Bullied 'Voice' contestant Frank Garcia takes back traumatic song to 'show that we queer Mexican, Latino boys can make it'
When Frank first performed "El Triste" on a Latin music talent show at age 11, he was cruelly cyberbullied. Eight years later, he's back on TV in sequins, having his "Freddie Mercury moment."
The Voice Season 25 Knockout Rounds commenced Monday, and while one of the night's most compelling contestants, Team Dan + Shay's Frank Garcia, sadly did not win his Knockout, he emerged victorious anyway, winning at life.
Frank, an androgynous former mariachi singer and new-school R&B crooner with an intriguingly Anohni-esque tone, came to The Voice with an impressive singing-show résumé, having competed on both La Voz Kids and EstrellaTV's Latin music show Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento. But the latter experience hadn't been a pleasant one. At that time, Frank — who was only 11 and still figuring out who he was — was cruelly bullied online because of his effeminate image, which only pushed him further into the closet.
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