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Jay Wheeler’s breakout hit “La Curiosidad,” featuring Myke Towers, has officially surpassed one billion views on YouTube. The milestone marks the Puerto Rican artist’s first entry into the billion-views club, while cementing “La Curiosidad” as a modern reggaetón classic. The singer joins the ranks of Latin music superstars like Bad Bunny, Karol G, Ozuna, and Daddy Yankee.
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Released in 2020 via Linked Music, Dynamic Records and Empire, the reggaetón track unfolds with a storyline that’s captivating and flirty, written by Wheeler, Towers, as well as De La Ghetto. The accompanying music video sees Wheeler and Towers exuding effortless swagger on a rooftop before transitioning to a neon-lit space to close the clip out.
Meanwhile, the subject of their curiosity is shown immersed in the simplicity of her daily routine — mopping floors, studying, and living a low-key life. As the narrative unfolds, her mundane tasks take a playful turn, with suggestive dance moves punctuating her daydreams, until Wheeler suddenly appears unannounced, leaving both characters caught in a moment of shy intrigue.
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The single, which peaked at No. 5 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, is part of his 2020 second studio album Platónicos in collaboration with DJ Nelson.
Most recently, the artist born José Ángel López Martínez dropped his spring-themed LP Girasoles in March, a whimsical and R&B-laced album that “embraced a deeply personal narrative represented by Wheeler’s reflection of growth, love, and a renewed sense of faith,” as described in a press release.
Check out Jay Wheeler’s music video for “La Curiosidad” featuring Myke Towers below.
Kali Uchis is trading intimacy for enormity. Fresh off the release of her most vulnerable album yet, Sincerely, the Colombian American artist is set to bring her lush, genre-melding sound to arena stages across North America this summer. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news With stops at […]
After shaping some of the biggest acts in global pop, HYBE is setting its sights on Latin music with an ambitious new reality series from its subsidiary, HYBE Latin America. Billboard has exclusively learned that production kicks off this week in Mexico City on the yet-to-be-titled project, which aims to form a new all-male pop group.
The series will train and develop 16 contestants from countries including Mexico, Brazil, the U.S., Peru and Spain, narrowing the field to a final five by the end of the season this fall.
The series’ format and execution differs from other reality talent competition in multiple key ways. First and foremost, it’s HYBE’s first artist development venture of this scale focused entirely on Latin talent, combining the development discipline the company has applied in K-pop with Latin American cultural and artistic sensibility.
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Further, instead of airing as a carefully formatted weekly television show, the reality show is a multi-platform production that integrates long-form storytelling, performance content and behind-the-scenes narratives distributed across streaming, social and music platforms.
The project also features a roster of mentors that may be unprecedented in a Latin reality show. It includes director and choreographer Kenny Ortega (High School Musical, The Descendants) as executive producer; Charm La’Donna (Kendrick Lamar’s 2024 Super Bowl, Bruno Mars) as head choreographer; and Robert J “RAab” Stevenson (SZQ, Rihanna) as head vocal coach.
“This project is about much more than music. It’s about reimagining how Latin talent can be discovered, developed and presented to the world. We are building the foundation for the next generation of global Latin artists with the highest creative and production standards,” said J.H. Kah, CEO of HYBE Latin America, who is leading efforts on the venture, in a statement.
The new project joins a roster of properties that includes newly-announced talent competition Pase a la Fama, which HYBE Latin America developed with Telemundo. The competition show seeks to find the next regional Mexican band and premieres on Telemundo June 8 with Ana Bárbara, Horacio Palencia and Adriel Favela as judges.
This show, however, doesn’t have a partner network.
While contestants officially arrive in Mexico this week (beginning May 12), preproduction for the show has been underway for months. Hundreds of applications poured in from across Latin America and the U.S., leading to an initial shortlist of 300 candidates. From there, 16 finalists were selected to begin intensive training at a custom-built “bootcamp” located in Mexico City’s Parque Bicentenario.
The bootcamp will include some 30 instructors, including vocal coaches, producers, fitness trainers and choreographers and is supported by Weverse, HYBE’s extremely successful social media/fandom platform.
HYBE Latin America
courtesy of HYBE Latin America. ©️ 2025 HYBE Corporation.
Make no mistake — this is a distinctly Latin production. The show is being helmed by two seasoned Colombian producers: showrunner Jaime Escallón (X Factor, Survivor) and production designer Lucas Jaramillo. Both serve as executive producers and co-creators of the format, with a clear mission to build a production environment that authentically reflects Latin culture.
“This is different from other talent reality shows in that it takes place in a space designed for the city to participate in,” says Jaramillo, noting that production is working closely with Mexico City government and fans will be allowed to actually visit the space and be part of performances and media experiences. “That’s why we’ve developed a cultural program that’s both artistic and media driven, and includes things like podcasts. This is a show that’s alive.”
The project is HYBE Latin America’s latest venture after launching in 2023 with the acquisition of Exile Music, the music division of Spanish-language studio Exile Content, led by Isaac Lee, who is now chairman of HYBE Latin America. The company has moved quickly since then. With offices in Mexico City, Miami, and Los Angeles, the division houses labels such as DOCEMIL Music and Zarpazo Entertainment.
Fuerza Regida makes a splash across Billboard‘s charts with the arrival of 111XPANTIA, the group’s ninth studio album, which debuts at Nos. 1 and 2 on the Top Regional Mexican Albums and Top Latin Albums charts (dated May 17), respectively. The 12-track set also opens at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, becoming the highest charting Spanish-language album by a duo or group ever.
111XPANTIA was released May 2 as a 12-song album on Street Mob/Rancho Humilde/Sony Music Latin. It starts at No. 1 on the Top Regional Mexican Albums with 76,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the tracking week ending May 8, according to Luminate.
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Of the 76,000 units for the week, streaming contributes 37,000, which translates to 50.4 million official on-demand streams. The remaining 39,000 units are nearly all from album sales, with a negligible number of track-equivalent units.
111XPANTIA marks Fuerza Regida’s sixth No. 1 overall on Top Regional Mexican Albums and third No. 1 debut in just under six years. The group’s No. 1 run began in July 2019, when Del Barrio Hasta Aquí debuted at the summit, becoming its longest-leading set to date, with an 18-week domination. There, 111XPANTIA joins three other Fuerza Regida’s albums, two still in the top 10: Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada at No. 9, Mala Mía (EP), their joint effort with Grupo Frontera, at No. 10, and Dolido Pero No Arrepentido at No. 19.
111XPANTIA also sees its No. 2 debut on Top Latin Albums, matching the group’s previous No. 2 start with Pa’ Las Baby’s Belikeada –which eventually dominated for three weeks in 2024.
As reported, on May 2, 111XPANTIA was released in both on physical formats and as a digital download for purchase, and via streaming platforms. The physical albums were sold exclusively through the group’s webstore. A deluxe edition of the album, featuring three bonus tracks—including collaborations with Anuel AA and Bellakath—followed shortly after on May 5, available via digital download and streamers.
15 Simultaneous Songs: On a song front, all 12 songs from 111XPANTIA arrive on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart. “Peliculiando” leads the new cuts, with most of it debut driven by 5.3 million official U.S. streams in the tracking week. (Hot Latin Songs blends streams, airplay and sales.) The set was previewed by its first single “Por Esos Ojos,” which rallies 10-3 with the Greatest Gainer/ Streaming honors, after registering 7.3 million official streams, up 36%. Those songs join two other tracks with Grupo Frontera, as well as one with Clave Especial, for a total of 15 concurrent entries on the tally.
Let’s dive into Fuerza Regida’s lineup on this week’s Hot Latin Songs chart:
No. 2, “Me Jalo,” with Grupo FronteraNo. 3, “Por Esos Ojos”No. 11, “Peliculiando”No. 14, “Marlboro Rojo”No. 16, “GodFather”No. 22, “Ansiedad”No. 25, “Tu Sancho”No. 26, “Ayy weyy”No. 31, “Caperuza”No. 32, “Como Capo,” with Clave EspecialNo. 34, “Nocturno”No. 35, “Chavalitas”No. 37,” Chaka”No. 38, “Chufulas”No. 40, “Coqueta,” with Grupo Frontera
Elsewhere, 111XPANTIA also bows at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200, marking the highest charting Spanish-language album by a duo or group ever, surpassing Maná’s Amar Es Combatir (No. 4 in 2006). Plus, it scores the largest week, by units, for any Spanish-language album by a duo or group, and by a regional Mexican album, since the chart began ranking by units in December 2014.
All charts (dated May 17, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, May 13. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Los Alegres del Barranco, their manager and their concert promoter will face criminal proceedings for projecting images of a criminal leader during a March performance in the state of Jalisco, a judge ruled Monday (May 12). During a hearing at the Puente Grande Penitentiary in Jalisco, Mexico, the judge did not order preventive detention; the accused will be able to continue their defense in freedom.
A document from the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office shared with Billboard Español says that the precautionary measures ordered by the judge for the six accused (including the four members of the band) include regular weekly appearances in court; the enforcement of a financial guarantee of 300,000 Mexican pesos for each of them, equivalent to 1.8 million pesos (approximately $92,000); and their stay in the state of Jalisco, meaning they will only be given permission to attend three concerts in other states previously agreed upon and return afterward.
The accusation stems from a concert by Los Alegres del Barranco on March 29 at the Telmex Auditorium in the municipality of Zapopan, where images of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), were projected while they performed the song “El del Palenque.”
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Authorities indicated that the investigation and the precautionary measures imposed by the judge will remain in effect for at least three months. Upon leaving the hearing, Luis Alvarado, spokesperson for Los Alegres del Barranco, told reporters that their fight is “for freedom of expression” and thanked those who have supported them.
Billboard Español has sent a request for comment to representatives of the band.
Los Alegres del Barranco became the first act from the regional Mexican genre to be formally accused by the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office of alleged glorification of criminal activities. The incident even led the U.S. to revoke work and tourist visas for the band members, as announced April 1 by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in a statement on X.
The band, its representative, and the promoter are facing investigation from the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office for four performances in different municipalities of that state in which they allegedly glorified criminal activities, according to information published on May 9 by the same office.
That same day, Los Alegres del Barranco won an injunction granted by a federal judge to sing narcocorridos in the Mexican state of Michoacán, despite the state decree prohibiting the broadcast of music or expressions that promote crime in public spaces, which went into effect in April. For now, the ruling only favors the group for having filed the lawsuit. The federal judge has set a new hearing for May 15 to determine whether to uphold or revoke the temporary suspension granted to the musical group.
“We are going to respond,” said Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla at a press conference on Monday (May 12). “Today I will submit the initiative to amend the State Penal Code, which will establish the crime of apology and now make it a criminal offense.”
Ten out of Mexico’s 32 states have implemented various bans against narcocorridos or any expression that promotes or glorifies criminal activities, though such bans have not yet become federal law.
Host Drew Afualo gives flowers to Billboard‘s Women in Music 2025 presenters and honorees, including aespa, Ángela Aguilar, Doechii and more. She also asks them who they give their flowers to, shares fun facts, and so much more!
Who do you give your flowers to? Let us know in the comments below!
Drew Afualo:
Hey y’all it’s Drew Afualo and I am back, yet again, hosting, but this time for 2025 Billboard Women in Music Awards and we are backstage. I am inside the belly of the beast team. Here I’m talking to all of the award winners, the presenters, the performers, everyone and anyone and I’m going to be falling in love with many tonight, and I will catch you in a little. Bye! Here we are again, backstage with the iconic, the legendary Ángela Aguilar. Honored to have you, queen. How are you feeling tonight?
Ángela Aguilar:
I’m so happy. No more nerves. Tequila hit and the speech was good. I feel good.
Period. I could hear the mariachis in the air.
I know!
Stunning and gorgeous. And when they walked out, I said, ‘Period, period, period,’ as they were walking past. ‘Yes, thank you. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Work, it, work, it.’ Love that. I think you’re stunning and amazing. So actually, first I want to ask you, how does it feel celebrating other women in music tonight?
It feels amazing. You know, I’m very happy to be here, because my mom has always been behind the scenes, and she was always my momager, she was like, helping me since I was very little with like my dress and stuff,
That’s cute.
And they’re honoring her tonight as well.
Oh my gosh, how amazing.
The first awards ceremony that they honor me and my mom, and she deserves it more than I do.
Oh my gosh, that’s so sweet and amazing. What a milestone. Incredible. So for some fun things, I actually am going to give you some flowers tonight.
Keep watching for more!
Dua Lipa had a special surprise in store for fans in Spain during her show at the Movistar Arena Madrid, where she kicked off the European leg of her Radical Optimism World Tour on Sunday (May 11). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The British pop queen sang a gorgeous rendition […]
It’s a historic week for Latin music on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart. For the first time in the chart’s 69-year history, Spanish-language albums are Nos. 1 and 2 at the same time.
Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos returns to the top, jumping 7-1 on the May 17-dated chart after its vinyl release, while Fuerza Regida achieves its highest-charting album ever, as the band’s new 111XPANTIA debuts at No. 2.
Fuerza Regida also lays claim to the highest-charting Spanish-language album by a duo or group, or a regional Mexican music album, ever.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos adds a fourth total week atop the list, as it previously spent three weeks at No. 1, consecutively, on the Jan. 25-Feb. 8-dated charts.
The Billboard 200 began publishing on a regular weekly basis in March 1956.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new May 17, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on May 13. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
In the tracking week ending May 8, Debí Tirar Más Fotos earned 84,500 equivalent album units in the United States — with album sales comprising 48,000 (essentially all vinyl purhases), according to Luminate. As for 111XPANTIA, it earned 76,000 units — and of that, 39,000 were album sales.
Let’s take a look at some of the major milestones achieved this week by the teaming of Bad Bunny and Fuerza Regida in the top two slots of the Billboard 200.
Biggest Sales Week for a Latin Music Album in Nearly Six Years:
Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, jumping 7-1 on the May 17-dated chart, following the set’s release on vinyl. It’s the fourth total week atop the list for the Spanish-language project, which spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Jan. 25-Feb. 8-dated charts. In the tracking week ending May 8, Debí Tirar Más Fotos earned 84,500 equivalent album units (up 123%) in the United States, with more than half of the sum driven by vinyl purchases, according to Luminate.
It’s a historic week for Latin music, as Fuerza Regida — Billboard’s year-end top duo/group in both 2024 and 2023 — achieves its first top 10-charting set on the Billboard 200 with the band’s 111XPANTIA bowing at No. 2. In turn, for the first time in the 69-year history of the all-genre chart, Spanish-language albums are Nos. 1 and 2 at the same time. Further, 111XPANTIA marks the highest-charting Spanish-language album by a duo or group, and the highest-charting regional Mexican music album.
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Plus, rapper Key Glock notches his fourth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as Glockaveli premieres at No. 8.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new May 17, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on May 13. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ 84,500 equivalent album units earned in the week ending May 8, album sales — essentially all vinyl — comprise a little over 48,000 (up 15,099%, it reenters Top Album Sales for its first week at No. 1), SEA units comprise just over 36,000 (down 3%, equaling 50.27 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it falls 5-6 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise under 500 units (down 8%).
The album’s 48,000 sold marks the largest single-week sales for a Latin music album in nearly six years, since Santana’s Africa Speaks sold 57,000 copies in its first week (June 22, 2019-dated chart), driven by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer for the act’s then-upcoming tour. Such offers are no longer chart-eligible.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos surges back to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after its vinyl shipments to customers impacted the tracking week — to the tune of nearly 48,000 copies. That’s the largest sales week for a Latin album on vinyl in the modern era (since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991). It surpasses the previous record, held by the opening week of Kali Uchis’ Orquídeas (20,000 sold across seven variants; on the Jan. 27, 2024-dated chart).
Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ lone vinyl edition — on blue-colored double-vinyl in a gatefold package — was sold exclusively via Bad Bunny’s official webstore for $29.98. It went up for pre-order in early February and was then (per the store) “estimated to ship on/around the end of April 2025.” The vinyl is currently sold out on the artist’s webstore, and it has not been announced if the vinyl will be restocked, or sold through any other seller. (The blue-colored vinyl is the only physical format on which the set has been released. It has yet to be issued on CD or any other physical format, and has only been available to purchase as a download.)
Since Debí Tirar Más Fotos debuted on the Jan. 18-dated Billboard 200 (at No. 2), it has yet to leave the top 10 after 18 weeks, with its chart fortunes largely fueled by continued strong streaming of its songs.
At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, Fuerza Regida debuts with its highest-charting album ever, and first top 10, as 111XPANTIA arrives with 76,000 equivalent album units earned — the band’s best week ever by units.
The set also becomes the highest-charting Spanish-language album by a duo or group (surpassing the No. 4 peak of Maná’s Amar Es Combatir in 2006), and for a regional Mexican music album (higher than the No. 3 peak of Peso Pluma’s Génesis in 2023).
111XPANTIA also earns the largest week, by units, for any Spanish-language album by a duo or group, and by a regional Mexican album, since the chart began ranking by units in December 2014. The previous high, in that span of time, for a Spanish language album by a duo or group was Santana’s Africa Speaks (57,000 in its opening week, in 2019), while the previous high for a regional Mexican title was Génesis (73,000 in its debut frame in 2023).
Of the 76,000 units earned by 111XPANTIA in its opening week, album sales comprise 39,000 (the band’s best sales week ever, and the biggest sales week for a regional Mexican album in the modern era; it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 37,000 (equaling 50.44 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it debuts at No. 5 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
With 39,000 copies sold, 111XPANTIA surpasses the previous largest sales week for a regional Mexican title, when Selena’s Amor Prohibido sold 36,000 copies on the chart dated May 6, 1995, in the wake of her death in March of that year.
111XPANTIA was released on May 2 as a 12-song standard album, widely available as a digital download for purchase and via streaming services. On May 5, a deluxe edition of the set, with three bonus tracks, was issued via download services and streamers. The band’s official webstore carried the only physical format editions of the album: the 12-song version on four color vinyl variants, a standard CD, a signed CD (by the group’s lead singer, Jesús Ortíz Paz) and four deluxe boxed sets (two containing a branded T-shirt and a signed CD, two with a branded hat and a signed CD).
The new album was preceded by its hit single “Por Esos Ojos,” which reached No. 5 on Hot Latin Songs (March 1 chart), No. 3 on Hot Regional Mexican Songs (May 10), No. 5 on Latin Streaming Songs (March 1) and No. 79 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (March 15).
111XPANTIA is the sixth charting effort on the Billboard 200 for Fuerza Regida, and the third to reach the top 40 (after PERO NO TE ENAMORES, No. 25 in 2024; and Pa las Baby’s y Belikeada, No. 14 in 2023). The group’s success has also extended to the Hot 100, where the act charted 13 song entries before the new album dropped.
Prior to the new album’s release, the group also logged eight top 10s (with one No. 1) on the Top Latin Albums chart, and 10 top 10s (with five No. 1s) on the Regional Mexican Albums chart.
Fuerza Regida’s success on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 over the past few years has been so significant that the act finished 2024 as the top duo/group artist of the year — among all genres — for the second year in a row. In 2023, the act made history when it became the year’s top duo/group — the first time an act that primarily records in Spanish had ever achieved the feat.
(Latin and regional Mexican albums are defined as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s Top Latin Albums and Top Regional Mexican Albums charts, respectively.)
Nos. 2-7 on the latest Billboard 200 are all former chart-toppers. SZA’s SOS slips 2-3 (52,000 equivalent album units, though up 1%), Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is steady at No. 4 (46,000; down less than 1%), Kendrick Lamar’s GNX dips 3-5 (45,000; down 7%), Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet falls 5-6 (41,000; down 6%) and PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U descends 6-7 (40,000; down 7%).
Key Glock lands his fourth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 at Glockaveli debuts at No. 8 with 34,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 28,000 (equaling 37.28 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it debuts at No. 12 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 6,000 (it enters at No. 9 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Glockaveli was released on May 2 as a standard 18-song album, widely available as a digital download to purchase and via streaming services. The standard set was also available on CD (both signed and unsigned), vinyl (standard, color vinyl and signed color vinyl) and a deluxe boxed set containing a branded T-shirt and a CD. A deluxe edition of the album, with three bonus tracks, dropped mid-week — first via the artist’s webstore on May 4, and then wide the following day to general download services and streamers.
Rounding out the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200 are Morgan Wallen’s former leader Dangerous: The Double Album (rising 10-9 with 33,500 equivalent album units; up 1%) and Shaboozey’s Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going (falling 8-10 with 32,000; down 8%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
A federal judge granted an injunction on Friday (May 9) to musical group Los Alegres del Barranco, allowing them to sing narcocorridos in the Mexican state of Michoacán despite a state decree that prohibits the dissemination of music or expressions that promote the glorification of criminal activities in public spaces since last April.
The legal measure, identified as injunction case number 518/2025 and to which Billboard Español had access, was filed on April 28 by a representative of the Mexican band. With this ruling, Los Alegres del Barranco will be able to sing narcocorridos provisionally in the state without facing penalties, as the federal judge determined that the decree violates fundamental rights to freedom of speech and labor protected under the Mexican Constitution. The band’s next show in Michoacán is scheduled for May 30 in the municipality of Tziritzicuaro.
For now, the ruling only benefits Los Alegres del Barranco. The federal judge has scheduled a new hearing for May 15 to decide whether the temporary suspension granted to the group will be upheld or revoked.
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The government of Michoacán enacted a state decree on April 17 that prohibits the performance and/or reproduction of music that promotes the glorification of criminal activities at public events. The regulation includes musical genres derived from regional Mexican music, such as corridos tumbados, narcocorridos, progressive corridos, war-themed corridos, and altered corridos, as well as any other subgenre that promotes illicit acts or glorifies criminal activity.
The Michoacán government announced that it would file an appeal against the judge’s decision to overturn the prohibition for the musical group, according to the newspaper Reforma.
Billboard Español attempted to contact the Secretariat of Government of Michoacán for comment but has yet to receive a response. Billboard Español is also awaiting responses from the Federal Judiciary Council and representatives of the musical group.
Los Alegres del Barranco became the first act from the regional Mexican genre to be formally accused by the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office of alleged glorification of criminal activities. Authorities in that state, located in western Mexico, are investigating the group after images of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), were projected during their performance of the song “El del Palenque” on March 29 at an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara.
This incident even led the U.S. to revoke work and tourist visas for the band members, as announced on April 1 by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in a statement on X. A federal judge will now decide whether or not to initiate legal proceedings against the members of the band, their legal representative, and the promoter of their concerts in a hearing scheduled for Monday (May 12).
The band, its representative, and the promoter are facing investigation from the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office for four performances in different municipalities of that state in which they allegedly glorified criminal activities, according to information published on Friday (May 9) by the same office.
Ten out of Mexico’s 32 states have implemented various bans against narcocorridos or any expression that promotes or glorifies criminal activities, though such bans have not yet become federal law.