Musica Mexicana
Eden Muñoz is back with a new album simply titled Eden. Released on Thursday (August 15), the set contains 15 songs in which he fuses the genres that formed him musically — such as folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and, of course, banda sinaloense, corridos and cumbia.
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In his second studio LP via Sony Music Mexico and third in his discography as a solo artist — after a decade fronting the successful group Calibre 50 — the Mexican singer-songwriter released playful titles like “Me Rento” (or “I rent”), “No Sabes La Que Te Espera” (“You don’t know what’s ahead”) with Luck Ra, “¿Cómo Te Fue Sin Mí?” (“How did it go without me”), “Todo Me Vale Madre” (Mexican slang for “IDGAF”) and bonus track “Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar” (“I got money and a desire to beg”).
“If I don’t have fun, people won’t have fun either,” Muñoz tells Billboard Español. “I’ve never been so happy recording an album, I wanted to push my own boundaries. Ten years ago neither my audience nor I would have achieved something like this.”
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Eden follows 2023’s Como En Los Viejos Tiempos, whose song of the same name reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart last January. The tour of the same name kicks off in the United States on Friday (August 16) in San Antonio, Texas, and will take the regional Mexican star to cities such as Houston, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Phoenix, San Jose, Reno and Denver, ending on November 27 in Irving, Texas.
Also, on October 19, he will perform for the first time as a solo artist at the Arena Ciudad de México, a venue only the greats aspire to. “It is a great dream for me to be in such an important place and at the same time a great responsibility,” says Muñoz.
In Mexico he will also have concerts in Monterrey on November 9, at the Citibanamex Auditorium, on November 30 at the Telmex Auditorium in Guadalajara, for which tickets are already sold out, and on December 7 at the GNP Auditorium in Puebla.
Below, Eden Muñoz breaks down 5 essential songs from his new album, Eden, here. (Listen to the full album here.)
“Mi Lugar Favorito”
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“Mi Lugar Favorito” (“My favorite place”) is definitely No. 1. I never thought I would write a song for my children, and the moment arrived. I consider this the most beautiful piece of work I’ve done so far. Maybe they don’t understand it yet because they are six and three years old, but it will remain as a legacy and they will understand it when the time comes. Musically it is very calm, but the lyrics are very deep: It talks about unconditional love and what we are capable of doing as parents for those beings that fill our world. I believe that many parents will feel seen and that will be a great satisfaction — that they will also dedicate it and share those feelings that I express in the song.
“Mi Momento Más Ex-Quizofrénico”
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I love it because it’s risky, because it’s something different up to a certain point in the song, but then a chorus comes in, very much in the style we’re used to. It’s a crazy song [“My most ex-schizophrenic moment”], but without going out of line. It starts with an intro like a horror movie and then suddenly I start singing the blues for a few seconds — and later I mix it with the regional Mexican music that has always characterized my project. I think it was a good mix, it will surely attract attention.
“Mezcal de Calzón”
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“Mezcal de calzón” (Mezcal of calzón) is inspired by one of my favorite Beatles songs, “Twist and Shout.” I wrote it in London last year when I was on vacation there. Let’s say it’s a similar sound, but with the lyrics a very Mexican with double entendres, as we speak. I have to think about people 60 years old or older who also want to enjoy the music they like, and with this song they will probably even dance to it. That’s the idea — that everyone has fun and enjoys my music as much as I enjoy it. The lyrics talk about someone who is in love and thinks that maybe they gave him something to drink because he can’t stop thinking about the person. It’s kind of funny but very colloquial.
“Mi Situación Actual”
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It is the song with which I close the album. I confess that I went out of the line there; it was a whim because I love rock, electric guitars and everything that goes with it. I used a lot of tools that I’ve been getting to know in the last few years when I’ve been getting into producing. I mix, I get involved in everything and I don’t say that with a desire to be the protagonist, I do it because I’m aware that everything has to be right. Also in this song a part of it is rock and continues with regional Mexican music. The song [title meaning My current situation] talks about someone who has existential problems, who feels bad and doesn’t know where to go, something that happens to all of us at some point.
“Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar”
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“Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar” is also one of my favorites because I feel I have the responsibility to present songs with banda because it is the music I grew up with and was formed with. Banda music opened a very big path for regional Mexican music and I have a lot of respect for it. For this reasons it is the bonus track, it is my essence, what represents the genre. I do not speak neither good nor bad of what the new generations are doing, I also sang corridos alterados at some point when I was very young. Today, at 33 years old, I know that this is what I want, to make fusions but to not abandon our musical roots. This is the typical song of someone who is in love and is not ashamed to beg the person. Once again, we are talking about something that happens to a lot people: when they are drinking and want to make an impression on a special someone.
Eden Muñoz
Courtesy of Sony Music
A mere two months after announcing they were a couple, Mexican music stars Angela Aguilar and Christian Nodal tied the knot in a private ceremony at a ranch in Mexico.
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Rumors about the wedding started circulating Saturday night (July 24) online, when magazine Quien published photos of the couple on social media, with Aguilar wearing a long, embroidered dress. In one, she appeared walking holding the arm of her father, fabled ranchera singer Pepe Aguilar, and in the other, she faces Nodal, wearing an off-white suit, at the altar.
While many fans speculated the photos could be from the set of a music video, sources confirmed to Billboard that the couple indeed got married. The wedding took place in a private ranch in Morelos, a couple of hours outside Mexico City. Other photos of the couple have also surfaced on social media.
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The relationship between Aguilar and Nodal, two of the most promising names in Mexican music, came to light two months ago.
According to sources, Aguilar, 20, an Nodal, 25, who had recorded together back in 2020, reunited after Nodal ended his relationship with Argentine trap star Cazzu, with whom he recently had a baby. The Mexican superstar and Cazzu publicly announced their breakup on social media on May 23, stating they still have a respectful and amicable relationship.
At the time, Aguilar and Nodal noted they had been friends for years.
“It is not a new relationship; it’s the continuation of a story that life made us pause so we could grow and miss each other. Because when we let go, we returned even closer,” Aguilar told HOLA! at the time. Since the announcement, the couple has kept a low profile, although sources said they were deeply in love.
Ángela Aguilar was honored with the Musical Dynasty award at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony, which aired on June 9, where she was also the youngest of the eight honorees.
Warner Chappell Music has announced Delia Orjuela as its new head of creative Mexican music/música mexicana. Based out of Los Angeles, the veteran executive will report to Gustavo Menéndez, WCM’s president, U.S. Latin & Latin America.
In 2021, Orjuela joined Warner Music Latina to lead the label’s Mexican music division where she guided the careers of artists like DannyLux, who is among the new generation of música mexicana hitmakers. Last year, her and Ruben Abraham were appointed co-leaders as the label doubled down on their commitment to música mexicana.
According to a press release, in her new position, Orjuela will continue to “collaborate closely” with the recorded music team and look for cross-collaboration opportunities between the label and publisher.
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“I have spent most of my career advocating and championing songwriters, and they’ve remained my true passion,” Orjuela said in a statement. “Music is incredibly powerful, and I love how a great song with meaningful lyrics can impact people’s lives. I’m so glad to once again be a part of the songwriting process from the beginning, helping to set up collaborations and nurture creative connections. This next step in my career brings everything full circle, and I can’t wait to hit the ground running with Gustavo and the incredible team at WCM.”
Prior to joining Warner, Orjuela was the longtime vp of Latin creative for BMI, where she worked for 22 years. She left in 2019 to start “a new chapter” in her life. That same year, she was appointed president of Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“Delia and I have known each other for years, and what started as professional respect has grown into a deep and genuine friendship,” Menéndez added in a statement. “She’s fiercely passionate about empowering music creators and providing them with the right tools to amplify their voices on a global scale. We’ve already started to pull together exciting plans with [Warner Music Latin America president] Alejandro [Duque], and her natural instinct will drive remarkable success in one of today’s fastest-growing genres.”
In a joint statement, WCM co-chairs Guy Moot (CEO) and Carianne Marshall (COO) expressed: “Delia has supported countless songwriters and established a reputation for energizing teams and elevating music. We see huge potential to create timeless songs in the Mexican music market, and her leadership will help us continue to develop songwriters who shape culture.”
Warner Music has revamped its regional Mexican music operation, announcing veteran executives Delia Orjuela and Ruben Abraham as co-heads of its growing Música Mexicana division.
In their new roles, Orjuela and Abraham will jointly lead the division’s overall strategy for the U.S. and Mexico. Orjuela will focus on artist relations and creative projects, and Abraham will concentrate on operations, growth and dealmaking.
Abraham, an 18-year veteran of Warner, was most recently senior vp of marketing and artist strategy for Warner Music Latina, based out of Miami.
He will now join Orjuela – who joined Warner Music Latina as general manager of Mexican music in 2021–in Los Angeles. Both executives will report to Tomás Rodríguez, president of Warner Music Mexico and Central America, with additional oversight from Alejandro Duque, president of Warner Music Latin America.
Warner’s restructure is aligned with the label’s new focus on Mexican music. Years before, Warner had been a powerhouse in that arena, but over the years the label focused more on pop.
Once Duque joined the company as president in 2021, he made Mexican music a priority and launched the Música Mexicana division, signing acts like Los Aptos, Tomas Ballardo and DannyLux, who performed at Coachella this year. Last year, the label also signed veterans Grupo Pesado, who had been in Warner decades ago, and stars like El Komander.
“Música Mexicana is a diverse body of music with a long, rich, and beautiful history. Delia and Ruben’s deep experience, relationships, and passion for Mexican music make them the ideal leaders as we strengthen our commitment to taking Música Mexicana into a new era of global growth and influence,” said Duque in a statement.
“I look forward to leading Warner Music’s Música Mexicana division alongside my colleague Ruben Abraham,” said Orjuela. “Together, we will build on the foundation that has been established to help take Mexican artists and music to new heights.”
“It’s an honor to help shape the future of Música Mexicana,” said Abraham. “The growth of Mexican music consumption in Mexico itself and in the U.S. is a big priority for us, and I’m excited to collaborate with Delia to accelerate our artist development and reach. With the teams, tools, and expertise of our network, we have an incredible opportunity to amplify Mexican music worldwide.”
Tomas Rodriguez adds: “Delia and Ruben are powerhouses when it comes to championing artists and driving business results. Our Música Mexicana efforts are in the perfect hands under their strategic leadership.”
Regional Mexican music, also known as Música Mexicana, has long been one of the backbones of Spanish language music in the United States, bolstered by a huge Mexican American population. But in the past year, both local and global interest in the music has exploded, and major labels like Sony and Warner are putting new emphasis and resources behind the music.
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