Out of El Paso, Texas comes an artist who blends vivid imagination with heartfelt creativity. Known as Nico Reyes, his name carries a story of family and dreams. Reyes is his mother’s maiden name, something he always loved and wanted to honor. The “Nico” part came from one of his dreams, an experience that stuck with him. He has always had incredibly vivid dreams that his friends hear about all the time, and one night he found himself in the role of someone named Nico on a Mars-like planet. The dream was so real that it inspired him to carry the name forward into his music career.
His Instagram handle is still @alejannddrrooo, his real name, though he admits he might switch it up to match Nico soon. Born in Sierra Blanca, a tiny town in Texas, he spent his early years there before his family moved to El Paso. He recalls being sick as a baby but growing up with beautiful sunsets over the mountains, a city that is not too small and not too big, with a beauty many overlook.
Nico’s music journey began when he got a Mac for college at 18. He connected his old keyboard to GarageBand and started experimenting with beats. By 19, he released his first song, holding back until he felt ready to put something out. Looking back, he laughs at his early work but knows it was part of the growth. Creating became the center of his life, something he calls his most important passion, and something he will never stop doing. For him, nothing feels better than making music he loves.
His inspiration stretches far beyond music alone. He remembers wanting to start a band as a kid and drawing early influence from Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange and Drake’s Nothing Was the Same. Over time, he stopped worrying about being seen as “that guy who wants to rap” and embraced the fact that music was always going to be a part of him. While he looks up to artists like Frank Ocean, Mac Miller, Dominic Fike, Bon Iver, and Dijon, he is equally inspired by books, movies, friends, love, heartbreak, nature, and even the simple beauty of life.
When asked about his sound, Nico avoids limiting himself to one category. He floats between pop, hip hop, alt RnB, and songwriter-driven tracks, always searching for new sounds. He promises that down the line he might experiment even more, maybe even with a house or country record. His love for instruments also drives his music — he learned trumpet in school band, plays keyboard when creating songs, and is now teaching himself guitar. Drums and cello are next on his list.
Even though his journey is just beginning, Nico already has a body of work behind him. He has released over 30 songs across three projects, two EPs, and several singles. His first project, Not Kind, was filled with love songs but had little structure, a young artist’s first step. His second, July Again, captured the spirit of summer romances and carefree days. His third, Do You Believe in Ghosts, found him leaning into more emotion, sadness, and experimentation with mixing and rapping. Most recently, he dropped an EP called Papercuts, a three-song project that includes “Gone,” a laid-back rap track about losing someone, “Cascade,” a song about inevitability and falling like waterfalls, and “Standing,” his personal favorite and a moving conversation about love that refuses to fade. He also recently released a standalone single called “Left and Right,” which he calls a soft launch of the sound for his next project.
For Nico, the most memorable part of his journey has been the people he has met along the way. From the unexpected recognition of his work on SoundCloud by Nettspend, to the support of the Opium fan community, to the friends who constantly encourage him, the love has been overwhelming and grounding. It has given him confidence and peace with the path he is on.
Right now, Nico is working on what he hopes will be his first true album. He describes it as raw, acoustic, and guitar-driven, a project that he wants to take his time with so that it can be something meaningful and lasting. His goal is to release it before the end of 2025 but he plans to share singles and other tracks along the way.
Performances are also on his radar, and though he does not have any shows lined up yet, he hopes to play live soon. With friends starting their own tiny desk-style venue, Nico is eager to perform for people close to him and bring his songs to life on stage.
With a growing catalog, a love for experimentation, and a vision rooted in passion, Nico Reyes is an artist who is not just chasing music but living it. His story shows that dreams, no matter how random or vivid, can shape reality when paired with dedication and heart.