This Transgender Latinx Singer Wants To Forge A New Path To Pop Stardom

For up-and-coming pop artist Jakk Fynn , music has become both a “coping mechanism” and a way to reflect artistically on an extended period of personal grief.

Until recently, the Los Angeles-based singer was caught between a romantic partner and a friend he’d developed feelings for. In the end, both relationships went south, which left him feeling “buried beneath an avalanche of emotion.”

The losses inspired Fynn’s five-song EP “Cancelled ,” out Wednesday, which features the reggaeton-infused single “Special.” The “Special” video, viewable above, finds Fynn seated at a bistro table in a desert. A uninterested-looking waiter eventually serves a round of beverages, but soon vanishes into the night by way of some inelegant jetés.

“Rejection can really wreck one’s sense of self and self-worth,” Fynn told HuffPost. “The obvious point is I’m waiting for someone that never shows up.”

That feeling of abandonment is heightened by the video’s desert location, he said. “I was really trying to inject a bit of surrealism as best I could.”

If Fynn has his way, his musical career will eventually have a deeper and diversifying impact on pop culture. The singer, who is of Mexican descent and is transgender, said he is “elated” by the mainstream success of openly trans performers like Kim Petras and the cast of FX’s “Pose.” A pop artist who identifies as transmasculine, however, has yet to be embraced in any major way.

“That’s a crucial part of the spectrum that’s missing,” he explained. “Mainstream representation isn’t just important, it’s lifesaving.”

So far, Fynn appears to be off to a gradual, but encouraging, start. Billboard debuted the video for his first single, “Fire,” in November, and it has since received buzz in a number of LGBTQ outlets, including the Washington Blade .

Though “Cancelled” and “Special” are out in the world, Fynn said he’ll nonetheless be clocking in more studio time. Naming Post Malone and Ariana Grande among his influences, he’s primarily focused on establishing a fan base and “making a positive impact” on both listeners and other aspiring trans artists.

“Honestly, years ago I realized that the only way I could pursue music as myself was if I paved my own lane,” he said. “So I want to help pave a lane for people like me, and eventually earn a seat amongst the heavy hitters in pop.”