Sometimes the safest world to reside, and hide in, is one you have to create yourself. For his second full-length studio album, Fantasy Gateway, Cuco did just that. The time between Para Mí and now, which fell during the isolating lockdown of the pandemic, found Cuco facing himself—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Determined to become a healthier version of himself, he had to create a safer world to reside in—starting from within. For the recording of Fantasy Gateway, Cuco planted himself in his parents’ native land of Mexico, specifically Mexico City, to explore all his selves—song by song. “I’ve always been an imaginative person, and found nostalgia alluring,” he continues.”I remember memories that never existed, things that I never lived, things I have lived, and I think of the future as a past memory. That’s the fantasy gateway for me: being in a perfect place, but feeling discomfort.” Sonically, Cuco brought on a trusted group of producers, who as a collective while in Mexico City, explored the concept behind Fantasy Gateway. Manuel Lara, Venezuelan producer, songwriter, and engineer (Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis), was one of the producers enlisted to bless Fantasy Gateway, alongside Andres Rebellón, Julian Bernal, and Ian Fitchuk (Kacey Musgraves).