Inside the growing scene of neoperreo

Neoperreo represents an up-and-coming scene that is driven by a music genre, but it is identified as much for as its sound as it is for its visual aesthetic, values, practices, and other layers. 

The neoperreo subgenre is a reaction to what its members view as the ‘mainstreaming’ of reggaeton, as well as the fact that reggaeton is dominated by male artists. By contrast, neoperreo (which roughly translates to ‘a new form of twerking’) is led by female-identifying artists, and returns to reggaeton’s raunchy, experimental roots. While reggaeton was born in Puerto Rico in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, neoperreo has stronger ties to the internet, which has allowed it to become a borderless scene. This affiliation with the digital age is present sonically in neoperreo’s embrace of auto-tune and electronic music, as well as visually, in its adoption of social media trends (like the checkerboard pattern) and early 2000s internet nostalgia (like the Nokia phone).

The scene is growing, and has garnered support from Red Bull Music, which has sponsored neoperreo showcases, and Spotify, which now has an official neoperreo playlist. If we apply the “onion” scenes model from the associated report to this subgenre, its layers would be:

• Symbols: Punk and goth fashion styles, neon colors, acrylic nails, tattoos 
• Icons: Pioneers of the subgenre, including the artists Ms. Nina, Chico Sonido, Bad Gyal, and Tomasa Del Real
• Rituals: Clubbing, partying, dancing
• Values: DIY, anti-status-quo, community, inclusivity, gender equality
• Practices: Regular underground music showcases