The Puerto Rican artist spoke about collaborating with Karol G, Bad Bunny, and about the “lesbian renaissance” in Latin music.
Young Miko at Billboard Latin Music Week Panels on Oct. 15, 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Gustavo Caballero
Young Miko, our cover star of the month, spoke with Billboard‘s senior writer Griselda Flores during a Superstar Q&A on Tuesday (Oct. 15) during Billboard Latin Music Week 2024. They discussed their perceptions and experiences in the music industry, their artistic vision and the future of Latin music.
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Here are the best ten quotes from the Puerto Rican rapper:
- Her artistic growth: Honestly, I can understand that it might feel like it was overnight. In reality, if you think about it, social media growth is so abrupt, fast, and global that it can definitely seem like an overnight thing, social media-wise. But indeed, we have been making music since 2018, 2019, and about three years ago is when Young Miko really started to gain a lot of momentum.
- Her beginnings in music: From 2018 to 2019 I started to explore with SoundCloud, and I began releasing music without giving it much thought. I had a lot of fun making Spanish versions, just exploring. Something that really sticks in my mind is that when you start, you imitate a lot. When you want to learn a skateboarding trick, you watch a video over and over and imitate it until you nail the trick.
- The before and after moment: I mostly felt it when “Riri” came out. “Riri” began to gain an audience outside of Puerto Rico. I had a very special moment in Puerto Rico, during the concerts of “Un Verano Sin Ti” by [Bad Bunny].
- About her team: The team came together little-by-little. Without realizing it, life put them in my path, Mariana and Mauro. I’ve known them since I was 11-years-old.
- About her manager: Mariana is my lifelong best friend, she is my sister, she knows me like no one else. She’s someone I admire greatly; she is a very hardworking, dedicated woman. I know no one who has the guts that Mariana has. She was definitely someone I wanted by my side in an industry that can sometimes be very noisy and chaotic.
- The lesbian renaissance: [We are in a] lesbian renaissance. We say it jokingly, but in reality, that phrase has a lot of power. It’s the girls’ time, and it seems to me that it’s noticeable and feels wonderful. We are in a much more receptive generation.
- About 1K: It is the collective I belong to. We are a group of people I love very much, very passionate and talented people. There’s a saying in Puerto Rico: Keep everything at 100. We try to keep it at a thousand, and that’s 1K.
- About her track “Pinot Grigio”: Even though all these emotions pass, whether I doubt or feel good or not, these are the people who will always be around. No matter what happens, you guys are the best thing I have in my life.
- About “Fina” and Bad Bunny: I had the opportunity to be in the studio with Benito and that man is incredibly creative. He is very clear about what he wants, both as an artist and as a person. I remember I was wearing a Powerpuff Girls shirt — I felt I could handle anything that day, ready to battle. He showed me the song and he had already written half of my verse.
- Collaborating with Karol G: I opened some dates for her in the U.S. I was with her in Medellín too. She is an incredible friend and one of the women I admire the most. Touring with her felt like she took me under her wing. There were many things she didn’t have to do before we were in a show. She showed me: “Look how they set up the stage, how I prepare; I like to stretch like this, I like to eat this.” It’s motivational that such an incredible woman shows you and says, “You can do it too, I trust you.”
Latin Music Week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards set to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Telemundo. It will simultaneously be available on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app, and in Latin America and the Caribbean through Telemundo Internacional.
