Peso Pluma and Natanael Cano are two of the central names that we are currently seeing sweeping charts in the U.S. And, of course, they have something in common: the international popularization of corridos tumbados, one of the fastest growing Mexican music styles.
Corridos tumbados (also known as Trap Corridos) is a subgenre of regional Mexican music that blends traditional corridos (national accordion-laced regional folk ballads that date back to the 19th century, like ‘The Cucaracha’), with urban and trap influences. This genre originated about six years ago with the idea of introducing rap into Mexican rhythms and has since become a global success. In fact, there are reports that demonstrate its fast-growing capacity worldwide.
The Big Exponents of Corridos tumbados: Natanael Cano, Junior H & Fuerza Regida
Natanael Cano is considered one of the pioneers of this innovative style in the scene, and he is often credited as one of its creators. Moreover, he released his second album titled ‘Corridos Tumbados’ in 2019, which greatly contributed to popularizing the genre. He defines the subgenre as “regional Mexican like the one you, or, I don’t know, your parents used to listen to; but with a younger seasoning, a younger regional Mexican”, he declared on an interview with LA Times.
The Mexican artist has a stellar career full of hits that have renewed the genre and brought it to stardom, including ‘Amor Tumbado’, ‘El Drip’, ‘Porte’, and‘ AMG’ and ‘PRC’ featuring Peso Pluma.
Cano is one of the stellar phenomenons linked to Rancho Humilde, an independent label in Los Angeles that signed him and many other artists to lead this booming style. Initially focused on promoting up-and-coming corridos artists, this discography eventually ventured into creating their own songs, resulting in a current lineup of over 80 artists. The label’s strategy nurtures the growth of groundbreaking regional Mexican music, incorporating elements from the urban genre.
Junior H and Fuerza Regida are the other two best-selling Rancho Humilde artists, who have consolidated their positions as referees in this new wave of Mexican Music sweeping charts worldwide. Observing the reach of their music in the industry, we can say that the expansion of corridos tumbados is explosive: the combined total Spotify monthly listeners for the three artists increased from 1.6 million in 2019 to 54.1 million in 2023, at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 142%, according to Chartmetric.
Peso Pluma: An Unprecedented Musical Phenomenon in the U.S.
Peso Pluma has quickly risen to fame in the industry, becoming also one of the first artists to push the corridos tumbados into the mainstream scene. In a very short amount of time, he has achieved historical milestones in music, like being the first regional Mexican referent that performs in The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, evidencing its popularity in the U.S. Some of his other achievements include having his duet with Eslabon Armado, ‘Ella Baila Sola’, become the first Mexican music song ever to enter the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 and peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200. He has also been successful on Spotify, ranking as the No. 5 most-streamed artist in the world on the platform.
The ‘Doble P’ has become one of the main exponents of the regional Mexican music and he’s only 23 years old! Thanks to his chart-topping singles and collabs, he is one of the biggest promises in the scene. The Mexican notches also several hits at the top of the charts like: ‘La Bebé – Remix‘ featuring Yng Lvcas, ‘PRC‘ with Natanael Cano, ‘AMG’ also with Natael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros and his single ‘Por las Noches’. All of them also stand out in the Billboard Hot Top 100 chart. He has even released top songs also with Latin mainstream stars like Nicki Nicole, Becky G or Eladio Carrión in the purest style of regional Mexican music. Moreover, Peso Pluma has recently unleashed his own label, ‘Doble P records’.
And you? Do you often listen to ‘corridos tumbados’?
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