Buscabulla: ‘Se Amaba Asi’ Interview – Love, Loss & Music

by Ethan Brooks

NEW YORK, June 22, 2025

A Puerto Rican duo bares their souls
“Se Amaba Así” dissects love, partnership, adn artistic identity with raw honesty.

Buscabulla explores the highs and lows of a decade-long romance on their new record.

  • “Se Amaba Así” is a deeply personal exploration of Buscabulla’s relationship.
  • The album delves into the challenges of maintaining love and connection in the modern era.
  • Bad Bunny collaboration boosted their career after pandemic lull.

the album Se amaba Así by Buscabulla is a personal exploration of their romance, making the exploration of love central to their artistic statement.

Before creating their new album, Se Amaba Así, Puerto Rican duo Buscabulla experienced a roller coaster of highs and lows. In 2020, they released their breakthrough LP, Regresa, a beautiful reflection on life in Puerto Rico, where they had relocated from New York in 2017. Regresa garnered meaningful critical acclaim, but then the pandemic brought the world to a standstill.

Buscabulla, comprised of artistic and romantic partners luis Alfredo Del Valle and Raquel Berrios, who have been together for a decade, managed to release videos and visual concepts for Regresa during the pandemic. However, the inability to tour hindered their career.”We felt this lull of not being able to promote the album and we were hitting a weird point of, ‘Damn, we have to make another project now,'” Berrios explained.”But we hadn’t seen any sort of substantial gains because it was the whole pandemic. Luis and I were feeling like, ‘Are we going to have to do something else?’ Things were so bleak.”

“You put so much work into a record and then it comes out in this the weirdest habitat,” Del Valle added. “And then, like, a year goes by and you’re still kind of in your house. So it was like, ‘I don’t know, maybe we gotta try something else.'”

An unexpected call changes everything

Though, in April 2021, on Easter, they received a call from Bad Bunny. “I always tell the story, like ‘The Bunny called on Easter Sunday,'” Berrios said with a laugh. “what’s wild is that he said, ‘You know, all I did was listen to your record while I was like an isolation.'” Bad Bunny shared that Regresa had deeply touched him, and he eventually asked the duo to collaborate on “Andrea,” from his album Un Verano sin Ti.Berrios’ vocals contributed significantly to the dreamy quality of the track, which resonated at a time when Puerto Rico was grappling with femicides and violence against women. “Andrea” became a fan favourite, amassing 550 million streams on Spotify, and opening doors for Buscabulla.

Did you know? “Andrea,” Buscabulla’s collaboration with Bad Bunny, has garnered over 550 million streams on Spotify.

The story behind ‘Se Amaba Así’

The result was Se Amaba Así, a deeply personal portrayal of their romance, artistic partnership, and parenthood (they have an 11-year-old daughter). More intense and intimate than Buscabulla’s previous work, it remains sonically adventurous.”It’s a record about us,” Del Valle said. “It’s a record about our struggles as people to stay together. And it’s one of these things where you have all this anxiety because you’re really putting yourself on the line in a very real way.”

Berrios wanted to explore how love and connection have changed, given constant distractions and digital overload. “We live in a post-romantic era – I think it’s the overflow of information and everything being so transparent that has sort of killed mystery and the danger of love and romance,” she said. To examine love today, the band revisited these concepts across generations. “In our album, we really look at our own history, our parents, our culture, and the sort of conditioning of how romance works in puerto Rico and in Latin America.” This shaped a sonic tapestry defying specific genres or time periods.

Songs like “Mi Marido” and the title track “Se Amaba Así” echo the drama of past Latin ballads without feeling dated. (Berrios cited the Eighties duo Pimpinela as a major influence.) “Te Fuiste,” with its electronic energy, and “El Camino,” the first single, feel modern and hard to categorize.

Beyond teh Music: Navigating partnership and Parenthood

Exploring the dynamic of the exploration of love in Buscabulla’s lives extends past their individual artistry. The duo’s personal journey, including the challenges of balancing career, romance, and parenthood, profoundly influenced the creation of Se amaba Así. Raquel Berrios and Luis Alfredo Del Valle, as partners, also share the responsibilities of raising their 11-year-old daughter. Their experiences as parents add another layer of depth to the album’s themes. The complexities of building a family while pursuing demanding careers,and navigating their relationship thru it all,have left an indelible mark on their work.

The demands of artistic creation and building a family created considerable conflict. Berrios has shared how the balance has been particularly challenging. “It’s a daily negotiation,” she admitted when discussing the topic, highlighting the constant give and take that is essential to their partnership. Del Valle has echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the strain that juggling their professional and familial responsibilities can place on their relationship. These observations underscore the realities of maintaining intimacy, especially amid the pressures of modern life.

The album’s songs frequently enough touch on finding the time to connect. the duo’s music addresses how they make space for one another, given demanding writing and performance schedules. They speak to working through the tensions and frustrations-and doing this while co-parenting- is what they hope to share with listeners. Through their music, Buscabulla offers a relatable and honest portrayal of the long-term commitments and joys of both partnership and parenthood.

this intimate exploration of co-parenting as well as love, is something that the duo hope to offer other couples. balancing their work and their family life is a frequent theme woven through Se Amaba Así. The couple highlights how the pressures of work and parenthood can,at times,strain their relationship,and at other times,bring them closer.

Real-World Relevance: Tips for Partnered Artists

Buscabulla’s experiences offer valuable lessons to other artists, especially those in partnerships. Here are some tips, inspired by their journey:

  • Prioritize Dialog: Open and honest dialogue is key. Discuss expectations, feelings, and concerns regularly.
  • Establish Boundaries: Define personal and professional space. This helps prevent burnout and fosters individual growth.
  • Schedule Quality Time: Make time for each other, both romantically and as collaborators. Creative collaborations must be supported by their relationship.
  • Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to seek therapy or counseling. A neutral third party can provide valuable outlook.
  • Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge both big and small accomplishments. Support each other’s artistic endeavors.
  • Embrace Adaptability: Recognize that family needs and artistic demands evolve. Be prepared to adapt and compromise.

By acknowledging their struggles in their song writing, Buscabulla provides a human and relatable portrait of partnership. The couple’s music encourages listeners to embrace vulnerability as a way to deepen understanding. In this very way, Se Amaba Asi serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty that can arise by sharing their experiences.

Myths vs. Reality

It’s easy to assume that creative partnerships are always smooth sailing. Buscabulla’s raw honesty helps dispel some common myths:

Myth: Working together strengthens a relationship automatically.

Truth: Collaboration can stress a relationship if not managed with care. It’s essential to establish boundaries and communicate openly.

Myth: Shared success eliminates conflict.

Truth: Success brings new challenges and pressures. It’s crucial to stay grounded and support each other.

Myth: Parenthood brings couples closer.

Truth: Parenthood can strain relationships, adding to each partner’s responsibilities. Intentional communication and support are vital.

Myth: Creative partners always agree about artistic direction.

Truth: Disagreements are certain. Respectful negotiation and compromise are critical for harmony.

FAQs

How does Buscabulla manage creative differences?

They strive for respectful communication and compromise, recognizing that differing perspectives can enrich their art.

Has parenthood changed how they approach their creative work?

Yes, it has added new dimensions to their themes, prompting them to explore parenthood, as another level of complexity in love.

What advice would Buscabulla give to other artist couples?

Prioritize authentic communication, establish clear boundaries, and make time for rest and togetherness.

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