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For RaiNao, telling stories through the lens of her experience as a queer woman has never come across as a conscious decision. It’s simply who she is.
The Puerto Rican artist, born Naomi Ramírez Rivera, knows the music industry hasn’t always made space for LGBTQ+ artists to tell their lives freely. But she believes that it is slowly changing.
“As the industry has evolved, it’s almost like there’s been an attempt, or a kind of false fear has been created, around telling those stories and being free to tell them as explicitly as we actually lived them,” says RaiNao. “And I don’t think that’s the case anymore. Things have changed, although there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
“It comes very naturally to me, you know? Telling my queer stories as a queer person; It’s not something I’m going to stay quiet about.”
Alongside fellow Puerto Rican artists including Young Miko, Kany García, Villano Antillano and Ricky Martin, RaiNao is helping broaden queer representation in Latin music. She hopes that by sharing her own experiences, she’ll make it easier for the next generation of artists to do the same.
“There’s still a long way to go, but we’re doing the work. We’re being free, and I think that’s also one of the most important elements of art: freedom,” she expresses. “That freedom to express ourselves and tell our own stories; the stories of our community, of our country, of our women, of our people.”
Early 2025 served as a major turning point in Nao’s career.
When Bad Bunny tapped her for “PERFuMITO NUEVO,” their collaboration on the Grammy-winning album, she went on to perform the track alongside him on the Season 50 finale of Saturday Night Live and joined him as a recurring guest throughout most of his 30-show residency in Puerto Rico. As the island found itself at the center of global attention following the release of Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Nao seized every opportunity that came her way, from high-profile performances to career-defining collaborations.
With a fast-growing musical career at a time when, more than ever, the world’s eyes are on Puerto Rico, its culture and its talent, RaiNao is continuing to build on the momentum that’s been steadily growing for her since last year.
Why RaiNao Is an Up-and-Coming Latin Artist
In May 2026, RaiNao made her NPR Tiny Desk Concert debut and released Marcria, her second studio album, a project she unconsciously started working on when she was 10 years old.
A childhood experience working with kids with special needs shaped her perspectives on the senses and her journey toward appreciating and discovering sensory-driven treatments and activities. She credits that experience as the base for the album.
“I went to a school where most of the children were visually impaired, and I was there to help them,” she says. “It was a completely new experience for me as a kid. Looking back on it as an adult, I realize it was one of the experiences that truly shaped my life and made me who I am today.”
“With that in mind, I started exploring sensory approaches. I began thinking about stories, letting them come to me naturally and looking for spaces and places that I connect with. We’re surrounded by the sea, after all, and I think you can hear that in the music too. It [the album] has a very Caribbean sound.”
Released on May 26, Marcriá — a title that blends “mar” (sea) with “cría,” slang for “raised” — invites listeners into a deeply immersive sensory world, shaped by tropical rhythms and textures, drawing from genres like salsa, bossa nova and bomba. Across its 16 tracks, RaiNao builds each song around the five senses: touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste. At the same time, each song draws from colors, places, moments in time and natural elements, all of which are reflected in the album’s track-by-track descriptions.
“This album, like me, was born and raised by the sea, which is why the element of water is so strongly woven into it,” says RaiNao. “I think it’s a very water-driven album. That’s also where the title Marcriá comes from. Everything became connected through my upbringing, my Caribbean rhythms, and my experiences growing up in the Caribbean.”
The artist, who released her debut album CAPICÚ in 2024, says Marcriá had been in the works for nearly three years. It wasn’t until 2026 that she finally found herself ready to share it with the world.
Now she’s focused on continuing to carve out her own space as one of Puerto Rico’s most compelling new voices, who looks to embrace her Boricua roots through sound.
“This is who I am. I’m fully aware that there will always be all kinds of people, opinions, and perspectives. I’ve come to understand that I can’t control any of that, and I don’t have to be liked by everyone,” she says.
Best Songs to Start With
“Perfumito Nuevo” became RaiNao’s breakthrough hit on the Billboard charts. On the Jan. 3, 2026-dated ranking, the collaboration with Bad Bunny jumped 6-1 on Latin Airplay, earning the singer her first No. 1 on the chart. The feat came just one week after the track delivered her first chart-topper on Latin Rhythm Airplay, where it climbed 4-1.
“Marcriá,” the title track of the album, offers listeners a hodgepodge of Caribbean-infused sounds and a rhythmic journey that embodies the project as a whole.
Musically, “Sofocón (suffocation)” leans into an atmospheric, minimalist production, with RaiNao’s vocals taking center stage. Other tracks on Marcriá embrace more obvious Caribbean rhythms, whereas this song’s production is more restrained, intentionally allowing the lyrics to take center stage.
What’s Next for RaiNao
Currently signed to Rimas Entertainment, RaiNao continues to ride the promotional wave of Marcriá, alongside its accompanying 13-minute short film, Oídos Que Ven Gris, which expands on the album’s conceptual world.
Looking ahead, for the next half of the year, RaiNao is focused on deepening her connection with fans through performances.
“I want to feel close to the people, to perform this album while having them right there with me and be able to share all the emotions and sensations that shaped and inspired this project… and beyond that, I want to stay connected to the universe and continue being a vessel, a messenger through my art.”
Past Billboard 2026 Up-and-Coming Latin Artists
Alleh & Yorghaki (January)
ROA (February)
Zhamira Zambrano (March)
Hermanos Espinoza (April)
Jombriel (May)
Listen to Marcriá :
English (US)