Grupo Frontera has joined special (online) company…
The Mexican American Regional Mexican band and Grupo Firme have each achieved their first-ever entry on YouTube’s coveted Billion Views Club with their collaboration “El Amor de su Vida.
The music video, which premiered on August 3, 2023, surpassed the one billion views on Tuesday, June 17. Both Música Mexicana groups shared the news on their social media platforms.
“El Amor de Su Vida” finds Frontera’s frontman Adelaido “Payo” Solís and Firme’s own Eduin Caz weeping over the ex of their lives, who has moved on to a new relationship. “Today I saw the love of my life/ as happy as ever kissing the love of her life/ she looked at him the same way she looked at me before/ I realized I’ve lost this war,” says the sappy chorus.
In the music video, the two power groups are seen performing in front of a house as they passionately interpret the track.
“El Amor de su Vida” peaked at No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, where it topped for four weeks in 2023, and a No.67-high on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is part of Frontera’s debut album El Comienzo, which scored the Texas-based group its first top 10 entry on any chart, reaching No. 4 on Top Latin Albums, No. 2 on Regional Mexican Albums and No. 39 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Frontera’s next video to reach one billion views is “UN X100TO” with Bad Bunny, which has over 970 million views.
Shakira is expanding her historic presence in Mexico…
The 48-year-old Colombian singer, dancer, and songwriter has announced two new dates for the second leg of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour in Mexico.
The first will take place on September 18 at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros. The second will mark her first-ever performance in the state of Veracruz, where she’ll perform at the Estadio Luis Pirata Fuente on September 24.
With the new dates, Shakira further breaks her own record of shows in Mexico on a single tour — now reaching a total of 28 on this trek.
“With the announcement of this new date, the Colombian singer solidifies herself as the artist with the most concerts at the iconic Estadio GNP Seguros,” promoter OCESA said in a press release.
“My beautiful Mexico! 12 shows at Estadio GNP! Thank you, thank you, and thank you again for continuing to break records with me. See you soon. I love you!!” Shakira wrote in an Instagram post, where she appears posing with a plaque of recognition from OCESA for her new milestone.
The second leg of her 2025 trek in Mexico kicks off on August 11 at the Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, Baja California, and continues on August 14 at the Estadio Héroes de Nacozari in Hermosillo, Sonora; August 17 at the Estadio UACH in Chihuahua, and August20 at the Estadio Corona in Torreón, Coahuila.
After making history with seven consecutive sold-out shows at the Estadio GNP Seguros, the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour will return to Mexico City to complete another series of five shows on August 26, 27, 29, and 30, and September 18, for a total of 12 performances.
This will make Shakira the first artist to achieve such a number of concerts at the venue (formerly known as Foro Sol).
The superstar, who has been adding dates to the tour as tickets continue to sell out, will also match Grupo Firme’s record of eight shows at Estadio GNP Seguros. The band is scheduled to perform their eighth show there on June 28.
The success of Shakira’s monumental tour has led the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer to top Billboard‘s monthly Top Tours ranking for the first time, generating $32.9 million with 282,000 tickets sold in February, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
The following month, she again led the chart and broke records by earning $70.6 million from 11 reported shows — more than any artist has ever generated in a single March since the ranking’s launch in 2019.
Shakira’s tour has left an indelible mark on Latin America, drawing more than one million fans, according to OCESA.
Also this year, the Barranquilla-born star was ranked No. 1 among Billboard’s Best 50 Female Latin Pop Artists of All Time.
The Regional Mexican band visited the NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., for their Tiny Desk debut, which premiered on Thursday, April 24.
Dressed in light blue denim and white shirts, the borderland band opened the set with its Billboard Hot 100 No. 5 hit “Un x100to.” Backed by a gospel-inspired choir, the group infused the upbeat norteño song with a touch of R&B, incorporating sparkling keys and slowing the tempo.
Midway through the performance, the band transitioned back to the its signature cumbia norteña rhythm.
Accompanied by two female backup singers wearing cowboy hats, a trumpet player and Grupo Frontera’s signature ensemble of accordion, keyboards and guitars, the band delivered a dynamic and cohesive performance.
“It’s a very special song for us, because we didn’t even know he was going to be on the song until we shot the video,” frontman Payo said about Bad Bunny’s feature in “Un x100to.” “The video came to us as a surprise, and [Benito] said, ‘Have you heard the song, the full version, with me in it?’ And we said, ‘What version?!’,”
The band’s collaborator, Bad Bunny, had also stopped by the NPR offices earlier in the month to perform a few songs himself.
Grupo Frontera continued the set with “Hecha Pa’ Mi,” during which the richness of the accordion shone.
The band followed up with the bachata-infused “Ángel,” originally recorded with Romeo Santos, and the laid-back reggae-bop “Por Qué Será,” which features Maluma in the original version, showcasing their skill in blending norteño music with diverse genres.
Grupo Frontera rounded out the set with “El Amor de Su Vida,” originally starring Grupo Firme.
Earlier this week,, the Texas-based group received a nomination for best group or band at the 2025 Heat Latin Music Awards.
Fito Páez is preparing for a massive concert in Mexico’s capital city.
The 61-year-old Argentine rock & roll musician and filmmaker has set a new date for his free concert in Mexico City’s Zócalo, which was originally postponed due to having an accident in September that resulted in fractured ribs.
Paez will now perform on January 18, Ana Francis López, the Secretary of Culture of the Mexican capital, confirmed on Friday during a press conference.
His presentation at the so-called Primer Cuadro de la Ciudad de México will precede his shows scheduled at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, on January 21-22, and his concert in Guadalajara, Jalisco, on January 26.
This series of concerts, including the one in the Zócalo, are part of his El Amor Después del Amor 2025 Tour, with which the award-winning Argentine musician celebrates 32 years of his seventh and most emblematic album.
“With 28 albums, three novels, two films as screenwriter and director, 11 Latin Grammy awards and a Grammy, Fito Paéz is more than a musician: he is a storyteller, an icon who has marked generations with his art,” Mexico City’s ministry of culture wrote in a post on social media.
In September, Páez revealed on his social media channels that he had suffered an accident that resulted in the fracture of five ribs, and that his concerts scheduled for that month in Mexico and Colombia would be rescheduled.
Mexico City’s Zócalo — where international artists such as Roger Waters, Paul McCartney and Rosalía have performed — is the country’s main public square and the second largest in the world after Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
So far, the group with the largest attendance at this venue has been the Argentine band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, which in June 2023 gathered 300,000 people, according to official figures, taking the record away from the Mexican band Grupo Firme, which in September 2022 gathered 280,000 people.
A week after the Mexican band scored its first career No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, the Regional Mexican group replaces itself at the summit with new single “El Beneficio De La Duda,” as the song flies 24-1 on the July 13-dated list.
The new leader follows the one-week reign of “Te Va a Doler,” the group’s first collab with Thalia.
“We are grateful to our audience for supporting each one of our crazy ideas,” Eduin Caz, lead singer for Grupo Firme, tells Billboard. “Both songs are completely different and the fact that they have accepted them as such, to take them to No. 1 one after the other is incredible and only motivates us to keep going.”
“El Beneficio De La Duda” scores 6.2 million audience impressions, up 56%, earned during the June 28-July 4 tracking week, according to Luminate.
Thalia’s “Te Va a Doler,” with Grupo Firme, meanwhile, falls to No. 26 with a 48% decline in audience (down 48%) after one week on top.
Thanks to the 56% gain in audience, “El Beneficio De La Duda” takes home the Greatest Gainer trophy, a weekly award for the song with the largest increase in audience among the 50-title radio ranking.
A pair of California stations lead the way with the most plays, KLAX in Los Angeles and KRZZ in San Francisco, in the latest tracking week, while KFZO in Dallas, rounds up the top three.
“El Beneficio De La Duda,” composed by singer-songwriter Joss Favela and released May 28 via Music VIP, grants the label its first ruler on the overall Latin radio ranking. Music VIP came close when “Que Onda Perdida,” another Grupo Firme song, with Gerardo Coronel, reached No. 3 in July 2023.
“For us, it is wonderful to continue to represent our Mexican music in the highest possible way,” Isael Gutiérrez, founder and CEO of Music VIP Entertainment, tells Billboard. “Every achievement and every record we break drives us to keep innovating and creating music that continues to break boundaries.”
As “El Beneficio De La Duda” lands at the summit on the overall Latin radio tally, Grupo Firme replaces itself at No. 1, the second act to achieve the feat in 2024, following Myke Towers whose “Borracho y Loco” with Yandel ceded the throne to his own “La Falda,” after the latter’s one week in charge (Feb. 24-dated list).
Beyond its Latin Airplay coronation, “El Beneficio De La Duda” takes the lead on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, for the group’s 10th No. 1 there, tying with Christian Nodal for second-most champs this decade, both trailing only Calibre 50’s 11 No. 1s since 2020.
“When Joss Favela sent me the first take of the song, he simulated the accordion with his voice because the song wasn’t produced yet,” Caz adds. “I still liked how his voice hummed the melody and decided to incorporate it, and that is one of the most special details of the song.”
Grupo Firme, comprising Eduin and Johnny Caz, Abraham Hernandez, Joaquin Ruiz, Christian Gutierrez, Jose Rubio and Dylan Camacho, celebrates its second No. 1 on the heels of the group’s La Última Peda Tour 2024, the 32-date run that launched in San Antonio, Texas on May 10 and will wrap up November 2 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
The 52-year-old Mexican singer, songwriter and actress and Grupo Firme have each scored a career milestone on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as their collaboration “Te Va a Doler” reaches No. 1 on the list dated July 6.
With the new champ, Thalia returns to No. 1 after more than a decade, while Grupo Firme visits the summit for the first time.
The track is from Thalia’s A Mucha Honra album, which includes another version of the song, without Grupo Firme, remixed by Deorro.
“I’m really thrilled with all the love and support my fans and radio are giving ‘Te Va a Doler’ with Grupo Firme and the remix with Deorro,” Thalia tells Billboard. “Working alongside them was a real treat! This album is really special to me and knowing that the music is connecting with audiences means the world to me!”
“Te Va a Doler” stems from Thalia’s A Mucha Honra project, her 21st studio album released April 26 via Sony Music Entertainment.
“Te Va a Doler” rolls into the top spot with no pain on the overall Latin Airplay chart with a 10% gain in audience impressions, to 7.2 million, earned in the U.S. during the June 21-27 tracking week, according to Luminate.
Last week’s No. 1, Kali Uchis and Peso Pluma’s “Igual Que Un Ángel,” falls to No. 4, after the latter’s one week reign, with an 18% dip in audience, to 6.5 million.
“Te Va a Doler” gives both acts a reason to celebrate. Thalia scores her first No. 1 in 11 years, and Grupo Firme achieves its first leader.
Thalia returns to No. 1 for the first time since “Te Perdiste Mi Amor,” featuring Prince Royce, took over Latin Airplay for one week on May 4, 2013. In between, she placed three other songs below the top 15.
Thalia adds a sixth No. 1 to her account. Plus, she expands her span of champs to 24 years, dating back to first week at the apex on June 17, 2000, when “Entre El Mar y Una Estrella” seized the crown.
As Thalia’s collection of champs grows, here’s a look at the singer’s Latin Airplay chart-toppers:
Peak Date, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1 June 17, 2000, “Entre El Mar Y Una Estrella,” one
July 20, 2002, “Tu Y Yo,” one
Oct. 26, 2002, “No Me Enseñaste,” two
Feb. 28, 2004, “Cerca De Ti,” one
May 4, 2013, “Te Perdiste Mi Amor,” featuring Prince Royce, one
July 6, 2024, “Te Va A Doler,” with Grupo Firme
Further, when “Te Va A Doler” debuted at No. 39 in May, Thalia made her first chart appearance since “No Me Acuerdo,” with Natti Natasha, in Sept. 2018.
Grupo Firme, meanwhile, captures its first No. 1 after missing the throne with the No. 2-peaking “El Amor De Su Vida,” with Grupo Frontera, in Oct. 2023.
The Tijuana-based band becomes just the third regional Mexican ensemble to rule Latin Airplay in 2024, following Fuerza Regida with its Marshmello collab, “Harley Quinn,” and Grupo Frontera through “(Entre Parentesis),” with Shakira, both for one week in charge, on the Feb. 3- and May 18-dated charts, respectively.
“Te Va A Doler” additionally reaches No. 1 on Latin Pop Airplay. Thalia secures her first ruler since the three-week champ “Entre El Mar y Una Estrella” in June 2000, and Grupo Firme claims a first No. 1 on the Latin pop radio ranking with its first entry.
The Latin Grammy-winning Regional Mexican group, based in Tijuana, Mexico, has announced plans to hit the road in 2024 with their La Última Peda tour.
While the dates and venues are yet to be revealed, Grupo Firme confirmed they’ll be performing in Mexico, the U.S., Latin America and, for the first time, Europe, becoming one of the few Mexican banda groups to tour in European territory.
“You dictate where you want to see Grupo Firme. The most mentioned cities or countries [in the comments] will be where we will be present,” the group shared on Instagram.
Formed in 2014, they have received nominations for a variety of awards, including Premios Juventud and Premio Lo Nuestro, being the winner in 2021 of the latter in five categories.
The 27-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter, known as “El Jerry,” crosses has earned his first No. 1 without any other acts on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Se Buscan Borrachos” ascends to the top of the December 2-dated ranking.
Coronel’s second No. 1 overall takes the lead with 8.7 million audience impressions in the U.S. Nov. 17-23, according to Luminate.
The song is a “journey alongside my great team,” Coronel tells Billboard. “It invites us all to get drunk, cure the hangover and become an expert at the subject, because if we were looking for drunks, it was to make them sing about what’s coming next year!”
“Se Buscan Borrachos” was composed by Salvador Aponte and Meño Segovia and appears on Coronel’s album CHSM el Hígado!
The track arrives at the Regional Mexican Airplay summit after Coronel notched his first leader on any Billboard chart with “Que Onda Perdida,” with Grupo Firme, for three weeks in July.
The Regional Mexicancorrido singer-songwriter has since debuted two other tracks on the ranking: “Alguien De Aquí,” with Nathan Galante, up to No. 19 on the latest list, and “Al Menos Indicado,” with Cuisillos, concurrently new at No. 40.
Further, Coronel claims the sixth Regional Mexican Airplay No. 1 of 2023 by a soloist with no billed collaborators. Seven such songs led in 2022, after four did in 2021 and three reigned in 2020, with the genre largely the domain of groups historically.
Here’s the list of such leaders this year:
Artist, Title, Date Song Reached No. 1: Gerardo Coronel “El Jerry,” “Se Buscan Borrachos,” Dec. 2, 2023
Alejandro Fernández, “Difícil Tu Caso,” Nov. 18, 2023
El Fantasma, “La Vida Cara,” Sept. 9, 2023
Carin León, “Indispensable,” Aug. 19, 2023
Alejandro Fernández, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir,” Aug. 5, 2023
Christian Nodal, “Un Cumbión Dolido,” June 3, 2023
Beyond its Regional Mexican Airplay coronation, “Se Buscan Borrachos” makes progress on the overall Latin Airplay chart, bounding 10-4, having become Coronel’s third top 10 on the tally.
The 34-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter and Regional Mexican star has signed an exclusive global publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG).
A leading force in the música mexicana genre, the Sonora-born artist has established himself as one of Mexican music’s most versatile and eclectic artists today recording in norteño, banda, R&B and pop.
“There is no doubt, Carin León is one of the most talented artists currently,” Yadira Moreno, UMPG managing director of Mexico and Central America & vp of new business development for Latin America, said in a statement. “He can blend R&B, Folk, Country and Mexican Music easily and gracefully. We are excited to collaborate with Carin and foster his composing career internationally.”
“I feel deeply honored to embark on this creative journey alongside Universal Music Publishing Group. This partnership marks a thrilling new chapter in my career, and I’m eagerly looking forward to expressing my passion and creativity through the art of music,” added Leon.
Since launching his solo career in 2018, León has helped usher a new era for regional Mexican music. With three career entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and 12 on the Hot Latin Songs tally, he scored his first top 10 on the Top Latin Albums chart with Colmillo de Leche, released in May. It was the first studio album released on the singer-songwriter’s own label, Socios Music, which he launched late last year.
Jody Gerson, UMPG chairman and CEO, said: “Carin León’s career is limitless and transcends Música Mexicana. His soulful voice, songwriting, live shows and ambition goes beyond language. I look forward to working with Jorge Juarez and our entire global team to support Carin as he opens doors creatively across musical genres and geographies.”
León joins UMPG’s roster, which includes other regional Mexican powerhouses such as Juan Gabriel, Espinosa Paz, Horacio Palencia, Grupo Firme, Yahritza Y Su Esencia and Ivan Cornejo, among others.
The Regional Mexican band has extended its record for the most No. 1s on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Vengo de Verla” crowns the tally dated November 4.
In its 10th week, the single advances from No. 5 with 7.8 million audience impressions, up 19%, earned during the tracking week ending October 26, according to Luminate.
It sends Grupo Frontera and Grupo Firme’s “El Amor de Su Vida” to No. 2 with a 12% drop, to 7.63 million.
With its new champ, Calibre 50 improves its career total on Regional Mexican Airplay to 24 No. 1s.
The group remains atop the leaderboard for the most No. 1s among all acts since the chart’s inception in 1994, opening an even larger gap ahead of its competitors.
Here’s a look at the artists with the most chart-toppers on Regional Mexican Airplay:
24, Calibre 50
19, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
18, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
18, Intocable
17, La Arrolladora Banda el Limón de Rene Camacho
16, Conjunto Primavera
16, Los Tigres del Norte
“Vengo de Verla” arrives at the summit after Calibre 50 led with “Dirección Equivocada” for two weeks in April. The song required an equal 10 weeks to lead.
In between, the group reached a No. 18 high with “Hablar de Ti” (July 15-dated list).
Further, “Vengo de Verla” climbs to a new peak on the overall Latin Airplay chart, pushing 12-7. There, the Mazatlán, Sinaloa, band collects its 27th top 10, cementing a new record for the most top 10s among any regional Mexican group.