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Ivan Cornejo… You may not have heard of him before, but you’re sure to in the future, as he’s a young and talented rising star in the Latin music scene. At just 19 years old, he has already made waves on the Regional Mexican charts, including our own, with his song «Aquí Te Espero,» which has spent six consecutive weeks on Lista LOS40.

Cornejo made his debut at Lollapalooza on August 5th, marking the official start of his ‘Terapia Tour.’ The tour has already made stops in major cities such as New York, Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston, and it will conclude with two consecutive shows in Chicago on November 16th and 17th.

Ivan Cornejo: Rising Star

Cornejo was born in June 2004 and was raised in Riverside, California. Despite the fact that his music falls under the category of ‘Regional Mexican,’ he revealed in an interview with Billboard that he didn’t grow up listening to regional Mexican music.

     To be honest, I didn’t listen to regional Mexican until like three years ago when my friends introduced me to T3R Elemento and Grupo Los De La O. That’s when I fell in love with the genre. But I grew up listening to whatever my family listened to. Kudos to them for molding my style. My brother would listen to alt-rock like Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, and my parents listened to Café Tacvba. Very on the alternative side.”

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Cornejo taught himself to play the guitar at the age of 8 by watching YouTube videos, being the renowned song «La Bamba» by Ritchie Valens, the first song he learned to play. He began writing when he was just 13 years old, driven by the urge to express his feelings about a heartbreak he experienced in middle school. This event has been a significant source of inspiration for his emotionally charged and touching lyrics.

At the age of 14, he started sharing corridos with a Folkloric essence on social media, and he especially credits TikTok trends for helping his music gain widespread popularity. As mentioned earlier, his songs combine heartbreak with evident nostalgic vibes. His regional Mexican music falls into the more specific (sad) ‘sierreño’ genre.

Sierreño & Sad Sierreño

There’s no denying that Mexican music has not only captured the hearts of people in Mexico but has also found a devoted following among Mexican communities in the United States and around the globe, mainly thanks to corridos tumbados. Nevertheless, ‘Sad’ Sierreño –a subgenre of Sierreño– is also on the rise in popularity. The melancholic themes portrayed by its artists in their songs allow us to connect with their personal heartbreaks and make them resonate with our own experiences.

‘Sierreño’ music, a subgenre of Regional Mexican music, that originates from the northern regions of Mexico, particularly Sinaloa and Sonora. It boasts a unique sonic identity characterized by a trio of primary instruments: the Guitarra Sexta (Sixth Guitar), Bajo Sexto (Sixth Bass), and Tuba. This subgenre’s lyrical themes typically center around love, heartbreak, rural life, and regional narratives. Its melodies are frequently catchy, and the vocal style is usually emotive and passionate. Of course, ‘sad’ sierreño have added a contemporary twist.

In 2021, at the young age of 17, Cornejo released his song «Está Dañada» from his debut album Alma Vacía. The track went viral on TikTok and made its way to the Billboard Hot 100. As Cornejo himself has noted, the song is a fusion of indie and sierreño, reflecting his musical identity. Naturally, the song draws its inspiration from a breakup.

Song Lyrics Translation

She’s damaged from love
She doesn’t feel any pain

Her happiness ended
Her hope disappeared
She no longer believes in love; her faith has run out
She no longer believes in love; it rains every day in her world

Her smile, her little face, her hands
Oh, what a delight, oh, how beautiful your face is
She likes to dance with her friends
That brings out her beautiful smile
Her beautiful smile, oh, what a delight

Pure little apple

She moved really well to reggaetón
Every night, singing the song
That we danced to, we kissed while drunk

And when you’re crying
Locked in your room
I hope that you sing my song.