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Carín León (Hermosillo, Sonora, 1989) has become a key figure in elevating Mexican regional music to another level. This genre, which includes various styles such as norteño, mariachi, sierreño, and the popular corridos, saw a 42.1% increase in consumption in the United States in 2023. These numbers surpass those for Latin music in general, as well as country, dance/electronic, rock, and pop.

After winning a Latin Grammy with his album Colmillo de Leche (2023), León returns this year with Boca Chueca, Vol. 1, one of his most introspective works. The album features a raw style while maintaining his signature complex compositions that blend traditional Mexican music with soul, jazz, and R&B.

“I’m very happy with everything that’s happening, with the reception it’s had. It fills us with pride. It’s a risky project for our genre. But that was the intention: to take risks and feel that nervousness, to provoke a certain discomfort in our music. But it’s going great! The genre has grown a lot, and as a Mexican, I’m very proud. In my own way, I’m showing people our music and I think we’re paving the way for regional music, giving it a new face,” he told LOS40.

The album cover is a surrealist piece featuring Carín in the style of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” hinting at the album’s depth. “Here, I say many things I was never able to say before. About myself, about the genre. I’m embracing my demons. I need to let it out,” he revealed in another recent interview.

During his last visit to our studios, Carín shared more details about his latest work and some secrets he had kept well hidden until now, such as his next studio project, a possible collaboration with Shaboozey, and his upcoming tour across the United States and Europe.

Carín León’s Upcoming Project

On his first interview with LOS40 USA, Carín León a few months ago, he was clear about the secret behind the explosion of Mexican music. On one hand, it’s a return to the roots, a pride in carrying the Mexican music banner artistically (since León is one of the figures who criticized the “regional” label with his “F*ck Regional” campaign, considering it a reductionist label).

Additionally, the current boom of artists in the scene is also partly due to the fusion and renewal of the genre with other styles, bringing it closer to new generations.

“The success of Mexican music is because it has given us more identity. I think we Mexicans have always made the music the ‘Anglos’ made. We wanted to copy it, to follow the trend, what was fashionable. I think this changed when we realized, at least in my case, inspired by C. Tangana, who encouraged me to say, ‘okay, our folklore, our roots, is what gives you the most identity and where no one can compete with you.’ Nowadays, we are more Mexican than ever, making our music with dignity, not looking for a hit, just for the sake of making good music. Now many people are trying to dignify regional Mexican music, with many fresh proposals. Many people are taking the genre to another level, which I think is our responsibility as exponents of the Regional,” the “Primera Cita” singer revealed a few months ago.

Following that path and establishing himself as an open figure in the scene, Carín now assures us that he is proud to continue “unsettling” with a more experimental style, referring to his latest studio album. Moreover, *Boca Chueca Vol. 1* recently debuted in the top 10 of Billboard’s Top Latin Albums, one of the most prestigious rankings in the United States, as it tracks the performance of Latin artists’ studio work in the country.

Boca Chueca Vol. 1, which includes collaborations with Pepe Aguilar, Kane Brown, León Bridges, Panteón Rococó, and Bolela, won’t be the only studio work Carín delights the public with this year. The artist plans to release at least two more albums, as he recently indicated to The New York Times. Among them, a project he exclusively previewed for us that will also feature a lot of fusion. This is an element the artist highlighted as key for other successful figures in the industry, such as Peso Pluma.

“We’re making an EP of flamenco mixed with regional, some tanguillos from Cádiz, some rumbas, some alegrías, but combined with our regional style too,” Carín explained. He is working with the producers of Spanish artist Omar Montes, a key figure in the national scene for fusing flamenco with urban music.

His Collaboration with Shaboozey and the Anticipated USA Tour

Another element that has boosted the reach and creative potential of Carín León’s music has been his collaborations with other artists. In the past year, he has worked with international superstars like Maluma on “Según Quién,” with Camilo on “Ni Me Debes Ni Te Debo” and “Una Vida Pasada,” with Grupo Frontera on “Que Vuelvas,” and with Kany García on “Te Lo Agradezco,” among others.

Now, the artist tells us he is in the process of teaming up with one of the most influential American stars in the current scene. This is Shaboozey, author of “The Bar Song (Tipsy),” which combines country and hip-hop, and is currently #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and in the Top 5 of streaming platforms in the United States.

“We are very into country and collaborating with artists. We’re trying to do a little crossover with our music in the United States, where they have opened their doors to us. We are in talks to do something with Shaboozey,” Carín shared.

In April, León made history by performing at the Stagecoach festival in California, becoming the first regional artist booked by the organization to do a primarily Spanish-language set. In the two weeks prior, he had also performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. A month later, he fulfilled his childhood dream by opening for The Rolling Stones in Arizona.

Carín will continue to champion his style on stage with his international Boca Chueca Vol. 1 Tour, starting on July 22 in Paso Robles, California, and concluding the American leg on October 20 in Sunrise, Florida.