Rising Mexican R&B star Girl Ultra has an ability to fuse sounds from different genres like rock or jazz, leaving audiences eager for more.
The singer-songwriter, born Mariana de Miguel, burst onto the scene in 2017 with the EP Boys. Her next release came in 2018 with the Adios EP, followed by a full-length studio album in 2019 titled Nuevos Aires. Girl Ultra continued to hone her sensual R&B sound, and in 2022 released the EL SUR EP.
de Miguel was born in 1994 in Mexico City and took an early interest in music. Her musical background was initially shaped by her father's record collection, which was filled with a wide range of classics. In high school, de Miguel and her friends formed a disco band known as AFFER, which included producer Wet Baes and brothers Miguel and Hugo, who would go on to form the house duo Tayrell. De Miguel also worked as a DJ on the side, and while AFFER held together for a few years, they eventually parted ways.
Girl Ultra decided to focus on her music career rather than attend college, which paid off when she signed a deal with Finesse Records. By 2017, Mariana de Miguel was ready to chart her own course, and unveiled her Girl Ultra project that year.
De Miguel views Girl Ultra as a character within her that allows her to express her true self. "Girl Ultra is this extroverted, hidden part of my personality that comes out ritualistically before I perform," she told Pacific Standard magazine in 2019. Regarding the origin of her stage name, Girl Ultra explained that after she went solo, she took on the moniker to symbolize her empowerment as a lone woman artist.
Following a 2022 tour, Girl Ultra performed a handful of concerts in the United States in 2023, bringing her sensual atmosphere and smooth instrumentals to the stage. She's also performed at festivals around the world, and has opened for acts like The Marias and Mala Rodriguez.