Latin
Page: 167
For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 6, we remember the year in Karol G — who reached new heights as a recording and touring artist and confirmed herself as one of the biggest stars on the planet.
Karol G’s progress towards global domination was on display at her two-day “Mañana Será Bonito” Festival, held in December at Estadio Atanasio Girardot in her native Medellín, Colombia — where she performed for a sold-out crowd of more than 40,000 fans each day. Far beyond just giving the ultimate fan experience to those in attendance — including a carnival, live music and special guests such as Romeo Santos, Feid, Young Miko and DJ Tiesto — the festival was the admirable result of a music career that began in 2006 and has now achieved global recognition in 2023.
Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023:Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Year: Miley Cyrus | No. 10: Drake | No. 9: Doja Cat | No. 8: Bad Bunny | No. 7: Olivia Rodrigo
“My home is the place where the dream began, the desire, the motivation, where we took the first step […] Who said that no one is a prophet in their own land when Colombia has given me everything?” she expressed on Instagram prior to her Dec. 1st and 2nd shows. “It brings tears to my eyes to know that my year ends at home, in the city where I was born, and which believed in me before any other place.”
As the MSB Festival indicated, 2023 has been nothing but life-changing and historic for Karol. Fresh off her 2022 successes — such as the Becky G-assisted “MAMIII” and “Provenza,” both which hit No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and her $trip Love U.S. arena tour, which grossed $72.2 million and sold 424,000 tickets — the Colombian hitmaker was ready to conquer the new year, setting even bigger goals.
Courtesy Photo
Lea Colombo
Her first release of 2023 was “X Si Volvemos,” a sultry reggaeón collaboration with Romeo Santos , which arrived on Feb. 2 and marked the third preview of her fourth studio album (following her 2022 one-offs “Cairo” and “Gatubela” with Maldy). On Feb. 24, she officially unleashed the entire set, entitled Mañana Será Bonito (Tomorrow will be Beautiful), with 14 other tracks that showcased her musical evolution and versatility. The artist born Carolina Giraldo Navarro did not shy away from experimenting with bossa nova (“Carolina”), banda (“Gucci Los Paños”), dembow (“Ojos Ferrari”) and even punk rock (“Tus Gafitas”), but it was the set’s lyrical content that resonated most with fans — one that showcased a happier, healthier, and healed Karol for 2023.
The album’s reception was so massive that it made history as the first Spanish-language album by a female artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Moreover, the set’s focus single “TQG” with Shakira—a dramatic urban pop song where the two artists successfully blossomed after their respective public celebrity breakups — debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, while also crowning six other Billboard listings and becoming Karol’s first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
[embedded content]
In celebration of her historic production, the 32-year-old singer took over Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium for three back-to-back concerts in March. It was then — due to fans chanting all her new material just days after its release — that the idea of embarking on her first-ever stadium tour was born.
But before hitting the road again in the summer, Karol made important career moves. In April, she made her Saturday Night Live debut, where she performed songs from her new album and was part of a sketch alongside Cuban-born actress (and that episode’s host) Ana de Armas. In June, she signed an ambitious deal with Interscope Records that included her owning all her masters and releasing music under her own imprint, Bichota Records. And in July, she dropped “Watiti” with Panamanian artist Aldo Ranks, a playful reggaetón single with EDM influences that marked the second single from the Barbie motion picture soundtrack. Not only did forming part of the biggest movie of the summer further prove her tremendous star power but it was also the only Spanish-language track on the star-studded set, which also included songs by Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, Bilie Eilish and more huge names.
And because one album was not enough for her prolific 2023, Karol surprised fans with Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) — a brand new set with nine tracks, including her norteño hit “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” and the Peso Pluma-assisted “QLONA” — that not only earned her another top five entry on the Billboard 200, but officially kicked off her U.S. stadium tour.
[embedded content]
The 15-date stint, which included a pair of sold-out shows at the New York-area MetLife Stadium in September, gathered fans of all ages, dressed in pink wigs and their best summer fits as they chanted along to all of Karol’s biggest hits. The trek grossed $138.4 million and sold 759K tickets across 15 shows in the U.S. between Aug. 11 and Sept. 28, landing Karol at No. 1 on the Billboard Year-End Latin Tours chart and later winning her top Latin touring artist, in addition to top Latin female artist, at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards in November.
Then, after being one of the very few Latin acts to dominate a massive stadium tour, Karol was ready to sweep awards season. In September, she made her MTV Video Music Awards debut, where she not only performed a sultry medley of “Oki Doki” and “Ta OK,” but also nabbed the best collaboration award for “TQG.” In October, she won five Billboard Latin Music Awards, in addition to the Spirit of Hope Award for her philanthropic work supporting women through her Con Cora Foundation. And in November, she nabbed three Latin Grammys, including the coveted album of the year trophy for Mañana Será Bonito. She also became the first woman to take home the urban album of the year award.
“How cool is it for a woman to win this?” she said during her acceptance speech. “This album changed my life, and it’s incredible that it’s changed the life of so many people.”
[embedded content]
Meanwhile, amid touring life and collecting well-deserved accolades, Karol’s light shined on social media. Often times she’d send voice messages on her Telegram group, she’d do an Instagram Live to show what a day off looks like for her back home, and on TikTok, she’d share adorable videos of her baby niece or jump on viral trends. It all further demonstrated why, beyond connecting and falling in love with her persona and charm, fans practically consider her family.
Next year, the Colombiana is ready to take her Mañana Será Bonito Tour to Latin America, where she will visit countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, and her acting lessons will also come into play when she makes her Netflix debut on the drama series Griselda, starring Sofia Vergara, in January. Though Karol has ascended to global superstardom in 2023, it’s safe to say that Bichota Season should stretch well into 2024.
The holiday season is in full effect — and not to startle anyone, but Christmas Eve and Day are less than two weeks away. If you have yet to buy your family and friends a gift, Billboard has come to the rescue, with the ultimate Christmas gift guide for the Latin music lover in your life. […]
Yandel and Ewing Athletics have teamed up to unveil a limited-edition sneaker called “Ewing x Yandel Rogue” set to drop in early 2024. The historic collaboration marks the first time the brand has partnered with a Latin music star. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I’m a […]
Mexican American artist Xavi celebrates his first success on a Billboard chart as his latest single “La Víctima” leaps 24-10 on the Hot Latin Songs chart (dated Dec. 19).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Strong activity on TikTok fuels the song’s rise in streaming: “La Víctima” has generated over 45,000 posts on the app to date, and rallies to the top 10 on Hot Latin Songs with 5.6 million official U.S. streams during the Dec. 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate. The sum is enough to yield a No. 9 debut on Latin Streaming Songs, Xavi’s first entry and top 10 there.
“Honestly, I just can’t believe it,” 19-year-old Xavi tells Billboard. “Looking at the artists and songs that are in the top 10 makes me feel very honored and humbled. I’m also very grateful to the team and all the fans who have supported the song. I feel truly blessed.”
Hot Latin Songs combines streaming, sales data, and radio airplay into its rankings.
[embedded content]
With “La Víctima,” released via Interscope Aug. 17, the Arizona-born teen scored his first entry on any Billboard chart, when it debuted at No. 46 on Hot Latin Songs during Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 25-dated list). A first collab with Dareyes De La Sierra followed, as “Poco a Poco” debuted at No. 46 on the multi-metric tally on the Dec. 9 ranking, peaking at No. 31 on the current ranking.
“La Víctima” also lands on global territory, with a No. 145 debut on the Billboard Global 200 chart, with 16 million global clicks, and a No. 175 start on Global Excl. U.S. with 10.4 million streams outside the U.S., Xavi’s first entry on both charts.
“It was inspired by a true story that happened to a good friend of mine,” Xavi tells of “La Víctima.” As he was telling it to me, I picked up my guitar and wrote it on the spot.”
The Mexican American, who represents the new wave of artists linking regional Mexican music with U.S. sounds, also adds two other songs on Hot Latin Songs this week: “La Diabla” at No. 30 and “Modo DND” at No. 38.
Maluma and Carin León combine forces for a new No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “Según Quien” advances 3-1 to lead the Dec. 16-dated list. The move gives the Colombian artist his 24th champ, while León captures his second. “Según Quien” crowns the all-genre airplay chart with a 50% gain in audience impressions, […]
Two years after the death of Vicente Fernández, his grandson Alex Fernández wanted to remember him in a special way: with a song that reflects all the feelings of the loss of his greatest ally. Let’s not forget that it was his “Tata,” as all his grandchildren called the ranchera legend, who convinced Alex to dedicate himself professionally to music and put his work team at his disposal — and even got Sony Music Mexico to sign the young singer.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Mi Abuelo Vino a Visitarme” (meaning “My Grandfather Came to Visit Me”) was written by Francisco El Gallo Elizalde and Jonathan Vizcarra, and produced by Colombian Yohan Usuga, who got to work with Vicente Fernández. “He told me ‘I didn’t want to leave you, but I don’t want to see you sad/ Remember that your father is there and you promised to take care of him’/ Suddenly I threw myself into his arms and meeting his gaze/ I confessed to him in a low tone, ‘I’m missing you so much’,” Alex sings with gut-wrenching emotion in Spanish over mariachi backing.
The song is accompanied by a music video, directed by Christian Schmid, that was filmed at the legendary Rancho Los 3 Potrillos — owned by the Fernández family outside Guadalajara, Mexico, next to the tomb of the man who remains the greatest singer of ranchera music. The sepia-colored atmosphere and the performance of the youngest member of the singing dynasty resulted in emotional scenes.
“I did it the way he deserves, with his team, and the way I think he would have liked it,” Fernández tells Billboard Español. The visual premieres today (Dec. 12) at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be viewed here:
[embedded content]
The 30-year-old artist has had a busy schedule this year, with solo performances as well as collaborations with his father, Mexican music star Alejandro Fernández. Alex is already working on his third studio album, still untitled, which he plans to release in mid-2024, and which he says will include several collabs, one with his father. Below, he talks with Billboard Español about that upcoming album, and about paying tribute to his legendary grandfather.
Was “Mi Abuelo Vino a Visitarme” a tailor-made track or a song sent to you for the occasion?
I wanted to pay homage to my grandfather but also to have a song dedicated for grandparents; I already wrote one for my father, but in general, nobody writes for those wonderful beings. El Gallo Elizalde sent it to me, he penned it for his father and I liked it very much, but I asked him to adapt it for my grandfather.
Filming by your grandfather’s grave must have been very special.
In the video, we recorded several places on the ranch that were very special to my grandfather, and we included many things that he liked. Every moment was emotional, every detail was taken care of to make a tribute as he deserved.
Was your grandfather’s team closely involved in this project?
Absolutely. My grandfather’s team is also my team — it’s the one I started with — so I wanted to do things the way he would have liked. I wanted to make it very traditional Mexican. I wanted it to be with few instruments, the voice, a guitar and an accordion, with a charro costume, to wear it with a lot of pride and respect.
Alex Fernández, Vicente Fernández and Alejandro Fernández perform onstage during the 20th annual Latin GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
What do you think of the musical changes that have taken place lately in regional Mexican music?
I understand that there must be changes in some things, but I do believe that what is truly traditional, the Mexican music of yesteryear, has been lost. It is good to do new things, but it is necessary to return to the roots.
What’s coming musically in 2024 for Alex Fernández?
Personally I will start the year with the arrival of my new baby [to be named Nirvana], plus a new album in which we will include mariachi, of course, a little bit of country, banda music and different sounds. I want to experiment musically and now I want to do a lot of collaborations. In fact, I am about to record one with my father and I have also talked with Natalia Jiménez. I will start releasing the singles in February. Next year we will combine shows with a lot of promotion and thus continue advancing in my career and improving myself.
For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 8, we remember the year in Bad Bunny — who, with his unrelenting impact on the global music scene, continues to shape the fabric of contemporary pop culture.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In the pop realm of 2022, there was no disputing Bad Bunny‘s indomitable reign — an accumulation of years since urbano’s global breakthrough that shot him to the forefront of the pop culture zeitgeist. With nearly 435 million grossed on the road and one of the biggest albums of the last decade, the 13-week Billboard 200-topper Un Verano Sin Ti, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio became the biggest star in the world, and our Greatest Pop Star of 2022, all while singing in Spanish.
The year kicked off in the afterglow of his 2022 triumphs. From casually tossing off collaborative hits alongside Ñengo Flow (the Christmas season-release of “Gato de la Noche”) and Eladio Carrion (“Coco Chanel”) to the now-infamous incident of throwing a fan’s cell phone into the ocean, Bad Bunny wasted no time making waves in 2023, effortlessly.
Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2023:Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Year: Miley Cyrus | No. 10: Drake | No. 9: Doja Cat
In February, the performer opened the 65th annual Grammy Awards with a historic Un Verano Sin Ti medley that paid homage to his beloved Puerto Rico. Running the gamut of Caribbean music — from merengue to plena and, of course, reggaetón — the superstar brought previously overshadowed genres to primetime television at the prestigious ceremony. (This also included a viral moment when the broadcast’s closed captioning described him as “singing in non-English.”)
Bad Bunny was up for best pop solo performance, best música urbana album, and the coveted album of the year awards. Despite not clinching the latter — memorably losing to Harry Styles’ Harry’s House — Bunny still made history as the first all-Spanish LP to receive a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. (In October, he would tell Vanity Fair, “Maybe they weren’t ready for a Spanish-language album to win the big prize.”) The night was still a success as he secured the best música urbana award for the second year in a row.
Stillz
Stillz
Meanwhile, rumors of a romantic entanglement with Kardashian sibling and model Kendall Jenner began to swirl that month, when TMZ captured the couple leaving a restaurant in Beverly Hills. In March, after getting seen on another date in West Hollywood, US Weekly reported from a source that they were “not official,” however, they were “getting to know each other better.”
The pairing, however, was not universally embraced by all fans, especially Latina fans. Refinery29’s Somos wrote that fans felt a “collective sense of betrayal.” “For many Latina fans venting their grievances online, Bad Bunny’s recent dates with Jenner force them to think about the possibilities and limits of popular culture and what happens when the icons we love don’t love us back,” said scholar of gender and ethnic studies, Yessica Garcia Hernandez, in April. “There is no denying that Latina fans have branded Benito as a contemporary symbol of Latina feminisms, and now there seems to be a cultural expectation from fans that want Benito to remain committed to his social justice stardom.” Nevertheless, being half of one of pop culture’s preeminent power couples further reinforced his status as an A+ lister.
April marked another milestone for Bad Bunny, who became Coachella’s first-ever Spanish-language headliner. “Latinos have been rompiéndola (killing it) for some time now. I just did a tour last year that I never imagined I’d be able to do,” he said during his Coachella performance, alluding to his record-shattering World’s Hottest Tour. “I’ve been out for some time but [I’m back] and it feels cabrón to be here tonight and that you’re all here with me.” He brought the usual (as well as some unusual) suspects on stage, including Post Malone, Ñengo Flow, Jhayco, and Jowell & Randy — oh, while also jumping on a jet ski at one point.
[embedded content]
Just a few days later, after his historic performance, the Puerto Rican hitmaker embraced the burgeoning música mexicana boom with Billboard’s December 2022 Latin artists on the rise, Grupo Frontera, on “un x100to.” The Edgar Barrera-assisted collaboration not only dominated across multiple Billboard charts — Hot 100 (No. 5), Global 200 (No. 1), Global Excl. US (No. 1), Hot Latin Songs (No. 2) — but further helped fuel the genre’s international explosion.
Breaking a social media hiatus in May, Bunny released the Jersey club one-off “Where She Goes,” produced by MAG, followed by collaborations such as the synth-driven “Mojabi Ghost” by Tainy, from the producer’s debut album Data; and “K-Pop” by Travis Scott, also with The Weeknd, a buoyant trap song with Afrobeat elements. While these tracks debuted well and showcased Bunny’s versatility, none reached the meteoric success of his previous hits.
Then came the reggaetón number “Un Preview” in September, setting the stage for his return-to-roots, Latin-trap-heavy fifth solo album, October’s Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. The album landed another resounding No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200, but also experienced a somewhat softer reception than Un Verano Sin Ti. (Nadie Sabe debuted with 185,000 units in its first week, roughly 90,000 shy of the 274,000 posted in May 2022 by Un Verano Sin Ti in its first frame.)
[embedded content]
Still, five years ago, the Billboard 200 had never had a Spanish-language album atop its rankings, and Bad Bunny has now done it three albums in a row, starting with El Último Tour del Mundo. And although the Nadie Sabe songs didn’t cling to the charts in the same way, it did become Spotify’s 2023 most-streamed album in a single day upon its release.
In a notable moment for mainstream American television, Benito also hosted and performed on Saturday Night Live the week after the album drop. Billboard’s chief content officer Leila Cobo wrote on the normalization of Spanish on one of the longest-running shows in American pop culture: “Thanks to a rapper from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, Latin presence in U.S. pop culture has been mainstreamed for perhaps the first time since I Love Lucy in the 1950s,” said Cobo. “The big difference is, I Love Lucy used comedy as a vehicle to “translate” Desi Arnaz’s accented English, accompanied by boogaloo. In contrast, Bad Bunny makes no attempt at translation or compromise when he very matter of factly speaks in Spanish.”
[embedded content]
As the year draws to a close, Bad Bunny is plotting the Most Wanted Tour for 2024, kicking off on Feb. 21 in Salt Lake City. Despite remaining one of the globe’s biggest and best pop stars, the excitement of his previous year seems to have waned, with increased competition from rising stars like Peso Pluma, who’s leading the música mexicana explosion towards American pop; and Karol G, who also had a historic Billboard 200 debut and dominated the highest-grossing Latin tours of the year. However, Benito still secured a top 5 ranking in Latin tours — he placed No. 28 on the all-genres 2023 year-end boxscore chart. But the singer/rapper still ranked No. 1 on Billboard’s year-end Top Latin Artists chart, with Peso coming in second, and Karol in third place.
And lest anyone forget, El Conejo Malo declared precisely one year ago, “I’m taking a break. 2023 is for me, for my physical health, my emotional health to breathe, enjoy my achievements.” As we stand at the culmination of this year-long journey — witnessing his triumphant return to the Coachella stage as a headliner, his exploration of diverse musical genres, his unyielding influence on pop culture — it’s evident that his version of “taking a break” is still an extraordinary metamorphosis.
Last week, during Spanish Broadcasting System’s third quarter earnings call, Albert Rodriguez, the company’s president and COO, announced that he was leaving his post. While the announcement came as a surprise, Rodríguez says that, after 25 years at SBS, he is leaving in good terms.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“I’m going to stay on as a consultant during the transitioning period,” he told Billboard in his only interview following his announcement. “We’re leaving in excellent terms and I’m very appreciative to Raul [Alarcón],” he added, referring to the chairman and CEO of the company, to whom Rodríguez directly reported to.
Rodriguez is still evaluating his future plans, but will likely launch his own consulting company.
SBS is the formidable Latin media company whose suite of radio stations in the top markets in the U.S. include La Mega in New York, the most-listened to Spanish language radio station in the country, according to Nielsen. SBS also operates the AIRE Radio Networks, a national radio platform of over 300 affiliated stations.
Rodríguez joined the company 25 years ago, initially as a general salesperson, and climbed the ranks. In June, 2021, he was named president, making it the first time in 36 years that the company named a new president, and first time it was led by a non-family member.
Working with Raúl Alarcón, who he calls a “beacon” of the Hispanic community, was a major highlight during his long tenure at SBS.
“The team we built is like family [to me]. We have performed better than all our industry peers,” says Rodríguez. A point of major pride, he says, was the launch of the Aire network, “which has grown immensely in terms of revenue and content and distribution.”
“We served very passionately the Hispanic voice in America,” adds Rodríguez of SBS, noting that despite Hispanics making up 20% of the total U.S. population, they represent only 6% of the U.S. market’s total advertising budget for 2022, according to the Hispanic Marketing Council. Moving forward, he says, “I want to be a leader in developing and increasing share to the multicultural space.”
Joaquina has signed a management deal with Global Talent Services (GTS), Billboard can exclusively announce today (Dec. 11). The new partnership will strengthen the Venezuelan singer-songwriter’s growth and amplify her artistic potential, and she will be overseen by manager Paula Kaminsky and co-manager Camila Canabal.
“I’m very grateful to count on a team that believes in me and my project, but most importantly, for believing in my songs and what I have to say in them,” the 19-year-old newcomer (born Joaquina Blavia Canabal) said in a press statement. “I’m very excited for this next stage of my career.”
Kaminsky added: “We are very happy and grateful that Joaquina, who is a talented singer-songwriter and performer and someone who holistically embodies the feelings of her generation, has placed her trust in GTS to further develop her career, and together, guide her in achieving her dreams of taking her art to the whole world.”
The exclusive news comes on the heels of Joaquina winning the coveted best new artist award at the 2023 Latin Grammys in Seville, Spain, where she was also nominated for best singer-songwriter album for her debut EP, Los Mejores Años.
Joaquina poses with the award for Best New Artist in the media center for The 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre on Nov. 16, 2023 in Seville, Spain.
Niccolo Guasti/Getty Images
Born in Caracas but raised in Miami, the well-rounded rising star—who took music, theater, and ballet lessons—is inspired by artists such as Avril Lavigne, and pens songs about teenage angst as heard in her notable track “Los Mejores Años.”
“Although I am very extroverted and I love to socialize, I am also very private and it’s difficult for me to talk about my fears, my thoughts, and ‘Los Mejores Años’ was a big relief song for me,” she previously told Billboard. “It helped me a lot to understand many things I was feeling in a time of normal transition in everyone’s life. It’s a bit that concept of feeling the fear of growing up for the first time in your life.”
Before winning best new artist, Joaquina formed part of the first class of graduates from producer Julio Reyes Copello’s Art House Academy, signed a record deal with Universal Music Latin, and was the opening act for artists such as Alejandro Sanz and Fonseca. She was also spotlighted as Billboard’s Latin Artist on the Rise in November.
The sound that dominated popular Spanish-language music in 2023 wasn’t represented at all on the Billboard Hot 100 until two years ago, when Gera MX and Christian Nodal’s country-tinged “Botella Tras Botella” debuted at No. 60 and made history as the first regional Mexican song on the chart. Since then, the genre’s presence on the ranking has exploded as a new crop of stars has evolved the music’s sound and look, borrowing from hip-hop, trap and rap to build on its traditional instruments of guitar, accordion and more. As a result, these artists have nurtured a new generation of fans for a genre with foundations that date back over a century.
This year, more than 35 regional Mexican tracks have entered the Hot 100, highlighted by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s blockbuster smash, “Ella Baila Sola,” which also made history when it reached the chart’s top five. This record year for regional Mexican music, or música Mexicana, has been powered by not only superstar collaborations — like Grupo Frontera’s team-up with Bad Bunny and Fuerza Regida pairing with Marshmello — but also support from major labels eager to partner with the independents that have long dominated the genre. In the first half of 2023 alone, overall consumption of regional Mexican music jumped 42.1%, topping all other genres but K-pop, according to Luminate.
“For decades, Mexican music has played a significant role in Latin music, leaving a profound impact on the global musical landscape,” says Manny Prado, vp of marketing and A&R at Interscope Records. “Finally, it has gained the acknowledgment it deserves.” This year in particular, international collaborations have propelled the sound into uncharted territories, and no other Latin genre has gained the traction of regional Mexican.
Its newfound popularity is rooted in many things, but particularly in its indie support, followed by multinational distribution partnerships with major labels. In June, Fuerza Regida frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz signed a worldwide deal with Cinq Music to distribute his own label, Street Mob Records, which he launched in 2018. The move followed a deal that Fuerza Regida signed with Sony Music Latin last year through a partnership with its indie label, Rancho Humilde. The strategy also worked for Washington state-based sibling trio Yahritza y Su Esencia, which signed to Columbia Records in partnership with Sony Music Latin and its indie Lumbre Music (which had discovered and signed the act eight months prior).
While indies have historically dominated the genre — and continue to do so — such partnerships indicate that alliances will be key to the music’s continued growth in 2024.
“We saw Mexican music grow because artists started to collaborate, and it’s the same thing when companies start joining forces,” says Maria Inés Sánchez, Sony Music Latin’s new vp of West Coast operations. “Major labels like Sony can reach a broader spectrum of the business in general. We have eyes where indies perhaps don’t with offices internationally.”
At the center of the regional Mexican revolution is Peso Pluma, whose raw and raspy vocals and signature sound of punctuated trombones and charchetas — along with a quirky haircut — made him the unwitting face of the genre. After a few collaborations with fellow corrido artists at the beginning of the year, he struck gold when he teamed with Eslabon Armado for “Ella Baila Sola.” Arguably this year’s biggest Latin hit, with 617.3 million on-demand official streams in the United States, it proves how a powerful song can propel a local genre to global recognition, as well as the importance of catering to a broader audience. The two indie artists are stylistically opposites; Peso Pluma is known for his swaggy, attitude-heavy corridos and Eslabon Armado for its romantic sierreño ballads. “Ella Baila Sola” became the first regional Mexican song to dominate the Billboard Global 200 (holding the top slot for six weeks) and is No. 1 on the year-end Hot Latin Songs chart.
[embedded content]
Another head-turning team-up arrived in April, when Bad Bunny joined Tejano act Grupo Frontera for “un x100to,” a cumbia/norteña song that scored a top 10 debut on the Hot 100. It was perhaps a catalyst for other unorthodox collaborations that followed, including Peso Pluma and El Alfa, Grupo Frontera and Manuel Turizo, and Banda MS and Ice Cube.
“The [Mexican] movement is now taking advantage just as reggaetón did” in the early 2000s, says Sergio Lizárraga, founder of indie label Lizos Music and manager of Banda MS. “But in the end, the root is the same, the themes they address are the same — just sung differently.”
Uriel Waizel, the editorial lead for Mexico at Spotify, compares this wave of success to another genre entirely: Afrobeats. “The biggest lesson regional Mexican music has taught is that the ‘traditional’ format had to make concessions to impact the U.S. and global charts,” Waizel says. “Which is what we saw happen with Rema and Selena Gomez [with “Calm Down”]. It’s a great example of music that becomes more digestible for global audiences.”
He cites recent Latin hits like “Qlona” by Karol G and Peso Pluma and “Harley Quinn” by Fuerza Regida and Marshmello as further proof. “After several iterations that have been happening evolutionarily over the past five years,” he says, “música Mexicana has finally found its way into the global market.”
This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.