It may be clichéd to say an artist is “up-and-coming,” but there’s no better way to describe Cuco, the 18-year-old singer fresh out of Los Angeles. His music is filled with simple synth and techno beats, but when layered under Cuco’s smooth voice (still filled with teen passion and uncertainty), it becomes unbelievably complex. He is featured in the lineups of major music festivals this year, including Coachella and Governor’s Ball, and his most recent single, “Lo Que Siento,” has over five million listens on Spotify and counting.
His music is heavily influenced by his Chicano background, self-professed via his Twitter profile and evident in his multi-lingual song offerings. While his music is mostly composed of ballads and slow-moving love songs, some of his best stuff is his faster-paced, upbeat tunes, including a cover of Lil Yachty’s “One Night” (titled as “1Night” by Cuco) and “One and Only,” the highlight of his most recent album, Songs4u. Cuco will be playing his first D.C. show tomorrow, Jan. 23, at U Street Music Hall. The show also features Helado Negro, a Floridian bilingual singer based in Brooklyn, and will be opened by Lido Pimienta. Get tickets here.
