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\n\tDuring Pride Month 2023, La Cruz went from an independent artist trying to make his mark to an empowering gay voice in reggaeton music. The rising Venezuelan star went viral among the online LGBTQ+ community thanks to his sexy music video \u201cQu\u00edtate La Ropa,\u201d which showed guys perreando<\/em>, or twerking, for him in a locker room. La Cruz has since manifested that gay fantasy into a blossoming music career with co-signs from giants in the genre like Karol G, Young Miko and Danny Ocean.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI feel [Pride Month] is necessary to see how far we\u2019ve come and where we can go next,\u201d La Cruz tells Billboard<\/em> over Zoom. \u201cHonestly, I\u2019m proud of who I am all year long. I talk openly about my sexuality all year long because for me that\u2019s normal.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tPuerto Rican trap artist Kevin Fret pioneered representation for gay men in m\u00fasica urbana <\/em>before his murder<\/a> in January 2019. Since then, there has been a notable increase<\/a> of LGBTQ people in reggaeton, with women like Young Miko and Villano Antillano<\/a> leading the way. Now, La Cruz is becoming a leading gay artist in reggaeton. Growing up as Alfonso La Cruz in La Guaira, Venezuela, he listened to the music of reggaeton pioneers like Ivy Queen and Arc\u00e1ngel. La Cruz sings a bit of the latter\u2019s love song \u201cMujer Maravillosa\u201d while noting the lack of gay perspective in the genre back then.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThat song is for a woman but when I was in love with my first boyfriend and I listened to it, I felt I could relate,\u201d he says. \u201cI would have loved to hear a song that expressed exactly how I felt. Within a genre that I\u2019ve listened to all my life, I had never heard a song where I could say, \u2018Wow! I experienced what happened in that song.’\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDue to the ongoing economic crisis in Venezuela, La Cruz decided to move to Madrid to pursue his dreams of a music career. In 2018, he became known throughout Spain for competing on the reality singing competition Operaci\u00f3n Triunfo.<\/em> After the show, La Cruz was courted by a few record labels. One was ready to sign him under the condition that he would not mention gender in his songs. La Cruz instead went the independent route and rounded up a small team who believed in his vision.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI didn\u2019t sign any contract that would make me unhappy or that I couldn\u2019t relate with,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI\u2019ve had obstacles in my career, and they\u2019ve been more on the industry level musically speaking with A&Rs, labels and music streaming platforms. I\u2019ve seen myself in uncomfortable situations, but I\u2019ve taken all that as a sign to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n