Biography
Based in the United Kingdom, XNilo functions as a singer, songwriter, and producer and ranks among the earliest urbano artists to surface from the British Isles. Performing in Spanish and English, he employs a smooth yet reedy baritone equally comfortable across reggaeton, Latin trap, funky soul, and hip-hop. His debut single “Que Paso” from 2019 gained traction on streaming services and European dance floors through its blend of briny Latin trap with funky, break-laden dancehall, preceding two English-language releases that included the sultry R&B ballad “Your Way” featuring U.K. soul sensation Etta Bond. The trap-inflected R&B track “Bodyline,” which included Modulo Thegabwoy & Ambizius, reached the Top 100 in France and Spain, propelled by its animated video. In 2020 XNilo released his debut album Long Time Coming as a mixtape that gathered his existing singles alongside previously unheard material.
Born Luke Towler on the Spanish island of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to British parents, XNilo grew up with a father who worked as a guitarist and professional musician. Observing his father’s performances, the younger Towler absorbed basic guitar skills and soon joined him onstage. He attended a Spanish elementary school followed by a performing arts academy. At age ten, with parental encouragement, he appeared on the national television program Got Talent España. At fourteen he completed LAMDA examinations to bypass eighth grade. When his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, from which she later recovered, the family relocated to the U.K. XNilo began composing original songs to manage the strain and continued entering local, national, and European talent contests. Early influences encompassed Pharrell/N.E.R.D, Tenor Saw, Chronixx, U.K. grime, drum’n’bass, and Afrobeat. He performed at every available opportunity, recorded demos with regional producers, and secured high-profile slots performing between halves at football matches.
At seventeen XNilo traveled independently to Atlanta, where he collaborated with producers including Parker Ighile (Nicki Minaj), and briefly visited the West Coast to work with Justin Bieber’s vocal coach, yet these sessions yielded limited results. After three months he returned to Spain humbled and stepped away from music. Following a period of odd jobs he resumed writing and demoing material while struggling to define his personal sound. He encountered Afrobeat artist and producer Davidio, who provided mentorship and arranged work across Spain, Nigeria, and the U.K. Back in the United Kingdom, XNilo linked with producer Raf Riley (Etta Bond, Avelino) and additional figures in the English urban scene. Riley facilitated a recording agreement with Front Page Recordings Limited, leading to the 2019 release of the debut single “Que Paso,” which attracted club DJ support and began charting on streaming platforms. Several months later he reunited with Bond for the silky R&B single “Your Way” and with Jahlani for the English-language fusion of trap, dancehall, and R&B on “Fire.”
XNilo again traveled to the United States, this time settling in Miami, and thereafter divided his time among residences in the U.S., U.K., and Spain. Deeply moved during spring and summer 2020 by the wave of police shootings of Black individuals that sparked nationwide protests, he wrote and recorded the R&B single “No Hay Amor” as a tribute to and expression of solidarity with Black Lives Matter. In July he wrote, produced, and appeared on Danny Avila’s charting Sony Music single “Save You (No Advice),” which also featured Famous Dex. In August the singer issued the single and video for “Bodyline” featuring rapper Modulo Thegabwoy and singer Ambizius. Swedish illustrator, director, and animator Magnus Carlsson (Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android”) created the visuals, which advanced the song’s mixture of Latin grooves and twenty-first-century soul onto European charts, placing it inside the Top 100 at streaming services and securing priority rotation at BBC Radio One and OneExtra.
XNilo delivered his debut long-player, the bilingual Long Time Coming, mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Manon Grandjean. The thirteen-track collection traversed reggaeton, R&B, soul, funk, hip-hop, and trap and entered the Top 20 on the streaming Latin pop and urban charts. In January 2021 XNilo joined Tainy’s reggaeton crew in Miami for the single “Quedata con Elle” featuring Jey Blessing and Andrez Babii.
Born Luke Towler on the Spanish island of Santa Cruz de Tenerife to British parents, XNilo grew up with a father who worked as a guitarist and professional musician. Observing his father’s performances, the younger Towler absorbed basic guitar skills and soon joined him onstage. He attended a Spanish elementary school followed by a performing arts academy. At age ten, with parental encouragement, he appeared on the national television program Got Talent España. At fourteen he completed LAMDA examinations to bypass eighth grade. When his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, from which she later recovered, the family relocated to the U.K. XNilo began composing original songs to manage the strain and continued entering local, national, and European talent contests. Early influences encompassed Pharrell/N.E.R.D, Tenor Saw, Chronixx, U.K. grime, drum’n’bass, and Afrobeat. He performed at every available opportunity, recorded demos with regional producers, and secured high-profile slots performing between halves at football matches.
At seventeen XNilo traveled independently to Atlanta, where he collaborated with producers including Parker Ighile (Nicki Minaj), and briefly visited the West Coast to work with Justin Bieber’s vocal coach, yet these sessions yielded limited results. After three months he returned to Spain humbled and stepped away from music. Following a period of odd jobs he resumed writing and demoing material while struggling to define his personal sound. He encountered Afrobeat artist and producer Davidio, who provided mentorship and arranged work across Spain, Nigeria, and the U.K. Back in the United Kingdom, XNilo linked with producer Raf Riley (Etta Bond, Avelino) and additional figures in the English urban scene. Riley facilitated a recording agreement with Front Page Recordings Limited, leading to the 2019 release of the debut single “Que Paso,” which attracted club DJ support and began charting on streaming platforms. Several months later he reunited with Bond for the silky R&B single “Your Way” and with Jahlani for the English-language fusion of trap, dancehall, and R&B on “Fire.”
XNilo again traveled to the United States, this time settling in Miami, and thereafter divided his time among residences in the U.S., U.K., and Spain. Deeply moved during spring and summer 2020 by the wave of police shootings of Black individuals that sparked nationwide protests, he wrote and recorded the R&B single “No Hay Amor” as a tribute to and expression of solidarity with Black Lives Matter. In July he wrote, produced, and appeared on Danny Avila’s charting Sony Music single “Save You (No Advice),” which also featured Famous Dex. In August the singer issued the single and video for “Bodyline” featuring rapper Modulo Thegabwoy and singer Ambizius. Swedish illustrator, director, and animator Magnus Carlsson (Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android”) created the visuals, which advanced the song’s mixture of Latin grooves and twenty-first-century soul onto European charts, placing it inside the Top 100 at streaming services and securing priority rotation at BBC Radio One and OneExtra.
XNilo delivered his debut long-player, the bilingual Long Time Coming, mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Manon Grandjean. The thirteen-track collection traversed reggaeton, R&B, soul, funk, hip-hop, and trap and entered the Top 20 on the streaming Latin pop and urban charts. In January 2021 XNilo joined Tainy’s reggaeton crew in Miami for the single “Quedata con Elle” featuring Jey Blessing and Andrez Babii.
Albums
Singles
