Young Miko, despite her youth, stands out as one of the most promising female artists in the contemporary Latin American music scene. She’s shared the stage alongside renowned artists like Bad Bunny at the Choliseo in Puerto Rico and Karol G at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
She’s collaborated with well-known artists like Bad Bunny with «FINA», Feid for «Classy 101,» Nicki Nicole for «8 AM,» Cazzu for «Bringa,» Villano Antillano for «Vendetta,» and many more. All of this success followed her breakout on TikTok with her viral hit, «Lisa.» On 2024, she released her highly anticipated debut album, «att.»
But who exactly is this artist who is making waves in the music scene?
Slightly different from what we might be accustomed to, but the name chosen by her parents is none other than María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano Cardona.
She was born on November 8, 1997, in Añasco, Puerto Rico. Now Young Miko is only 25 years old.
Due to her date of birth, her zodiac sign is Scorpio.
It’s noteworthy that she has a deep love for anime, which influenced her choice of the stage name. In Japanese, ‘Mi’ translates to beauty, while ‘Ko’ is a common suffix for girl’s names, meaning ‘daughter of God.’ In ancient times, it referred to women believed to have a special connection with the divine. She added ‘Young’ for a modern twist to her name, which becomes Young Miko.
Young Miko hasn’t yet announced an upcoming tour for 2024, but her next stops will be in the United States and Canada.
April, 12 — Indio, CA, US (Coachella)
April 19 — Indio, CA, US (Coachella)
May 25 — Chicago, IL, US (Sueños Festival)
May 25 — Montreal, Canada (Fuego Fuego Montreal 2024)
The Puerto Rican icon will be present this year at the desert as a part of the Coachella 2024 lineup. You can watch her performance at the festival here.
Young Miko and Bizarrap made waves after releasing their BZRP Music Session Vol. 58. Click on the link to see the lyrics in English.
Miko has mentioned that she fondly recalls her older brother watching Dragon Ball Z, and this ignited a passion that continues to endure to this day. Another animated series she cherished, although not precisely classified as anime, was Avatar: The Last Airbender.
It’s well-known that Miko has a deep passion for art, particularly drawing. The singer revealed to Billboard that her family recognized her budding talent and encouraged her to pursue visual art. She followed their advice and attended a university in Puerto Rico to study it. Along the way, she crossed paths with graffiti and tattoo artists. “I ended up holding a tattoo machine in my hand and started practicing on willing volunteers,” she shared. She also developed a strong interest in Japanese-style tattooing and Greek mythology.
I didn’t have a car or the means to pay for gas to travel to San Juan, where all the music studios and the action were happening. My ultimate goal was always to venture into tattooing so I could fund my music dreams.”
In 2018, she initiated her journey on SoundCloud as Young Miko. Her debut track, titled «Quiero,» marked the beginning of her musical venture and quickly gained thousands of streams. “Nobody knew who I was,” she recalls. “SoundCloud played a big role in letting me test these waters that I had never explored before, and to start seeing people’s reaction (on the platform).”
The artist made her entrance onto the music scene with her debut single, «105 Freestyle,» in collab with the producer Caleb Calloway.
As she has mentioned:
In a GQ interview, the Puerto Rican singer shared some of the items that are essential in her life. While some of these items are common to everyone’s daily routine, others are more unique, reflecting her distinctive personality.
Some might think they are for autographs, but she actually uses them for graffiti. And before you try to follow in Miko’s footsteps, she has emphasized the importance of doing it respectfully, carefully choosing what to draw, and respecting appropriate locations. She also enjoys using them to write cute and positive messages.
It’s no surprise to spot her in beanies, as they are a regular part of her style. She’s mentioned having an extensive collection, many of which are gifts from her followers.
Before her shows, Miko consumes herbal candies to soothe her throat. Additionally, she often finds herself in chilly air-conditioned places like hotels, which can irritate her throat.
Despite being an old-fashioned type of camera, Polaroids have recently made a comeback, especially among Generation Z. Miko loves capturing moments with them, as it allows her to appreciate the present even more. She even has a small album of Polaroids featuring various artists, including Nicki Nicole.
The notes and letters given to her by her fans hold deep meaning. Whenever she feels a bit down, these displays of support bring her comfort and uplift her.
Miko is known for wearing hoodies not only for fashion but also because she easily gets cold. She uses them, along with her beanies, as a way to make it more challenging for people to recognize her –although she confesses that she’s usually recognized, either by her appearance, tattoos, or even her eyes!
Although not a physical item, Miko emphasizes the importance of vocal training videos in her professional life.
A basic necessity, but sometimes she treats herself to unnecessary purchases, especially clothing, when she’s not satisfied with her outfit before a performance.
Although she didn’t use to wear it, over time Miko has discovered how to highlight her favorite features, mentioning that her favorite eyeshadow color is pink.
el Anfiteatro es el Sábado 💘💘💘 y quiero que todes tengan algún detalle rosita 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
LXS VEO PRONTO – !💖💖💖 pic.twitter.com/Lk93FCPigY
— BABY MIKO (@itsyoungmiko) June 26, 2023
In the same GQ interview, Miko revealed the fragrance that she does not only wears, but always carries with her. Surprisingly, it’s a men’s fragrance that she initially mistook for a women’s scent: Versace – Eros Flame.
One day, Miko opened her Instagram account and realized that Camila Cabello had shared a story with her song, «Riri.» The surprise and excitement were so overwhelming that she dropped her phone, breaking it instantly.
Quiero con Camila, con su hermana
Yo les doy a las do’ y nunca hay drama…”
–Young Miko – «Lisa»
Miko’s unapologetic rhymes and fearless self-expression have become essential elements of her style, establishing her as a powerful advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and women. However, telling her parents about her true self wasn’t easy. In an interview, she talked about how difficult it was, especially since her family is quite religious.
But, surprisingly, they had a change of heart. Her younger brother is gay, and even her dad enjoys watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. With her family’s support, she found the strength to be herself, and she didn’t care much about what others thought
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/AzMX2UxTlp
— babymiiko_arg (@babymiiko_arg) June 18, 2023
In her interview with LOS40 URBAN, titled ‘Young Miko: «Los diamantes se hacen bajo presión,»‘ she revealed that she used to listen to RBD (Rebelde) and even aspired to be like Roberta.