“We’re a refreshing fusion of different sounds and cultures,” said Emilio Villalobos, singer and dancer for DND, an emerging Latino boy band that is “ready to continue cultivating the L-pop movement.”
“We’ve got pop from Miami and New York, but also tropical vibes and reggaeton from Puerto Rico, Chile, and Venezuela,” said Villalobos.
DND — short for Do Not Disturb — is a five member boy band blending diverse sounds and stories: Villalobos from Puerto Rico, Emiliano Jofre from Chile, Danny Isaac from the Bronx, Daniel Lacayo from Miami, and Javi García from Venezuela.
The five members of DND had different upbringings regarding music.
Villalobos had always longed for “some type of art, whether it was dancing, singing or acting, and we just came together with DND.”
García grew up playing drums in Venezuela and moved to the U.S. at fifteen.
“Eight years later I got casted for [DND],” he said.
Lacayo was inspired to sing after hearing a street musician in L.A. cover “Fast Car.”
While Danny Isaac discovered his love for singing in church, where music became part of him—later blending it with his passion for fashion and dance.
This past weekend, DND made their debut in the United States, outside of Miami, at the Toyota Music Den during Sueños Festival in Chicago’s Grant Park.
“We can relate to them,” García said. “We moved from our countries to the U.S., so we’re literally like one of them.”
It was a surreal moment for the band, they said, seeing so many Latinos gathered in one place.
“We feel so grateful for the opportunity to perform at Sueños. All the training felt like it was worth it and being able to share it with the public,” said the band in a written statement.
Their set included tracks from their debut EP La Primera Vez, covers by artist Feid and even a moment where they invited a fan onstage to dance with them.
“Our favorite song to perform was 12 y pico, it was such a fun choreography that we just finished polishing,” the band said. “The song will be out very soon.”
With support from Lionfish Entertainment and Pharrell Williams, DND is aiming to spark the L-Pop movement, which they say will be an ambitious blend of Latin sounds and global pop energy.
Members in the band said that pop icons like Britney Spears, Justin Bieber and The Weekend inspire their music. While also gathering Latine inspirations like Daddy Yankee, Omar Courtz and Rauw Alejandro.
“I feel like we can relate a lot to Rauw Alejandro as singers and dancers,” said Villalobos.
“Pharell’s [Williams] support and having him as a mentor is a huge privilege. We are ready to keep cultivating his vision of L-pop with our upcoming releases,” said the band.
The message to their fans is clear: “these kids come from different backgrounds and they can do it, ” said Jofre. “I want them to see us singing and dancing and say ‘I can do it too’.”
“You never know [when] your number’s gonna be called. Our number got called and now, we’re working hard every day together,” said Danny Isaac, another one of their members.
DND’s last release was on February 7th with the single “Tinder” and they are releasing a new single titled “Te Acuerdas?” featuring Rich Yashel, former member of the band CNCO, on June 27, 2025.
