Artist Spotlight: The World Hasn’t Seen Anything Like Rising Star Chicocurlyhead
Most stories worth sharing start with a serendipitous moment. For Panama-born, Atlanta-raised singer Chicocurlyhead, the pivotal occasion happened when a friend invited him to record music at his place. Chico — who had fully dedicated his time and energy to pursue soccer until that moment — can recall that day in detail.
A few years down the road, Chicocurlyhead has established himself as one of the world’s most promising music acts. Effortlessly blending hip-hop, R&B, pop and Latin sounds, his musical project reflects his roots and upbringing as much as it speaks to a multicultural audience craving musical authenticity.
Music Beginnings
“Before music, I dedicated myself to playing soccer. Being born in Panama, Central America, soccer is a big thing. So that’s basically all I knew since [I was] maybe four years old,” Chicocurlyhead — civilian name John Farrish — tells EnVi over a Zoom call in early September. He’s fresh off the release of “I’ll Show You,” an Afrobeat-infused track created in collaboration with Malaysian powerhouse Yuna.
Much like this collaboration came to fruition — unexpected and organically — Chico found his way into music spontaneously, perhaps even fatefully. “A friend of mine invited me to his house. He told me, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you’re busy or not, but there are some guys from our school coming over to my house to record music’,” Chico recounts. “So I went in there and the guys gave me a [few] instructions on how to record a song[…] I recorded it and created a SoundCloud on the spot — the same day, the same moment. By the next day, the song already had 1000 streams and going. And then the second day 2000 and I remember the third day, [it hit] 3000 [streams] and a lot of people in school had also heard the song.”
While discovering his musical affinities and finding an interested audience happened naturally, pursuing music seriously wasn’t an overnight decision. Chico continued playing soccer and spared time for music during the weekends, delaying the decision not to go to college until the very last minute. “I waited till the last day to make the decision not to take any of my scholarships and to do music,” he says. “That was a very hard decision for me because I love soccer. That was everything I was working for since I was four or five. But something kept telling me to give this music thing a chance, so I gave this music thing a chance.”
A Rewarding Journey
Although still incipient, Chicocurlyhead’s career has been nothing short of impressive. In a few years, he has built a solid discography with a peerless sound that merges the best of mainstream music with alternative genres and smart multilingual lyricism. The outcome brings out the best of both worlds. Despite the recognizable feel-good energy, his music doesn’t neglect substance and it appeals to a multicultural audience by mixing English and Spanish freely.
There is also a certain je ne sais quoi about Chico’s confidence and charisma that immediately draws people in. Earlier this year, at the Latin Alternative Music Conference — where he was awarded the LAMC Discovery Artist award — his introduction and performance prompted genuine excitement and approving nods from music industry professionals, who spared no praise for the young star.
The journey, Chico says, has been eye-opening and enriching in equal parts. “In a way, you just learn a lot about yourself. You learn a lot about who you are and what you like and what you don’t like,” he shares. Chico, for instance, enjoys creating music from an honest place and embracing the process, which, he explains, can greatly differ from one project to another. “I think music should really be about honesty. There are times when the song is just so honest that you’re like, ‘wow, those lyrics are really deep’ and people connect with it on a different level. It really just depends on how you feel at the moment you’re creating that song — different emotions, different mindsets, different ways that people open up. Artists open up in different ways.”
Representing Cultures
Chicocurlyhead’s way of opening up to his audience is unapologetically embracing his multicultural background. As he puts it, instead of separating his Panamanian and American heritage or creating music that caters to a specific culture, he aims to present himself as he is. “What kept me going forward the most is just representing who I am and what I am,” he tells EnVi. “I’m super proud to be Panamanian. I am also American — my father is American. I’m always proud to represent both because honestly, that’s who I am. I didn’t get to pick to be Panamanian, American or Afro-Latino. I was born this way and I’m super proud to be who I am and what I am.”
While crafting music that resonates uniquely with Latin American or U.S.-based audiences can be a struggle for multicultural artists, Chicocurlyhead is more concerned about uniting people through his work. With a project deeply rooted in culture mixing, the singer is confident his music will find like-minded listeners. “If somebody or a specific group of people don’t like [my music], that’s fine. I’m sure there’s somebody or a group of people out there, somewhere in this world, who [will] like it,” he muses wisely. “There are what? Seven or eight billion people in this world? I’m positive there’s a group of people that may love Chicocurlyhead. We’ll do everything in our power to find those people who love me for who I am and what I am.”
“I’ll Show You”
A great first step towards Chico’s goal of bridging cultures was his collaboration with Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna. Coincidentally, the Asian icon is a master of cross-cultural collaborations and has previously dipped her toes into Spanish language with songs such as “Bad Intentions.”
In “I’ll Show You,” the duo’s single released in early September, Chicocurlyhead and Yuna tap into Latin soul, R&B and hip-hop, delivering a song that flawlessly transitions between English and Spanish. The lyrics present a reassuring message about showing up for the people you love and dissipating doubts about the relationship — a promise of sorts. Further reflecting the tracks’s collaborative nature, “I’ll Show You” intertwines rap verses and singing portions, where both artists showcase the best of their own musical styles.
Chico explains the collaboration happened organically. It took him an Instagram DM to get in touch with Yuna and before he could fully grasp the situation, he was flying to Los Angeles to film a music video with her. In between, their shared love for soccer and Yuna’s keen interest in Spanish helped them bond beyond music. “I just really liked her voice, so I sent her a message. I thought, why not? She might respond. She might not,” Chico explains. “Yuna responded a couple hours later […] We just clicked off really well. After I sent her that message, a week goes by, she sends me her vocals back. I send it over to my management team, and next thing you know, I’m on a plane to Los Angeles.”
Yo No Sé Mañana
In between a round of rapid-fire questions about his favorite Latin American staples and chatting about his career plans, Chico lets it show that he’s acutely aware of the uncertainty of the future — after all, his favorite salsa classic to sing at karaoke is “Yo no sé mañana,” which translates to “I don’t know about tomorrow.” However, he is confident and optimistic about his work and expanding his audience.
“I just think my project offers something new that people haven’t seen before,” he states. “I think day by day, more people find out who Chicocurlyhead is, so that keeps me motivated — that there are a lot of people who haven’t heard this [yet], and that a lot of people identify with me. Those things keep me motivated, and I’m excited to keep pushing my name and music out there.
As for what to expect from Chicocurlyhead next, the singer anticipates more music and opportunities to connect with fans coming down the pipeline. “I want to do shows next year for sure, so who knows, probably see me on tour next year?” he throws in the air, half teasingly, half hopeful. “And a lot of cool things outside of music too, maybe streaming. I think that’s something that I’m really passionate about right now. Streaming and having fun and connecting with fans outside of music with things that I love, like Pokemon and video games.”
Looking at the bigger picture, however, Chicocurlyhead’s ultimate goal is to continue culture mixing through music, enjoying the ride as an emerging artist and proudly representing his cultural heritage.
Rapid Fire Questions with Chicocurlyhead (Latin American Version)
Favorite Latin artist
“Honestly, I would have to say J Balvin just ‘cause everything he did to push Latin music where it is now. “
Fave Latin food
“Arroz con pollo”
Favorite Latin TV show
“La Rosa de Guadalupe just because it always makes me laugh. I think it’s hilarious because it just looks so fake.”
Favorite Latin album
“Maybe one of Bad Bunny’s because of the way he mixes up the genres. “
Favorite Latin song to sing at karaoke
” “Yo no se mañana.” I love that song. One, it’s true, you don’t know what tomorrow it’s gonna be like and it’s a good song. “
Dream Latin artist collaboration
“Myke Towers because he’s the closest one who makes Latin music that I can connect with at that level. He can be really diverse, he can make a pop song, he can make a rap song. ”
Listen to Chicocurlyhead’s latest music release on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music and don’t forget to follow him on social media to keep up with his projects.
Interested in more Latin music content? Read about corridos tumbados and how the genre is taking over the global stage here.
