54 Ultra’s Retro Soul Captures the Warmth and Texture of Old Tape

54 Ultra is at once old and new. A Jersey kid with a penchant for collecting old vinyl and thrifted threads — he’s a quintessential “old soul,” and in the studio, it shows. He’s one of five artists spotlighted by Nueva Generaciones, a music platform powered by Corona® Extra that celebrates artistic fluidity and global sounds. Following his feature story with Hypetrak Magazine, the artist returns to perform the Spanish rendition of “Heaven Knows,” released in 2024.

Born Johnny Rodriguez, the 25-year-old artist grew up listening to Bachata, Merengue, Salsa and Bolero — encouraged by his mother to live by the rhythms of his Dominican-Puerto Rican heritage. 54 Ultra’s music is like a warm blanket. His production is cozy and velvety: tangy guitar chords, sultry, Latin drums and pillowy vocals. His most recent EP, First Works, is a declaration of his sonic influences. “No Tengo Valor” and “Talk 2 Me” see the bilingual crooner nodding effortlessly to his idols while creating a sonic blueprint of his own. “It’s an honor to represent the Caribbean side, the Jersey side,” he shares with Hypebeast. “A lot of indie Latin stuff is from the West Coast or South America — so I love bringing that Nuyorican, Dominican flavor,” he shares with Hypetrak.

Name-dropping Fleetwood Mac and Heatwave as inspirations, he’s both connected to the aesthetics and musical legacy of the ’60s and ’70s, interpreting these eras through a retro-futuristic lens. But he’s not trying on personas — his appreciation for texture, atmosphere and framing are concepts that carry through his visual identity and music videos. With a live band at his side, his performance of “Heaven Knows” captures this essence, settling into a vintage romanticism.

Check out the music video for “Heavens Knows” in the galleries above. 54 Ultra’s feature interview on Hypetrak Magazine spotlights the artist’s musical inspirations and retro fashion sensibilities. Meet the other artists spotlighted by Nueva Generaciones, a music platform dedicated to global artistry and the rhythms that invite us to connect.

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