Il Divo is honoring the memory of Carlos Marín while preparing for a new musical chapter, according to Billboard. Marín, the Spanish baritone and longtime member of the classical crossover group, died unexpectedly in 2021 at age 53 during the pandemic.
The surviving members — Urs Bühler, Sébastien Izambard and David Miller — said the loss was extremely hard to process. Izambard told Billboard that part of the group felt they had a responsibility to keep representing the band’s legacy, and that Marín would likely have encouraged them to continue.
When the group decided to move forward, Miller suggested Steven LaBrie, a Mexican-American baritone he had worked with before. Izambard said hearing LaBrie perform left him impressed, and the group discussed how significant the role would be for him to join Il Divo.
The group says a new album is in the works as a follow-up to 2024’s XX, which marked their 20th anniversary and included new material. Bühler said the plan is to release new music and then take it back to audiences, with collaborations also under consideration.
Il Divo, formed in 2003 and guided by Simon Cowell, has sold more than 30 million albums and reached major chart milestones in the U.K. and the U.S., according to Billboard. The group is also set to return to Australia for a special concert on Dec. 5 in Brisbane.
