LENEXX IS THE WAVE
Lenexx is a Dominican-born, New York-raised visionary who channels her dual heritage into every beat, visual, and stage moment. Grounded in her Santiago de los Caballeros roots and Queens’ city pulse, she crafts a sound and story that bridges nostalgia with contemporary flair. A hands-on creator, Lenexx directs her visuals with an instinctual honesty, weaving English, Spanish, and Portuguese into a vibrant multilingual tapestry.
Her work—from rolos and chancletas to green screens and dynamic wardrobe—reads as a loving homage to home while pushing toward uncharted sonic and visual territories. Whether exploring intimate healing in “Vulnerable” or the sultry playfulness of “Sabor a Açaí”, Lenexx invites listeners to move, reflect, and celebrate culture as a shared, living experience.
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
How do you balance honoring Dominican roots with your American-New York experiences in your music and visuals?
I think the best way I balance honoring my Dominican roots with my New York experiences is by simply being fully myself. Originality and authenticity guide everything I do. I creative direct all of my visuals, and I love being involved in every part of the process because that’s what keeps everything honest and personal to me.
I don’t really separate those two worlds because they are my identity. I was born in Santiago de los Caballeros and raised in New York City, so my music naturally reflects both. A lot of my work plays with nostalgia — sometimes it’s inspired by my childhood in DR, other times by growing up in Queens. It really depends on what the song needs emotionally and visually.
Your choices—rolos, chancletas, la cafetera, traditional cups—are intentional. Can you walk us through a specific project and explain what each element represents?
One of the first projects that comes to mind is actually the first content video I ever posted for “Vulnerable”. It was super simple, I leaned out my window and yelled, “ya salió Vulnerable”, while wearing rolos my grandmother had literally just done for me. That video ended up getting so much love and attention, and honestly, it really started everything for me creatively online. What’s funny is that none of it was planned. I randomly felt inspired to shoot the video in that moment. A lot of my creativity works like that. I’m a big believer in acting on ideas the second they come to me because those are usually the most honest moments.
Another project that really represents this is “Sabor a Açaí”. That visual was probably the most fun I’ve ever had creating something. It was also my first time working with green screen, and every detail felt personal. There’s a scene of me riding a rooster, which represents El Campo and the side of the Dominican Republic I grew up around in Santiago de los Caballeros, specifically Gurabo. I feel like we don’t always get to see Dominican artists showcase that part of our culture.
Even things like the chancletas feel nostalgic to me because they remind me of the colmados near my childhood home. When I realized I could bring that feeling into my merch and visuals, I loved it immediately because it genuinely reminded me of home. These elements naturally exist in my life already, which is why they show up so much in my art.
{“ARInfo”:{“IsUseAR”:false},”Version”:”1.0.0″,”MakeupInfo”:{“IsUseMakeup”:false},”FaceliftInfo”:{“IsChangeEyeLift”:false,”IsChangeFacelift”:false,”IsChangePostureLift”:false,”IsChangeNose”:false,”IsChangeFaceChin”:false,”IsChangeMouth”:false,”IsChangeThinFace”:false},”BeautyInfo”:{“SwitchMedicatedAcne”:false,”IsAIBeauty”:false,”IsBrightEyes”:false,”IsSharpen”:false,”IsOldBeauty”:false,”IsReduceBlackEyes”:false},”HandlerInfo”:{“AppName”:2},”FilterInfo”:{“IsUseFilter”:false}}
You’re blending English, Spanish, and Portuguese in future tracks. What emotions or stories are you hoping to express with multilingual verses?
For me, blending English, Spanish, and Portuguese represents unity, not just in my music, but in how I see culture and emotion connecting. Right now, I’m really creating from a place of love. Not just romantic love, but love for what I do, love for these languages, and love for the cultures that shaped me. I feel like I’m in a season where I’m fully in love with my art and everything I’m building, and I want that energy to come through in my music. Each language carries something different that doesn’t fully exist in the others. That’s why I don’t see it as switching languages, I see it as choosing the most honest way to express a feeling in that moment.
Growing up in such a diverse neighborhood, what moments or people from your daily life shaped your artistic voice the most?
Growing up in Jackson Heights is really what shaped my artistic voice the most. When I first moved to New York, I didn’t speak any English. My first real friend was a Brazilian girl who also didn’t speak English, so we communicated however we could. She was actually the first person who opened me up to Brazilian culture, and in a way, that early connection helped shape how I hear sound and think about music today.
Jackson Heights is one of the most diverse places, you turn a few streets and you’re in a completely different culture. I had friends from Bangladesh, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, DR… it felt like the world in one neighborhood. You could hear so many languages in a single day and try food from everywhere within a few blocks. That environment naturally made me open to blending cultures, sounds, and influences without overthinking it. Even working as a cashier in a supermarket during high school in this area added to that. I interacted with people from every background, every age, every story, all in one shift. That kind of daily exposure really shaped how I observe people and translate that into my music.
How has your early migration from the Dominican Republic to Queens influenced your view on immigration and visibility in Latinx music?
As an immigrant and the daughter of an immigrant, I understand this experience very personally because I’ve lived it. Moving to a new country and starting from scratch without knowing anyone is not easy. My entire family is still in the Dominican Republic, I only live here with my mother and my grandmother, so that sense of distance is something I carry with me every day.
I think that experience really shaped how I view immigration and visibility in Latinx music. It’s a community of some of the hardest-working people, and most of the time we’re just trying to build a better future for ourselves and our families. So when I think about everything happening right now, it feels unfair to a lot of people who are just trying to live and work with dignity.
I remember when I first moved, my mom told me we had to come to the U.S. for a better future. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but looking back, that moment put everything into perspective for me at a very young age. It made me realize that our stories matter, and that there’s power in making them visible through my music.
You’ve connected with Brazilian communities and other cultures. Are there artists or genres you’re eager to collaborate with to expand your multicultural palette?
Definitely. I feel like I’m being pulled right now toward more Egyptian and Middle Eastern sounds. I’ve always been surrounded by that culture in my environment. Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Egyptian communities have been a natural part of my life through friends, people I’ve met, and the spaces I’ve been in. Some of my closest friends at different points were from those backgrounds, so I naturally absorbed a lot of their music, language, and rhythms without even trying.
There’s so much depth there, and so much to learn and explore. One of my biggest dreams is actually to go to Egypt one day, so that influence already feels very alive for me creatively. At the same time, I’ve always had a deep love for reggae. It’s probably my second favorite genre after funk. I grew up listening to artists like Bob Marley and Steel Pulse, my brother had vinyls at home, so that sound has always been part of my foundation too.
Songs like “Vulnerable” and “Dime Que” touch on healing and longing. How do you approach writing songs that feel both intimate and empowering for listeners?
This is actually one of my favorite questions, because these songs are very intimate to me, written during very, no pun intended, vulnerable moments in my life. I like pairing upbeat, dance-driven production, like the funk and genre fusions I work with, with lyrics that are much deeper and more reflective.
So on the surface, the music might feel alive, energetic, and something you can move to, but when you really sit with the lyrics, it’s a different experience. It makes you think, it brings up memories, and it can shift your emotions in a more introspective way. That balance is very intentional. I want my music to exist in both spaces at once something that can live on the dance floor, but also stay with you when you’re alone and reflecting.
Your purple hair, satin bandanas, and distinctive clothing are bold statements. How do you decide the wardrobe and styling for a new release?
My purple hair, satin bandanas, brown lip liner, and hoops are really an extension of who I am, I don’t feel like myself without them. Those four things feel like part of my identity. Nobody has really seen me without that. In a way, it feels like an alter ego. When I have everything on, I feel like Lenexx, and when I don’t, I’m Sharlene. I don’t really overthink it, it’s more instinctual. Every day, I just put on whatever feels like me in that moment.
I also have an amazing stylist, Deannelys Corcino, who I really admire. She’s a Dominican Afro-Latina creative working across fashion and music, and she’s played a really important role in shaping my visual world. From my first time working with her for my DEC 19th SOBs show, to projects like “Tan Fácil” and “Sabor a Açaí,” she’s helped me bring my ideas to life in a way that still feels true to who I am while elevating the vision.
Talk to us about your latest release.
My latest release, “Sabor a Açaí” is honestly one of my favorite songs I’ve ever done. It came from me challenging myself as a songwriter to create something that felt effortless, fun, and not overthought. It is very much a dance record with summer, club, and girls night energy. A big inspiration came from traveling to Brasil during a tour in São Paulo and Rio. I tried açaí there for the first time and that is what sparked the idea behind the song.
There is also a storytelling element in it. It plays with the idea of a girl at a party who unexpectedly falls in love after a kiss and ends up associating that feeling with his taste of açaí. So it has this playful double meaning that is both romantic and sensory. Visually and creatively, it is also one of my favorite projects I have worked on. I had so much fun bringing it to life alongside Mateo Toro, Isabella Vizetta & the entire team. Building the treatment, and being hands on in the creative direction was so cool to me. The video feels like a fever dream & every time I hear the song, I cannot help but dance.
With chart presence across Chile, Taiwan, Sweden, Japan, and Australia, how do international audiences influence your music choices and storytelling?
I definitely feel like having listeners in different parts of the world shapes the way I approach my music in a really intentional way. When I go into the studio, it makes me think about creating something that feels global, something that can connect no matter what language you speak. For me, it’s about making music that transcends borders. Even if someone doesn’t understand every lyric, they can still feel the emotion, the rhythm, and the intention behind it. That’s what I focus on the most.
What would a breakthrough project look like for Lenexx in the next 2–3 years—musically, visually, and culturally?
A breakthrough project for me in the next 2 to 3 years would really start with my upcoming album, I <3 Funketón. I feel like this project is already pushing me into more global sounds and positioning me deeper within Funketón as a movement we’ve been building over the past year.
From there, I can definitely see myself and my team touring and taking this sound around the world, sharing it in different spaces and using it as a way to unify cultures through music. I also just received my first nomination for Premios Tu Música, and I see that as the beginning of more recognition to come, with more nominations and hopefully more wins as the work continues to grow. I see everything expanding into a much larger global audience, evolving into something that feels like a real global phenomenon over time.
Visually, I’m excited to continue evolving into more challenging and experimental directions. I also see myself transitioning into a slightly darker, more grown woman era sonically and visually, where everything feels more intentional and elevated, but still very true to me. Culturally, I want to keep exploring without limits. I’m always open to new sounds and influences from anywhere in the world, and I’ve learned that if I genuinely love something, that energy naturally translates to people everywhere.
What is on the next chapter for you and what can fans expect from Lenexx?
My next chapter is really centered around my upcoming album, I <3 Funketón, which comes out June 2nd. This project is very special to me because it includes collaborations with artists and producers I genuinely admire, so I’m excited for listeners to hear those unexpected pairings and new sounds. We also have some amazing visuals that are releasing during this mess next few weeks.
After the release, I also have my headlining SOB’s EL FUNKETON PARTY show on July 25th, which feels like a big moment for me in bringing this world to life on stage. From there, I’m looking forward to touring and expanding the movement globally, with plans that could take us through Latin America, and potentially into Europe or Brazil as we continue building into the next era.
