“It’s Like the Lesbian Thunderdome”: 10 Minutes at Gov Ball With Young Miko

“Is it gay out here, or is it just me?” joked Young Miko from the top of the Kiehl’s stage at Governor’s Ball Saturday night. In return, she was met with the feral screams of her adoring fans going back as far as the eye can see. Some stood covered in ponchos waving Pride flags, while others jumped wild and free, soaked from the pouring rain. Perhaps Miko just has that effect on people. A born and bred Boricua from Añasco, Puerto Rico, she’s lived many lives in her short time. From soccer star of Puerto Rico’s Under-20 women’s national team to premier tattoo artist and, finally, to Grammy-nominated rapper (with collabs with Latin legends like Karol G and Bad Bunny), it begs the question: is there anything she hasn’t done? After completing her sold-out XOXO tour, she decided to add a raucous Governor’s Ball set to her already long list of accomplishments. Just before the downpour, Young Miko sat down with us backstage to share her excitement about becoming every girl’s gay awakening, performing during Pride month, and her newest hit single, “Wassup”.

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ARY RUSSELL: So you’re here in New York, which I think has the highest population of Puerto Ricans outside of Puerto Rico itself. How does it feel to be performing here?

YOUNG MIKO: It’s actually my first time at Governor’s, but I’ve been in New York before and I always saw the shows here, especially because, like you said, there are a lot of Puerto Ricans here and they just make me feel at home. I’m actually so excited to feel the crowd’s energy today. The weather has been a little weird, but the vibe is still vibing.

RUSSELL It’s sunny out now. Are you going to the Puerto Rican parade tomorrow?

YOUNG MIKO: Unfortunately, no.

RUSSELL: But you are performing during Pride, which is exciting.

YOUNG MIKO: Oh, that’s what I’m most excited about, actually. Pride Month is always such a fun month. People just come out here with everything they got, the outfits, the shirts, and I can’t wait to see the flags and all the colors in the crowd. It’s gonna be like the lesbian thunderdome.

RUSSELL: I was doing a little CIA work and I saw a video that you reposted of this girl watching the “Wassup” music video. The caption was something like, “My 14-year-old sister is discovering something about herself.” What’s it like to be a part of someone’s gay awakening?

YOUNG MIKO: Of course, I’m honored. Come on, that’s like a core memory. 

RUSSELL: The highest compliment.

YOUNG MIKO: To this day, I remember hearing “Girls Like Girls” by Hayley [Kiyoko] and just like being “Fuck.”

RUSSELL: Was that your gay awakening?

YOUNG MIKO: It wasn’t my gay awakening, but it definitely had something to do with it, you know? But you know what, Lucy Liu in Charlie’s Angels. That just changed my brain. I feel like everybody was talking about the villain in the movie and how hot he was. And I’m like, “What about Lucy? I don’t get it.”

RUSSELL: You have some very dedicated fans as we were talking about and they get very creative with their signs. Do you have a favorite?

YOUNG MIKO: I actually do have one. I’ve even said this before because it’s too funny. I don’t remember where it was, but it was during the last tour. Somebody said, “Cuando te miro, se me para una teta.” Which is, “When I look at you, my tit stands up.” That is ingrained in my memory.

RUSSELL: You have to find a way to include that in a verse or something.

YOUNG MIKO: I think I even said that on the mic. I’d be like, “Don’t be surprised if I start stealing your posters.”

RUSSELL: [Laughs] So when you first started making music, did you have any ideas about the industry that, now that you’re more seasoned, you’re finding to be different?

YOUNG MIKO: To be honest, I was completely clueless as to what the industry was even supposed to be like. I only had the idea of what movies would show you or what you would see in somebody’s Instagram and you’d be like, “Oh my God, what an amazing lifestyle,” you know? So I had just the same knowledge as anybody who has never been in the industry. But I’ve been pretty lucky that my teammates are my friends. I don’t really feel like I’m away from home and when I’m away from home, I’ve been able to keep people around that truly know me for who I am before any of this happened. They allow me to enjoy everything, so I don’t think I’ve had such a hard time as other artists might have.

RUSSELL: It feels like you’ve had a really meteoric rise. Did it feel slow or fast for you?

YOUNG MIKO: No, it actually did feel fast up to a point because, like, we have been doing this for a lot of years now. But again, we live in an era of social media, so things from the outside can seem like they’re really fast because you probably discover somebody one day randomly who you didn’t know yesterday and then it’s like, “Oh, they came out of nowhere.” But I don’t know, I felt like I was ready for it and I really wished for it and worked for it, so I hope I get to be here for a long time.

RUSSELL: You haven’t even reached your highest potential. So you’ve been in the clubs promoting “Wassup”. What makes for a successful club night?

YOUNG MIKO: Oh damn, that’s a good question. I think, like, your friends, obviously, and if you’re really feeling your fit, you got that good pre playlist, you’re right at the peak of where you wanna be, and they play that one song you really want to listen to at the club. That’s when you know you’ve got a good hangout, and that was definitely an intention when we were making “Wassup.”

RUSSELL: I have a memory of being at a bar called The Woods, which has lesbian nights on Wednesday nights, and me and my friend—

YOUNG MIKO: Where is this place? [Laughs]

RUSSELL: It’s in Brooklyn. You have to go. I think there’s only 27 lesbian bars in the country, and New York has–

YOUNG MIKO: Really?

RUSSELL:  Yeah, and New York has like, 4 or 5 of them. But it was kind of dead and we were about to go and I was like, “I feel like something’s on the horizon.” And then they put “Bongos” by Cardi B on and my friend randomly loves that song, so we stayed.

YOUNG MIKO: Totally.

RUSSELL: On that subject, do you have a non-reggaeton song that you think is good for a perreo?

YOUNG MIKO: I was actually listening to the “Tá OK” remix with Karol G and Maluma. That’s like a Brazilian funk song, but for some reason I feel like you can. Or even dembow, you could probably hit that shit in there.

RUSSELL: What was on the mood board when you were coming up with the concept for the “Wassup” music video?

YOUNG MIKO: There was actually a lot of 2000s inspo. I had a lot of Missy [Elliot]. I had Gwen Stefani in there and I had a lot of Wayne as well. From the moment we made the song, I wanted a simple white background and I just wanted people to look at what I was doing and I wanted to play along with cool effects. I always think that less is more, and that’s kind of what we tried to nail.

RUSSELL: It’s been running wild everywhere on TikTok. I’m sure you see it. Is there a place or a time where you think your best ideas come to you?

YOUNG MIKO: Definitely nighttime. Usually, when I’m traveling, airplanes really do it for me. I get a lot of ideas on planes and I actually get a lot of ideas at my home in Puerto Rico as well, when it’s nighttime and I’ve showered and I’m in bed. I’ll probably put a show on or something and then something will just hit me like a freight train. And then I’ll look at my watch and it’s 4 a.m. and I’ve been writing or drawing nonstop.

RUSSELL: I remember reading an interview where you said that it was 11 p.m. and you had an idea and you called up Mauro [the producer] like, “I’m sorry, we have to get back in the studio.”

YOUNG MIKO: It was actually a Sunday.

RUSSELL: Oh my god.

YOUNG MIKO: It was “Bi” for Trap Kitty.

RUSSELL: That’s right.

YOUNG MIKO: I was like, “I’m begging you. Right now.” He’s like, “Oh my god, give me five minutes.” He picked me up. I didn’t even have a car and then we went to the studio and got one of our favorite songs. La musa, cuando llama, hay que contestarle [When the inspiration calls, you must answer].

RUSSELL: My final question: you’re about to play a major crowd, so on the off chance that someone who has no idea who you are stumbles over to the stage, what do you want them to take away?

YOUNG MIKO: I want them to notice how much fun I’m having on stage. I think that’s what’s contagious at the end of the day. That’s the humanity in the artist. I always try my best to have the best time I can and have a smile on my face and be really confident about what I’m doing, what I’m wearing, what I’m saying. I hope they leave the stage and are like, “Who was that girl that was all covered in tats? I liked her.”