song out. It was pretty cool.”
The music video was filmed in Mexico, with the two performing at a nightclub. Bell describes the scene as “energetic, cool, emotional, and very vibey.” It brought back memories of how music videos, especially those surrounding the topics of love and heartbreak, used to be.
“Things are going crazy around us,” Bell says. “We’ve got rain pouring and fire around us, showing our inner turmoil and emotions. During our performance in the club, our love interests [are around us]
. Outward, we’re like cool rockstars, but you also see what’s going on inside.”
Bell has been playing shows all over Latin America and collaborating with numerous Latin artists; he feels deeply influenced by their music and the vibes they bring. He loves being in that space, which has welcomed him wholeheartedly.
“You get heavily influenced by all of that, and you see people’s reactions to that music and everything,” he says. “It’s just natural. It draws me naturally to want to make that type of music that you’re hearing and listening to.”
Bell has openly talked about his move to Mexico City, which he says is not about “escaping from Hollywood,” but rather going where the fans are.
“It’s how the fans responded,” Bell bluntly says. “You have to go where the fans are. My fans in Latin America have responded – and have been incredible. It made it possible for me to go out and play big shows, sell records, do all kinds of music I want to make, and they listen to it and enjoy it.”
Bell admits moving to Mexico wasn’t a bit of culture shock because he was raised in Southern California, where Mexican culture was “ingrained in his upbringing.” He finds Mexican culture to be beautiful and fascinating. He relates closely to the strong family values, having become a father himself. Bell says, “It’s wonderful to be a part of. They have embraced me, and it’s been great.”
The new EP, for which Bell has not revealed the title yet, will have him reunited with Mexican singer Adriel Favela, with whom he collaborated on the 2024 song, “Vente Para México.” Bell says the songs on the album are eclectic, with styles that differ from one another.
“You’ve gone songs like this with Kevin Roldán,” Bell explains. “We’ve got this fun and more laidback beach vibe song with Adriel Favela, and then another song I wrote called ‘Long Nights’.”
Bell couldn’t describe the type of genre or sound he was going for in the album, but just did it based on how he felt in the studio. He’s not one to keep a journal or diary for his music or conduct any writing sessions. Also, with the collaborations, he says it’s influenced by their styles, which are entirely different than his.
“This album is this genre, because there are so many different influences and sounds coming from the album,” Bell says. “It’s hard [to describe] because it’s pop rock, my melodic influences, and the collaborations on the album.”
Though he has worked with many Latin talent, Bell is open to working with other artists. His dream collaboration is still with Paul McCartney, but he says he’s game to work with anyone, as he loves all types of music and is willing to try something new.
Bell hasn’t gotten into the Asian pop scene, but reveals many of his fans are also fans of K-pop. He understands why because the music is melodic and catchy. He’d be interested in touring and working in Asia one of these days.
“[K-pop] is not just run-of-the-mill pop music; it’s really cool,” Bell admits. “I can’t go so deep, but I do know of BTS, that’s about it.”
Although Bell may be planning his next EP, he is still enjoying the fruits of his labor from his studio album, Non Stop Flight. He’s very proud of the album, which consists of 35 semi-autobiographical tracks that break down his journey through life. It was a cathartic album and moment for the singer, who says the journey is never truly over.
“As a writer and as an artist, you’re never done [with writing about your experience],” says Bell. “That was a really poignant and important record for me, emotionally in my career and where I was in my life.”
It’s why he hosted a special listening party for the album, allowing fans to experience it last month. The event was held in Arizona, which transformed a venue into a ’70s-style Pan Air flight called “Bell Air.” The ticketed attendees were welcomed on board as if they were embarking on a “non-stop flight”, served drinks and snacks, and listened to the album with Bell as the Captain.
“I would love more events like Arizona,” says Bell. “I’m looking at moving it around and having a tour because everyone had a fantastic time. It was really a cool experience. That’s what I really wanted from this album. I wanted it to be like going on Star Tours or being on a Yellow Submarine listening to [The Beatles’] ‘Yellow Submarine.’ That was my dream. It’s cool to see it come to life.”
He would love to hold more experiences like this in other states, with an eye on a venue in Los Angeles to host one. He says fans get to dress up and feel like they’re really on the plane, listening to his musical journey.
“If you’ve heard the record, it’s like you’re actually there,” he explains. “The cocktail waitresses and stewardesses/flight attendants are coming down and dropping off cocktails. It’s a trip. I had this idea in my bedroom, and I didn’t know there was a place that could make an airplane. This was the idea. This was the vision. It’s all ‘70s retro vibes. It was crazy.”
In between our conversation, Bell has been interacting with his 4-year-old son, taking him out to get ice cream. He apologizes if the sound of Angry Birds is too loud because his son is playing it in the background. When he begins to talk about fatherhood, there’s an ease in his voice. He’s excited to talk about this chapter in his life.
We discuss how surreal it is to see people we watched growing up become parents. Bell has many fans who grew up alongside him, and they have also become parents, which he finds beautiful.
“It’s weird, right?” Bell laughs. “It’s beautiful. [Fatherhood] is wonderful. I get to go on the road, and sometimes he can come to concerts with me. He loves it. I go on the road, but I come home and get to be dad – then I go back on the road and get to be a rock star again. It’s an interesting life. I still feel like I’m 20. It’s cool. I get to be Batman and Bruce Wayne.”
Fans can expect him to sing about being a father, as he often shares his life story through his music. Even if he doesn’t write it blatantly, there is some hidden meaning in his music. Many of his fans have revisited his older albums, including his debut album, “Telegraph,” which was created during his challenging times, and found significance or a deeper meaning in the lyrics. He reveals, “With that knowledge, everything does come out through my lyrics.”
Drake Bell’s “Break Your Heart,” featuring Kevin Roldán, is out now on all streaming platforms.