CUCO.

It is always a pleasure to find people incorporating their culture within popular forms of music, and challenging the norms. Representation within the music industry is extremely important and supporting artists who embrace their culture is equally as significant. One artist in particular takes the slow, and romantic aspect of latino rock and meshes it with lo-fi beats and melodic synths. Cuco has recently become popular in the alternative genre due to his laid back production style as well as his soothing dream-like music. His rise from an unknown artist to an influential representation of the young latino community is especially valuable.

Omar Banos, known as Cuco, is a Mexican-American (Chicano) singer and producer who grew up in Hawthorne, California. He is the only child of immigrant Mexican parents from Puebla and Mexico City. His passion of music began as a young child as he experimented with trumpet, guitar, keyboard, drums, bass guitar, mellophone, and french horn before he was even fifteen. Later, Cuco attended Santa Monica City College for one year, but then dropped out to pursue music. His decision to do this was especially difficult as his parents emphasized the importance of school in getting a good job, as well as setting an example of success as a second generation latino in America. Cuco started creating music in 2015, and self-released two EP’s in 2016 and 2017, and his first studio album Para Mi was released in 2019. His fame exploded with the release of his song “Lo Que Siento” in 2017 which gained more than 56 million streams on Spotify alone.

Cuco’s style of music is exceptionally unique as it combines elements of indie pop and bossa nova with a retro-psychedelic flair. To be honest, it is extremely catchy and enjoyable to listen to at the end of a bustling night with friends. Recurrent themes in his music include romance, heartbreak, friendship, and other life issues. Cuco is awfully lighthearted and doesn’t drag too deep into dark issues, and keeps his music entertaining, while also keeping a balance with reality. His easy beats and silly, sappy ballads keep things fun, and are rejuvenating to listen to.

One song in particular, “Bossa No Sé,” describes the confusing struggle of loving and hating a person that might not be particularly good for you. But, the chase and past memories make it hard to let go of that intoxicating someone as he sings “Don’t play with me/ You broke my heart/ But I’m also so obsessed with you.” The song follows a soft trap beat with light synths, guitar strumming, and deep piano chords in the background, as well as a rap feature from Jean Carter. This mix may not seem particularly enticing, but trust me when I say that it’s the perfect concoction of soft and chill.