RaiNao Talks Queer Representation in Her Music: ‘It’s Not Something I’m Going to Stay Quiet About’
Categoria: Musica
Meet Billboard's Latin Up-And-Comer Artist of the Month for June.
Por Billboard | 30/06/2026
For RaiNao , telling stories through the lens of her experience as a queer woman has never come across as a conscious decision. It’s simply who she is. Related Bad Bunny & RaiNao’s ‘Perfumito Nuevo’ Claims No. 1 Spot — And Makes History Latin Remix of the Week: RaiNao Revamps ‘CAPICÚ’ Hits for First-Anniversary Celebration Jombriel Springboarded From Viral Success to Become Ecuador’s Breakout Star The Puerto Rican artist, born Naomi Ramírez Rivera, knows the music industry hasn’t always made space for LGBTQ+ artists to tell their lives freely. But she believes that it is slowly changing. “As the industry has evolved, it’s almost like there’s been an attempt, or a kind of false fear has been created, around telling those stories and being free to tell them as explicitly as we actually lived them,” says RaiNao. “And I don’t think that’s the case anymore. Things have changed, although there’s still a lot of work to be done.” “It comes very naturally to me, you know? Telling my queer stories as a queer person; It’s not something I’m going to stay quiet about.” Alongside fellow Puerto Rican artists including Young Miko , Kany García , Villano Antillano and Ricky Martin, RaiNao is helping broaden queer representation in Latin music. She hopes that by sharing her own experiences, she’ll make it easier for the next generation of artists to do the same. “There’s still a long way to go, but we’re doing the work. We’re being free, and I think that’s also one of the most important elements of art: freedom,” she expresses. “That freedom to express ourselves and tell our own stories; the stories of our community, of our country, of our women, of our people.” Early 2025 served as a major turning point in Nao’s career. When Bad Bunny tapped her for “PERFuMITO NUEVO,” their collaboration on the Grammy-winning album, she went on to perform the track alongside him on the Season 50 finale of Saturday Night Live and joined him as a recurring guest throughout most of his 30-show residency in Puerto Rico. As the island found itself at the center of global attention following the release of Debí Tirar Más Fotos , Nao seized every opportunity that came her way, from high-profile performances to career-defining collaborations. With a fast-growing musical career at a time when, more than ever, the world’s eyes are on Puerto Rico, its culture and its talent, RaiNao is continuing to build on the momentum that’s been steadily growing for her since last year. Why RaiNao Is an Up-and-Coming Latin Artist In May 2026, RaiNao made her NPR Tiny Desk Concert debut and released Marcria , her second studio album, a project she unconsciously started working on when she was 10 years old. A childhood experience working with kids with special needs shaped her perspectives on the senses and her journey toward appreciating and discovering sensory-