Villano Antillano is the New ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ Star

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Villano Antillano recently took part in the well-known Tiny Desk Concert series hosted by NPR Music. The live performance video premiered on YouTube on October 6. The artist, whose real name is Villana Santiago Pacheco, presented four songs during the live session, focusing on themes of sexual freedom and love. The song list included «Yo tengo un novio,» «Caleidoscópica,» «Cáscara de Coco,» and «Cuero.»

The first three tracks are part of her debut album, La Sustancia X, a bold project where she offers her unique perspective on reggaeton and hip-hop through explicit lyrics and a consistent artistic image. Villano also performed her latest single, «Cuero,» which explores the idea of subconsciousness through unapologetic fetishization. Towards the end of the performance, the trap artist introduced a Pentecostal choir, a significant cultural element in Puerto Rico and meaningful for the transgender community. 

Reflecting on this creative choice, Villano Antillano explained, “We included a bit of the church experience because we all grew up in that environment. It holds a significant place in Caribbean culture, and we wanted to bring that essence into our performance. The values and teachings we acquired have stayed with us, and I believe they still influence the way we connect with others. Unfortunately, there’s often limited space for people like us within the church.”

In the video, the artist can be seen in a room filled with books and various accessories. She is accompanied by a talented ensemble, including two backup vocalists, percussionists, a keyboardist, and a bass player. The video has already received over 200,000 views on YouTube and is part of the ‘El Tiny Project,’ which shows live performances by various Latin artists in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

What is a Tiny Desk Concert? 

The Tiny Desk Concerts, which have gained popularity on YouTube, are a series of live performances organized by NPR Music. They originated in 2008 when NPR Music’s founders stumbled upon a performance by Laura Gibson, a talented American singer-songwriter, in a local bar during the South by Southwest Festival. The name ‘Tiny Desk Concerts’ refers both to the workspace of one of the project’s creators and to their former musical group, Tiny Desk Unit. 

Their first video in this format featured Laura Gibson herself, and its remarkable success led to the continued development of the project. Today, the YouTube channel has over 8 million subscribers, and each new Tiny Desk Concert becomes a viral hit. Some of the most-watched Tiny Desk Concerts include performances by well-known artists like Dua Lipa (115 million views), Mac Miller (108 million views), Anderson.Paak & The Free Nationals (102 million views), Sting and Shaggy (63 million views), and BTS (57 million views). 

You can also read the original article in Spanish by Paula Diaz for LOS40.