Matisse

Mexican trio Matisse combine folk, pop/rock, and singer/songwriter elements with big, contemporary radio-friendly production, creating lush, romantic, heartbreaking ballads. Formed in 2014 in Mexico City, Matisse -- named after the French expressionist painter -- initially comprised Pablo Preciado (vocals, guitar, piano) and Román Torres (vocals, guitar), who he had met while studying classical music at the Guadalajara Conservatoire. They began writing songs together and came to the attention of Paul Forat, vice-president of Sony Music Mexico, who signed them to a writing deal. Their songs were recorded by the likes of Carlos Rivera, Cristian Castro, and "queen of rock" Alejandra Guzmán. Later, the pair were developed as performers, and the trio was completed with the addition of Melissa Robles (vocals, ukulele), who found fame after uploading a cover of Rivera's "Fascinación." Matisse's debut album, Sube ("Upload"), was released in 2015. It was characterized by lush, romantic, heartbreaking ballads with beautiful vocal harmonies, such as "Si Fuera Fácil" ("If It Were Easy"), "Por Última Vez" ("For the Last Time"), and their debut single "La Misma Luna" ("The Same Moon"). It was followed by 2017's Por Tu Bien ("For Your Own Good"); on 2020's Tres ("Three"), the trio incorporated some urban elements, without straying too far from their core sound. ~ John D. Buchanan, Rovi