TOLENTINO: Get to know the England-based revelation of latino queer pop
Who is TOLENTINO and how the Brazilian artist is revolutionizing Latino pop in Europe
This is a translation of the text posted in the original newsletter amplificando narrativas, published in Portuguese.
For this edition, I recommend reading the news while listening to TOLENTINO’s music for a more immersive experience. Just click here.
Hey everyone, this is the second edition of the newsletter amplifying narratives 💫 Welcome! Today, I especially want to thank TOLENTINO for agreeing to participate in this news. Thank you, dear, for the exchange! Enjoy the reading!
“Seems like I’m just getting older, but my behavior keeps being electric, electric, electric,” these are the words sung by Allan Tolentino, better known as TOLENTINO, during the first track of the album Silêncio Elétrico, released in 2022.
TOLENTINO, a 25-year-old Brazilian composer and singer, now living in Europe, specifically in rainy England, mixes catchy, rhythmic beats with lyrics that resonate particularly with the experiences of Generation Z and the LGBTQIAPN+ community.
"In recent years, I've had the pleasure and luck to create music with artists I love, such as Vérité and Allie X, and to have support from outlets like Rolling Stone Brazil and huge playlists like Apple Music's New Music Fridays. And more than anything, to have a small but very special group of beautiful people who listen to me and believe in me," TOLENTINO said in an interview for amplifying narratives 💫.
I want to write songs that make people want to at least make small revolutions and be radical.
For the singer, Björk and Lorde are among his biggest influences when it comes to creating. It was through art that TOLENTINO found a creative outlet for his feelings, especially the sadness he experienced early on. "I wrote exactly what I was feeling. I've always been passionate about pop music made by artists who were telling something real and emotional."
TOLENTINO describes his first EP, titled caos, as quite experimental and humorously refers to it as “chaotic.” He explains that at the time of its release, he didn’t have much knowledge about music theory or production techniques—a detail that has been changing with maturity.
Today, TOLENTINO sees music as a craft, with the challenge of not only writing about what he feels in the moment or for himself but also thinking about producing on other themes and for different artists.
The silence can be electric
With Silêncio Elétrico, TOLENTINO playfully notes that he learned to make music. For him, launching his early works without fear was essential, but having friends and collaborators to count on for learning and development was extremely important.
“Ah, I really love my song Jacquemus,” he said. TOLENTINO divides his productions into sounds that mix interesting mixes with catchy choruses (I swear, it happened to me). But despite his affection for the latest release, TOLENTINO is already 100% involved in creating new projects.
“I’m working on a remix of Jacquemus with two artists I love that, if we release it, will make ten gays on Twitter very happy. Beyond pride, I feel that this production expresses something that guides me creatively".
📢 Being revolutionary? Let's do it!
When asked about the narratives he would like to amplify (since we’re talking about the newsletter amplifying narratives 💫 hehe), TOLENTINO shared the importance of being radical and going to the root of current problems.
"I’m very happy that, thanks to the efforts of other generations, it has become more acceptable to be a popular and queer artist. But I wish we wouldn’t stop at 'all love is love,' you know? I want to write songs that make people want to at least make small revolutions. And that they want very radical things like housing and healthy food for everyone. I think pop has this role now."
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