Cain Culto, born Andrew Padilla, uses his debut album CULTO to reject fixed identities and explore his queerness, cultural background and musical influences through an alter ego. The album matters because it brings together Colombian and Nicaraguan heritage, Southern Appalachian traditions and contemporary pop, rap and electronic music, deliberately resisting easy categorisation.

Raised in South Florida before moving to Kentucky, Culto absorbed Latin pop from his family alongside bluegrass, gospel and Appalachian music, while also experiencing shame and othering as one of the few Latino people in his community. CULTO combines these influences across songs such as “Chiquilinda” and “A Plague, A Pestilence”, building on the genre-blending approach of his earlier track “KFC Santería” and aiming to preserve creative freedom throughout his career.