The baby of CNCO has grown up into a Latine pop heartthrob. Over a year after the boy band ended, Erick Brian is now stepping out on his own with his debut solo EP. The very personal Btw… Lo Intenté is a collection of songs that capture the Cuban star’s brushes with heartbreak, romance, and sex. In an interview with Remezcla, Brian opens up about his mature project and how he’s finding his footing and artistic identity outside CNCO.
“It’s a new beginning,” Brian says about going solo. “I see it that way. I feel like I’m starting from zero even though I’ve been making music for a decade now. It’s a project that’s new and different for me, where I’ve had the opportunity to work more on myself and talk about my experiences in my songs.”
Born Erick Brian Colón in Havana, Cuba, the young star later relocated with his family to Miami, FL. He first rose to prominence on the reality TV show La Banda in 2015, where he earned a spot in CNCO. Erick was 14-years-old at the time, which made him the youngest member of the quintet. For nearly a decade, the Latine boy band toured the world before coming to an end in November 2023.
“I spent practically eight years traveling, singing, and getting to know places for the first time with the guys,” Erick recalls. “Those things stay with you forever. I will never forget that. That’s a part of me. It was hard at first to start over without them because I was used to it, but now I’m getting the hang of it little by little.”
Erick reveals that he started working on some music before CNCO disbanded. After parting ways with his bandmates, he put all of his focus this past year into working on his songs with hit-makers like JonTheProducer, Richi López, Mike & Gio, and Mazzarri. Now 24, he’s a young veteran of the industry with a clear idea of where to take his music career next.
“I’ve learned a lot,” he says. “This is a career where you always have to be consistent. There’s obviously highs and lows in this industry. I’ve also learned that you have to do everything from the heart and be the most sincere possible. That’s what people connect with when they feel what you’re feeling.”
In December, Erick kicked off his solo career with the heartbreak banger “Feliz Año Nuevo Triste.” The song about missing an ex during the holidays captures the spirit of Btw… Lo Intenté, which he calls “nostalgic.” In his upcoming single, the haunting “12,000 km,” he looks back on when he visited Tokyo for the first time with CNCO. Erick sings from the soul about missing a loved one who’s thousands of miles away.
“What’s most cool about now is that the lyrics come from me,” he says. “They come from my experiences and things that have happened to me. I feel like the people who hear these songs can connect a little more with me, and that’s priceless. I have enjoyed this process to the max.”
[My lyrics] come from my experiences and things that have happened to me. I feel like the people who hear these songs can connect a little more with me, and that’s priceless.
Erick also turns up the heat on the EP in songs like the sexy “Playboi.” He leans more into an R&B sound while using his falsetto to sing about “breaking taboos” in the bedroom with his lover. In the most upbeat song on the EP, the sultry “Honeymoon,” he blends pop with reggaeton beats and taps into the casanova side of his artistry to offer his lover a newlywed-like evening together.
“I played a small part of ‘Playboi’ in a video on my TikTok, and one of the comments from my fans said, ‘Erick, what are you doing? I’m going to tell your mom!'” he says with a laugh. “I felt that the EP had a lot of songs about heartbreak, so I needed a song that was more sensual. I love [‘Playboi’] a lot. I feel like it’s different. In reality, that sensual side to me has always been there.”
When asked if he would ever reunite with CNCO in the future, Erick responds, “Yes! 100 percent! I would love that.” He then mentions that all his ex-bandmates are currently focused on their solo projects, much like he is. Among his dream collaborations, Erick mentions that he would love to work with Humbe, Pablo Alborán, and Maria Becerra. He has even bigger dreams for his music career ahead.
“My goal is to fill stadiums,” Erick says. “I would love to sing in Cuba one day. God willing, I’ll do a tour for everyone and win a Grammy. I want to travel again because there are countries I need to visit again. Everything about this new chapter excites me so much.”
Btw… Lo Intenté is out tonight (March 20).
