Do we like them?

Do we like Pablo Alborán?

Our score: 8 out of 10. Decent and on the right side, with charity work and a public coming out, but little on the record about wider causes.

Pablo Alborán is a Málaga-born singer-songwriter who became one of the biggest pop names in the Spanish-speaking world after his self-titled debut album in 2011. He is a ballad man through and through, with a huge following in Spain and Latin America, and a fresh world tour running through 2026 and 2027.

The defining moment in his story came in June 2020, when he posted a video on Instagram telling his millions of followers he is gay. Coverage quotes him saying he was doing it to be “un poquito más feliz”, and that although he had never felt hated in his family or work life, he knows many people don't have that privilege. For a mainstream pop star with a huge Latin audience, that was a visible, public step, and the reaction reported was overwhelmingly supportive.

On the harm check, the searches came up clean. No anti-LGBTQ+ remarks, no culture-war grievance, no conspiracy talk, and no run of projects with people who push harm. One thing to know: he told the Spanish TV show El Hormiguero in 2019 that he prefers not to speak on political topics. That is a choice, not harm, but it means there's not much on the record about where he stands on the planet, migrants or trans rights.

The nearest thing to a stoush was in September 2020, when he accused a Turkish singer of copying one of his best-known songs and posted the two videos side by side. That's him as the complainant, and the reports didn't say whether it went to court. Beyond that, the only gossip about him is the usual relationship chatter in Spanish celebrity outlets, which is tabloid territory and not worth repeating.

The good stuff is real. In 2021 UNICEF España named him an ambassador, and he had worked with the organisation since 2012. In April 2020 he released the song “Cuando estés aquí”, with the label donating to UNICEF's emergency Covid-19 work for each listen or download. Lately he has also tried acting, joining the cast of the Netflix series Respira for its second season.

So the verdict is a comfortable yes. He's a gay artist who came out on his own terms, he puts his name to children's charity work, and he keeps clear of ugly company. The only reason it isn't a 10 is that his public record is mostly music and charity, with little said on the bigger fights.