CUCO: POSSIBLY THE BEST ALTERNATIVE ARTIST OF THE EARLY 2020S
Well, idk how to start this. I’m like really nauseous but whatever, I’ll try (lmao).
A Little Background
Let’s talk about Omar Banos, aka Cuco. Born on June 26, 1998, this musical genius hails from Hawthorne, California (as mentioned on his Para Mi album). Cuco’s music is a beautiful blend of Bossa Nova, Indie Pop, and Psychedelia—a mix that somehow feels like a warm hug for your ears.
Here’s where things get crazy: Cuco is entirely self-taught. Yep, he taught himself how to make music (honestly, how is that even fair?), and in 2016, he dropped his first self-released EP, Wannabewithyou. This EP gave us gems like “Lover is a Day” and “Amor de Siempre,” which also happen to be some of his first viral hits.
But Cuco didn’t stop there. In 2017, he released another EP, Songs4U, and the single that truly changed everything for him: “Lo Que Siento.” (Fun fact: I was literally listening to this song while writing this—talk about timing 😭). Thanks to its massive success, Cuco was able to drop out of college and fully commit to his music career.
Since then, he’s blessed us with his first studio album, Para Mi, and his third EP, Hitchhiker, which was released on November 10, 2023. This guy’s career arc is nothing short of inspiring—and yes, slightly intimidating (in the best way).
His Early days
Omar Banos—better known to the world as Cuco—was born on June 26, 1998, in Inglewood, California. (“Inglewood, always up to no good,” as 2Pac famously puts—if you don’t get the reference, we need to have a serious talk). He grew up as an only child with his two immigrant parents: Adolfo, de Mexico City, y Irma, de Puebla.
Cuco spent most of his childhood in Hawthorne, California, where he started dabbling in music at the ripe—and let’s be honest, cringe—age of 8. (Remember being 8? Yeah, good times… and by “good,” I mean absolutely mortifying.) Despite the cringe factor, young Omar was stacked with musical ambition. By the time he was 15, he’d already experimented with the trumpet (you can hear it in “Lover is a Day” and “Lo Que Siento”), guitar, keyboard, drums, bass guitar, mellophone, and even the French horn. Basically, he was like a one-man orchestra, minus the tuxedo.
Cuco attended junior school in Lennox before graduating from Hawthorne High School, where he kept the music bug alive and well by joining both the jazz band and the marching band. Clearly, he wasn’t just the kid who carried the band—he was the band.
The uhh…uhh…crap its like his career or something
After graduating, Cuco didn’t waste any time. He uploaded a guitar cover of Sleep Walk by Santo & Johnny to—you guessed it—Mrs. YouTube (I think we all know that website too well), and much to his surprise, it racked up a few thousand views. This small step was just the beginning. He started recording tracks at his parents’ house, putting them out into the world on platforms like Bandcamp and SoundCloud.
In January 2015, Cuco officially dropped his first EP on Bandcamp, titled Heavy Trip (because what else says “I’m about to make it” like a solid name for an EP?). That same year, he released his first track “Yeah” on SoundCloud under the Heavy Trip title. But, in a rare moment of “wait, that name is too long for the branding!”, he decided to change his artist name to Cuco.
And with that, Cuco was born—marking the beginning of a wild ride for the self-taught musician.
Our beloved Cuco stayed busy and blessed us with some incredible moments between 2018 and 2019. First, in 2018, he teamed up with Clairo (another amazing alternative artist) to create “Drown.” Honestly, it’s a vibe and worth adding to your playlist ASAP. Later that same year, in October, Cuco collaborated with the prog-rock wizards Polyphia to bring us “So Strange” on their album New Levels New Devils.
But wait—there’s more! In February 2019, Cuco got to live out a childhood dream by collaborating with his rap idols, MC Magic and Lil Rob, on the nostalgic and chill track “Search.”
And if that wasn’t legendary enough, April 2019 saw Cuco performing alongside the one and only Kenny G—yes, the saxophonist king himself—at Coachella. He then went on to light up the stage at Lollapalooza in October of the same year.
Cuco wasn’t just making music—he was making history.
Jason shut up already this is supposed to be why Cuco is “amazing”
OKAY, I’M SORRY, STOP BULLYING ME!
Anyway, let’s talk about why Cuco is truly amazing. For me, it’s all about his lyrics, the pace of his music, and the overall vibe. His songs hit that perfect sweet spot between deep emotions and chill energy. Take “Bossa No Se” for example—he dives into heartbreak as he reflects on a girl who broke his heart by hooking up with his friend (ouch, right?). Or “summertimehightime,” where he captures the dream of spending summers with someone special.
But my all-time favorite? It’s got to be “Aura” (pronounced “ow-da” because, duh, Mexican). In this track, he paints a beautiful picture of taking a girl across the world, shopping, swimming, and just vibing together. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to pack a bag and live the dream, even if the furthest you’ve been lately is the grocery store.
If you haven’t already, I think you need to give some of his songs a listen. If you don’t like them, well… watch your back. 😌 But seriously, I genuinely believe Cuco is the best alternative artist of the early 2020s—maybe even ever.
Then again, I’m just a creative brown boy, not weird—just more imaginative than you.
Also, that 4U tour thing, I WAS THERE! It was really cool the bassist signed my phone but Cuco left right before he got to me. :[