Whatever they say, the latest phenomenon in Latin music is not reggaeton. No, it’s not the kilos of autotune and that rhythmic pattern so characteristic of the genre. No. Now, the emerging Latin sound of 2023 is acoustic, it has guitars, trombones and trumpets, melodic voices with hardly any decorations – if it goes out of tune, it goes out of tune – and sinks its roots in folklore. Many will have guessed it: these are the corridos tumbados, a bastard heir genre of regional Mexican music, and whose greatest exponent, Peso Pluma, arrives in Spain next week.
He will do it next Wednesday the 22nd at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona after a double concert in Madrid. Born 24 years ago, the most popular artist of the moment in Mexico will present the songs from Génesis, an album that he released in June and that has catapulted him to global success.
And here saying global is no exaggeration. In the heat of the Latin influence in the US, listeners to his third album are counted in the hundreds of millions. In March, together with another of the great figures of current Mexican music, Eslabón Armado, she signed Ella baila sola, a song that became the most popular Latin song on the planet. She has managed to place five of her songs in Spotify’s global top 50, she has added renowned collaborations such as Karol G, Nicki Nicole or Becky G and, as a good thermometer of success, she already has a Bizarrap brand session on her resume.
Genesis what its title promises: a start over. Featherweight leaves behind the starker style of its beginnings, back in 2020, to launch a more elaborate production and present itself to the world. Thus, Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija, which is his real name, opts for an acoustic style, giving prominence to the popular genres of his country. Therefore, no one expects canned music at Sant Jordi: strings and brass will lift the audience.
And why is it labeled as urban music if it sounds traditional? Easy: Featherweight is absolutely integrated into the spirit of its time. His aesthetic is urban, like a typical rapper. And like the rest of the stars of his generation, Génesisha talks about fame and money, but also about street culture and heartbreak. Songs such as Lady Gaga, 77 or PRC stand out, the latter a controversial song because it is considered an apology for the culture of drug trafficking. That should not be surprising: the corrido tumbado (or war) is linked to the narcoculture so present in Mexico and the lyrics reflect that violence openly.
Laija aspires to experience a memorable landing on the Peninsula. Days before her concerts in Barcelona and Madrid, the Latin Grammys in Seville can seal a perfect year: she is nominated for best regional Mexican music album. Spain will crown the new modern king of the corrido.
