In a society where queerness has long been repressed and judged, I’m very glad to see how many people have begun expressing their true selves in all kinds of ways. At the risk of sounding repetitive in a sea of the same comments, representation truly does matter. It ensures that people feel safer and more confident in their identity if they perceive that someone who comes from a similar background or shares similar experiences to them has a platform, and is able to share themselves freely with the rest of the world. While intolerance remains in the hearts of many, it’s still necessary to represent different groups in such a globalized time. As a queer Puerto Rican, I oftentimes look to the media to find some trace of myself, and I’m privileged to say that us Boricuas have been coming in clutch lately, especially in the musical sphere. And so, for this past LGBTQ+ history month, I wanted to explore a series of queer artists who have made a name for themselves, all while carrying our blood in their veins.
Young Miko
As stated in this article by Pitchfork, “Young Miko is raising a middle finger to rap and reggaeton’s heteronormativity”. As a young female artist in a genre known for casual sexism and heteronormativity, Miko had some rough odds when starting out in regggaetón and trap. However, her musical skill was a force to be reckoned with and she quickly proved herself worthy to be mentioned among this generation’s strongest artists. Lyrics which go over the usual flow of the genre always feature Young Miko’s sapphicness, cool and confident as she projects her queerness in a way that reggaetón and trap weren’t really used to.
Song Recommendation: “WASSUP”
Villano Antillano
The next icon on this list is the one and only Villano Antillano, also known as La Villana. Her music is intense and fiery, which she credits to her experience as a trans woman. Much like Young Miko, Villana has had to carve out a place for herself in a machismo-fueled genre that would rather dismiss her. However, she has made herself un-dismissable with her straightforward flow and creative lyrics, and she is clear that she doesn’t ever aim to be tolerated within the musical world. Rather, she states “I personally am not striving for tolerance, nobody has the power to “tolerate” me, I yield that power myself and demand respect over all things,” in an interview with Billboard.
Song Recommendation: “VILLANO ANTILLANO || BZRP Music Sessions #51”
Paul Masvidal
Out of all the musicians in this list, Paul Masvidal is, admittedly, the one I knew literally nothing about. The San Juan-born musician is better known as one of the founders of progressive metal band Cynic. The band’s music is a fusion of harder metal and punk elements with jazz and other more experimental elements. As for Masvidal’s experience as a gay man in the metal community, he made several comments about the duality of reactions when he and fellow Cynic band member Sean Reinert came out as gay, citing both the slurs they received from some concertgoers and the defense from another, larger part of the crowd.
Song Recommendation: “Veil of Maya”
RaiNao
Where the other women on this list were more in your face with their music, RaiNao’s discography is decidedly less “aggressive.” Instead, her music is a bit more mellow, a tasteful blend of R&B, alternative pop, reggaetón, and jazz. That doesn’t mean that she’s any shier about her messaging; she simply recounts her more salacious adventures or wants with a smooth rhythm in the background. She has mentioned her want to eliminate taboos surrounding queerness here in Puerto Rico, and it’s thanks to collaborative efforts of LGBTQ+ artists such as herself and those included in this article that progress has begun to be made over time.
Song Recommendation: “Mi Piscis”
Bad Bunny?
Now this is the man of the hour when it comes to Puerto Rico’s current popularity and further expanding knowledge about us at a global scale. His latest album, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” has been an absolute hit, further cementing us as a cultural hub and a force to be reckoned with. Although Bad Bunny has not explicitly come out and identified himself as queer, his red carpet appearances have been gender non-conforming on more than one occasion, and he has kissed one of his male backup dancers and Cassandro co-star Gael García Bernal without any issue. As a bonus for keeping him on the list, even if he is not queer, Bad Bunny has made it clear that he is an LGBTQ+ supporter.
Song Recommendation: “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii”
All this to say, feel free to check out these artists to better see what they have to offer. I’m sure you’ll find a great musical assortment to vibe with, all from your local Puerto Rican queer musicians!