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Surely in more than one interview or report from many media outlets, you have read that question: «if you hadn’t been an artist, what profession would you have liked? What would you have pursued?» Well, in the case of some performers, the answer is simple because they themselves have shared what they did before making it big in music. Harry Styles, Polo Nández, and Cardi B are some well-known examples. But we’ve also seen solo artists like Lana del Rey capable of taking the reverse path.

So far, no one has been able to explain what happened a little over two weeks ago when the American solo artist was photographed serving breakfast to customers at a café. Not even the artist herself posted anything during that period until a few days ago when she resumed activity on her social media, continuing the promotion of her latest album: Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (2023).

Everything points to the fact that during a visit to the Waffle House chain, Lana del Rey ended up working as a waitress at the restaurant, serving coffee and breakfast while she took photos and listened to the anecdotes her followers wanted to share with her.

Lana del Rey’s stint was a temporary job (like many others) that other artists also went through, albeit in a more real way, during their youth before deciding to devote all their talent to art. Some well-known cases include Mariah Carey, who worked as a waitress in various restaurants during her youth, or Pink, who worked as a kitchen assistant at a well-known fast-food brand.

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These jobs allowed them to earn their first paychecks, but they wouldn’t end up being their professions (and we’re glad about that). With Harry Styles, we lost a potential great baker and gained a global star in One Direction and a surprising solo performer.

No one can forget his performance (or audition) on the X Factor program in the UK, where he balanced his job at the bakery he confessed to enjoying and disliking, along with his role as a student. After singing «Hey Soul Sister» and «Isn’t she lovely?,» his life changed forever.

Polo Nández represents another way to get there. As our colleague Óscar García told you a few days ago, he is one of those artists who has been working hard for years to live his dream: Music. From a young age, he knew that chords and melodies would accompany him for the rest of his life. Even so, with his feet on the ground, he pursued a career, embarked on his journey, and put all his effort into becoming a better artist, person, and musician.

He confesses that his profession as a dentist has allowed him to apply himself more effectively to his music: «Anyone who fights for their dream, not just music, usually dedicates themselves to something else first. It might seem strange that the person is a dentist, but in the end, it could be a waiter, an astronaut – even an astronaut would be pretty strange – but they might have another profession that generates income for them to live, and obviously, it has allowed me to do so.»

We conclude this brief overview of the professions that those who would eventually become our musical idols once held with Anitta and Cardi B. For the American rapper, hundreds of headlines have been written recalling her work as a stripper before her music spoke for her artistically, far more than her body.

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Even more surprising were the humble beginnings of the ‘garota’ from Rio. Larissa de Macedo Machado, the real name of the Brazilian singer, studied business administration at a technical school at the age of 16, pressured by her family to find a «respectable» profession. For a time, the now singer interned in the business administration field, but she left her studies to focus on music.

Her academic and work experience has undoubtedly helped her manage her own music career, as she co-founded the company Rodamoinho Produtora with her brother, which manages many aspects of her current work. Indeed, what’s learned is not easily forgotten…

 

Article by Juan Ignacio Herrero in LOS40.com