Artist Spotlight: Miguel Amell Embraces Vulnerability
- Jaeqwon Suarez
- May 13
- 11 min read
BY: JAEQWON SUAREZ / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports, and Entertainment has a pop star in the making. Miguel Amell, a senior within the vocal performance program, has built a reputation for his creative performances that are full of life, dancing, acting, and, most importantly, his singing.
Miguel Amell had his senior recital on March 20. His show, titled “TU TYPE”, was an ode to his Latin heritage as an international student from the Dominican Republic.
“TU TYPE” was more than just a recital; it was the pop singer defining himself as an artist and confiding in the audience as he shared his journey to where he is now. It was energetic and also vulnerable at times, and there was never a dull moment when he was on stage.
One of Amell’s many talents is keeping his crowd on the edge of their seats with his flirty gestures incorporated with intimate singing. You get so lost in the performance that by the time it’s over, you’ll be wanting more.
Seawanhaka sat with Miguel Amell to discuss his show, growing up in the Dominican Republic, and what lessons he’s learned through it all.
Before New York
Amell’s journey, he described, starts before he could speak full sentences. The Disney film High School Musical was the earliest memory of his that sparked his passion for music and the arts.
“That movie opened so many possibilities for me. Everyone was singing and dancing, and that was like the way the world should be,” Amell briefly stated.
“Why not? Everyone was having fun and was going through all their feelings through song, and to me, that just seemed like the most honest and authentic way to do it. I wanted to be a part of that, I wanted to experience life through song, too. It just feels so natural to me.”
He was born into a family where he was the first to become a musician. He learned how to act, sing, and dance to pursue his dream of making music. He highlights, though, how music impacts many lives daily just by listening.
For him, it’s taking that next step forward of creating and having his fans connect with him on a deeper level, the same way High School Musical was able to connect with millions of people at its time of release.
Although this is not his first time visiting the United States, this is the longest he has stayed in another country.
“It was terrifying,” Amell explains, his initial thoughts of moving to a different country to go to college. “It turned my world upside down in the best way possible. But I didn’t know that at the time. It was terrifying to take that leap of faith, but I also knew that I really wanted to be a pop star.”
Amell’s first song was released in the spring of 2023 and received praise from friends and family. “repercussions” is pop to its core, with its catchy chorus and upbeat energy building throughout the song.
When it comes to attending school in New York, it wasn’t an opportunity that he could pass up. He states that while terrifying, it also became a gratifying experience for his life.
“It’s forced me to hold a mirror up to myself every single day of my life,” Amell starts. “I’ve been forced to look at myself, look at the person I want to be, and what parts of myself are adding to that and what parts of myself are not, and how to shave them away. Without moving to New York, I would not be the person I am today.”
A lot of his courage when it comes to writing his songs and performing on stage has been impacted by the people he’s met in New York, from his classmates to producers and other indie singers across the city.
It’s challenged him to carve out the person he wants to be, which is more authentic and in the service of things that feel natural for the singer.
“Always finding something new to challenge myself or push myself towards, and that connects to coming from another country. I feel like the experience of being an immigrant really signifies how huge this opportunity is. I know so many people back home would love an opportunity like this, but just don’t have it. That makes me not only feel like I need to work and want to do the job right and have these amazing opportunities happen to me, but I feel like I owe it to those who can’t be in this position to really give this my all.”
He confides that these past four years have also been a time to express his gratitude to his parents, family, friends, and the many talented people he knows back home who are cheering him on from miles away.
Reflection of his Show “TU TYPE”
“TU TYPE” was his complete vision, a picture in his mind that was carefully thought out and planned as he learned how to incorporate originals and covers, as well as prioritizing his connections to each of the songs on the set list and how they would fit the show’s identity.
Amell's lyrics often have a deeper meaning once you start listening, and to those who don’t know Spanish, translating what he speaks about, which are powerful themes of love.
A fan favorite that has yet to be put out is his original, “estrellas”, translating to “stars”, and the song talks about this exact belief Amell shared with Seawanhaka. His voice is like water; powerful and raw, yet somehow gentle when he needs it to be.
His ability to flawlessly move between these two spectrums of his voice is one of the reasons why audiences are captivated by him. He’s not just telling a story, but living it through his own experiences, and this song is the accumulation of his feelings for the talented who may not get the chance to move or travel for opportunities.
This mindset wasn’t a change that happened overnight. It took years of experience, from attending his first theatre class as a kid, to understanding that you don’t have to appease everyone.
“I knew what kids and parents thought of me, and it’s difficult to grow as a performer,” Amell remarked. “Performance is so linked to authenticity and to being an extension and expression of yourself, and just finding some truth in yourself that other people can latch onto. So as a teen, you try to protect a lot because putting yourself out there means people can do and say whatever they want.”
Amell goes on to say that it took a couple of years before acting and performing would feel natural again, unlike music, which has always been an integral part of his life.
He recalls the moment back in March 2019 when he sang “Mister Cellophane” from the musical Chicago for his showcase.
He describes this feeling of being “removed” from the noise in his life and focusing on the moment. Carrying that feeling with him has allowed him to transition into the person he’s still figuring out today, while pursuing his dream of building shows like “TU TYPE” and making music.
“Nothing mattered except for doing this because I love what I’m doing, and with these shows, I’ve intentionally made them really personal. I’ve been able to connect back to that kid. It’s not just a collection of songs; it’s more of a story I want to tell, which can be frightening. Especially with ‘TU TYPE’, it’s a story I needed to tell to get past myself. It’s a story I have to tell to do things I want in the future without restriction.”
Amell got the chance to perform an abridged version of “TU TYPE” with all his originals a month later at the Brooklyn Music Kitchen.
“Even though the show will always be a challenge and scary subject-wise, I feel so free on stage right now,” Amell expressed. “I live and breathe in this path of music and performance in general. I’m always looking for ways to put my life and experiences in music.”
A detail the pop-star made note of during the conversation is how he envisions the songs he makes being performed on a stage, adding that as soon as he comes up with the first melody, he’s already picturing what the end product will look like on stage.
It allowed Amell to explore his artistry and think outside the box, from the transitions where he was doubting himself, to the end where he is confident in himself, his journey, and who he’s becoming in this era of music where fame can happen overnight.
He recalled one of his favorite memories from the night, in which many people came up to him after the show and told him, “This feels so you.”
“People who don’t know a word of Spanish connected to songs that were fully in Spanish, and for a show so rooted in my culture [Dominican] and my experience as a queer Latino, it means everything to me.”
The Turning Point
The song “HUIR!”, which was released in 2025 with a music video, became a huge turning point for Amell and defined his intent and how he wants his audience to view him.
Both the song and music video discuss an intimate topic of desire for a person, but being so scared to chase after it. While personal, Amell commented that’s the beauty of pop music and songwriting in general.
“Some of these songs are so sad and come from dark places and experiences, but I can make them really fun, catchy, and upbeat. It’s like ‘let’s dance’ vibes, so balance is not a thing for me. It’s either I’m insane or crazy,” Amell described.
He describes the middle ground between incorporating his personal experiences into songwriting and how it enhances his connection to the audience. There is no intentional writing, he explains, but rather writing that comes naturally and speaks his truth, which is different for every artist.
“I don’t feel like there’s a right way to connect,” Amell starts. “Art is about telling your truth or a version of it or what you want it to be, and someone out there will hold onto it and relate to it.”
Lyrics are choices each artist makes, and they can be as detailed or general as they want them to be. The important takeaway Amell explains is that he’s still finding that audience, and it always amazes him how many new people will connect to a song or to the performance, and that sparks an interest to keep following him and see him grow.
It extends beyond the stage and toward the person. They can be crying in the corner, and then the next dancing their heart out, showing the range of just what a single musician can do with their songs.
That feeling also reflects on the artist as well. One of Amell’s original songs that was performed was an experience that audiences had to feel for themselves. It was vulnerable and raw with just his voice and guitar. Amell briefly discussed the song “Canto ‘e funeral,” and how that may be the most emotional he’s ever gotten while writing.
“Those two songs [“Canto ‘e funeral” and “estrellas”] are really special to me because they’re so honest. Both of these songs are about me noticing patterns within myself. Taking a hard look at yourself and asking, ‘What now? What are we going to change?’ So ‘Canto ‘e funeral’ is interesting because it was around the time the HUIR! music video was still a concept.”
Amell explains, “And me being extra, I told myself that I was going to come out in music video form. So it was either I’m fully sending this idea to come out to the world and be myself, or I’m not. But then I took a second and made sure I was ready. This meant everyone from production, film, and extras would know this. So ‘Canto ‘e funeral’ poured out of me. I had been playing guitar for four months at that time. It had so many bridges and verses that I had to shave down to what I actually wanted to say. It allowed me to move forward toward the next step of my career.”
The City Where Dreams Come True
Reflecting on his time in New York, Amell explains how the city has taught him that he can feel whatever he wants, however he wants. From dance songs being written in parks or taking a moment from a party to write down ideas or concepts, it pushes Amell to experience and to live.
“When I finally started dropping music, I realized that it never really stops being important to you,” Amell commented. He describes that each release has taught him something. Whether that has been a personal journey he went on while making the song, or creative achievements, and pushing himself as a musician.
“The first song you drop, everyone is like, ‘Oh my god, you dropped a song.’ But then, as an indie artist, the more you drop, it becomes second nature to people. That’s when you start connecting with people through your music, because that’s when they start to listen to your music and become a fan beyond just knowing me.”
The excitement that comes with finding your audience, as Amell states, is thrilling because of the world he is molding. With every song and show, it fulfills a narrative, representing a new puzzle piece to fit in the grand vision of being a pop star.
But even the most creative minds need rest, or they run the risk of burnout. Amell opposed the question of ways he tries to relax, explaining that he’s not a chill person, only finding comfort in his close circle of family and friends.
“They make me feel like not being on 24/7 is okay. I feel like one way for me to not be on is to live and experience. New foods, different places, walking through a park. I feel like I don’t take breaks because I love what I do. That’s not to say that there aren’t days when I don’t love it, and I am desperate or feel stuck. But I just want this so much, that’s why I don’t turn my brain off.”
When asked about the main message that he wants people and his audience to understand, he responded with, “to feel everything. That’s what makes us human: connecting with each other and living through every emotion. Vulnerability is not a weakness; it’s a strength.”
Amell wants his shows and songs to hopefully be tools that allow people to live in the moment and feel loudly, from dance songs including “sin b” and “HUIR!”, to crying without judgment, like “estrellas” and “Canto ‘e funeral”.
Artists like Luis Miguel, Troye Sivan, Ricky Martin, Prince, and Bruno Mars are just some of the influences he draws from to build his own identity on stage, through their confident, charismatic personas, to the storytelling aspect of creating music.
Audiences can see many of these influences for themselves when Miguel Amell is on stage, becoming more of a heart-throb with his dancing and singing, while also emulating this rock-star persona through songs like “repercussions” or “delirio”.
Amell has a promise to become an upcoming artist for the pop scene in both the Latin and English realms, but his journey to that continues.
Before he hits his next stage at his Commencement Ceremony, he reflects on a lesson he’s learned since being in New York and starting his career.
“When it comes to my music and my show, no one knows what I’m doing more than me. TU TYPE was the first time I committed to my vision, unapologetically. That’s how I wanted to portray myself, and the only person who knows the most about me is me.”
He continues, “I’m always listening to people surrounding me with their ideas, like I’m never opposed to that, but when it comes to leading a project, I always have a clear vision and how I want to execute it. It goes back to honoring that kid who didn’t know how to sing or speak English. It all feels natural to me, so these shows need to embody that. I’m in control, and I trust myself to take this where I can succeed.”