Young Miko took her Late Checkout Tour quite literally on Saturday in Los Angeles, hitting the stage more than an hour after the 8 p.m. start time.
However, her thousands of fans didn’t seem to mind as a deafening roar erupted once the 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer kicked off the sold-out show at the Intuit Dome with “El intro” and “What’s Ur Vibe?”
Known for her seductive and confident stage persona, Miko didn’t waste any time giving the energetic crowd what they came for. With her performance of “Meiomi” — the second single from her sophomore album Do Not Disturb, released last year — she channeled the song’s sensual music video with her dancing and set design.
She kept the high-energy atmosphere going with her songs “Likey Likey,” “Algo casual” and “Ojalá,” working every angle of the stage, trying to make all her fans feel special. Destin Conrad also made a special appearance for their collab “no debo :(.” But for one lucky fan, they got a little extra attention during “Sin Pausa,” coming up to sit at the end of the catwalk as Miko flirtatiously sings and dances around them.
Miko’s Late Checkout Tour is serving as a major milestone as it’s her first global headlining arena tour. And Saturday was notably special as it was revealed shortly before that her first-ever show at Intuit Dome sold out. Between that and all the love she was receiving from her fans throughout the night, Miko became overwhelmed with emotions about halfway through the show, getting teary-eyed and having an “I made it” moment.
“I’ve been having some beautiful months of my life, where I’ve been traveling the world. This year, I’ve been getting to know new audiences and I’ve also been seeing some beautiful audiences that have supported me for a long time,” Miko told the audience, speaking in Spanish, later in the show. “Today I have more people than ever before and I can’t thank you enough for the support you’ve given me.”
Also establishing herself as a queer Latina icon, Miko has been vocal about the responsibility she feels “to give visibility to my community and who I am and for people to resonate with it” when it comes to her music, she previously told The Hollywood Reporter. And that was evident throughout Saturday’s show, especially during her performance of the bold queer anthem “MADRE.”
Later in the night, the energy got hot and heavier during her performance of “COLMILLO” — her 2023 song with J Balvin and Tainy. The standout moment saw her and the dancers get up close and personal during the reggaeton-infused track, showcasing the sensual Latin club dance style Perreo.
Miko performed several other hits after, from “Chulo pt.2” (ft. Bad Gyal, Tokischa) to her and Feid’s “CLASSY 101” to “FINA” (ft. Bad Bunny) before closing out the show with the much-loved “WASSUP.”
It was apparent throughout the night that Miko felt at home on stage. She told THR last year, ahead of the release of Do Not Disturb, that performing is one of her favorite parts of being an artist.
“I love the stage so much,” she said at the time. “It’s so ironic that so many people are watching you, yet it makes me feel like I can be myself like to my best possible abilities. And then the fans, damn, they just feel like an extended family. Sometimes I’ll have a weird day and I’ll go into social media and just like chat with them or whatever, like I feel so close with them and they support me so much.”
Miko next heads to Phoenix for her Late Checkout Tour, before making several more stops across North America. She wraps up the tour in November at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.