The voice of the great Juan Gabriel resonated once again on Friday (July 11) to the rhythm of traditional mariachi with the release of the previously unheard song “Nunca Había Amado Así,” the second single from the upcoming posthumous album by the legendary Mexican singer-songwriter, Eterno, set to be released on Sept. 5.
The track, composed by Alberto Aguilera Valadez — Juan Gabriel’s birth name — is regarded as a hidden musical gem in his repertoire. Originally conceived as a bolero, the song has been recorded with a completely new musical arrangement and previously unreleased vocals recorded before his passing in 2016, according to a press release from record label Virgin Music Group.
“Nunca Había Amado Así” is accompanied by an official music video featuring archival footage of the artist performing alongside a mariachi group, with some musicians even appearing to play their instruments in heaven thanks to the use of artificial intelligence.
The single was produced by Guillermo Hernández Galicia, who worked for 23 years as a musician, arranger, director and musical coordinator of the mariachi that accompanied Juan Gabriel, leaving an unmistakable mark on his sound.
“Producing and arranging ‘Nunca Había Amado Así’ has been, for me, a way of returning to that profound love that Alberto Aguilera Valadez, our beloved Juan Gabriel, conveyed in every note,” Hernández Galicia said in the release. “It’s also my way of saying thank you for so much … thank you for trusting me. Today, this song is a tribute, but it’s also an intimate confession — one that only he could feel, because he had never loved this much a melody, a story, a memory.”
In “Nunca Había Amado Así,” Juan Gabriel crafts an intimate confession that serves both as a declaration of love and as therapy. In the track, performed with the masterful voice that characterized him, the artist paints a portrait of male vulnerability, showing a man overcome by a feeling that overwhelms him entirely.
“My greatest dream is/ To always be just with you/ And if possible, see my dreams come true like this/ You are everything to me/ My greatest and sweetest love/ My endless secret, my tomorrow and my future,” he sings with dramatic fervor as the sound of violins and trumpets from the mariachi add even greater emotion to his performance.
“Nunca Había Amado Así” follows the first preview of Eterno, “Me Nace del Corazón,” released in early June. Both tracks are available on digital platforms.
Eterno is part of the exclusive global agreement among the artist’s son, Iván Aguilera, Virgin Music US Latin and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). As previously reported by Billboard, the deal —signed in 2022 — includes the singer’s catalog post-2008 and future recordings, and has also extended its publishing administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, which exclusively represents Juan Gabriel’s extraordinary catalog of songs worldwide.
The duets album Los Dúo 3 (2022) — his first posthumous release — and México con Escalas en Mi Corazón (2023) were previously published as part of the agreement.
Juan Gabriel, known for classics such as “Querida” and “Amor Eterno,” passed away on Aug. 28, 2016, at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., of natural causes. He was 66. Inducted into the Billboard Hall of Fame in 1996, he built a legacy over more than four decades as a multifaceted artist, recording songs in genres as diverse as ranchera, ballad, pop and bolero, and producing for other artists.
Among his many achievements, he sold over 150 million records, wrote more than 1,800 songs, released 34 studio albums, earned six Grammy nominations, won three posthumous Latin Grammys, and more than 20 of his hits reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts — including seven No. 1s on Hot Latin Songs. His track “Yo No Sé Qué Me Pasó” inaugurated the first edition of that ranking in 1986, debuting at No. 1.
