NPR

Songs We Love: Cuco, 'Sunnyside'

The Latinx internet's favorite bedroom-pop singer just dropped "Sunnyside," a jazzy experiment with his signature alt-R&B sound.
As an independent artist who has received tons of buzz on his own, Cuco isn't looking to sign with a label.

On first glance, Omar Banos appears to be a normal kid. The 19-year-old Mexican-American from Hawthorne, Calif., is a vision in millennial aesthetics: all-white sneakers, long-sleeve T-shirts and Arial font.

And he's blowing up the internet.

Better known online, Banos has made waves as a self-produced multi-instrumentalist and singer, a style icon and whose lyrics have been committed to memory by scores of devoted young Latinas — all as an independent artist. His 2017 Soundcloud hit "Lo Que Siento" has over 8 million combined streams on Souncloud and Spotify, and his twee, yet earnest Spanglish love lyrics earned him a spot on Alt.Latino's. He is this generation's equivalent of driving around to on the radio with the top down, only this time, we're hiding from in our bedrooms.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR1 min readAmerican Government
Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Classified Documents Case Is Delayed Indefinitely By Judge
The classified documents trial had been scheduled to begin May 20. But months of delays had slowed the case as prosecutors pushed for the trial to begin before the November presidential election
NPR4 min read
Last-minute Candidate José Raúl Mulino Wins Panama's Presidential Election
José Raúl Mulino was set to become the new leader of the Central American nation as authorities unofficially called the race Sunday night after his three nearest rivals conceded.
NPR3 min read
'Long Island' Renders Bare The Universality Of Longing
In a heartrending follow-up to his beloved 2009 novel, Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín handles uncertainties and moral conundrums with exquisite delicacy, zigzagging through time to a devastating climax.

Related Books & Audiobooks