17 Years and Out! What Marketing Strategy Should Be Applied to the Controversial Case of La Oreja...
00:45 How and when was La Oreja de Van Gogh formed?
01:10 Year 2007: Why did Amaia Montero leave La Oreja de Van Gogh?
2:17 Amaia Montero's career
2:42 Amaia Montero's mental health problems
3:20 Amaia Montero and Karol G
04:06 Leire Martinez interview: “I don't like being belittled”
5:34 La Oreja de Van Gogh says goodbye to Leire
6:10 Leire's first statements
La Oreja de Van Gogh is a Spanish pop-rock group formed in San Sebastián, Spain, in 1996.
In 1998, they released their first album, which brought them recognition in Spain. But La Oreja de Van Gogh's true international breakthrough came with their second album in 2000, which included the iconic song "Rosas."
This album cemented the group's status as one of the most important Spanish-language pop acts, selling millions of copies worldwide.
Everything was going smoothly until 2007 when the group released this statement, signed by all the members.
In the statement, they announced that Amaia Montero had decided to leave the group because she wanted to pursue a solo career. Amaia explained at the time that she needed to start a new chapter and seek more creative freedom.
Her departure was amicable, and although La Oreja de Van Gogh fans felt her absence, the group continued with the new vocalist: Leire Martínez, who rose to fame after participating in the television program Factor X.
In 2022, she posted this photo on Instagram with this caption. You can see the photo, which is worrying, and that's how the fans felt, becoming very concerned for her. When they asked her how she was, she replied that she was devastated. Furthermore, in the photo's caption, she wrote: "If hope is the last thing to die and I haven't lost it yet, what's the point of life?"
It was clear that Amaia Montero was going through a very difficult time in her life. This post was followed by her hospitalization in a clinic due to anxiety and stress, which led to a pause in her public career.
Over the past few years, Montero has been open about her struggles with mental health, a topic that has marked her gradual return to public life.
She disappeared from the public eye until 2024, when she made an epic reappearance alongside Karol G at a concert in the Bernabéu stadium, with more than 60,000 people in attendance. This moment generated a lot of media attention on social media due to the story behind it.
Amaia steps away from public life, speaks openly about the anxiety she has suffered, her hospitalization, and returns to the stage, a little scared. What gives her strength and confidence is… her friend. The love and camaraderie shown in this video is incredible. Two women who admire each other, who help and accept help.
And it was this video that reignited an old debate.
After the viral video in which Amaia Montero appeared singing alongside Karol G, many fans began calling for her return to La Oreja de Van Gogh.