One thing is for certain: Frankie Zulferino is here to own the limelight and take over. While the industry has long favored female artists when it comes to delivering powerhouse performances with dance, costumes, and theatricality, Frankie refuses to accept the idea that men can’t do the same. To him, artistry should not be dictated by gender or any other societal perceptions.
“I study a lot of male artists, and for what I do, there really isn’t another male artist right now putting out this type of product,” he says, and he makes a lot of sense. As experts observe, there is glaringly a deficit of men who both dance and sing. Furthermore, one can tell if someone has merely been taught the steps, which may, unfortunately, translate as unnatural. Thankfully, there’s still hope through performers like Frankie, who not only lives and breathes performing but is also more than willing to push the envelope to revive the passionate artistic display that men can bring.
Frankie discerns exactly what he’s capable of doing, and showbiz execs agree. They collectively believe that he fills a void that hasn’t existed since the days of Michael Jackson, George Michael, and Ricky Martin—artists who brought showmanship, sex appeal, and masterful displays of creativity without fail.
“If George Michael and Michael Jackson collided, that’s kind of where I would put myself,” Frankie says. “Michael wasn’t really selling sex, while George was, and I like to challenge the norms. It’s part of what I do.” He embraces the concept that entertainment is about making people feel something from deep within their souls—something that can’t be explained but only felt. “Sensuality sells. You want everybody to be like, ‘I want to get with him.’ It’s part of the fantasy, and this is what I wish to evoke with my every performance.”
Frankie looks at legends like Madonna, who recently closed entire streets in Brazil, and Hollywood insiders trust that he can too. As someone who prioritizes talent over the archaic notion of masculinity in the arts, Frankie has been pulling out all the stops to produce acts that disrupt the mold. While many hold back for fear of being corny, he is hard at work, consistently coming up with a spectacular array of skills—because this is all that matters to him.
Remember, Frankie’s remarkable talents extend far beyond the screen. His ingenuity is also stamped on his music videos, as he choreographs, styles, and directs himself. Notably, this is a statement on how resourcefulness trumps boundaries and limitations, proving that one doesn’t need massive funding to create breathtaking moments. “Imagine if I had what Lady Gaga has—the budget, the money, the production—what I could do would be insane,” he says. With imagination and the fortitude to make things happen, well, they happen. Period.
At the end of the day, Frankie is going for the kill, so you better not get on his “Bad Side.” With the stage as his battlefield, the world is about to see what happens when a performer who sings “Say Less” manages to leave everyone awe-struck. For that, “Stuck on You” is surely blurted after getting swept away by his ravishing, high-octane, yet provocative and steamy routines. Then, in response, he goes, “I Feel You,” because these tingly, sensational feelings are precisely what he desires people to experience upon seeing what he’s got. And simply for this, superstardom and mega-celebrity power beckon—it is his to behold.
