Latin pop artist Danna was only six years old when she released her debut Spanish-language studio album, “Mi Globo Azul.” Born and raised in Mexico City, the singer-songwriter-actor, now 29, made her on-screen debut at four years old on “Plaza Sésamo,” the first international co-production of “Sesame Street.” She gained prominence as a child in hit TV shows, including her titular role in the 2001 (90-episode) telenovela “María Belén,” which debuted the same year she signed her first record deal with her longtime label, Universal Music Mexico, to release her debut children’s album.
Twenty-three years later Danna, who until just last year went by her full name, Danna Paola, has firmly established herself as a prominent figure in all facets of entertainment. Her album “K.O.” earned her a Latin Grammy nomination in 2021. Meanwhile, her notable Broadway stint as Elphaba in the inaugural Spanish-language production of “Wicked” led her to voice the character on Jon M. Chu’s Academy Award-winning film adaptation in Mexico and Latin America.
Her latest move? As CEO of her own indie boutique label, One Percent Records, Variety can exclusively confirm.
The company will exist outside of Danna’s current label or publishing deals. Alex Hoyer, who produced much of her most recent album, “Childstar,” (also her boyfriend) has been named chief music officer. Danna’s co-manager and former lawyer, Diego Rodriguez-Palma, is the COO of the label, while co-manager Yanin Gonzalez has been appointed President.
“We’re creating a label where artists aren’t just signed — they’re empowered,” Danna tells Variety. “I would have loved to have had the right people guiding my business decisions six or seven years ago: I needed someone to tell me ‘I’ll show you how this works.’ I want to help make this easier for other artists and songwriters and producers. This is something I want to do, from my heart, and to really exercise my experience in this industry and not have it be directly attached to me or my brand or as the Dana that the world has come to know.”
Hoyer also boasts acting experience and appeared as a contestant on “La Voz México” (“The Voice”) in 2014. He recently completed a six-year label deal with Warner Latina, where he released a series of singles, and remains signed to Warner Chappell Mexico, with his contract there expiring this year. Hoyer will also be releasing his own full-length album via One Percent in May.
“Our mission is to create a special place for artists to reach their highest potential, without the pressures of numbers and with an emphasis on collaboration, while still ensuring they get their fair share,” he says. “The biggest debates are always around who owns the masters, and as we have seen, either through our own experiences or through our friends, this is something that can get so extreme that you literally end up owning 5% of something that is your own creation. It has to change and we’re just trying to do our part.”
Danna adds, “It’s not impossible to make a living out of your music, even with the streaming economy eating everything up, there is a way and it really is about community,” she emphasizes. “I think back to what Chappell Roan said at the Grammys about how discouraging the lack of support can be for up-and-coming artists. It’s about tailoring these deals to the artist, and giving them the power to grow and to understand the music business. But ultimately, our objective is to build something where artists can own their own masters.”
Based in Los Angeles, One Percent Records will also extend to Mexico City just as the country makes its debut in the top 10 global music markets, per a 2025 report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
The label has already released music on SoundCloud under the moniker XNG3L (Angel) with music produced and written by Danna and Hoyer. Without any direct promotion or announcements from the team involved, online sleuths have already found, followed and boosted XNG3L’s social media accounts. An EP from XNG3L is soon to be released.
“By keeping them faceless, and introducing fans to the label with this concept, we are emphasizing its purpose, which is all about freedom and intention,” says Hoyer. “I feel beyond motivated,” adds Danna.
“The most beautiful thing about this is that it will grow to service other people. I want to take this and make it as big as I possibly can — we have goals of creating a foundation for independent artists in Mexico, where the resources are very minimal for musicians. There’s a lot of talent in these spaces and I’m excited to see what we can do for them.”
