Netflix is currently airing the reggaetón-inspired series Neon, a joint creation of Shea Serrano and Max Searle that stars Tyler Dean Flores as Santi, an aspiring reggaetón artist who moves to Miami to chase his dreams.
A series about ambitions, the music industry, loyalty and overcoming fears, among other life lessons, the eight-episode comedy series follows Santi; his sister, who’s also his personal manager; and his best friend, who’s also his creative and marketing director, on their clueless journey to landing a record deal — all while they take advantage of the momentum Santi built with his viral hit “Exagerao.”
The track was produced in the real world by Latin hitmaker Tainy, who also serves as one of the executive music producers on the show, along with Lex Borrero and Ivan Rodriguez from Ntertain and Neon16.
Created for the U.S.-born Latin artist (like Santi), the Puerto Rican producer said in a statement that “the production bangs and feels like a club song, but it also connects with the character culturally. The slang, the delivery, his lover-boy persona, even the choices on his pronunciation being more like a second-generation Latino in the U.S. In subtle ways every line tells you about Santi.”
Additionally, a wave of Latin music stars, such as Daddy Yankee and Jhayco, have had acting cameos in the series. (See the full list below.)
Neon’s executive production team consists of Serrano and Searle, along with an outstanding list of collaborators, including Scooter Braun, James Shin and Scott Manson of SB Projects, Anne Clements and Daddy Yankee. Kyle Vinuya and Demi Adejuyigbe serve as co-executive producers, and Jordan Mendoza serves as consulting producer.
The first episode of Neon was previewed at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week ahead of its Oct. 19 premiere to a select group of viewers.
