Fresh off her announcement as the first mentor in the Billboard and Samsung Present NXT 2.0 singing competition, Mariah Angeliq brought her dance-ready catalog to her hometown of Miami for a show as part of Billboard Latin Music Week.
During the recent performance, which preceded a set by Bizarrap, the reggaeton singer took over the 305’s outdoor performance stage at Oasis Wynwood for an evening showcase, which included her hits, “Perreito,” and her colossal Karol G collaboration, “El Makinon.” The affair saw La Princesa de Miami perform alongside four backup dancers in a black leather ensemble to a sold-out crowd. Aside from offering the tunes, the rising singer made sure to show love to the audience, too, when she pulled out a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 to take a quick selfie with the crowd.
Among the folks in attendance included Ty Dolla $ign, who watched her perform from the side of the stage, and Angeliq’s own family. Prior to hitting the stage, the star told Billboard that the show was going to be a special one as it’d be the first time that her father has ever seen her perform in-concert.
Expect to see more from the singer as part of the NXT 2.0 singing competition, which is gearing up to announce its 12 contestants. The dozen will be armed with Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip4, Buds2 Pro and Watch5 to compete in three challenges that’ll put their artistry to the test. Throughout the challenge round, they’ll see their rankings on a specialty Billboard chart until the dozen is narrowed down to just three finalists.
Ahead of a grand finale performance in Los Angeles, the singer and two additional celebrity judges will coach the trio with one-on-one mentorship sessions. With the newly-acquired expertise and advice, they’ll vie for the title in front of a live audience and A-list judges to compete for the crown — and the prizes are massive. The winner of Samsung and Billboard’s NXT 2.0 competition will grace a special digital Billboard cover, land a meeting with a record label, studio time to record their first single, funding for a music video and tickets to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.
Her strategy to her mentorship duties will fall on her undeniable personality, something seen by her 6 million followers on social media. “My approach as a mentor is going to be very blunt, very straightforward, very black and white because that’s what this industry is about,” she told Billboard in a recent interview. “It’s very coldhearted, it’s challenging and I want people to know that. I want these aspiring artists to know what they’re getting themselves into. Are they ready for this? Are they willing to fight for what they want? Are they willing to stay focused and consistent? This industry is not as easy as it seems and I want them to know that.”
“In addition to the discipline and the confidence, the competing artists need to have the ‘full package.’ For me, this means, stage presence, ambition, and the fire,” she continued.
Looking ahead, her participation in the competition doesn’t stray too far from her priorities in music releases either. In addition to working on her debut studio album, she just released “En La Mía,” a new collaboration with a rising Puerto Rican rapper by the name of YOVNGCHIMI, whom she discovered on social media.
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