After nearly a decade in entertainment, Isabela Merced empowers herself first and foremost on her debut EP, the better half of me [Republic Records]. Rather than looking outward, the 18-year-old singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, and performer turns her gaze inward and emerges with five bilingual anthems that boldly break boundaries between cultures and genres.  Growing up in Ohio of Peruvian and American descent, she made it to Broadway in Evita at just ten-years-old. As an actress, she appeared in acclaimed films, including Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Instant Family, Transformers: The Last Knight, and Dora and the Lost City of Gold as the iconic title character. Not to mention, she starred in the NETFLIX favorite Let It Snow. Along the way, she simultaneously established herself as a musical force. She teamed up with Sebastian Yatra for “My Only One (No Hay Nadie Más),” generating nearly 50 million Spotify streams. In 2019, her formal solo debut single “Papi” eclipsed 5 million Spotify streams, the official music video was viewed over 12 million times on YouTube, and the song drew acclaim from Refinery29, Billboard, Teen Vogue, and many more. 

In the summer and fall of 2019, Isabela immersed herself in music at songwriting camps and in the studio with industry heavy hitters like Justin Tranter [Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber], Andres and Mauricio (“Despacito”), and producers Zach Skelton and G..O Kings Bred.  In 2020, she continued working on what would become the better half of me.  It showcased her writing and voice on a new level, emphasizing growth and unfiltered honesty across the entire body of work. After cowriting “lovin kind,” “chocolate,” and more, “apocalipsis” would be the final track written and recorded. She crafted the song alongside her younger brother and producer, Gyovanni Moner, known as Good Lunch. Upon finishing the five-song EP, she realized the vision was complete and decided to release it from quarantine at home.