‘Neon’ Just Dropped on Netflix—and It’s the Reggaetón Show We’ve Been Waiting For

Miami just got a little louder, a little brighter, and a lot more Latine. Netflix’s Neon, which premiered today, is the kind of cultural moment that reggaetón fans have been craving: a series that doesn’t just include the genre but centers it—celebrating both its glossy highs and gritty come-ups. Created by Shea Serrano and Max Searle, and executive produced by Scooter Braun’s SB Projects with Daddy Yankee onboard, Neon is funny, ambitious, and—most importantly—intentional.

Set in Miami and infused with the pulse of urbano, the show follows a trio of best friends trying to break into the music industry, led by Santi (played by Tyler Dean Flores), an aspiring reggaetón star. But this isn’t just another fame-chasing dramedy. What makes Neon special is the weight behind the laughs, the culture behind the color, and the authenticity behind the beats.

That’s thanks in no small part to the behind-the-scenes dream team. Suzy Exposito, journalist and music historian, and Katelina “La Gata” Eccleston, renowned reggaetón critic and cultural consultant, were brought on as executive consultants to make sure this wasn’t just another industry cash grab. “I wanted to shine light not just on the fun aspects of working in the music industry, but also the challenges… especially if you want to make it commercially,” Exposito told TIME. La Gata, who has long spoken out about the genre’s Afro-Caribbean roots and its erasure, also informed the show’s direction with her lived experience—right down to a party scene that mirrored her own youth.

From the jump, the show embraces a vision that most mainstream Latin music stories overlook. Courtney Taylor’s character Mia—Santi’s manager—is a rare portrayal of a Black woman in the reggaetón industry, given space to be brilliant, strategic, and complex. It’s an intentional nod to the invisibility so many Afro-Latinas face in both media and music, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

It’s a promising start. As Variety noted in their early look at the show, Neon is “glossy and fun” but not shallow. It holds a mirror up to the reggaetón industry and, for once, reflects more than just the shine.

With cameos from reggaetón royalty and a soundtrack that actually slaps, Neon is the kind of project that signals a shift in how Latino stories are told—by Latinos, for Latinos, and with the nuance they deserve. And with folks like Shea Serrano and Max Searle at the helm, and culture workers like Suzy and La Gata behind the curtain, the genre finally gets the flowers it’s long deserved.

In a world where representation is often an afterthought, Neon feels like a bold affirmation: that our culture isn’t just background noise—it’s the main event. Now Available on Netflix.