Jay Wheeler, Cuco, Romance, and ‘F-ckery’ Rule Night Two of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music Showcase

As Latin genres like reggaeton, dembow, bachata, and Latin trap continue to dominate the global charts, the second night of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music SXSW showcase highlighted the variety and promise of Latin music’s rising voices.

Cali, Colombia’s high-energy sibling duo Dawer x Damper kicked off the night at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. While the first act in any lineup has one of the more challenging gigs of the night, Dawer x Damper took advantage of every second they had, setting the tone for the evening with an electrifying set that quickly won over the crowd. It was clear the feeling was mutual when they yelled “We love you motherfuckers!” midway through their performance. Constantly in motion, the brothers’ natural chemistry shined as they swapped verses and hyped each other up, confidently delivering songs that showed off their Afro-futurist sensibilities and blending dancehall, dembow, and funk influences into one cohesive landscape.

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Following Dawer x Damper might have been tough if it wasn’t for iLe’s arresting voice. The Puerto Rican singer’s arrival to the stage marked a drastic shift in tone, but starting with an emotional ballad immediately drew in the crowd; they fell quiet as her vocals swallowed the space. The singer got her start as a teenager performing with Calle 13, and it’s easy to tell she feels at home onstage. The highlight of her set was “traguito,” a powerful bolero she dedicated to “all of the difficult women out there.” She fired up the crowd by ending on the fast-paced “Curandera,” leaving them chanting for more.

Though there were bigger acts to come, last night belonged to Villano Antillano. After bringing iLe back onstage for her opening song, the rapper turned back to the crowd with a warning: “That was the most serious part of my set, so now we’re gonna get into the fuckery.” Latin rap’s first prominent trans artist delivered. Her prowess and confidence commanded the stage, and with a relentless flow, Antillano sucked up all the oxygen in the room, upping the ante with each song. She gave the audience a sampler of her varied tastes, rapping over dancehall beats and Caribbean rhythms. She kept the crowd on their toes, dedicating one song to a toxic ex, and the next to “good pussy.” By the last song, the venue was an all-out party, and you’d be forgiven for thinking the 27-year-old rapper was running the show.

Chicano artist Cuco next took the stage to show off his shimmering, psychedelic stylings. Only 17 years old when he released his first EP in 2015, the California-born singer became known for his lovesick bedroom-pop ballads. After some initial technical difficulties with his in-ear monitors early in the set, Cuco locked in when he picked up his trumpet for the first of two solos that night. He teased new music for the audience, playing a couple of soon-to-be-released guitar-driven tracks, luxuriating in a few guitar solos that got the crowd cheering. The singer and his band slid into a groove early on, and rode the wave throughout the set, taking the audience on a sonic journey tinged with cumbia, psychedelic rock, and trippy synth melodies. At the start of his latest single, “Best Disaster,” fans pulled out their lighters and sang along. The singer rounded out his set with a bang, returning to his beginnings and singing the single that got him here: “Lo Que Siento.”

Reggaeton star Jay Wheeler closed out the night. The singer first gained traction at 16, when a song he wrote and posted after a breakup went viral. Subsequent releases, and his 2019 debut album, Platónico, made him famous for his voice, with his fans giving him the nickname “La Voz Favorita” (“the Favorite Voice”). It’s always been about love for Wheeler, and last night was no exception. Throughout his set, the singer repeatedly shouted out fans in the audience, thanking them for their support. “I’ll always be singing romantic music for y’all,” he told the crowd. Wheeler spent the night tugging on heartstrings, but pushed the show to another level when he brought out his wife, Venezuelan singer Zhamira, onto the stage for an incredible rendition of their duet, “Dicelo.” The song might be about heartbreak, but the electricity of their vocals coming together turned it into an anthemic celebration met with wild cheers from the audience. Wheeler has a voice that could sell out a stadium, and it’s hard to imagine it won’t be soon.

Full disclosure: In 2021, Rolling Stone’s parent company, P-MRC, acquired a 50 percent stake in the SXSW festival.

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