As one in all Latin rap’s first transgender artists, Villano Antillano is a real trailblazer who has carved out a revolutionary path. She’s not solely made her manner onto greater than 40 Spotify playlists—together with Viva Latino—however has additionally been featured on a number of Exitos & Top 50 lists. Now we’re excited to welcome Villano to share her private, unfiltered story with followers internationally as our newest RADAR artist.
Spotify’s RADAR program spotlights rising skills from across the globe, and in partnering with Villano, we’re additionally amplifying an unbelievable expertise from a largely underrepresented neighborhood inside the city music scene particularly.
Born in Bayamón, a suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Villano generated early buzz with tracks corresponding to “Pajara,” “Culo,” and “Muñeca,” the latter of which was recorded with nonbinary rapper Ana Macho.
In 2021, Villano loved viral success with the discharge of her single “Vendetta,” and went on to function on Bizarrap’s “Bzrp Music Session, Vol. 51.” She then launched the one “KLK,” which has generated greater than 900,000 world streams up to now, was featured as a panelist on the 2022 Latin American Music Conference, and was named one in all its 2022 Wonder Women of Latin Music.
And simply final week, Villano celebrated the discharge her debut album La Sustancia X, a mission that embodies the wonder and horror of rising up queer within the Caribbean.
As a part of the RADAR program, we shall be releasing the primary reside recorded performances of Villano’s new tracks, “Kaleidoscópica” and “Cáscara de Coco.”
For the Record had an opportunity to speak with Villano to be taught extra about how her experiences and inspirations are mirrored in her music.
What are you wanting ahead to most as Spotify’s newest RADAR artist?
I believe being highlighted as Spotify’s newest RADAR artist is an affirmation of progress and a shift in the direction of uncooked authenticity. At a private stage I really feel very blessed and empowered as a result of I’ve needed to overcome a lot to be right here. It’s good to look again and see that, after every part, I’ve remained victorious. I would like the up-and-coming generations to have as many numerous function fashions as potential—and I consider that myself and quite a few different queer artists are heralding a brand new period.
I need to attain as many individuals as potential with a message of energy and defiance; I need to wake them up and to have them ask themselves the large questions within the pursuit of happiness.
For new followers, how would you describe your music?
I’d say my music is tantric. It’s a buildup. It flares you up and makes you’re feeling horny and in management, but it surely’s additionally very political and concise. I believe that in the event you concentrate, I play into the conventionalities of pop music and exaggerate parts of consumerism and vainness as a type of critique whereas additionally admitting that I partake in a few of these issues as properly.
I’d say my music is simply human, admitting to your shortcomings and rising above them with prowess and with out guilt. From the entice/reggaetón perspective my music can also be very darkish and antagonistic; it’s additionally subversive and upsets the fragile egos of plenty of highly effective males. I take that under consideration in my creation course of.
Who conjures up you, musically?
Sade, Gustavo Cerati, Willie Colón, Rubén Blades, Silvio Rodríguez, Buika, Myrta Silva, La Lupe, Bebe, Tego Calderón, Héctor “El Father”, Ivy Queen, Frankie Ruiz . . . the record goes on. Nicki Minaj has additionally been one in all, if not THE greatest inspiration in my musical growth. Maybe it’s a Caribbean connection, however the best way we bend colonially imposed languages and adapt them to us, we each communicate in very magical methods. To me she’s a author, and lots of people don’t catch half of the metaphors or puns Nicki crafts into her verses. She elevates something she touches and I love and respect that rather a lot. 
Many of your tasks contact on the realities of rising up as a queer particular person within the Caribbean. Can you inform us a bit about that?
The Caribbean is a magical place—anybody that’s really from right here can attest to that. But the entire islands have a horrible historical past of atrocious abuse, colonialism, and enslavement. Puerto Rico remains to be to today a colony of the United States with completely no sovereignty, and rising up in a spot with out freedom is complicated.
There is plenty of poverty within the Caribbean, and most queer youth find yourself dwelling in troublesome and inhumane circumstances. We survive as a neighborhood, assist one another within the methods we will, and maintain one another’s palms when there may be nothing we will do. I believe this pushes us to train and excellent our magic and crafts, as a result of as Puerto Ricans, we’re very proud and resilient, and LGBTTQIA+ youth on the island are essentially the most revolutionary of all demographics.
I’ve a gorgeous story to inform as a result of as an artist, I make use of realismo mágico to showcase very horrible issues that have to be mentioned with urgency in a extra palatable manner. It’s all about consciousness. I needed to depart residence at 17 due to my id and sexual orientation. I did every part I may to outlive and I held on to my buddies once I thought I couldn’t hold going or didn’t see the purpose in doing so. All I can say is that rising up queer within the Caribbean is harmful, painful, emotionally insufferable, nearly at all times tied to poverty and dwelling underneath the fixed hunt of the church (which is principally the federal government) and lots of different horrible issues.
But I might not be anything. I’m the place I’ve to be with the individuals I’ve to be with, and in a lot chaos we now have crafted for ourselves a community of happiness and power that’s the solely peace I’ve recognized, and the one one I would like.
How essential is it to symbolize queer voices in Latin rap?
We are at a pivotal second in historical past. Women are on the forefront of the push for change. Men are beginning to ask themselves what it’s they really carry to the desk, as a result of increasingly ladies are actually capable of assist themselves with out the assistance of a person who will most certainly simply find yourself tossing her plenty of emotional labor and projected insecurities. The newer generations are much more conscious of the place we’re headed, and the longer term is most positively snowballing into queerness. It is essential proper now to uplift queer voices in Latin rap—but in addition throughout all genres—so that each one identities are rightfully represented and we will transfer previous the murderous patriarchal system that has divided us a lot.
I do know if I had had a trans function mannequin early in my life I might have felt rather a lot much less lonely and a bit extra understood, as a result of typically that’s the line between life and dying for youngsters who really feel misplaced and uncared for by these round them. Also, as a result of most, if not ALL, present cishet artists, each female and male, are presently benefiting and profiting off of queer tradition, it makes good sense for the individuals who invented mentioned tradition and developments to be on the forefront of their very own revolution.
Do you’ve any recommendation for different rising artists?
Take time to search out and excellent your sound and be taught as a lot as you’ll be able to about every part you’ll be able to: cinematography, audio engineering, sound design, trend, historical past of artwork, literature. Soak within the arts that you just like and that resonate with you, and let your self paint a more recent image that displays your model of issues and the way you see life. Let it come to you.
Check out tracks from Villano and the remainder of our rising artists on Radar US.