Mexicana

It’s been a big year for música Mexicana. Corridos tumbados are still dominating the global charts, with a handful of established stars leading the charge — among them Fuerza Regida, Peso Pluma, Tito Double P, Junior H and genre newcomer Netón Vega.

But amid this flurry of new releases, you might have missed an album or two worthy of recognition. Here are five música Mexicana records you should check out.

Chino Pacas, “Cristian”

Chino Pacas has staked his claim to the spotlight following the release of his sophomore album, “Cristian,” which came out earlier this month. At just 18 years old, he’s amassed over 17 million monthly Spotify listeners, largely due to his uniquely gritty vocals that pair well with the genre’s thunderous instrumentation.

Now with “Cristian,” Chino Pacas looks to stand out among other corridos tumbados stars by exploring a range of sounds, including traditional banda rhythms in “No Es Un Juego” (ft. Banda Otro Pedo) and the hip hop-infused “GTO” (ft. Santa Fe Klan). (The latter’s music video is filmed in some iconic Boyle Heights locations, including Mexican deli Los Cinco Puntos and El Mercado’s Virgin Mary shrine.) Pacas also picks up the pace with his rendition of Tropicalísimo Apache’s 1993 song “Ojitos Mentirosos,” a song currently trending on TikTok; Pacas’ version has risen considerably on Mexico’s Top 50 chart on Spotify.

Armenta, “Portate Bien”

After producing some of Fuerza Regida’s most iconic hits, Armenta seized the opportunity to release his own debut album, “Portate Bien,” in early August. At its core, the project captures the depths of love and heartache across 15 melancholic tracks, carried by the Mexican singer’s crisp and bold vocals.

Sonically, the LP is a blend of corridos tumbados with the occasional touch of reggaeton and harmonious pop, which shines brightest in tracks like “Ansiedad” and “AbrilSinTi” (ft. Alex Garcia). The crooner also plays with traditional bolero rhythms for his last track “Bolerito” (ft. Manuel Medrano). Already a growing hit for the singer-songwriter is the love-struck ballad “Pensando y Pensando,” which deals with ruminating thoughts of love and loss.

Kane Rodriguez, “La Batuta”

Like many before him in the genre, newcomer Kane Rodriguez first debuted his signature raspy vocals on TikTok, where he would upload acoustic covers of popular corridos. Now the Houston native is using the same platform to promote “La Batuta,” his first album of all-original songs, which was released in April.

In a genre obsessed with flashy gimmicks, Rodriguez sticks to the traditional corrido sound across 13 tracks, setting himself apart from the crowd with his raw vocals and prickly guitar style. Like most of his contemporaries, the 22-year-old explores themes of illicit activity, touting a risqué lifestyle in popular numbers like “La Batuta” and “Morro Mañoso.” In the fierce standout track “Se Volvieron Locos,” he lambastes haters for not believing in him.

Clave Especial, “Mija No Te Asustes”

Clave Especial released their highly-anticipated debut studio album, “Mija No Te Asustes,” this past February — and the 16 hard-hitting tracks were well worth the wait. Since forming in 2021, the trio has transformed their tempered banda sound into a more boisterous affair, likely drawing inspiration from other acts on their label, Street Mob Records, led by Fuerza Regida frontman, Jesús Ortiz Paz. The LP remained on the Billboard 200 chart for 11 weeks, peaking at No. 91.

Clave Especial and Fuerza Regida join forces in their brassy mobster-core singles “Como Capo” and “No Pasa Nada.” The possessive love song “Tu Tu Tu,” which features vocalist Edgardo Nuñez, reached the top of the Regional Mexican Airplay chart just this week — marking a first for the band from Salinas, Calif. Clave Especial is set to kick off their first U.S. headlining tour this fall.

Chuy Montana, “No Fue Suerte”

In 2024, the rising corridos bélicos singer Chuy Montana was murdered in Tijuana after singing songs that authorities said “displeased his aggressor.” It’s a tragic fate that has met other legendary Mexican singers, including the narcocorrido trailblazer Chalino Sanchez in 1992. In June, Street Mob Records released Montana’s posthumous debut album, “No Fue Suerte,” after finishing his songs in close collaboration with his family.

Using his rugged vocal delivery, Montana peppers his lyrics with amusing vulgarities. His most popular song, “Qué Bendición,” tells tales of his trials and tribulations, and his mother’s blessing that follows him wherever he goes — although some songs sound haunting now, in light of Montana’s passing. Among those songs is the accordion-riddled track “Perdón Mamá” featuring Juanpa Salazar, in which Montana foreshadows his tragic death and delivers a heartbreaking, preemptive apology to his grieving mother.

Born and raised in Houston, singer-songwriter Kane Rodriguez grew up surrounded by music. His grandfather, father and brother are musicians, and the sounds of cumbia, banda and norteño were ever present in his house.

The 22-year-old Texican launched his music career by playing with his brothers in a cumbia group in his teens but says he always felt more of a calling toward corridos. He leaned into his musical tastes at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, uploading videos on TikTok of himself singing and playing his guitar.

His first big hit was his 2022 melancholic cover of Aldo Trujillo and Legion RG’s “El Chaman,” which tells the story of an enigmatic character whose emotional availability contradicts his tough-guy appearance. The clip was just him and his guitar in front of a plain background while being filmed at an upward angle — nothing fancy, but his voice and musicality shined.

“I started seeing myself grow and grow, and then a couple videos would go viral, and people asked for more,” Rodriguez said in a recent interview. “I guess people really like how I sound just with the guitar, so I just try to keep recording. … I think TikTok, for me, is a big part [of my success].”

The singer and multi-instrumentalist released his debut studio album, “La Batuta,” in April under Warner Music México.

The LP’s intricate instrumentation works deftly to complement Rodriguez’s gravelly vocals and his swashbuckling lyrics, telling tales of romantic conquests, occasional sadboi reflections and living it up with his compas over the course of 13 tracks.

The “Se Volvieron Locos” artist has been touring the U.S. since his album’s release and was scheduled to perform at Downtown L.A.’s Peacock Theater — in a billing with Chino Pacas, Estevan Plazola, Los Caimanes De Sinaloa, T3R Elemento, El de La Guitarra and Omar Ruiz — but the show was canceled because of the temporary L.A. curfew and the ongoing ICE raids in the city.

Rodriguez fans can rejoice, however, as the singer has a show scheduled for June 20 at El Farallon Event Center in Lynwood. Ahead of his performance, Rodriguez spoke about his rise to fame, collaborating with other artists and his hopes for the future.

This interview has been edited and shortened for clarity.

This is your first studio album. What was the process of recording it like?

It took a while, a cool seven months to get it done. But we picked the right songs and we got the right songwriters. We added different genres, so it took us a while, but I think it was worth it. It’s a big jump from [playing] live to the studio.

How do you think being from Houston informs your work as an artist, and what kind of obligation do you feel to represent the city?

Right now in Houston there’s really not that many corrido artists, so I think being one of the few ones from Houston really helped because I get a lot of support from my hometown.

I grew up in the southeast part of Houston [in an area] called Pasadena, on a little trailer park. It wasn’t nothing too crazy or nothing too bad. I think growing up in a neighborhood like that made me hungrier to make it out of the hood. That just helped me build up.

I think right now Houston needs somebody that could rep them and take them to the next level on the corrido side, and I think I have that responsibility. I want to take that responsibility, and hopefully we can make it bigger.

You’re now on tour and collaborating with big artists. How does it feel to continue to grow in popularity, and how are you managing that emotionally and professionally?

It’s a dream come true. I’m coming from playing in backyards like almost every day, playing 10 hours a day. To play in front of people with big artists — it’s just crazy. It’s really hard to to believe, but I try not to get too excited or get too comfortable. We try to keep our feet on the ground. It’s sort of incredible how everything is building up real fast.

Who are some of the acts you’ve had the chance to work within a professional space that you kind of can’t believe actually happened?

For sure Legado 7 — they’re OGs. I think everybody would listen to them back in 2018, 2019 when I was in high school. So getting the chance to be in the studio and make a hit song with them is even crazier.

And Adrian L Santos also. That fool’s from my family’s hometown over there in Mexico. He’s real poppin’ and a real humble guy. Working with him was one of the best experiences.

Being a musician can feel sometimes, from the outside looking in, like it’s not a “real job,” but getting that cosign from a label changes things. What was your family’s reaction to that moment?

At first they were real iffy, because a lot of people don’t make it out in music. It’s real hard. So they were there, mentally. But the good thing about my parents is they let me do it. They stood back. They’d seen the hunger that I had for it and knew I wouldn’t listen — I’d just keep doing it. Right now they’re real proud, and I’m happy to see them like that.

You’ve got your album out, you’re going on tour — where do you see it going from here? Where are you trying to go?

My vision in the next two years is: I’m trying to sell out stadiums. That’s one of my goals. My biggest dream is to have thousands of people sing my songs.

As looming fear over ongoing ICE raids in the greater Los Angeles area continues, one group of music enthusiasts is using their platform to call out for more visibility and support from famed artists — underscoring tense conversations about influence in the Latino music scene.

Since 2021, the “Agushto Papá” podcast — founded and hosted by Jason Nuñez, Diego Mondragon and Angel Lopez— has played a key role in chronicling the rise of música Mexicana by giving up-and-coming artists a platform to showcase their talent and personalities. Popular genre acts like Xavi, Eslabon Armado, Becky G, DannyLux, Ivan Cornejo and more have appeared on their YouTube channel, which has amassed over 635,000 subscribers to date.

However, on Monday, the trio strayed away from their standard entertainment content, uploading an Instagram reel reflecting disappointment over ICE sweeps, which have targeted communities of Paramount, Huntington Park, Santa Ana and other predominantly Latino communities.

“It’s super unfortunate to see what’s happening within our Latino community,” Nuñez states in the clip. “I think it’s very important that we stay united and spread as much awareness as possible.”

The video initially highlighted efforts by Del Records, who are providing free legal assistance to members of the community who are facing deportation orders; earlier this year, the Bell Gardens label was caught in a web of guilty court verdicts due to their links to cartels. Still, the label is one of the few Latino-led music entities outspoken about providing resources for affected individuals, “but I definitely think they shouldn’t be the only ones,” added Nuñez in the video.

Podcast co-host Lopez prompted viewers to tag their favorite artist in the comment section if they would like for them to speak up, he said, “I think it’s fair and just that [artists] show some of that love back to the community that’s in need and that is hurting.”

“I think that [artists] do play a big role because I think we see them as role models or leaders in our community,” said Lopez in a Tuesday interview with The Times. “These are times when we need those leaders to speak up and for us and people that maybe can’t speak up as well.”

The topic of immigration hits close to home for two of the members; Nuñez and Mondragon are both DACA recipients and openly discuss their unique experience on the podcast. The Obama-era program, which provides temporary relief from deportation and work authorization, has also come under attack in recent years by Trump-appointed judges and is currently recognized as unlawful by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, although application renewals remain.

“I feel betrayed because with [“Agushto Papá”], we have a lot of artists and companies and labels reach out to us to promote albums, tours,” said Mondragon. “We’ve actually reached out to some of these companies [and] they’ve been ignoring us.”

While Mondragon won’t disclose names, he says that many individuals have not spoken out because, “their artists are not born in the U.S.” To that he quips, “We don’t have papers as well, and we’re still using our platform.”

There’s a sense of betrayal, the group says, especially given how various artists and labels came out to support Californians during the January wildfires, “but now when it comes down to bringing awareness to things that are happening to their people, it’s just unfair that they’re keeping quiet,” says Nuñez.

Still, the “Agushto Papá” podcast is not alone in this sentiment; if you scroll across the comment sections of trending música Mexicana acts, you’ll likely come across comments asking them why they’re staying silent about recent sweeps, which immigration-leaders say have totaled at least 300 people.

“I think my big let down is that these companies/artists are vocal about their culture, their heritage, their ethnicity every chance they get, but now I feel like they’re picking and choosing only when it matters,” said Lopez.

In days following public demonstrations and protests, several Mexican American artists have vocalized their support of the immigrant communities including big acts like Ivan Cornejo, Becky G, and Chiquis.

On Tuesday, the boisterous San Bernardino band Fuerza Regida, uploaded a statement to their 9.1 million followers, sharing support for the Latino community. The podcast trio later thanked in a follow-up video.

“There’s still a lot of artists that are staying silent and we hope by this week they speak out about what’s going on,” states Mondragon in the video, urging artists to spread awareness, or perhaps, if they’re bold, front a portion of their millions to the community, even if it means opting for first class instead of their private jet, he says.