It’s near impossible to keep up with DND.
Around the table at Versailles, a cozy Cuban restaurant tucked in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, four out of five members of the rising Latin boyband make time for an interview. They jump in when one is talking. They have overlapping conversations. They tease each other and make jokes. It’s chaotic, but in the best way possible, because for a second, they stop to look less like an overly-polished boy band and more like a group of friends. Small moments begin to show through—the kind where if you blink, you might miss the way Lacayo offers to pass out jackets to the group in the chilly restaurant, how Emilio tries to warm up Emiliano with his hands after noticing he’s cold and Danny teasing Lacayo about how he looked like a “TikToker” when they first met. It’s such a sweet and casual peek into their lives offstage that it’s almost easy to forget that the group is on track to become one of Latin music’s biggest boy bands.
Formed by music legend Pharrell Williams and Rebeca León, executive behind the international rise of global superstars Rosalía and J Balvin, the bicultural group brings together five performers from across Latin America. Selected from a pool of more than 500 candidates, the lineup includes Puerto Rican dancer Emilio Villalobos, Miami-native singer-songwriter Danny Lacayo, Chilean dancer and producer Emiliano Jofre, Venezuelan dancer and choreographer Javi García and Danny Isaac, a Bronx-born model and former New York Knicks dancer with Puerto Rican roots. Together, they represent a new wave of Latin boy bands.
Each of the members carries with them a background in the entertainment industry and the skills to match. Emilio, a professional dancer, previously toured with Bad Bunny for his stadium World’s Hottest Tour and also performed as Graffiti Pete in In the Heights in Puerto Rico. Lacayo was a singer-songwriter releasing solo music and producing for Farruko when he was discovered. Emiliano was a professional dancer, rapper and actor, having appeared in several projects at a young age. Javi, a choreographer and dancer, has worked with major artists including Ozuna and Lunay. Finally, Danny started his career as a dancer and model, walking in New York Fashion Week and appearing in several music videos. Long before DND came along, the group was already working toward stardom.
However, in an unusual twist to standard boyband formation, the group actually had no idea what they were auditioning for. Each member received a DM, was flown out to have a chemistry test with the other guys and only later proposed the idea of joining a boyband.
(Photo credit: Juan David Jaramillo)
For someone who had been working in the industry for years, it might seem like an easy yes, but for Danny Isaac, there were doubts.
“I was doing the regular dancer/model route where you build yourself in New York, get signed then go to LA,” he says. “That was my whole plan. So I was like, do I really want to jump into something that is gonna totally U-turn my life?”
However, after some thought, he realized it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” “A lot of people live that dancer/model life, but I could actually make something out of myself rather than dancing behind someone, or I can create what I want to do for myself.”
Once he made his decision, though, he needed to adapt. Despite his willingness to join the group, prior to the debut, he didn’t have much experience with the Latin industry and was still learning Spanish.
Aside from Danny, fellow member Lacayo also faced a learning curve. Before joining the band, he had little dance experience. There’s even a moment caught in their pre-camp documentary film on YouTube where, during a group rehearsal for a dance cover, he stumbles and falls off a dock straight into the water.
“I was so embarrassed,” he admits. “Danny was about to jump in and save me.”
The group takes a minute to laugh and remember the incident. While Lacayo considers it embarrassing, there is something to be said about the moment being included. It’s a rare instance of vulnerability that you don’t often get to see behind the typically hyper-curated image of a boyband. The untold reality is that before precision comes the imperfections.
(Photo credit: Javi Eyzaguirre)
Nowhere is that more on display than in the group’s training camp film. Throughout the 10-minute-long video, viewers see a condensed behind-the-scenes look from their beginning as a group, including vocal lessons, the recording of songs and dance covers and confessionals from members. For five months, the boys lived and prepared in Pharrell’s house, where they went over every aspect that goes into making a boyband, such as media training, dance training, how to present yourself in front of a camera and how to be well-rounded performers.
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The beauty of a group, though, is that no one member will be perfect at everything; each is forced to lean on the others.
In Lacayo’s case, that meant one-on-one dance lessons, with Javi acting as lead instructor. “Javi is an amazing teacher, so thank God for having him in the group,” Danny praises. “He was really able to build Lacayo one-on-one.” In fact, all the guys took turns having lessons from Javi during their training camp.
For Danny learning Spanish, the boys took a slightly more unconventional route. “It’s kind of funny ‘cause the guys would make fun of my Spanish,” he laughs. “They would say jokes and look at me and like ‘Ah, he doesn’t understand,’ but it’s all part of the banter. They would do that, so I would have to learn and wouldn’t feel left out because, honestly, I have terrible FOMO.”
No matter the method, unconventional or not, there’s a clear understanding that in order for the group to succeed, they all need to grow together.
(Photo credit: @shamaal)
Now two years into their career, the group has released one EP, a handful of singles and is currently teasing two new songs on social media. From their minimalistic, Pharrell-produced debut single “La Primera Vez” to their collab with former CNCO member R!ch Yashel, “Te Acuerdas?” to their latest single, the smooth, summer-ready “12 y Pico,” their fusion of reggaeton, pop and R&B has everything you could want: catchy hooks, rich melodies and pristine choreography to match. What’s even more impressive is that each member is credited as a songwriter on every track. But their involvement goes beyond just lyrics.
Lacayo, Emiliano and Emilio contribute to melodies and songwriting, while Javi assists with the production and how it relates to choreography. Meanwhile, Danny orchestrates sessions with producers and songwriters by connecting with them via DM and sharing his ideas for the song. The roles often switch depending on the session, with different members exerting more influence at different times. Either way, the group’s involvement leads to a finished sound that is uniquely theirs.
The group has quickly been gaining recognition. Last year, they had front row appearances at Paris Fashion Week, performed at Premios Juventud and gained two nominations at Premios Lo Nuestro. Even during the writing of this article, they received yet another nomination at Premios Tu Musica Urbano. However, despite their growing popularity in Latin pop and urbano spaces, the quintet doesn’t want genres to define them.
“I want to try everything. When you think of DND, I want you to think we have a hit in every genre. That DND is versatile,” Lacayo says.
(Photo credit: Javi Eyzaguirre)
But that’s just the first of many goals the group has. Each guy takes a turn listing what they want, and when they talk about the goals, they light up. It’s clear that they’re eager to move forward and experience everything pop star life has to offer. But underlying all the excitement is a quiet determination. They know they have something special: their brotherhood, creativity, and drive to succeed. So when they speak about their goals, it doesn’t sound like a wish; it feels like a promise.
Looking to get into more boy bands? Click HERE to read our interview with TUNEXX.
