Jay Wheeler Kicks Off Billboard Latin Music Week 2021 In Style

Jay Wheeler helped Billboard Latin Music Week kick off in style with a Monday (Sept. 20) night concert at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau in Miami. After daytime workshops and check-in, attendees let loose to the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter during Elite Media & Marketing Presents: The Billboard Latin Music Week Kickoff Showcase Event, Featuring Jay Wheeler, Presented by Verizon  21+.

As a thumping neon heart pumped on the video screen behind them, Wheeler’s band kicked into high gear, all-smiles as they welcomed Wheeler up to the mic with dramatic instrumental flourishes.

Wearing a cheetah print jacket with a white shock running through his hair, Wheeler confidently segued from “Vete Pal Carajo” to his mid-tempo, lovelorn “Dime Que Si.” Easily switching up between the confident swagger of his Arcangel x Miky Woodz collab “Si Te Veo” and the romantic “Viendo El Techo,” Wheeler showed himself adept at playing to different emotional palettes; during the latter, one audience member pulled up her friend on FaceTime so they could belt along to the song together.

In addition to LIV’s pumping soundsystem and top-notch lights, the screen behind him nicely augmented his stylish, ever-so-slightly throwback visual vibe, showing a Rubik’s cube on “Dos Tragos” and an arcade game-style infinite neon scroll elsewhere.

The biggest response, of course, came for the finale, when he busted out his breakthrough hit, the DJ Nelson-produced, Myke Towers-assisted “La Curiosidad,” a top 5 hit on Hot Latin Songs. An undeniable bop that never oversells its cool, romantically curious vibes, Wheeler’s jam had everyone at their full-pitch energy even past midnight on a Monday, singing the song back to him as he smiled triumphantly.

Billboard Latin Music Week continues throughout this week, with the Billboard Latin Music Awards on Thursday (Sept. 24).