Neon (TV series)

Last updated
Neon
Neon TV series.png
Official promotional poster
Genre Comedy
Created by Shea Serrano
Max Searle
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Netflix
ReleaseOctober 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)

Neon is an American comedy series created by Shea Serrano and Max Searle for Netflix. The series follows a trio of friends that move to Miami to pursue a reggaeton career. Neon stars Tyler Dean Flores, Emma Ferreira, Jordan Mendoza, and Courtney Taylor. It was released on October 19, 2023.

Contents

Plot

Santi, a gen Z [1] reggaeton artist, and his two best friends Vanessa and Felix move to Miami to help his music career take off. [2]

Cast and characters

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"The Dream"Oz Rodriguez Shea Serrano & Max SearleOctober 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)
2"Opening Up"Eli GondaMax SearleOctober 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)
3"Forbidden Fruta"Eli Gonda Demi Adejuyigbe October 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)
4"Art Basel"Eli GondaBrianna Porter & Christopher EddinsOctober 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)
5"Corillo"Kimberly McCulloughWally BaramOctober 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)
6"Isanti" Steven Canals Raina MorrisOctober 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)
7"New Management"Kimberly McCulloughAdriana CaballeroOctober 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)
8"The Reality"Steven CanalsJordan MendozaOctober 19, 2023 (2023-10-19)

Production

Neon was created by Shea Serrano and Max Searle, and received a series order from Netflix on November 8, 2022. [5] The series is executive produced by Scooter Braun’s production company SB Projects with Scott Manson, James Shin, and Kyle Vinuya as co-executive producer. [5]

After the show was announced, Hyperallergic critiqued the series, which focuses on the Caribbean genre of reggaeton, for its lack of Puerto Rican producers. [6] After its release, it was noted that Daddy Yankee was added as an executive producer and guest star for the series. [7] [1] The executive music producers are Tainy, Lex Borrero, and Ivan Rodriguez, collectively known as Tainy & One Six. [1]

All eight episodes were released on Netflix on October 19, 2023. [1]

Reception

In a positive review for Variety , Aramide Tinubu wrote, "Glossy and fun, the reggaeton-centered “Neon” puts the viewer in the mind of “Rap Sh!t” without the grit framing the Issa Rae-created show. It’s a series about friendship, determination and the perils of the modern-day music industry." [1] Kelly Lawler of USA Today reviewed Neon as 3.5/4 stars and described it as "funny, occasionally absurd and with a vision to match its glowing title." [4] While The Hollywood Reporter 's Angie Han praised Neon for "delivering an endless party set to danceable beats, and populated by characters worth giving a damn about" she also wrote, "Neon‘s glossy positivity limits its portrayal of the reggaeton world to the surface level. For all its gushing over its celebrity cameos, the series spends very little time exploring what makes the genre unique — why specifically it speaks to Santi, what sets this corner of the music industry apart from the ones chronicled in, say, Dave or Atlanta or The Idol or the similarly Miami-set but much grittier Rap Sh!t." [3] In a less positive review, Cristina Escobar stated for RogerEbert.com, "“Neon” is a series of jokes, rhythms, and points with no guiding anchor. It’s a lot of things, but excellent is not one of them. And that’s a shame, especially as reggaeton continues its global dominance; we will need more shows and films depicting its particular culture and cadence." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggaeton</span> Music genre

Reggaeton, also known as reggaetón, reguetón and reggüetón,, is a modern style of popular and electronic music that originated in Panamá during the late 1980s, and which rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s through a plethora of Puerto Rican musicians. It has been popularized and dominated by artists from Puerto Rico since the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daddy Yankee</span> Puerto Rican rapper and singer (born 1977)

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a retired Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor who rose to worldwide prominence in 2004 with the song "Gasolina". Dubbed the "King of Reggaeton", he is often cited as an influence by other Hispanic urban performers. He retired on December 3, 2023, after completing his final stage performance on his "La Meta" tour in Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luny Tunes</span> Dominican reggaeton producers

Luny Tunes are an American reggaeton production duo consisting of Francisco Saldaña (Luny) and Víctor Cabrera (Tunes) who have been known for creating unique musical rhythms for some of the most popular reggaeton artists since the early 2000s.

<i>Barrio Fino</i> 2004 studio album by Daddy Yankee

Barrio Fino is the third studio album by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee, released on July 13, 2004, in the United States by VI Music and El Cartel Records and internationally by Machete Music and Polydor Records. Released two years after his previous studio album, El Cangri.com (2002), the album was recorded in Puerto Rico between 2003 and 2004. It explores themes ranging from dance, sex, romance, introspection, and protest against political corruption and violence against women. Barrio Fino was instrumental in popularizing reggaeton in the mainstream market, enhancing Daddy Yankee's career, as well as cementing his status as one of the most successful Latin artists of the 2000s. The album is reported to have sold over 8 million copies in the world.

<i>El Cartel: The Big Boss</i> 2007 studio album by Daddy Yankee

El Cartel: The Big Boss is the fourth studio album and eighth overall by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee. It was released on June 5, 2007, by El Cartel Records through Interscope Records and It is the third installment following El Cartel (1997) and El Cartel II (2001). It explores lyrics and themes ranging from immigration, tabloid rumors, romance, dance and protest against political corruption. The album production persecutes an aggressive sound and was focus on hardcore reggaeton and Latin urban mixed with elements of tropical rhythms, R&B and straight-up hip-hop on a few tracks. The album's theme was to solidified the artist status at the top of Latin music industry and rivals. It features guest appearances Akon, Fergie, Will.i.am, Nicole Scherzinger, Héctor el Father and contains the contributions of producers such as Scott Storch, Luny Tunes, Tainy, and Mr. Collipark.

<i>Mas Flow: Los Benjamins</i> 2006 compilation album by Luny Tunes & Tainy

Mas Flow: Los Benjamins is the third compilation album by reggaeton producers Luny Tunes, released on September 26, 2006, by Mas Flow Inc. and Machete Music. The album features appearances by RBD, Don Omar, Daddy Yankee, Héctor el Father, Tito El Bambino, Wisin & Yandel, Alexis & Fido, Zion, Magnate, Ñejo & Dalmata, Arcángel & De la Ghetto, and others. It also featured the work of 17-year-old producer Marco Masis, better known as Tainy.

<i>Mas Flow 2</i> 2005 compilation album by Luny Tunes & Baby Ranks

Mas Flow 2 is the second compilation album by reggaeton producers Luny Tunes. The album was a joint venture with reggaeton artist Baby Ranks as he was featured in virtually every song in the album. Many of reggaeton's biggest names were featured in the album, such as Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel, Zion & Lennox, Tito "El Bambino", Ivy Queen, Hector "El Father", Voltio, and many others. Mas Flow 2 is one of the most critically acclaimed Latin albums of the year, and is considered to be substantially superior to the previous album. It also featured some artists from outside the reggaeton genre, such as Frankie J, Cultura Profetica, Deevani, Tony Tun-Tun, Spliff Star, among others.

Mas Flow Incorporated is a record label founded by Luny Tunes, a Dominican reggaeton production duo. It claims to be among the companies that helped expand the reggaeton genre beyond its limits. Mas Flow has many connections to the East Coast; in fact most of their producing teams come from Massachusetts in the US. Its primary headquarters is in Carolina, Puerto Rico. It has a regional office in New Jersey and Boston, Massachusetts and Rochester, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impacto</span> 2007 single by Daddy Yankee

"Impacto" is the first single by Puerto Rican reggaeton performer Daddy Yankee from his fifth studio album El Cartel: The Big Boss. It was released on April 12, 2007 by El Cartel Records. "Impacto" was nominated for Song of the Year at the Premios Lo Nuestro 2008. The official remix features American singer Fergie.

Monserrate and DJ Urba are reggaeton producers from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, respectively. They have been on the business for some years, but they really got a start when Daddy Yankee hired them to produce his Barrio Fino Album. Then they followed up with the Barrio Fino en Directo Album. They are aligned with Luny Tunes's Mas Flow Inc and Daddy Yankee's El Cartel Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tainy</span> Puerto Rican record producer

Marcos Efraín Masís Fernández, known professionally as Tainy, is a Puerto Rican record producer and songwriter. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he entered the world of reggaeton with his work on Mas Flow 2.

<i>Talento de Barrio</i> (soundtrack) 2008 soundtrack album by Daddy Yankee

Talento de Barrio is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name and the fifth studio album starring Puerto Rican reggaeton singer-songwriter Daddy Yankee, who also performs the songs on the album. It was released on August 12, 2008, by Machete Music and El Cartel Records, to accompany the motion picture Talento de Barrio. The album was mainly produced by reggaeton producers Eli El Musicólogo and Menes. The album production explores reggaeton with elements of tropical music such as merengue and dancehall along with EDM and electropop sounds. It receive positive reviews and was nominated for Best Urban Album at the 10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. The album was supported by four official singles: "Somos de Calle", "Pose", "Llamado de Emergencia", and "Que Tengo Que Hacer?".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasolina</span> 2004 single by Daddy Yankee

"Gasolina" ("Gasoline") is a song on Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee's 2004 album Barrio Fino. Glory sings the line "dame más gasolina", although she is not credited. The song was released as the album's lead single in October 2004 and became a hit in 2005, peaking inside the top 10 on some of the charts it entered. "Gasolina" was the first reggaeton song to be nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farruko</span> Puerto Rican rapper

Carlos Efrén Reyes Rosado, better known by his stage name Farruko, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. He rose to fame collaborating with Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Don Omar, and J Álvarez. He came to prominence in 2010 with his first solo album, El Talento del Bloque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Si Supieras</span> 2019 single by Daddy Yankee and Wisin & Yandel

"Si Supieras" is a song by Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee and Puerto Rican duo Wisin & Yandel, released on June 28, 2019 by El Cartel Records. The track was written by Daddy Yankee, Wisin, Yandel, Rafael Pina, Eric "Lobo" Rodríguez, Juan "Gaby Music" Rivera, Francisco "Luny" Saldaña, and Marco "Tainy" Masis, and was produced by Dominican producer Luny and Puerto Rican producer Tainy.

<i>Legendaddy</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Daddy Yankee

Legendaddy is the eighth studio album by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee, released on March 24, 2022 by El Cartel Records, Universal Music Group and Republic Records. Published 10 years after his previous studio album, Legendaddy is Daddy Yankee's last record, as he announced that he would retire from music after the end of his farewell concert tour, La Última Vuelta, in 2023. He decided to retire while working on the album, as he felt accomplished and wanted to enjoy everything he had achieved with his career. It is his first and only album released directly under Universal, rather than its Latin division, after signing a multimillionaire global distribution deal in 2020.

"X Última Vez" is a song by Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee featuring compatriot rapper Bad Bunny, released as the third single from the former's eighth and final studio album, Legendaddy, on April 6, 2022. Its music video, shot in New York City in March 2022, was directed by Mexican director Fernando Lugo and depicts "futuristic visuals" in which both artists perform the track in a "dystopian-looking stage" and a "video game-like setting." It was written by Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny and Puerto Rican producers Juan "Gaby Music" Rivera, Ovimael "OMB" Maldonado and Tainy, and was produced by Daddy Yankee and Tainy.

The Premios Tu Música Urbano is an award presented by television network Telemundo Puerto Rico to recognize artists who "transcended and boosted the success of Latin urban music around the world." The show is held annually at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico since 2019, is produced by Telemundo, Sora & Company and Mr. & Mrs. Entertainment, and is broadcast by Telemundo Puerto Rico in Latin America and by Telemundo in the United States. The awards were created in response to the lack of representation of reggaeton and Latin trap artists in the Latin Grammy Awards main categories and the absence of a separate Latin urban category at the Grammy Awards.

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Courtney Taylor is an American actress and comedian.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tinubu, Aramide (2023-10-19). "Netflix's Reggaeton Series 'Neon' Finds Its Rhythm Amid a Glossy Miami Landscape: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  2. ↑ Keller, Joel. "'Neon' Netflix Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". The Decider. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Han, Angie (2023-10-19). "'Neon' Review: Netflix's Miami Reggaeton Comedy Is a Glossy Good Time, if Not Much Else". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  4. 1 2 Lawler, Kelly. "Daddy Yankee's reggaeton Netflix show 'Neon' is an endless party". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  5. 1 2 White, Peter (2022-11-08). "Reggaeton Comedy Series 'Neon' From Shea Serrano & Max Searle Drums Up Series Order At Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  6. ↑ Zubizarreta, Denise (2023-02-12). "Netflix Forgot to Include Puerto Ricans in Production of Reggaeton Show". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  7. 1 2 Escobar, Cristina. "Netflix's Neon Gets Lost in Its Many Disconnected Elements | TV/Streaming | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
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