Arilena Ara: Love Awaits Me Beyond the Ocean

Artificial Intelligence can create jobs and render us all obsolete; it can surpass every function of the human brain, even clone the portrait of any person with a snap of its fingers. Yes! Perhaps it could even rebuild the entire world from scratch one day. But that, it cannot replicate, imitate, or clone—create, no. Because it isn’t found, it cannot be touched or seen… It’s a feeling that isn’t found everywhere. The energy of the stage… The one that spreads everywhere when you are up there, in every nook and every soul where Artificial Intelligence cannot penetrate. And if you have it, you have it. It was born together with you. Over time, it’s hard to find. You can reinforce it, give it new shapes, find it among people. But you cannot make it yours if you don’t have it…

Even our exclusive character, who turned 26 just a few weeks ago, has just such an energy… beyond Artificial Intelligence.

On Her 26th Birthday, The Noise After the Surprise Party

A fully packed celebration; another summer with family—this is how Arilena Ara refers to the people she has collaborated with for years, and she is very happy to be doing the impossible with them to bring a new project to fruition, regardless of the obstacles or challenges that arise. They were by her side this birthday too, this time not in Los Angeles as in previous years when the singer had to travel for work. She is happy that this was another successful year, following several new projects and others she will reveal very soon, but most importantly, she feels fulfilled and grateful for the people around her and the love that surrounds her.

“This year’s birthday found me in the heart of Tirana, after many years in LA, where I had been for work trips. We wanted to be in Albania this time, close to the people I love most, those with whom I collaborate, for whom I travel, and who are special to me. They are my big family. It was a beautiful celebration, a party, a cocktail. It was organized very spontaneously by Popi, my person and my manager, at the same time. In fact, we intended for it not to be noisy, but I think it turned out to be a bit noisy—a 26th birthday, without intention, but it still ended up being noisy.”

Who made the noise? None of those who aim to make noise where there is none. Perhaps it should be understood that noise arises from those whose lives are built on doubts, from those who are used to being sceptical even when there is no reason to be. But Arilena is not bothered by this at all; on the contrary. She is fulfilled and, at this moment in her life, she is grateful and appreciative for everything she has and gives, for her audience and the people who love the music she creates. This is the “noise” that a 26-year-old artist like her would always want to hear about herself. Although she is never satisfied, she is always searching… Even more, more…

“All my family members, as well as my friends, keep telling me that I should be proud, to feel fulfilled, satisfied, to be grateful and appreciative for a fantastic year we have realized; we have done very beautiful things, but we still have more to develop. Meanwhile, I, as Arilena, am always looking for more from myself, I am in search of success, of big projects and achieving impossible things. For all these reasons, at 12:00 midnight, when we were raising our glasses and blowing out the candles, I had every reason to be grateful. I celebrated a fantastic year we have accomplished together, for I am not alone. I have my team that brought me to where I am and will surely help me with the goals and objectives of the future, which have yet to be fulfilled for me as an artist.”

“X Factor” – A Return to the First Artistic Home

There are many reasons to feel this way—happy. No matter how much she tries to describe what she feels, as always with expressions and gestures, interpreting every feeling, there is no need. The shine in her eyes reveals the kind of satisfaction she feels after such a successful year. It comes after several new songs, successful collaborations, and a long season on “X Factor”—her first artistic home, after which she became very attached and loved it with all her strength, but also presented herself as a warrior mentor, who at no moment lost her vigilance. Naturally, she was lucky to have extraordinary, unique voices in her team, which reinforced her belief that this year’s trophy, after 12 years, would indeed be hers—in another form now.

“X Factor” has marked the history of my career, it has begun to write or carve the beginning of a book with millions of chapters. Returning to “X Factor” as a jury member, having the privilege of having a team, being on the lookout for a star, and finding a different talent, a package, something extraordinary, has been one of the greatest pleasures I have had this year, but also in my artistic life. Since I experienced it myself, I knew that being a mentor meant giving it all my focus, involvement, and time. I am very happy with the mission I carried out on “X Factor.” I think I realized it 100 percent because everything I wanted to bring, to convey, to give and to live in that “X Factor,” I delivered and I say I succeeded.”

Alisi, the winner of this trophy, turned out to be not only a very talented boy with a unique voice but also very hardworking, convincing in what was asked of him by his mentor and team, just like her, always very demanding. Arilena couldn’t leave it at just Alisi’s shine. Spontaneously, she reveals, their first ballad was born as well. “Se të dua” united the voices of the two artists in a sweet love ballad. For Alisi, it was his first success in the music market after triumphing in “X Factor,” while for Arilena, undoubtedly, it was another undeniable success in her ballad—where her voice and artistic spirit find themselves from time to time.

“I was lucky to be the mentor of five fantastic boys who surprised me. They came as complete talents; they were ready for big stages, ready for the market, ready for the industry, but they were truly stars, each in their way. Alisi, meanwhile, my winner of “X Factor,” an extraordinary talent, made me fall in love with his voice from the very first moment. He was a 100 percent “X Factor”-ian discovery in all the productions ever made in “X Factor.” He is one of the most unique voices I have heard and has produced on stage.

The song “Se të dua” came in a very original way, just as we were heading toward the finals. We really wanted to realize it and give Alisi his first song as a gift, which was recorded in Darko Dimitrov’s studio, where I recorded my first song. I thought of it as a good omen and it caught on. It was a song that we both liked very much; we fell in love with it. It turned out to be a beautiful, very intimate, pure, and simple piece, but a kind of love soundtrack that will remain beautiful for me, for Alisi, and for all those who love my music.”

What comes after this is not always planned, even though Arilena herself reveals that she is working on some very beautiful projects that will come very soon, but for now, she cannot reveal anything yet. The record labels she collaborates with and the management staff are a bit “strict” in this regard. They “allow” you to talk when everything is ready. So, this period is a bit more “calm” for the artist—during this “break” time, Arilena finds a little time; also for family, for friends, but also for herself…

“I am not a seasonal person, who works with seasons or refers to my work and career with seasons. For me, there are no ‘things that happen in summer and others that happen in winter.’ Of course, I also take my time to rest with family, with my people, with my friends, but this summer, like the last two years, is not dedicated to vacations. For now, I don’t have the exclusive right to speak about the projects I am working on, but I can say that the focus now is on the biggest project of my life. I have been investing in it for many years with many people, but I won’t reveal more. I am very happy with the work we are doing and can’t wait for the moment to share this big thing with you.”

*“My Big Family,” The Relationship with Friends and (Virtual) Friends*

If you ask her about friends and the people she has shared 12 years of her career with, there is much to talk about: “Come, let’s stay for another 12 winter nights to talk about this,” she says jokingly, but what is true is that friends have been for her a big family, especially those who have followed her artistic journey for more than a decade and are there with her and for her, regardless of how high the cost is—they are there selflessly.

Although she is happy to be surrounded by so much love, like that of a big family, which she considers a blessing, Arilena knows that there are always “external eyes” that, through their lens, see often untrue things. No one in this world can guide or impose the path you should choose; who knows what is right in the end? But with friends, those who are behind you in everything, she undoubtedly allows them, gives them the space to follow you in the things you believe in and will achieve. This is the best friendship relationship, according to Arilena. After this, everything that is said or written about her doesn’t matter: “In the end, each of us has our lens to see things as we wish, and after that, the right to perspective…”

“Look, if you look at ‘my story’ and go back in time, to 2012, I have the same people I started with, the same collaborators, who today are my best friends because I spend 24/7 with them. They are the same ones I have at home. Because we gather and always work together, we sit at the table and start doing our homework, each in their position. I am lucky because I never lose anyone; I don’t allow myself to give space for people to leave and drift away from the circle…”

Among friends, there is someone more special, the one who has been there since the beginning of the journey. Everyone knows Popi; he is the first “shield” facing every problem: “Everything goes through Popi…” Arilena says with a laugh, but she knows his worth and is always grateful for his maximum dedication and tireless work. She knows that without Popi, success would not be the same, nor would the energy, because he spares the artist all “stresses.” Since everything always goes through Popi… 😊

But not everyone knows the close relationship between them. Not everyone can understand how human it is to have someone who stands behind you all the time to help you in your artistic success. Perhaps it is that category of people who always find a “shadow of smoke” even in crystal. The million-dollar question in this case: do we necessarily have to convince these people that things are not as they think? Or to ignore, even in this case, is worth more than anything else? Sometimes it is difficult to find balance because, in our time, not only in Albania but everywhere in the world, no one is obliged to explain the things they do. But likewise, no one on the other hand has the right to speculate and spew venom or, worse still, to throw mud on the clean image of an artist, who does nothing but music—nothing but filling hearts with love and emotion.

Regarding her relationship with Popi, her manager, Arilena has explained it on other occasions, but this year, after their respective birthdays, when they dedicated messages of gratitude to each other, the network… A little to say it exploded? Not out of obligation, nor for clarification, but perhaps out of respect for the people who follow her for who she is, Arilena speaks once more… but this time, for the last time, about Popi.

“I am not the person who responds to anyone about what I do, about my choices, about how I live my life behind the cameras, and about what I post on social media. Undoubtedly, I owe them for the work I do and I want to keep them updated with my projects all the time. But as for my relationships, whether professional or personal, I share what I want to share and what my soul feels to share. I have never replied to comments, I have not responded, even though I have read and continue to read them all. I will never do it! But it is a bit cynical for people very close to us, who know our relationship, who have heard it in interviews. We have also made a ‘statement’ about our relationship, explaining it for the 100th time, and they still continue to decorate it however they please. I’m talking about the media in general and about journalists who are inside and know Arilena as an artist, Popi as a manager, as a producer, as a journalist, but also as a person. First and foremost, our relationship is human. It started in 2012. He is a parent to me. And he is for me the father I have missed, the paternal figure who has guided me, my guide, the person who has inspired me, and the manager who is at the helm of my career and the decisions made for me in the artistic field.”

However, those dedications on Instagram, very special messages, the photos, the poses so sensual that the network has talked so much about…

“Look, time is always a very good indicator. When relationships are consolidated, they approve and confirm each other. The dedications we have made on Instagram to each other have absolutely no sexual connotation. A girl who addresses a man as ‘my king’ has nothing sexual, at least in the way I perceive relationships. I would never call my boyfriend ‘my king.’ My king, a girl always says to her father, the most sacred figure in this world, whom she idolizes. It’s a dedication that cannot be missing on a birthday and cannot be missing with success, triumph, and the greatest trophies I have raised. That man who has been with me and believes in me more than I believe in myself. Therefore, the dedications we make have no sexual or tendentious elements to express a sentimental relationship of a different dimension. I do not find it there! It makes no sense. I am very sorry, at the same time, that I am making this explanation because I think what Popi and I have as a family does not deserve this, nor this kind of conversation, this kind of discussion. It is a true thing that perhaps people will never understand how strong it is. It’s everything but sexual. He and I are not lovers! We have never been; we have never seen each other from that perspective. We have never made any kind of statement to confuse anyone. It has never been a choice of my manager, who takes care of my image, to keep it clean, even when I make mistakes, when I have adventurous desires (laughs). I am making this statement for the first and last time because I do not wish for people to abuse the declarations we dedicate to each other. He has gained a girl, a child, and I have gained a father after losing my biological dad. I think it’s a blessing!”

*Personal Life, Always Away from Scoops and Scandals*

“I go to deserted beaches… I don’t know why no one photographs me; do they have some problem with me, I wonder?” This is how Arilena jokingly responds when asked about her personal life. Why is it so impossible, like no other known character in Albanian showbiz, to learn something new about her personal life? What happens, how does it go, where does she go, and who she associates with? No-thing….

Not even any news for the portals. Where are those “adventurous desires,” which she mentioned earlier when they happen, why don’t we find out? No scoop, no “scandal.” No, no, no, not at all…

“As Arilena, I don’t know what a scoop or scandal means. Since the beginning of my career, I have been asked to be 100 percent charged, ready for music, for good energy, to stay focused, always in shape, to lead a healthy lifestyle, and to be disciplined. I grew up this way; I was raised in the military and lived with rules, so straightforwardly, that I don’t know what it meant. I make music; I am passionate about what I do, I am a bit emotional, like everyone in my profession, we are emotional, we have our fluctuations…”

But it doesn’t end there. With all the insistence to discover more, in this short, final dialogue with her, we uncovered an exclusive piece of news. We leave the conversation with short question-and-answer exchanges, just as it happened.

– Since we left off at the photographs and paparazzi, isn’t there really anything special that would photograph you?

Well, there could be, it depends on what you want to know…

– For example, your current status. Is there a person in your heart currently?

Yes, there is. But he is very far away, beyond the ocean….

– Ah, how do you maintain the relationship at a distance?

Like all long-distance loves….

– How do ‘long-distance loves’ maintain a healthy relationship?

I think that when you love someone, there can be nothing that becomes an obstacle—even distance. Of course, the daily life you share with someone may be missed, as distance does its thing, but if you know how to keep what you have very dear and keep it away from curious eyes and ears, I think you always manage. Everything else after that becomes secondary. That’s it!

At the end of such a warm, pure, and emotional conversation, after which she will head beyond the ocean, where the man of her heart awaits her, it becomes clear that a 26-year-old like Arilena has managed quite well to maintain her modesty, even though she has achieved a lot. You don’t tire yourself out understanding this because from the start, she speaks “we” and not “I.” The first, is because the “I” in art—the narrow world of a person’s selfish interests, according to her—cannot exist. Second, she feels that there is still a long way to go—she is still in search of impossible things. And third, no matter how hard you try in this life, whoever you are and whatever you do, you cannot please everyone; you cannot fulfil everyone’s desires. There will always be people who will say something…

… and in our time, it seems that there will also be Artificial Intelligence to have the final word, in the pursuit of perfection. But Artificial Intelligence cannot produce a second Arilena Ara, even though it has found her strings. Somehow… For now, some things that she kept hermetically sealed from the rest of the world have been revealed. From beyond the ocean, where many beautiful things and important projects await her, Arilena reveals that when she returns, she has much to give and to share. But for now, she is tight-lipped. Until the beautiful things take shape, just as her energy does not extinguish but changes form. According to the shape that the Star takes on stage… For now, it cannot be AI. Because everything begins with AA.