Pan Caliente: Spotlight on Cuco

It was this past August, as I put together a mixtape for LA Weekly’s HI-Fi project that the romantic synth sound of Cuco first caught my attention.

His bilingual single “Lo Que Siento,” had just hit the internet in June and stream counts were going gangbusters!

At first listen, there’s a lot going on. It starts with a catchy chorus that could easily fit in any segment of the Art Leboe show. But then that oldies melody leads into layered vocals in a rap like cadence, that go back and forth between English and Spanish. Whoa… what?

But then I kept finding myself going back to listen to it over, and over…and over and over. “Lo Que Siento” is an earworm of earworms. And I’m positive it’s online metrics have labels chomping at the bit.

I started looking for more of Cuco’s music and trying to wrap my head around this artist who not only was producing great tunes, but also seemed to embody that perfect balance between niche Latin and mainstream. It spoke to our very core here at Pan Caliente.

Cuco, who is under 20 years old, hails from Hawthorne, has 2 solid romantic synth laden albums and is working on a 3^rd independent release. At the same time he has become an unlikely heartthrob through his sexy music to his fervent fan base of primarily young women.

He’s gone from performing shows in living rooms to headlining slots at Viva! Pomona, the upcoming Tropicalia Festival, and will for sure put on a great show this weekend at the LA Day of the Dead event at Hollywood Forever.

He is primed and ready for the masses. Hashtag millennial music.

(Photos: Sourced via Facebook)